Duo tops Castmaster anglers
Darren Clay and Jason Clay won the NWA Castmasters bass tournament held July 11 at Beaver Lake. Their five bass weighed 16.11 pounds. They also had big bass with a 5.06-pound largemouth.
Layne McCutcheon and Kelsey Yeager were second with five bass at 11.64 pounds. Don McDaniel and Tricia McDaniel placed third with five bass at 11.26 pounds.
Fourth through 10th, all with five bass unless noted, were: fourth, Bill Ramsey, Cody Reynolds, 10.67; fifth, Dan Hudson, Brian Simco, 10.42; sixth, Ron Bates, Scotty Villines, 10.15; seventh, Johnny Brewer, Bud Sewell, three bass, 8.87; eighth, Salvador Garcia, Resse Jones, four bass, 8.77; ninth, Brent Hester, JD Dudley, 8.39; 10th, Allen Westfall, Brian Swaffar, 7.09.
Harriman wins Elite tournament
Travis Harriman won the Beaver Lake Elite Series bass tournament held July 11 at Beaver Lake. His five bass weighed 16.63 pounds. The event fielded 148 anglers, who fish solo in Elite tournaments.
Nick Frakes was second with five bass at 15.06 pounds. His catch included big bass at 5.61 pounds. Mark Mahaffey placed third with five bass at 14.9 pounds.
Fourth through 10th, all with five bass, were: fourth, Caleb Baker, 13.64; fifth, David Louks, 12.55; sixth, Rick Carpenter, 11.65; seventh, Wes Paulin, 11.07; eighth, Terry Duffel, 10.45; ninth, David Harp, 10.26; 10th, Mason Nail, 10.16.
The best lures were top-water baits early, then jig and pigs, plastic worms and drop-shot rigs later, said James Whittle, tournament director.
Lake gets donated stripers
Staff from the Andrew Hulsey state fish hatchery in Hot Springs stocked 35,880 fingerling striped bass into Beaver Lake in late June.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission had to cancel its annual striped bass stocking project at Beaver this year because of the pandemic, but the agency was able to acquire donated striped bass fry from Keo Fish Farms in England, Arkansas.
The fry were held in ponds at the Game and Fish Hulsey hatchery to grow to an average size of two inches. Striped bass in Beaver Lake can grow to 28 inches long in four years, said Jon Stein, Northwest Arkansas fisheries supervisor with Game and Fish.
Appreciate the lakes
July is Lakes Appreciation Month across the nation.
North American Lake Management Society began the observation to raise awareness of reservoirs and lakes for drinking water and recreation, according to the Beaver Watershed Alliance.
Water is drawn from Beaver Lake and treated by the Beaver Water District to provide drinking water to most of Northwest Arkansas and beyond.
