Arkansas Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Bull Shoals 10/08/06

Dam area to Lead Hill: The dam area has been pretty stable over the past week with little changes since the last report; smallmouth continue to be caught on pea gravel points and flats from 20’ – 35’ deep on Jewel football and spider jigs in PB&J or green pumpkin / green flash with 4” Chompers jig trailers, spotted bass are still holding in deep water off points and bluff ends following schools of shad, spoons and drop shot rigs are catching most of the spots suspended at 35’ – 45’ deep over as much as 90’ deep. Largemouth are being taken early and late on buzzbaits and topwaters in shallow water and then out to 15’ deep or deeper with Jewel jigs and Carolina rigged lizards or French fries.

Lead Hill to Power site: The move to the backs of the creeks has been put on hold until we get some cooler weather, most of the shad are holding from the mouths of the creeks to about 1/3 of the way back and are on the surface on sunny days. The most consistent bite has been on Eakins’ jig and craw combos around visible cover make long pitches to the cover and concentrate your efforts in the shady pockets around the cover. Early and late throw topwaters and buzzbaits around tree tops in 10’ – 25’ of water, make your cast past the trees and work the bait as close to the tree as possible to draw strikes.

Report #2

Report compiled by Bryan Bochert, guide, and the gang at TMR 417 273 4444

Water temperature in the Theodosia area is seventy-two degrees and the water is stained.

Crappie are scattered along bluff banks twelve to twenty five feet deep on ledges, around brush piles, or suspended over the river channel.

Two inch smoke/silver flake curly shads rigged on eighth ounce jigs have been catching nice limits of crappie early and late in the day.

The Better bite is from five o'clock until dark. Largemouth bass can be found in less than five feet of water and out deep around the thermocline.

The shallow bite is great early and late with lots of schooling fish just before dark. Inside channel swings in the creek arms and the back of shallow coves have been good places to fish.

Use ultralight topwaters like a baby chug bug or tiny torpedo to match the hatch. In the afternoon fish flats with jigs and spoons around humps, brush, or isolated rockpiles. Walleye are forty feet deep on flats that are adjacent to main lake points, along channel banks mid- way up the creeks, or at the mouths of coves where there are ledges present.

A crawler harness with a silver smile blade or a gold colorado blade on a two ounce bottom bouncer will catch some eye's.

The number of keeper sized fish has dropped slightly, but the numbers of non- legal fish has doubled. The catfish bite has slowed down some with the full moon but should pick up again in a few days. Jug fishermen are setting their jugs thirty to forty feet deep on mud bottoms and using live bluegill for
bait.

A new idea which involves minor structural change of a lure is causing quite a "stir" on Bull Shoals and catching lots of day time quality Bass.It involves the lure known as the ONE MINUS.

This lure if fished normally is designed to be a shallow running crank bait. After modifications the lure is transformed into a Top Water bait. By retrieving slowly it "walks the Dog" naturally without any un-natural line or pole manipulation.

If you are interested in this new and successful in ovation call Big Bobs Bait and Tackle in Gainseville Mo at 417 679 0067.