Elite

Dock Talk: Arkansas River 2026

Which will it be? Stay local or lock through? Look for clearer water following heavy rains? Find out the answers.

Posted on
Photography by
Andy Crawford
Captions by
Craig Lamb
Muddy water is the name of the game here at the Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River. Unlike the previous month’s derby on the somewhat similar Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Mississippi, forward-facing sonar will be allowed in this event.
April in Oklahoma brings high probabilities of severe weather, packing heavy rains, which is the case this week. Several rounds of heavy rain came prior to and during practice, raising the turbidity throughout the tournament waters. Will clearer water be a valuable commodity? Or will it matter at all, given it’s a fact of life for fish in this ecosystem? 
Anglers can choose to lock up to Pool 17 or down to Pool 15, or they can stay in Pool 16, where the tournament is based in Muskogee. That begs the question: Lock up, or down, or stay local? The spawning cycle is also wide open, adding an interesting outlier to the overall weather storylines.
We ask the questions, get the answers, and let you decide if those are facts or just dock talk. 
Caleb Hudson
Stay local or lock through? “I’m staying local (in Pool 16) because you definitely get more time to fish,” Hudson said. “I’m not getting a lot of bites no matter what I’m doing, so I need to maximize my time fishing, not running.”
Is clearer water a hot commodity? “Not really. I’ve found clearer areas, and it helps them visually see the bait and bite better, but it’s not been a huge enough factor for me to search for it exclusively,” Hudson said. 
“I have not caught a fish deeper than two feet, even scoping. They are on the bank, as they should be. 
“If nothing else, it keeps them concentrated on the bank. I’ve marked some fry guarders, but either way, it’s going to be a grinder for me.” 
Beau Browning
What’s the risk-reward of locking through to Kerr Reservoir? “It can be very good because of how productive the fishing is down there and bad based on the lock schedule,” Browning said. 
“Locking here is prioritized for commercial barge traffic,” he said. “We have a tentative schedule, but we really don’t know if it will hold. That’s what always scares me about fishing here because of the uncertainty of the lock schedule. There are no guarantees. 
“Kerr is fishing so good right now that you could lock through down there and catch 25 pounds in an hour, so there’s your reward. Your risk is getting locked out and coming back with a zero.”
Is clearer water a hot commodity, or does it matter? “It doesn’t. All the fish here live in muddy water year-round. Here’s the other good thing. The grass is back, and it’ll be a plus for that bite.”
Gerald Swindle
Is it worth the risk of running to Kerr? “It’s high here either way. You can easily get locked out here, but you’ve got to go to Kerr to win,” Swindle said. 
“Even leaving this pool has its dangers, such as getting locked out. On a normal locking pool, I’d say it’s a 50/50 chance for the risk-reward. But here it’s more like 65 percent that something bad will happen on the timing.”
Do you go for broke? “I haven’t decided because I know you can go down there and catch 20 pounds or so. 
“The problem with this Pool 16, where we are taking off from, is that it fishes small; everyone will get bunched up in one or two key areas. It’s practically a coin toss and just how much you can take the risks.” 
Joey Cifuentes
Is it worth taking the risk of locking through? “Based on the distance down to Kerr, you had better catch them, given the short time you’ll have to fish,” Cifuentes said. 
“There’s little room for error. You must get to your area, catch a big limit, and get ready for the trip back.
“I’ve spent my entire practice on Kerr because I think it’s the place to be to win the tournament,” he said. 
“The fish are in all phases of the spawn, but my preference would be to target postspawners.”
Tyler Williams
Will you throw anything this week besides a Greenfish Tackle Little Rubber Jig? “I might not have a choice. 
“I like staying nearer the boat ramp in tournaments like this so I can maximize my fishing time,” Williams said. 
“There are southerly winds forecasted all week, so the wind will be going against the current for a rough and time-consuming boat ride. I don’t really care for that (laughs).”
Which is going to be? “I like running and gunning, but when it comes to river,s it’s always worked out best for me to avoid the runs and keep my bait wet.”
Andrew Loberg
The spawning cycle is running in all phases. Explain. “Right now, we are in a transition between prespawn, spawn, and postspawn,” Loberg said. 
“There’s also a shad spawn, everything. The clearer water is a huge commodity for the spawning cycle fish.”
Can you choose which cycle you want? “Not really, because they are all intermingling together. You might catch one full of eggs, and the other is spawned out in the same area.
“It’s more about the area. There is a lot of dead water, and then you’ll come into an area and have all three phases going on.” 
Paul Marks
Where are things with the spawning cycle? “I think there is some of everything going on,” Marks said. “As an indicator, there are fish up really shallow, two feet and less.”
“The water is dirty, and the clearer water is attracting the spawners. Clear here is a relative term. Anywhere else it’s dirty.
“Any visibility helps because the spawners and fry guarders can see your bait, obviously, and it helps with bait positioning,” he said. 
“I haven’t decided where I’m going to go in terms of staying close or making a run. It’s good either way, just so your plans align with the lock schedule.” 

Related