CONWAY – Spring means it’s crappie fishing time in Arkansas, and two of the more productive arenas are Lake Conway and Lake Dardanelle.
Bass Pro Shops’ Crappie Masters will have its 2011 Arkansas State Championship on Lake Conway April 8-9. Crappie Masters will hold a tournament April 29-30 on Lake Dardanelle.
Along with the Lake Conway event, a Kid’s Fishing Rodeo will be April 9 at Bob Courtway Middle School’s Spirit Lake, 1200 Bob Courtway Drive in Conway, for contestants 15 and younger. Registration is 8 a.m. that day and fishing is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Kids should bring bait and poles. The state championship on Lake Conway offers anglers a chance to compete for cash and prizes, for the Arkansas state champion title and for a berth in the Crappie Masters National Championship.
Crappie anglers may register at Bradford Marine locations – 8020 Landers Road, North Little Rock; 2925 Albert Pike, Hot Springs; 2325 N. Thompson St., Springdale, and 8425 N. State Line Road, Texarkana. Deadline is March 25. Late registration is at the Hilton Garden Inn, 805 Amity Road, Conway, at 5 p.m. There will be a banquet at 6 p.m., April 7, followed by a crappie fishing seminar at 7 p.m.
Tournament weigh-ins will be April 8-9 at the Conway Expo Center and Fairgrounds, 2505 E. Oak Street. Fishing time is 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both days.
The Lake Dardanelle tournament, April 29-30, is a special invitational tournament pitting the top six teams from each Crappie Masters tournament in 2010. Some spots are open to the public. These call-in entries can be made at 660-723-1552.
Competitors may pick up credentials at 5 p.m., with a banquet at 6 p.m., followed by a crappie fishing seminar at 7 p.m. These events will be at the Hughes Center, 1000 E. Parkway in Russellville.
Tournament weigh-ins will be at Lake Dardanelle State Park Weigh-In Pavilion. Fishing times are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both days.
A Kids Fishing Rodeo will be April 30 at Lake Dardanelle State Park Weigh-In Pavilion for youngsters 15 and under. Registration is 8 a.m. and fishing is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Kids should bring bait and poles.
The two tournaments also give anglers a chance to win a boat. Bradford Marine and ATV is sponsoring the boat drawing for a Tracker Pro Team 175 boat, and 40 HP motor and trailer. To qualify, anglers that enter Lake Conway or Lake Dardanelle tournaments must stop into one of the Bradford Marine locations. Anglers that enter both tournaments will get two tickets for the drawing.
For more information on tournaments, contact Bass Pro Shops Crappie Masters online at
www.crappiemasters.net, e-mail at
[email protected] or phone 417-532-0244.
