BEST BET FOR SNAGGING
Snagging is perhaps the most difficult and tiring form of catfishing. Using a long, heavy saltwater rod-and-reel combo, the angler yanks a large bare treble hook through the water time and time again, hoping against hope that he’ll somehow, miraculously, plant the hook in the hide of a big catfish lurking below.

Many people have tried to have the sport condemned because, they say, it offers an unfair advantage to the angler, thus posing a threat to the resource. Snaggers do, indeed, catch some enormous cats, and at times, lots of them. But studies have shown that the ratio of landed fish to retrieves is approximately 1,000:1, making this one of the most difficult forms of fishing there is. Fortunately, for those who enjoy it, snagging is still legal in many Arkansas dam tailwaters, and snagging fans have a variety of areas where they pursue their sport.

The most popular snagging waters are below the dams on the Arkansas River, and one of these areas, the Ozark Dam tailwaters, is my pick for top snagging honors. The roiling waters below Ozark-Jeta Taylor Lock and Dam have always provided excellent catfishing. But this area really hit the limelight on Oct. 28, 1989, when an 80-pound state-record flathead catfish was caught here. Wesley White of Hartford and Walter Bennett of Hackett were snagging for catfish below the dam using a 12-foot tuna rod, a Penn 309 reel and 75-pound-test Trilene line. Fortunately their tackle was heavy -- for around 10:30 p.m., White snagged an enormous fish. After no little effort, they finally landed the fish.

“It was the biggest catfish I’ve ever seen,” said Franklin County wildlife officer Charles Bonner, who certified the fish’s weight. “First we weighed it on a set of deer check station scales just to get some indication of its weight, and then we took it to a set of certified scales. It weighed 80 pounds both times.”

The old record, a 67-pound flathead, was caught in May 1980 by Ernie Merrill of Wilton in the Little River below Millwood Dam. It, too, was taken by legal snagging.

Ozark Dam straddles the Arkansas River in east-central Franklin County off U.S. Route 64. The Aux Arc Public Use Area adjacent the dam provides boat launching, picnic grounds, modern campgrounds and other facilities. Fishing supplies are available in the vicinity. For more information, contact the Russellville Project Office, 1598 Lock and Dam Rd., Russellville, AR 72801, (479) 968-5008.

BEST BET FOR JUG-FISHING
Jug-fishing qualifies as one of the most fun methods for catching catfish. Plastic jugs serve as floats, with a baited hook, line and weight tied to each handle. The jugger sets the rigs afloat and waits in a boat, watching for bobbing jugs indicating a fish has taken the bait. Then the chase is on as the jugger tries to get close enough to the diving jug to snag the line and land the fish.