Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas

[dansfishntales]

I thought all of you may like to here what is going on with the "Old Bull". Especially the record spawn this year. Here is my latest report from Ricky Eastwold of the Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock. I know it isn't all bass, but thought I would include the complete report.
BULL SHOALS LAKE BOAT DOCK.COM
FISHING REPORT by Ricky Eastwold and crew
email: [email protected]
See http://www.bullshoalslakeboatdock.com/fishingreport/ for current pictures
Lake Level: 686.73 at the time of this writing
Surface temperature: between 80 and 85 on the surface
Thermocline: Major one at 27 foot level.

APOLOGIES FOR THE LONG DRY SPELL BETWEEN REPORTS BUT THE FISHING HASN'T CHANGED MUCH!! THE WATER LEVEL AND WATER TEMPERATURE IS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED.

WATER LEVELS- The lake topped out at 688.88 on June 19th. It has fallen almost two foot since then. It is only going down a few inches a day or so. At this rate it will be a few months before the lake is back to normal. I have no other information other than a few inches a day dropping of the lake.

SPAWN- I have had the chance to scuba dive a few days this month. The bass spawn was tremendous. I have seen thousands of 1 -3 inch bass running around in the brush. I also spoke with Mark Oliver, chief biologist for Arkansas Game and Fish, and he thinks this could be the record spawn for Bull Shoals Lake for the 50 years that it has been around. He will know more in September when they do there sampling. I know I was impressed with all of the little bass running around.

GENERAL FISHING INFO- The patterns have not changed much since last report. The lake is dropping a few inches a day. This will cause the crawfish that are shallow to move out from their shallow homes and into deeper ones. This action has made the jig-n-frog or tube jig pattern move to the best pattern this last 10 days or so. That is the only major pattern change that I have seen. The other major pattern is the fish themselves. They seem to be bunched up. You might fish 1000 yds of a bank or hit several spots before you actually find them. I noticed this while I was scuba diving too. I tried four different banks before I found any fish. The place I did find them was exceptional. I saw 12 smallmouth over 4 lbs and a couple close to 6 pounds. This bank was full of fish for a couple hundred yards. Either side of this stretch of bank was no fish at all. So, if you catch a fish or get a strike I would be sure to spend a little time in that area.

*******everything from here down is the same as last report.*********

Basically, the fish are hitting on top water-(spooks, flukes,
and spinner baits) early in the morning until the sun gets up a little. Then they are switching to suspending rogues, crankbaits and tube jigs. As the day wears on, I would switch to live night crawlers in 35 to 40 feet of water. Then as the sun starts down reverse the process. Some of the best fishing I have seen is late late at night under lights with live minnows. The fish seem to be scattered more than usual so you will have to move more and fish more spots than usual. Please read below for longer explanation on each pattern.

1. Suspending rogues- This pattern has never quit yet!! This bait looks like a minnow. It floats when you cast it then when you crank it a couple of times it goes down a few feet. When you stop cranking the bait actually suspends where you stopped it. The trick is to then twitch it a couple of times and then let it set and crank and twitch again. You will have to experiment between cranking, twitching and setting to try to get the right action. You are trying to simulate an injured minnow. This activates the predator instinct in an attacking fish. The other trick to this bait is to attach a lead dot or strip to it. This makes it go even deeper and makes it sink a little. You could spend hours trying to experiment with one and some fisherman do. They will put 1 to 4 dots on them depending on how deep they want it to go. The trick is to work it over the top of the brush without getting it hung up. The simulation of a hurt minnow will bright the fish out of the brush to attack it. Of course there is 25 different colors and all of them are working or selling here at the marina. I don't think the color of the bait or the kind of bait makes as much of a difference as the action of it. I believe just about any type of stick/crank bait will work just as long as you have it in the strike zone ( just above the brush) and the action of it is right. The best selling colors are the blacks, purples and darker colors.
There are other kinds of rogues- floating and deep diving. The deep diving version works better if you are trying to get your bait deeper . This bait has been hanging up a lot because of the brush. The floating version is starting to work because some of the fish are moving into the shallow water.

2. Spinner baits- This pattern is working the best with wind on the water or color in it. White or chartreuse with smaller blades seem to be the best bait to try. This bait can work on top of and in the brush. Speed of retrieve can make a difference. Try different speeds and actions to see which one activates the fish. A fast retrieve that activates the surface of the lake is just one way to try, or you might bounce and reel the bait up and down. Experimentation is the key.

3.Tube jigs- gitzits, This is one of the HOTTEST patterns going for Smallmouth. The water has warmed up enough so the crawfish have started to move. The pumpkin color or mustard color seems to be the best. They are rigging this weedless to try to keep it out of the brush. This pattern works best off the bluffs ends, gravel roads and weed banks.

4. Plastic Worm- not much activity yet

5. Other stick baits or crank baits- There is all kinds of baits on the market. The rogue is the best seller for me because it works. Any type of bait that looks like a minnow can and will work so don't limit your self to just rogues.

6. Live bait- HOT PATTERN once again just like last year. Drag these in 35 to 40 feet of water just off the bottom or on it. The most important thing is the depth. There is a thremocline at the 35 to 40 foot level and as usual the fish are hanging around it. If you go too shallow you will be hung up all the time and if you go to deep you will be past the fish so concentrate on keeping your BAIT in 35 to 40 feet of water not necessarily your boat. It depends on how you are fishing this bait where you boat should be. (1) you could tight line your bait over the side of your boat to the bottom. This works well if are trying to cover a small area or stay in one spot.
This is easy, find a spot that is 35 to 40 foot deep, anchor or use your trolling motor, drop your night crawler over the side to the bottom and wait. This pattern is very good in the fall also. (2) This was the most popular way last year. Find the proper depth, cast your bait behind the baot and let in sink onto the bottom. Put your trolling motor on low and easy while maintaining the proper depth. When you get a bite let the fish have it for a few seconds then set the hook.

7. Top Water- This pattern is HOT HOT HOT!!! and ANY top water bait will work . This should be a great pattern this year until the water gets to hot on the surface. Baits like the zoom fluke, floating rogues and rebels, spooks, devils horse and shallow running crankbaits.

8. Jig-n-frog- not much activity

9. Night fishing- A couple of the best stringers have been off of this pattern this week. Experimentation is the on where to go. The trick is to find the shad and this might take a few nights. Once you have found the shad everything else is easy they say. Put out a couple of light on the water to attract the shad. You must have some type of device or net to catch the
shad once you have attracted them. Catch enough to fish with, bait your hook with one and cast past the light ring in the water where the fish are lurking and have fun.

WALLEYE- see above for patterns other that trolling. I have had several walleye caught this week by trolling deep diving crankbaits such as walley divers, walley minnows and bombers. Once again they come in a zillion colors and I am sure all of them work at one time or another. After all, we don't eat the same thing all the time do we? We like a variety but the chartreuse colors and variations of this seem to be working the best. They are trolling these in 20 to 25 feet of water just outside the brush line or just over the top of it. These baits can go that deep depending on how much line you let out and how fast you troll.
Another trolling pattern is the bottom bouncer and night crawlers with a harness. the bottom bouncer is a wire with weight on it. It is kind of shaped like an “L” . The weighted bottom bounces on the bottom attacking making a noise which attracts the fish. The night crawler is attached a couple of feet behind it and trails along off of the bottom.

RAINBOW TROUT ON BULL SHOALS LAKE.- IT IS A SHAME THAT NOBODY DOES THIS ANYMORE. I CAN REMEMBER THE DAYS WHERE THIS WAS THE TALK OF FISHING FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE. THE PERCEPTION IS THAT THIS IS GONE BUT IT IS NOT. I KNOW THERE WAS A COUPLE OF LEAN YEARS BECAUSE THE STOCKING WAS CUT BUT THE ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH HAS UP THE STOCKING BACK TO 150,000 A YEAR. WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF "TROUT BOATS" OUT THIS LAST 10 DAYS OR SO AND THE CAUGHT 8 ONE NIGHT AND 10 THE NEXT.SO
TAKE YOUR BOAT, COUPLE OF LIGHTS, WORMS-POWER BAIT-CORN OR WHATEVER- HEAD DOWN BY BULL SHOALS DAM LIKE THE OLD DAYS AND CATCH SOME TROUT!! THEY ARE IN 40 TO 50 FEET OF WATER RIGHT NOW!!

CRAPPIE- I have not seen many crappie yet but I need to explain this one a little. Crappie fisherman do not show off their crappie. They do not give me any information on where, how or what to do. They are a very sneaky kind of fisherman. I can't blame them. If I had a crappie hole I would not tell anybody about it either. I have seen some crappie brought in this week. Believe or not long billed rogues around the brush piles has been producing action. Small 1/16 or 1/32 oz hair jigs, very small tube jigs, and small minnows are another pattern of choice.

CATFISH- There is starting to be a lot of activity on catfish with the water temperature warming up. The jug liners and limb liners are starting to report limited success.

WHITE RIVER- Our guides are reporting good action this past week all up and down the river. Same old stand by baits-worms, corn, salmon eggs, night crawlers, power bait, spoons, flies, countdowns ect. You can check previous water releases by checking the web site below.

For those of you that don't know about this web site, point your browser to: http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/WCDS/R ... akfcst.htm
This will show you the latest lake level and forecast. You can see Bull Shoals Dam generation at: http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/WCDS/R ... ulsdam.htm
You can keep up with what water level has been doing on the White River. Keep in mind this is the past water generation by the hour.


TILL NEXT TIME- MAY YOUR FISHING LINE BE TIGHT AND YOUR FISHING ROD BE BENT!!

[JoeMo]

Dan- Great report! Very detailed. Almost wish I was back in the Army (Ft. Leonard Wood MO)
with a 3-day pass and a couple of rods. Notice I said I "almost" wish I was back there. lol

Again, much obliged, JoeMo