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Burke Coles, Fishing Guide
 Autumn is the season of harvest and plenty for Arkansas sportsmen, and nowhere is the spirit captured better than at Arkansas’ Greer's Ferry Lake. For it’s the time of year that husky hybrid striped bass daily churn up the water chasing shad and provide steady top water action.
Late September cold fronts have sent the lakes water temps into the seventies, motivating schooling hybrids and other bass to do their thing more and more frequently. Fishing has been improving the last several weeks, and it’s going to peak in October when water temperatures get into the mid to lower sixtys. When this happens early morning fishermen will find that the hybrids have herded schools of baitfish into coves and pockets. When the fish get the baitfish surrounded, they’ll start to work on em, churning up the surface. That’s when they’re easiest and most fun to catch.
The bigger fish which stay down most of the year start showing up as well. They let the smaller fish do most of the work while they enjoy the harvest. I have seen up to seventeen pound hybrids caught in water less than a foot deep on the banks. I have witnessed schools of shad run completely out of the water up on the banks, and turn the color of the banks silver from the huge amount of shad there.
Top water plugs such as Redfins, Zara Spooks and Near Nuthings in clear will do the trick. Heavy bait casting tackle with 12 to 14 lb line is usually adequate to land the fish, retying every few fish is suggested as the fish have extra sharp gill plates that will cut most any line. Don’t forget your CC spoons either, someday the hybrids prefer eating off the bottom and the trick is to get on top of them and vertically jig your spoon in their face and hold on!
Although the hybrids are always on the move, when they get a wad of baitfish herded into a cove, they’ll keep there until they eat em all. Though hiring a guide is the best way to learn Greer's ferry or any other big lake, weekend anglers can easily figure out where the fish are by looking for a large number of boats in an area. This time of year it’s not uncommon to sight 30 or 40 boats in a popular spot such as Cove Creek.
Otherwise, watch for the obvious splashing on the surface or use a fish finder to find schools of baitfish.
 This time of year, shad are usually down 10 or 15 feet deep. Once you find the bait fish you should not leave them. Sooner or later the hybrids will find them and eat them.
Hybrid bass fishermen often find a bonus in the feeding frenzy, as Largemouth, spotted and Small mouth bass clean up wounded shad that the hybrids miss.
Surface action seems to be the best in the mornings and after about three p.m. generally lasting up to three hours. Sometimes they just go all day long! Another bonus is that the fall colors are peaking and the beauty of this lake really shows. But, if you ask me seeing fish punch holes in the surface all around your boat is a site to behold!
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