Arkansas Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Bull Shoals 10/16/06

Dam area to Lead Hill: It is starting to get really fun Bull Shoals with a lot of topwater action both early and late; buzz baits on flats and spooks or sammys on rocky banks have been the most effective techniques. For the rest of the day smallmouth can be caught from 15’ – 30’ deep on Jewel spider jigs and football jigs in PB&J or brown purple flash with a Chompers green pumpkin jig trailer. Spotted bass are still following shad and can be caught on spoons and drop shot rigs on bluff ends and channel swing banks from 35’ – 65’ deep.

Lead Hill to Power site: Several fish are being caught toward the backs of the major creek arms; look for laydowns and stumps to be holding most of the fish. Throw buzz baits over this cover early and late and then R.C. 1.5 or 2.5 crankbaits into the cover once the sun comes up. There are also several fish coming on secondary and main lake points with Jewel football jigs and Carolina rigged lizards, hold your boat out in deep water and work either bait out slowly into the deeper water.

Report #2

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

Catfish are biting good on jug lines baited with live bait set at twenty- five to thirty-five feet deep. Crappie are biting live minnows and swimming minnow jigs eight to twenty feet deep around brush piles in creek arms.

Largemouth bass are biting well in the afternoon from three o' clock until dark. Use drop shot rigs with half-ounce drop weights fished around suspended bass sixteen to twenty eight feet deep and Rapala or Storm crankbaits fished on inside channel swings and flats in coves and creek arms toward the back less than twenty feet. Thursday evening's trip resulted in a quick limit of bass over three pounds each. The biggest one weighed three pounds fourteen ounces.

Walleye are now forty to fifty feet deep biting worm harnesses, crankbaits, and jigging spoons. Look for them on flats with shad present or on windy points. Water temperature is in the upper sixties and lightly stained to clear.

Report #3

Hi folks! This is Ron Schneider with this week’s fishing report.

Both lakes continued to drop this week, water temperature is in the low 70’s.

On Boll Shoals, Wilderness Trail reports the Bass are hitting top water early in the morning. Best lures are Zara Spook Jr, Spit’N Image, or Lucky Craft Sammys.

Later, try 28’ to 30’ of water with a football jig or tube bait.

Crappie are being caught in 26’ to 30’ of water with live minnows or a Garland Swimmin Minnow on a jig head.

Walleye are still around chunk rock points in the creek arms in 33’ to 42’ of water and holding close to the bottom. Trolling with lead core line has been the best tactic, best lures are jointed Shad Raps, Reef Runners, or deep Tail Dancers. Also try the Bink’s jigging spoon in double Shad/white color.