If the peak of summer, or depth of summer, means catfish time to you, think about two effective but handy and inexpensive baits hot dogs and chunk dog food.

Both are proven catchers of channel catfish, and that's the type we have in the most numbers across Arkansas.

An old catfish chaser remarked once, "I look for the cheapest hot dogs in the store and use them for fishing. The catfish don't seem to mind, and the cheap ones are the smelliest ones."

The usual technique is to rig up with a treble hook, cut the wiener into pieces about the size of the end of your thumb and slip all three barbs into the meat. If you prefer a single-barb hook, that's fine too.

The dog food takes a little more thought. Some types of dry dog food will crumble before you can get it on a hook. Soaking a few moments in water may help, and you may also select a softer type of dog food.

For the uninitiated at the game of catfishing, remember to let the fish take the bait and run with it. Don't set the hook until the fish stops to swallow the bait. Then pop it hard.

LAKE CONWAY

Rick Bates at Bates Field and Stream said the water is clear and low. Bream are biting well on crickets and worms. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows. Bass are fair on plastic frogs. Catfishing is good on live bait.

Dan Zajac at Gold Creek Landing said bream are bedding near the banks and are biting well on crickets and red worms. Bass are doing well early and late in the day off pads and edges of creek channels on frogs, buzz baits and crank baits. Crappie are slow, but a few have been caught deep in the lake. Catfish are good on trotlines.

BEAVERFORK LAKE

Conway Parks and Recreation Department said water conditions are normal. Bream are fair on crickets and worms. Crappie are biting well on jigs. Bass are fair on topwater lures. Catfish are fair.

LITTLE RED RIVER

Billy Lindsey at Lindsey's Resort said two generators are running. Trout action is very good with most anglers drift fishing with spinner rigs and using a Glo worm or Power Egg as well as Shad Raps, Countdown Rapalas and Rogues.

GREERS FERRY LAKE

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said bass fishing continues to be tough with all the water being drawn from the lake; you have to be in the right place at the right time when they are feeding. Try making a "milk run" from point to point as the water level drops. When the bass are feeding most are being caught on Texas-rigged worms and football head jigs as well as some spinner baits and swim baits fished shallow. Crappie are biting in submerged treetops on channel bends in 15-20 feet of water over 60 feet on jigs tipped with minnows. Catfishing is great all over the lake, and cats can just about be caught on a bare hook. Walleye are still hit-and-miss. Some white bass and hybrid bass are schooling. Try the water intake at Heber Springs this week and keep your eye out for bait and fish on your graph and keep your bait wet.

HARRIS BRAKE LAKE

Coffee Creek Landing said the water is murky and a few inches high. Bream are fair on crickets and worms. A few crappie have been caught in deep water on minnows. Bass are fair on spinner baits. Catfishing is fair on cut bait and chicken liver.

LAKE OVERCUP

Overcup Landing said water conditions are normal with a surface temperature at 91 degrees. Bream fishing is good around the banks on crickets and red worms. Crappie are biting well 12 feet deep on small minnows and black jigs. Catfishing is good on trotlines with small bream.

BREWER LAKE

Overcup Landing said water conditions are normal. Bream are biting well around banks on crickets and red worms. Crappie are good around brush on small minnows. Catfish are biting well on goldfish and cut bait.

LAKE MAUMELLE

Roger Nesuda at Jolly Roger's Marina said the weather has been hot and the lake is down about 1.4 feet. Black bass are biting well early off the weeds. By 7 a.m. move to 10 to 20 feet of water with Carolina rigs, drop-shot finesse worms and CC spoons. Points near the channels are best. Bream are excellent on crickets. Large worms will also net the occasional catfish. White bass are schooling in front of the old Jolly Roger cove and are biting well on Spooks and Near Nuthins. Catfishing is good on large worms fished 20 to 25 feet deep. Crappie are fair at best in 20 feet of water on minnows.

ARKANSAS RIVER

Charlie Hoke at Charlie's Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow is down to the upper 50,000 mark and is steadily dropping. Black bass are biting well along the main channel along ledges. Black/blue jigs and black Bomber crank baits are working well. Spotted bass have been on the downstream side of jetties and are biting well on fire tiger crank baits and chatter baits. Catfishing is good near jetty tips in 4 to 8 feet of water. Drifting whole shad 20 to 25 feet deep is also producing some fish in midday. White bass are schooling at the mouths of major creeks and jetty tips early. Use shad-colored crank baits. Stripers are below the generator plant at night along with some white bass; Spooks work well on the striped bass. Crappie are moving to the creek mouths, but are only fair on minnows. Bream are biting well on crickets fished on the downstream side of jetties.

WHITE RIVER

John Berry of Berry Brothers Guides said the water flows have been consistently high. Overall, the fishing has been excellent and at times been spectacular, particularly at the catch and release section at Bull Shoals Dam and the adjacent state park. The hot flies have been San Juan worms (in tan, orange and red), and brightly colored marabou jigs. Jigs have the added advantage of riding hook point up which makes them virtually weedless. Another hot spot was Rim Shoals. Here the most action was with brightly colored San Juan worms and eggs. Those fishing just outside the catch and release sections had good results on black zebra midges and copper johns as droppers. The best fishing has occurred in the Red Bud area on brightly colored marabou jigs.

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