Arkansas Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Bull Shoals 07/30/06

No Report Yet

Report #2

Lake - Bull Shoals 08/02/06

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/

This might sound like a broken record but it is summertime and the temperatures are running from mid-70’s at night to mid-90’s or more during the day.

The surface temperature in the lake varies from 83.6 degrees in the morning up to 88 degrees by late afternoon.

Lake level this week is at 652.97, 1 1/4 feet below normal pool. If we can make it through this next month with a little rain we could have a decent fall bite.

The thermocline remains from 28 feet to 38 feet of water and has the highest oxygen level in the lake.

White bass were active this week feeding on shad in 50 to 55 feet of water in main lake pockets and the back of some creeks. Spoons were the key lures fished vertically down through the shad. Silver, white and blue were the color choices in the Bink’s, CC and Mann-O-Lure.

Largemouth bass are still very slow during the day but not impossible to catch. Small top water baits (Pop R’s or Chug Bugs) and buzzbaits will trigger a few in the mornings out on main lake points, along cliff walls and in the back of a few creeks. After the sun is up switch to jerk baits for an hour and you should be able to pick up an extra largemouth or two.

At the upper end of the lake and in the Theodosia arm some largemouth bass are being caught on football jigs in the 30 foot range off secondary points; this bite seems to be the best in the morning. Smallmouth bass have changed again this week and are now using chunk rock banks as feeding grounds both on the main lake and in the creek arms.

The jig bite and tube bite has picked up a little for small smallies but keeper smallies are still hard to come by. Shaker heads with finesse worms and Mojo rigs are your best techniques when fishing deeper than 30 feet of water, the slower the better.

Kentucky bass are pushing some shad to the top throughout the day and small top water baits such as Pop R’s, Spit’N Image and Baby spooks will catch the feeders if you can get to the surfacing shad before they go back down. Continue to look for balls of shad off points and in cuts for the Kentuckys that you can trigger with spoons or drop shot rigs.

Walleye that are on the edge of the thermocline are feeding between 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Trollers are pulling lead core using Hot’N Tots, Reef Runners, Glass shad and Wally Divers in the 30 to 34 foot range around flat points and over creek channel swings.

Another technique that is working is bottom bouncers with harnesses and Smile blades pulled along the drop off side of main lake points in 30 to 34 feet of water at .7 to 1 mph. There are walleye also under the thermocline suspended at 50 to 55 feet. These walleye are hard to catch but a few are being tricked into biting with spoons and Lindy’s Munchie Grubs fished vertically.

NIGHT TIME: The bite starts to pick up around the points about 8 p.m. or so on tubes and jigs. After dark move to the brush piles or cliff walls and fish an 8 or 10” worm in strawberry/gold, neon/black or black/blue colors.

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

SCE is sponsored by
Wendell Stills http://www.wendellstill.com
Holiday Inn http://www.hiexpress.com
Gaston's http://www.gastons.com
Willow Ford Outboard http://www.fishinwhattheysee.com
Stetson Resort http://www.stetsons-resort.com
Twin Bridges Canoe http://www.twinbridgescanoe.com
Venues of Distinction http://www.maout.com/springcreek.htm
Venom Boats http://www.venomboats.com
TMR http://www.tmrbullshoals.net
Shockey's http://www.bullshoals.com/shockey

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