When a person thinks of the term fishing, Arkansas isn't necessarily what comes to mind, but maybe it should. 

More than 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of rivers and streams fuel Arkansas' excellent angling reputation. 

Anglers will find fantastic bass, crappie, bream and cat fishing opportunities, as well as some of the nation's best trout streams.

 Yes, believe it or not, Arkansas has some of the best trout fishing in the country! 

Three of the current world record fish were caught in Arkansas.

Methods and regulations vary by area, so check your local rules to see what type of fishing is legal and what types are considered illegal. 

One of the best methods for presenting live worms or salmon eggs is a set of gang hooks. In the case of salmon eggs, a set of #10 gang hooks enables the angler to present twice the bait that they normally would. 

You see, a set of gang hooks is simply 2 small hooks tied in tandem. And gang hooks are the most natural way to present a live worm, there's no question about that. Just make sure you check your local regulations before using them. In some areas and bodies of water, live bait and/or gang hooks is considered illegal.

A resident fishing license is only about $12, which is a great deal, and if you plan on fishing for trout, a trout stamp is needed, which will run you another $5. These are great prices, as far as fishing licenses go. 

Non resident anglers can expect to spend around $40 for a license and if you're just visiting there are 3, 7, and 14 day licenses available for a discount. All in all, Arkansas is a very affordable state to fish in, their fishing license prices are some of the most reasonable in the entire country.

There is some very good striped bass fishing in many of Arkansas's lakes, with 20 pounders being a fairly common occurrence. If you've never had the pleasure of catching a big striper, it's something that you may want to look in to. Stripers are caught that are in excess of 40 pounds. 

When's the last time you caught a single fish in excess of 40 pounds? 

Most people don't get to catch fish this large very often. 
In the great state of Arkansas, an angler can do this very thing.

About the Author

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com.