Arkansas Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Bull Shoals 08/24/06

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/

Another week of dog days is gone and temperatures are still running in the mid-90’s with lower 70’s at night. Lake temperature is hanging around the upper 80’s (86 to 87 degrees) throughout most of the lake and the thermocline starts at 28 feet with 79.3 degrees and runs to 38 feet, which is 68.3 degrees. Generation has been high again this week; the lake is down to 651.07, three feet below normal pool. That is not too bad considering the hot summer. The catfish were biting this week using jugs with 18 to 25 foot drop lines. The middle of the pockets and backs of the creeks produced the nicer catfish although there were two (13 pound and 17 pound) caught in the Oakland area.

Best bait has been Magic bait and hot dogs along with chicken liver. Crappie have been active in the mornings over deep brush piles in 35+ feet of water and pole trees along the bluffs, Crappie grubs and Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows have been the key baits fished vertically around the structure. For the live bait angler, crappie minnows and crickets are the ticket on split shot rigs. White bass are holding in 40 to 55 feet of water in the creeks and main lake coves under balls of shad. Best baits in the mornings are chartreuse or white spoons.

Largemouth bass can still be caught in the morning on top water in the creeks and off some main lake pints. The bite is from dawn until 7:30 or so and shady banks are the best. After the sun is up move out to the thermocline and look for shad; that is where you will find the largemouth. White spoons and drop shot rigs are triggering a few feeders. Smallmouth bass remain scattered and they do not like the warm lake temperature.

To find a smallie up on the bank is rare, most of them are under the thermocline. They should be feeding on crawdads and football jigs should be the “go to” bait but not right now. The best bite is in the 36 to 40 foot range on chunky rock bottoms around chunk rock points and creek channel swings. Best baits vary – one day Shaker Heads will catch a few, then that shuts down and they want a Spider Jig. Try a variety of baits but stay in deep water. Kentucky bass are in their normal summer pattern following balls of shad that are down in the comfort zone of 38 to 50 feet of water. Drop shot rigs with a 4” finesse worm and spoons are the key baits.

Walleye continue to feed in the heat of the day. They are in the thermocline holding between 32 to 38 feet mostly in the creek arms and on the drop offs of the main lake flats. Lead core is the best technique with Hot’N Tots, #5 Jointed Shad Raps, #5 Glass Shad, Rips Shads and Deep Little Rippers. When the walleye are on the bottom, jigging a spoon is creating some action, use white, gray or silver colors.

NIGHT TIME: The bite before dark is tough with a little top water action and a few bites deep on drop shots with grubs. After dark brush piles are the key along with bluff walls. Fish brush piles with 8 to 12 inch worms or Jig and Pigs and fish the bluff walls with single spins and Spider Jigs.

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
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Holiday Inn http://www.hiexpress.com
Gaston's http://www.gastons.com
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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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