LAKE OUACHITA
Lake Ouachita, a 40,000-acre Corps lake west of Hot Springs, is a sleeper in terms of white-bass fishing. Stripers and black bass draw the attention of most Lake Ouachita anglers. But in March and April, white bass get a flash of attention from local anglers enjoying the fast-paced action spawning fish provide in major tributaries. This huge lake produces some enormous linesides. Every day during the spawn, many honest 3-pounders cross the fillet table.

Most fishing is done during the height of the spawning run in March or April in primary tributaries. The headwaters of the lake -- the Ouachita River, especially -- give up enormous numbers of whites. Small inflowing creeks sometimes may also hold a few spawners, but better fishing is available in large tributaries like the South Fork of the Ouachita at Mount Ida and the North Fork below Mt. Tabor.

Pre-spawn fishing also can be good. Just prior to their spawning runs, whites begin schooling at the mouths of creeks and streams, and many are caught by anglers trolling across points adjacent these tributary mouths. Small deep-diving crankbaits that imitate shad garner lots of fish, but other shad imitations that work deep perform well, too.

LAKE MAUMELLE
Lake Maumelle is an 8,900-acre water-supply lake owned by Little Rock Waterworks. Located just a few miles west of Little Rock off Arkansas Highway 10, the lake is extremely popular with white-bass anglers. When the whites are ready to start their spawning runs in mid to late March, the question starts making the rounds in fishing circles throughout town: "Are the whites running on Maumelle yet?"

Most spawning activity is concentrated at the west end of the lake where the Big Maumelle River flows in. Anglers gather on the lower 10 miles of river, some fishing from boats, others from the banks. Night fishing seems to be most productive, especially for casting small spoons, spinners and live minnows. Fishermen often have a hard time finding a good spot to fish, because people are crowded shoulder to shoulder on the more easily accessible stretches of river. Most will agree, however, that the possibility of catching several 2- to 3-pound whites per night makes any extra effort worthwhile.

LAKE GREESON
Lake Greeson is a 7,260-acre Corps impoundment just north of Murfreesboro and west of Kirby. White bass here run upstream into the Little Missouri River to spawn. During the run, anglers line both sides of the river for the one-half to three-fourths of a mile above the Highway 70 bridge. Some fish from boats as far upriver as they can go. Good action is also found in the long lake fingers reaching up into the many feeder creeks.