Arkansas Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Bull Shoals 05/01/07

Dam area to Lead Hill: The spawn is on in full swing on the lower end of the lake right now. Every cove has multiple fish “locked on” beds and most are relatively easy to catch; in the clear water translucent colors like watermelon, smoke and cotton candy have out performed solid white and green pumpkin. Tubes, lizards, Eakins jigs and Chompers skirted grubs have all been putting bedding fish in the boat. The top water bite is nothing short of awesome in the morning and again at night right now; if you want to catch numbers of fish on the surface, Heddon Baby Spooks or Rapala Skitter Pop’s will catch a ton but if you are after keeper size and above throw a full sized Spook or Red Fin to keep the little ones away.

Lead Hill to Power site: While there are still fish on bed above Lead Hill, the number of fry around docks and holding tight to the bank lead me to believe that the spawn is just about over on the upper end of Bull Shoals. I’m not saying you won’t catch bedding fish right now but the pockets I have been in have more empty beds than beds with fish on them. Most of the fish on beds are aggressively guarding their nests and are pretty easy to catch on tubes, lizards and Eakins Jigs. Post spawn fish are being caught with Carolina rigged lizards, French fries and baby brush hogs on points in the mouths of spawning coves. With the lake at pool and rising a little a floating worm around submerged buck brush and willows in flat pockets will also produced some good fish.

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