I remember fishing Lake Fort Smith for the first time in April of 2015 and it was a beautiful mountain lake with extremely clear water and I caught about 10 keepers that afternoon. No idea whatever happened to that lake I visited on that day – every time I’ve been there since has been a nightmare in comparison. High water, flooding, debris, chocolate milk and scattered fish have been the norm since that first misleading visit.
Some of the worst weather tournaments I’ve fished in have been at this venue. All of that said, when the NSKA tournament committee was planning the schedule for this year, I lobbied to get us back to Lake Fort Smith and am glad it was put on the agenda by the powers that be. It’s a great central location and is a test of fishing mettle.
I have a love/hate relationship with Snake Fort Smith. Everything above the water line is amazing at this lake. The mountains are a great view, waterfalls and forested creek run-ins are incredibly scenic, and the ramp and parking area are great. Under the water, the fish can be hard to find and I think this is one of the snakiest lakes I’ve been on. (looking at you Lincoln Lake…) I’ve been fooled by White Bass more on this lake than anywhere else. They seem very aggressive here and will make more than one angler curse on Saturday.
Tournament Stuff
So, if you plan to take on the challenge, sign up for the NSKA Lake Ft. Smith event on TourneyX. Captains meeting will be at 6:00 a.m. and lines out is at 3:00 p.m. Weather is looking like rain based on the current forecast. One thing to be excited about is the shotgun start from the ramp, that’s always fun and a bit of chaos.
Previous events have been pretty tough on anglers. The RVKA tournament earlier this year was a grinder, with only nine of 38 anglers turning in a keeper, and no anglers turning a limit.
In 2016, 74 anglers took on Lake Fort Smith with 45 (61%) turning in a keeper, and only 10 (14%) turning in a limit. Big Bass was only 17″ which is tiny for 74 anglers.
Angler’s Preview & Predictions
Arkansas kayak anglers Tim Hotchkin and Brandon Ward agreed to help me out with the pre-tournament roundtable discussion where we take a look at what might happen.
Lots of rain recently has the lake up and muddy, how do you think this will affect the tournament this Saturday?
Tim – I think it will throw people off of their game. I have the feeling for many anglers it will be a long grind to land a limit. It will require people to adapt to the conditions and the person who can put a pattern together will have a great chance to win.
Brandon – I’ve never been able to fish Lake Fort Smith without it being muddy. The guys that fish the river often shouldn’t have a problem with it. It may be a little tough for some clear water guys though. With the temps this week leading up to the tournament the big fish will be moving on up. I doubt the small front on Saturday will have much effect on them this time around. They’ve been wanting to spawn for a few weeks now and I think rain or shine this is the week/weekend to be on the water in our area.
Jason – Honestly I think it will just scatter the fish and make them harder to catch, rising water will keep some on the old bank and will make some move up.
For a lot of anglers, this will be their first tourney on Lake Fort Smith, do you have any advice for them to tackle this unusual lake?
Tim – The lake is essentially two lakes combined into one. One side will get shallow and have flats. The other stays deeper and had more submerged trees. It has water for everyone to fish their strengths and I have watched anglers do well on each end.
Brandon – Don’t get down on yourself early. I’ve fished and finished well in all three tournament’s I’ve had on this lake. There’s been a few where I didn’t have a fish before noon. Over the last three years I’ve seen a lot of folks get off the water early due to doing poorly in the first few hours.
Jason – The lake is bigger than you would think looking on a map. Lots of room to spread out if you venture away from the ramp. There are hidden little waterfalls that show up during rain that could be a key, you just have to find them.
What’s something about the lake that many people may not know? Or what’s something to be aware of?
Tim – My best tournament ended up consisting of me weighing in almost a entire limit of Smallmouth. Finesse anglers have fared well in tournaments at this lake even in previous years with muddy high water as well.
Brandon – Lake Fort Smith is a very deep lake but there are a few key places (North and South) that will serve as good spawning ground. There’s a ton of standing timber if you like fishing those areas as well. Only thing I would be aware of is the motor boats. The lake is a lot bigger than it looks when you take off across the middle of it. Just be aware and stay visible to those guys that are zooming around.
Jason – There are two big creeks that run into the north east end of the lake, the most dominant features to create any current or new water. The southwest end has a buoy barrier that keeps you from the dam.
Predicted winning length and big bass?
Tim – I think it will take 78″ inches to win and I think someone will find a fish at 20″ to win Big Bass.
Brandon – I predict 76″ and Big Bass 21.25″
Jason – Based on history, I’m looking at 75.5″ to win and a big bass of 19.25″