Follow the fish during the post-spawn with the aid of the AGFC

May 8, 2023

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

HOT SPRINGS — Many anglers will be following the fish to deeper water in the next few months as the spawn begins to wrap up for many bass and crappie. Now’s the time to scout out some of the most recent fish attractors placed in your favorite lake by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Last year, AGFC fisheries staff placed roughly 650,000 cubic feet of brushy cover in locations throughout the state. That’s enough to fill three Goodyear blimps with prime habitat for bass, crappie, catfish and other sportfish Natural State anglers pursue.

“We placed or enhanced 375 fish attractor locations through documented efforts, but the real number is likely more than that,” Vic DiCenzo, AGFC assistant chief of fisheries, said. “All of those attractors are available on the AGFC’s interactive map at www.agfc.com.”

Last year’s efforts aren’t a single event, either. Hundreds of fish attractors are placed or refreshed each year by biologists and fisheries staff. Some are created with sunken trees while others are made of inert PVC similar to that used in household water lines. Recent research conducted by AGFC biologists has shown some preference toward the more complex natural brush in the first year of a fish attractor’s life, but the longevity of the manmade materials makes them continue holding fish for a longer time than the quickly deteriorating natural brush.

For people who have a GPS-enabled fishfinder, the entire list of all fish attractors for each lake the AGFC manages also is available for downloading and easy navigation. Visit www.agfc.com/fishattractors from your home computer and you will be able to download data files compatible with most major fishfinder and GPS units. A list of videos on the AGFC’s YouTube page can walk you step-by-step through the download process to help you get on the fish faster than ever before.

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CUTLINES:

Fish Finder
Last year, the AGFC sank enough brush in lakes throughout Arkansas to fill three Goodyear blimps, and that has been the norm for nearly a decade.  

Tree on bank
Major habitat projects like this one on Bull Shoals Lake add valuable cover for fish in Arkansas’s aging reservoirs. AGFC photo.

Map
Locations of all fish attractors placed by the AGFC are available at agfc.com/maps. AGFC image.