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North East Texas Outdoors "invades" North West Arkansas!Where can one combine smallmouth bass fishing, canoeing, ATVing, and gather information for a future Whitetail bowhunt? Let me suggest northwest Arkansas, specifically the area north of the town of Ozark. Along Arkansas Highway 23 you will find the small communities of Cass and Turner Bend. Turner Bend is situated in a valley along the Mulberry River. Two miles north of Turner Bend is Cass. I have recently returned from this area and was thoroughly impressed with the outdoor opportunities available. Smallmouth Bassin' the Mulberry Day 2 of our Arkansas trip broke with rain in the immediate area. We decided to bank fish the Petit Jean River above Blue Mountain Reservoir. This river is considered a warm water river with the species of fish typical to Northeast Texas. No smallmouth, but lot's of crappie, channel cat, rock bass (goggle-eye), and black bass. We approached the river trying to find a clean place on the bank to fish. The river level had been down long enough so rushes, reeds and other weeds had grown to the water line. This made our fishing difficult but with threatening rain we pressed on. The only take from the river was one rock bass before the rain started. We spoke to a local about deer hunting and fishing in the area. He informed us that the crappie fishing was excellent at the confluence of the Petit Jean River and Sugar Grove Creek. He also gave us directions to the Fish and Game Office in the area. With the rain threatening, we decided to check out the Fish and Game office for data on deer numbers and trophy potential on Blue Mountain WMA. The rain started just as we loaded up from the river fishing trip. We followed the Local's directions to the Fish and Game office and easily found it . One problem though, there was no one around but there was a residence across the highway. With the rain getting harder, we decided not to bother the officer at home. Instead, we followed the Local's direction to a boat ramp on the Petit Jean River near the area he had described. It was pouring when we arrived at the boat ramp and a condemned bridge stood a few yards above the boat ramp. We decided to return to the highway and drive down through Sugar Grove to check out the facilities at Hise Park on Blue Mountain Reservoir. While there, we talked to a fisherman in the pouring rain that was setting in his boat. He told us that they had used all their minnows and had a nice stringer of crappie. His partners had driven back to a bait store in Sugar Grove. It continued to rain. On the way back to our cabin, we stopped by the officer's home. The officer was not home, so we continued on to the cabin and ate lunch. We discussed our options and decided that we would drive north to Turner Bend and give the smallmouth a try. The rain was breaking! About an hour later, we arrived at Turner Bend. Turner Bend is a recreational area located on the intersection of Highway 23 and the Mulberry River. It is also a check station for deer, bear, and turkey taken in the area. I spent much time admiring the photos of the deer and bear taken in that area. On their walls were charts with method of harvest and photos of the top bucks taken for the past decade. Some of those top bucks could have been the envy of anywhere that I have hunted. We rented our canoe and chose the four mile trip up the Mulberry. Brad (the owner) drove us to Redding Park and helped us unload and berth the canoes. The water was perfect for fishing and the current was sufficient for an enjoyable trip. The river level gauge was 1.8 feet at Turner Bend. Excellent for novice canoeist wanting to fish! It was 3:30 p.m. and the rain had stopped and the weather was breaking. We quickly discover that smallmouth like current and rock bass like pools. Keith scored first, second, and third on rock bass. We negotiated a few rapids before I scored on my first smallmouth. I whooped! You need to know that this was my first smallmouth.......................ever! This is my third trip to cold water rivers but my first to the Mulberry. I caught three smallmouth ranging from eight to twelve inches. I know (the one that got away), I did hang a larger smallmouth but he was too much for my ultra-lite gear. With explosive speed, he leaped into the air and threw my beetlespin. In all, I caught three and one-half smallmouth and half a dozen rock bass. Keith caught about a dozen rock bass and a two pound freshwater drum. We paddled back the last mile of our river trip and arrived back at Turner Bend just before dark. This is one of several trips that I have taken to Arkansas and I can truly say that this was the most enjoyable! While we didn't get much information on specifics of bowhunting the area, we did have a blast. I can't express the beauty of this area. The Mulberry River is a noted expert whitewater river. Novice canoeist should check the river level carefully and plan their trip according to the river level. The fishing seems to be best at river level gauges of 1.6 to 3.0 feet. Click on the link on the sidebar titled "TurnerBend" for complete information. Just the float down this river is worth the trip. It is truly beautiful! To me, a nature lover and dedicated bowhunter, the Turner Bend-Cass-Mill Creek area is heaven on Earth. It is pristine and that is hard to find in this world. And best of all, it's only a five hour drive from home.
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