Moving to Arkansas, looking for local advice

[Arlo Smithereen]

My wife and I are tired of the frigid Iowa winters, and are looking to move somewhere that doesn't get quite so cold. We're thinking Arkansas, and I'm looking at Russellville specifically. Because it's so close to Lake Dardanelle. I'll be going there in the next few months to take a look around, but I was hoping to ask for some advice from members from the area. I've got a wife and three kids. We're used to small town living, and would prefer to keep it that way. I'm not afraid of being out in the sticks lol. Any other areas in Arkansas that are great for local bass fishing? Thanks

[Jig Man]

You might want to take a look at Lake Ouachita.  It is bigger and even has stripers.

[Goldstar225]

You have several good choices. Dardanelle is one (Russellville).  In the Hot Springs area there are several good lakes close by, Ouachita, Degray, Greeson, Hamilton, Catherine.  Heber Springs has Greers Ferry lake with the added attraction of trout fishing in the Little Red river down stream from Greers Ferry Dam.

[Hog Basser]

You could also look at Northwest Arkansas.  There are a lot of small towns around Beaver Lake.  You also have access to trout fishing on the White River.  

 

A little more hilly and more scenery in Northwest Arkansas.  Dardanelle is one of the better known lakes for bass fishing and hosts plenty of tournaments, but so does Beaver Lake.  

[ohboyitsrobby]

I'd for sure look around hot springs. I live 30 miles from there on ouachita and it's a great lake and like goldstar said there's quite a few quality lake just a short drive away.

[Arlo Smithereen]

54 minutes ago, ohboyitsrobby said:

I'd for sure look around hot springs. I live 30 miles from there on ouachita and it's a great lake and like goldstar said there's quite a few quality lake just a short drive away.

my wife got a job offer in Hot Springs, so we'll most likely be checking it out. Thanks for the tip!

[ohboyitsrobby]

4 hours ago, Arlo Smithereen said:

my wife got a job offer in Hot Springs, so we'll most likely be checking it out. Thanks for the tip!

No problem. Keep us up to date on how it goes. I'm always looking for someone to outfish me on my own boat hahahaha ?. Good luck on your move

[Arlo Smithereen]

On 1/5/2018 at 5:13 PM, ohboyitsrobby said:

No problem. Keep us up to date on how it goes. I'm always looking for someone to outfish me on my own boat hahahaha ?. Good luck on your move

thank you sir. Hopefully I'll get to take you up on that someday haha

 

[GANGGREEN]

I'm following this topic.  I'm getting pretty close to retirement in cold, snowy, northern Pennsylvania and I'd like to have a place, at least seasonally, somewhere that I could fish and feel human in the wintertime.  I'm concentrating on the Mountain Home area personally, but like you, I haven't really been there to do a lot of exploring yet.  The closest that I've previously been is in the Missouri Ozarks, which I liked quite a lot.  Thankfully, you can find a lot of information online these days and really maximize your time when you are finally able to take a few days or a week to go explore.  

[scottyboy]

Come on down guys, To be honest all these lakes are promising and it is a good safe place to live. We all get along purty Gud.  Dardanelle lake is a great catfish lake as well if that is of interest.  Beaver is great for night fishing under the lights with big ole striped bass and hybrids in abundance.   

[GANGGREEN]

11 hours ago, scottyboy said:

Come on down guys, To be honest all these lakes are promising and it is a good safe place to live. We all get along purty Gud.  Dardanelle lake is a great catfish lake as well if that is of interest.  Beaver is great for night fishing under the lights with big ole striped bass and hybrids in abundance.   

 

Thanks.  For me it's more than just the climate or the fishing that draws me to that area.  Based on what I know of people in nearby states (Tennessee and the Missouri Ozarks), the people there are kind, easy going and tend to be aligned with me politically.  I don't need everyone to agree with me necessarily, but I'd hate to be in the extreme minority and have to live around people and politics that I disagree with.  Not trying to start any sort of political discussion on a bass fishing board, just explaining some of the reasons why I'm drawn to the area.

 

I have bird dogs too (English setters) and I'm curious if there are still any/many wild quail there.  My dogs are getting fairly elderly, but I can see a pup in my future, particularly if there are still quail or other game birds around.

 

[scottyboy]

Pretty good ole bunch of boys down here. You might wind up with a couple of coon hounds and a Trump bumper sticker so come prepared with a big dog box for your pickup.    Hey, Will those English Setters tree?  

[GANGGREEN]

I'm actually quite satisfied with the politics in the area I presently live (lots of good old boys and Trump bumper stickers), so that wouldn't be far off.  Lots of coon hounds here as well.  I used to run beagles, but now have just the bird dogs.  

[bagofdonuts]

unfortunately, your out of luck on the quail. i've had bird dogs all my life and sadly probably own my last one now. she's 12 and there is not enough birds to train a pup on, so i'm looking for a squirrel dog. the fishing's great tho.

[scottyboy]

Bagofdonuts, I might just know where you can get a good un. Brother has a good treeing little female cur dog that I think he would sale. She has been treeing a couple of months now huntin with the others. I will ask him and see for sure.  I agree on the quail, I have a flock of about 20 on the place and that is all I have seen anywhere. Unfortunately we have a couple of road runners that stay around and I've heard they will eat quail eggs. 

[Hog Basser]

Yeah, Quail are all but nonexistent (wild) in the state now.  There doing a lot of research on it at the AG&F.  There are several places in the state that pen raise them and set them out for paid hunts though.  

[GANGGREEN]

I'm not saying that I've never shot at a preserve or wouldn't do so again, but it's just not my cup of tea.  When my dogs were pups, I occasionally took them to these places just to get some action and because I thought it was the thing to do.   I suppose it was fun, but it was expensive and the benefits for wild grouse dogs were probably pretty limited.  Since then I've hunted only wild grouse and woodcock with the dogs and it's been a joy.  We still have a fair population of wild grouse and flight woodcock and I will miss them I'm sure.

 

I'm sorry to hear that the wild quail are all but gone in Arkansas and hope that maybe they'll be able to make a comeback some day.  Thanks for the responses guys.

 

[wpwarhawk]

Two places for you to look into, Hot Springs Village and Bella Vista. I relocated to Hot Springs with my job 5 years ago, we chose to live in Hot Springs Village and I wouldn’t change a thing. HSV is the largest gated community in the USA, it’s 14 miles across it from the east to west gates. It’s heavily weighed toward golf, but also has tennis facilities, 10 lakes, it’s really a great place to live. 

 

The Lake Ouachita State Park is 12 miles from my front door.  There are 10 semi private lakes here in the Village that range from 20 to 1000 acres, and there are numerous other public lakes within an hour or two. 

 

Bella Vista is in the extreme NW corner of the state, the same developer built BV and HSV and both are similar, except that BV is located adjacent to Bentonville, a much larger city than Hot Springs with more and better job opportunities. 

 

Cherokee Village is a third similar, smaller community in the Mountain Home area.  I’ve never been there, but it was built as a planned retirement community like the others. 

[shovelmouth83]

On 1/4/2018 at 1:53 PM, Hog Basser said:

You could also look at Northwest Arkansas.  There are a lot of small towns around Beaver Lake.  You also have access to trout fishing on the White River.  

 

A little more hilly and more scenery in Northwest Arkansas.  Dardanelle is one of the better known lakes for bass fishing and hosts plenty of tournaments, but so does Beaver Lake.  

a great town to visit with a gf or spouse is Eureka springs.

[Arlo Smithereen]

On 3/12/2018 at 10:03 PM, wpwarhawk said:

Two places for you to look into, Hot Springs Village and Bella Vista. I relocated to Hot Springs with my job 5 years ago, we chose to live in Hot Springs Village and I wouldn’t change a thing. HSV is the largest gated community in the USA, it’s 14 miles across it from the east to west gates. It’s heavily weighed toward golf, but also has tennis facilities, 10 lakes, it’s really a great place to live. 

 

The Lake Ouachita State Park is 12 miles from my front door.  There are 10 semi private lakes here in the Village that range from 20 to 1000 acres, and there are numerous other public lakes within an hour or two. 

 

Bella Vista is in the extreme NW corner of the state, the same developer built BV and HSV and both are similar, except that BV is located adjacent to Bentonville, a much larger city than Hot Springs with more and better job opportunities. 

 

Cherokee Village is a third similar, smaller community in the Mountain Home area.  I’ve never been there, but it was built as a planned retirement community like the others. 

My wife and i will be in Hot Springs for a few days at the end of this month to check out the area.  I'll be looking to see whats available for jobs. I'm a mechanic, but can do a little of everything. Wife is a physical therapist so she'll have no problems finding work.

[wpwarhawk]

On 3/18/2018 at 8:10 AM, Arlo Smithereen said:

My wife and i will be in Hot Springs for a few days at the end of this month to check out the area.  I'll be looking to see whats available for jobs. I'm a mechanic, but can do a little of everything. Wife is a physical therapist so she'll have no problems finding work.

Be sure to check out Hot Springs Village while you’re there. Housing is MUCH more affordable in the village. 

 

Contact me me if you decide to check it out. I’ll put your name in t(e gate entry system and they will give you a pass to get in (it’s a gated community). I’ll show you around if I’m not working. 

 

Jim

[Arlo Smithereen]

Thanks for all the help and advice, fellas. I spent the weekend in Hot Springs. Weather was perfect, 70s and sunny. I didn't get to fish near as much as I wanted to, had to keep the wife happy. I fished off the docks at Entergy Park for about an hour, no bites. I didn't see anyone else catch anything. I was over at Lake Ouachita on Sunday. I don't know my way around, but I was by a boat marina with campgrounds nearby. There was a little cove by the campground I tried for about an hour. I started getting strikes on a weightless swimmin fluke, but they wouldn't commit. It appeared the small males were protecting beds, picking up my bait and spitting it back out. I put a trailer hook on and started catching them, but they were small. I love the area though. Sure did suck coming home to an ice storm in Kansas City and snow in Iowa. Can't wait to come back!