Lake Jack Nolen
For a more intimate west-Arkansas fishing experience where you'll catch many average-sized largemouths, check out 207-acre Jack Nolen. You can help Farwick manage its bass population by keeping a daily limit of six bass, especially those in the overpopulated 12- to 14-inch range. "We used to have a 15-inch length limit on it, but the commission rescinded it because we had a stunted population of fish in the 11- to 15-inch size. We hope people will harvest more of those small fish. Because it's a small lake, we also reduced the daily limit from 10 to 6."

Jack Nolen is in central Sebastian County off state Route 10 near Greenwood. The AGFC maintains ramps on the east and west ends of the lake.

Smallmouth Waters
This region features some of the state's finest smallmouth stream fishing, and Leone's recommendations are classic: the Buffalo National River, Big Piney Creek, the Mulberry River and Illinois Bayou. Most anglers enjoy these streams from canoes, casting jigs, tubes and inline spinners with light spinning gear for bronzebacks that average a pound or so. Check AGFC regulations for length and possession limits.

"If you go to the Buffalo, you're going after bigger fish, but the Mulberry, Illinois Bayou and Big Piney are more of a numbers game," he explained. "A 14- or 15-inch stream smallmouth there is going to make your day, but on the Buffalo, you'll have a chance at 18-inch smallmouths -- 3-pounders."

For details about the 135-mile Buffalo National River, see the National Park Service's Web site, www.nps. gov/buff. See maps of Pope County for Big Piney and Illinois Bayou access points and Johnson and Franklin county maps to trace the Mulberry.

EVEN BETTER NEWS
The fisheries described here are just a sample of the incredible bass fishing that's available in Arkansas this year. And the most encouraging news from all these experts is that last year's high water statewide is guaranteed to bankroll tackle-busting year-classes of largemouth and smallmouth bass that will begin bending your rods in earnest in about three years. The best is yet to come!

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
The free AGFC Fishing Guidebook, which includes details on bass regulations across the state, is available at agency offices and bait shops, or you can download it from the "publications" area of www.agfc. com. That page also contains a link for buying the $18 Arkansas Outdoor Atlas, which shows fishing accesses on detailed county maps.