Marion McCollum/Greenlee
This 320-acre reservoir in Brinkley received a new crop of 4,500 5- to 8-inch Florida bass last year, and they need some time to grow up. All bass must be released immediately. Some remnants from Floridas stocked years ago may also remain, but don't go there counting on them. Access is off U.S. 70 or state Highway 238.

Millwood
Largemouths thrive in this 29,000-acre southwest Arkansas lake operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and stocked by the AGFC. Millwood is nine miles east of Ashdown and sits atop the Sevier, Little River, Howard and Hempstead county lines. The AGFC, Corps and state Parks Department operate at least nine public accesses. The daily limit is three bass; all largemouths under 16 inches must be released.

Monticello
The 1997 opening of Lake Monticello seemed to represent the pieces of a perfect puzzle: a new water-supply lake in southeast Arkansas stocked with an ideal mix of Florida largemouths, baitfish, catfish and sunfishes. It quickly became our top trophy bass lake. Dennis said the number of 5-pounders here is "just amazing." Access is off state Highway 35 or Campground Road off U.S. Highway 425. The slot is 16 to 21 inches, with a four-fish daily limit. You may keep only one over 21 inches, and beware of mercury in large fish.

SWEPCO
Warm water from Flint Creek Power Plant ensures a long growing season for Lake SWEPCO's bass, making it an ideal outpost for Florida bass despite its location in northwest Arkansas. Also known as Flint Creek Lake, the reservoir is just west of Gentry, bounded by U.S. Highway 59 and state highways 12 and 43. A recent crash in baitfish and bass populations that led to an overabundance of skinny largemouths prompted the AGFC to toss the old catch-and-release rule and allow anglers to keep ten bass daily (only one may exceed 18 inches).

LAKES WITH A (FLORIDA) PAST
Four other lakes have southern-strain bass connections, but Dennis doesn't yet consider them serious Florida bass fisheries. Past stocking at Lake Chicot (near Lake Village) and Conway (in south-central Faulkner County) has "been hit and miss," he said. Lake June (in Stamps in Lafayette County) and Rick Evans/Grandview Prairie WMA Lake #1 (in its namesake WMA near Columbus) were stocked with pellet-eating bass for research rather than trophies in 2004. These small lakes are ideal for verifying survival rates, age and growth data and the influence of Florida genes on an existing bass population.

STAY HOPEFUL, PATIENT
Lakes Millwood and Monticello show the most improvement from infusions of Florida bass, Dennis said.

"They're two places right now where you can go and have a good chance of catching a big fish."

He also recommends Columbia and White Oak and sees Atkins and Bois D'Arc as the hotspots in our future. He also has high hopes for DeGray.