Arkansas Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Bull Shoals 03/05/07

Dam area to Lead Hill: The bite is still pretty tough on the lower end of Bull Shoals but it has gotten better. Jerkbaits, jigs and tubes are all effective presentations. Smithwick Rogues in chrome / black and clown, Lucky Craft Pointers in chartreuse had or aurora black and Rapala X- Raps in white shad and white / blue have all been effective on deep points and channel swings. A Jewel ½ oz. Heavy Cover Finesse football jig in PB&J or peanut butter / smoke / purple matched with a Chompers green pumpkin jig trailer or a green pumpkin tube on a speed loader head fished in the deep brush piles on points and swings through out the dam area is producing fish as well. Look for brush piles in 25’ – 40’ deep, cast well beyond the brush and work the bait slowly through each brush pile from a variety of angles to ensure you are putting your bait in front of the fish. A few fish are being caught on Storm Wiggle Warts toward the backs of some of the bigger creeks, phantom green and natural green craw have been the best colors, make cast parallel to the bank 6’ – 10’ deep.

Lead Hill to Power site: The bite is much improved in the upper end; Storm Wiggle Warts, Jerkbaits and jigs are all very effective presentations. Look for most of the fish to be starting the transition to points near spawning coves and cuts holding on both deep points and channel swings. The Wiggle Wart bite has been best on channel swings, position your boat about 10’ deep and make parallel casts, run the bait to the bottom and slowly crank it along the bottom pausing your retrieve whenever the bait runs into rock or wood cover. Smithwick Rogues, Lucky Craft Pointers and Rapala X-Raps have been effective in the mouths of the spawning cuts; throw your bait right in the middle of the cut and work it back to the boat allowing it to pause for 5 – 25 seconds between jerks. You really are not working the bait around any cover; the fish are simply suspended in the middle of the cove feeding on dieing shad. An Eakins jig in PB&J or Missouri craw matched up with a green pumpkin Eakins craw will work well on channel swing banks toward the back large creek arms and coves.