I'm looking for some good places within 40 miles of Memphis to hit before or after work. Given that I work for myself, that basically means places I can get to and from quickly enough that I can rationalize doing it more often than I could a full day trip to Reelfoot or Pickwick, etc...
Some of the oxbows across the river look good, but I don't want to buy an Arkansas license if I can help it. Another problem is, there are days I won't have a boat.
What do y'all know about the nearby oxbows on the Arkansas side- what's the fishing like, do you have to actually be on the water to use a TN license, is there any bank access, any boat rentals- whatever useful you think you know.
To prime the pump-
I stopped at Dacus today to check the fishing report, and right now the fishing is one great heaving mystery. There'd been a carp problem last year, but there was a huge carp die-off over the winter, and they ruled out poisoning as the reason. The crappie, bream, and catfish action was back to its pre-carp form again earlier this Spring, but after the late cold spell the fish went squirelly- especially the crappie. On my first and only trip a week ago, nothing was hitting except 2-5 lb channel cat (minnows fished shallow), and they were slow. Today, the camp owner said that some people had been catching crappie or bream just off the bottom in 10-20', but that there was nothing remotely consistent about the where or how from one hour to the next.
Dacus has bank access, a couple of john-boats with paddles to rent (hope you're in shape), and the only bank access is in Ark., so you have to be on the water to rely on a TN license.
The Dacus camp owner said that the Island 40 Chute was completely over-run by carp. I couldn't tell whether he was just glad to have bad news to report about a competitor, or whether he was making it up.
Don't know anything else about Island 40 except that they have boat rentals of some kind.
What rule I've read is, if your on their soil, you need their license.
A lot of the oxbow lakes that are fed by the river are being over run with the carp. Do as I do, if you get 1 in the boat, plan to take it home. Trash bag onboard for yellow bass, carp and gar.