Arkansas Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Bull Shoals 06/19/06

Compiled by Bryan Bochert and the gang at THEODOSIA MARINA -RESORT 417 273 4444

Go early and stay late, that seems to be the recipe for success.

I have heard that the walleye are still going strong but they have moved into deeper water 20 - 35ft. on points or main lake flats. The old reliable crawler harness or long line trolling deep diving crankbaits will catch walleye.

Bass fishing is good early in the morning from 5:00 until the sun rises, and in the evening from 6:00 until after midnight. You can fish shallow if there is some wind but go deep if it's calm. On windy, overcast days look for the shad with your electronics and fish at the depth of the shad with a rat-l-trap, spoon, heavy spinnerbait, or a grub. On calm, sunny
days fish brush piles with a texas rigged 7" plastic worm or points with a Carolina rig worm, or a football jig. After dark fish these same areas with a 1/2 ounce single spin with a Zoom chunk trailer, plastic worm, or a salt craw.

Crappie are still being caught at night under lights along timbered bluff banks, or during the day try pulling jigs and roadrunners tipped with A small minnow around shad in open water.

Catfish are being caught 5-25ft. on jug lines and rod and reel using crawfish, bluegill, nightcrawlers, and prepared baits. Bluegill are in the same places and depth as the walleye. Water temperature in the Theodosia area has risen into the lower 80's, and visibility is 4 - 6 ft.

Report #2

Fishing report for BULL SHOALS LAKE home of the record Largemouth Bass.
Submitted as a community service by SPRING CREEK ENTERPRISES, Don and Judy Schnable 417 273 4859 schnabs@webound.com

SPRING CREEK ENTERPRISES http://www.maout.com/springcreek is sponsored by HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS Mountain Home Arkansas http://www.hiexpress.com , SCHOCKEYS BOAT and MOTOR http://www.bullshoals.com/schockey/

June 19, 2006

Warm days and nights was the weather menu this last week with a full day of rain on Saturday, which was a nice relief from the heat. We had 3” of rain and as of Sunday morning the lake level was 653.55, 1/2 foot below normal pool, we should see normal pool by mid-week when the run off is finished. Lake temperature is at 79 to 80 degrees with mid-80’s in the back of some creeks. The thermocline has finally set up at 28 feet with a 5 degree temperature break from 28 feet to 32 feet. The shad have moved to the top of the thermocline and so have the walleye, bass, and white bass so this should give you a starting zone. White bass are holding in the creeks over the old creek channels suspended at 34 to 40 feet down. There is some top water action early in the mornings and at sundown but the best bite is on spoons fished vertically down through the schools. Crappie are now on the bluff walls around pole trees as well as around brush piles. Crappie minnows on a split shot rig works well alongside the pole trees and Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows, tubes and grubs are catching the crappie in the brush piles.

Largemouth bass are still active n the mornings on top water along the bluff ends and along the channel swings in the creek arms and pockets. Buzzbaits, Spooks and Chug Bugs are key lures in the mornings and if there is wind blowing try a Bandit 200 series crankbait. When the sun is up the largemouth are moving into the thermocline on drop offs holding in 28 to 32 feet of water. Caroline rigs with lizards, baby brush hogs or trick worms are the key baits during the day. Smallmouth bass have moved back onto pea rock flats and are spending the day out in 28 to 32 feet of water. Tubes and Carolina rigged brush hogs and YUM Wooly Hawgtails are working well. If you are trying to catch a big smallie, instead of numbers, move to the main lake elongated points and fish football jigs in 35 to 38 feet of water. You won’t catch a bunch but you will have a chance to bag a 4 or 5 pounder. Kentucky bass have not yet changed from last week. They are still swimming with the food source (shad) and frenzy feeding is still present in the morning, but you have to be in the right place at the right time to get in on the action. Bluff ends, pocket cuts, creek secondary points are holding Kentuckys . Spoons or a drop shot with a finesse worm in the schools and Mojo rigs with a centipede or baby brush hog will work on Kentuckys that are on the bottom.

Walleye are now in the thermocline, at least the keepers are there. As long as you keep your bait in the Walleye Zone (28 to 32 feet of water), you will catch some. Bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses or leech harnesses are key techniques in 28 to 32 feet. If you wish to troll, use baits that will go down 28 feet or use lead core to take any lure you wish down to 28 feet of water. Best lures have been Glass Shad, Hot’N Tots and Bill Norman’s Deep Little N’s. Remember you can troll in 60 feet of water looking for feeding walleye but they are going to be suspended between 28 and 32 feet as they move straight out from the bank.

NIGHT TIME: At sundown the bass are still in deep water and it is taking them a few hours of dark to move up onto the banks and into the brush piles. Gene Larew worms and pig and jigs have been the best night baits. Single spins will trigger a few around main lake points on windy nights.

Remember to keep only what you can eat and release the rest for another day. Rick Culver of Wilderness Trail does the research for this report and the writing of this report. For more information call Rick or Sue Culver at Wilderness Trail at 870-445-2703, e-mail us at wtrail@bullshoals.net or check out our web site at www.wildernesstrail.com

For stories and info in the our Ozark area and data on recreational activities in the midwest log on to one of the nations largest and most complete Internet magazines Don and Judy Schnable 417 273 4859 schnabs@webound.com

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