Arkansas Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Bull Shoals 10/11/06

The weather was warm early in the week but toward the end of the week started to cool down to appropriate fall temperatures with the nights cooling down also.

The lake temperatures did not rise like we though and is ranging from 70 to 72 degrees throughout most of the lake.

The lake level did drop 1/2 foot this week and is now at 648.34, almost 6 feet below normal pool. With readings taken by the Walleye Anglers Group it appears that the thermocline is dissipating rapidly.

The temperatures and oxygen levels are pretty much the same down to 55 feet. This, of course, gives the fish 55 feet of water in which to swim with good oxygen. Crappie are moving in and out of the brush piles, but remain in 26 to 28 feet depth of water. Crappie minnows are working well fished on a colored jig head along with Bobby Garland Swimming minnow or a crappie tube. Fish these baits in and around the brush piles.

Largemouth bass will hit top water in the mornings on buzzbaits, Zara Spook Jrs, Spit’N Image and Lucky Craft Sammys on chunk rock banks and points. After the sun comes up try slow rolling a spinnerbait for a while. As the sun gets higher in the sky change to Carolina rigs or Mojo rigs with a finesse worm, trick worm or lizard fished in 26 to 28 feet of water Smallmouth bass are also hitting top water earlier in the morning on Pop R’s or Zara Spook Jrs.

Once that bite is over, change to a football jig or tube for some nice action out of 28 to 30 feet of water, again along chunk rock banks and points. Some Kentucky bass are swimming with the White Bass and doing some frenzy feeding while they push balls of shad to the top. Use a drop shot rig with a finesse worm, spoon, or Pop R’s and cast right into the ball of shad. These balls of shad are showing up in most of the creek arms, so have a bait tied up and be ready for them.

Walleye have not changed much this week and are still around chunk rock points in the creek arms. Even though the thermocline is all but gone, they are still in the 33 to 42 feet of water and most are close to the bottom. Trolling with lead core continues to be the technique that is catching the nicer walleye. Best baits this week were jointed Shap Raps, Reef Runners in the purple colors and 30+ deep Tail Dancers in blue back colors.. The Binks spoon, in the double shad/white 1 ounce and the 3/4 oz. white are also producing some nicewalleye.