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Posted 04/29/2004
Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout fishing is good using wax worms and marshmallows or chartreuse Power Eggs. Fly fishermen is good using Marabou jigs and Trout Magnets Report by Ripple Outfitters Trout fishing in the Guion area is good and the fish are very active. Trout are active on the surface and can be caught on small spoons and #78 Pointers, and medium-size Rapalas. The usual methods of drift and anchor fishing continues to work well. Baits such as Power Eggs, corn, and worms continue to be effective and produce limits of fish whether fished behind a spinner or just drifted on a hook. Bass fishing is very good from Guion to Lock #1 with largemouth and smallmouth both biting well. Small crawdad-colored crank baits, Gitzits in green pumpkin and Irish whiskey colors fished on the rocks along the main river are producing smallmouth. Most of the largemouth are being caught from the grass. Floating worms, Gitzits, Hula Grubs, finesse worms and Pop R's are all working. Bait fishing with minnows in the mouth of the creeks is equally effective. Crappie continue to bite well in the creeks and along the river. The fish are associated with cover like lay down trees and brush that is partially submerged. Minnows fished beneath a cork and small jigs are accounting for most of the crappie. Walleye and sauger fishing is fair with several
fish being caught trolling medium and small crank baits such as Wiggle Warts and Model A
Bombers in fire tiger and crawdad colors. Best areas are between Locks #2 and #3 and
beneath Lock #1. Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 462.5 Temperature: Outflow: 140 cfs. Level: 6.44 feet high Walleye good using crank baits and small jigs in deep water Kentucky Bass No Report Smallmouth Bass fair using grubs in 20 feet of water Whites Bass good in the river using small jigs Largemouth Bass are spawning and hitting on floating worms and flukes Crappie good using minnows or chartreuse or white jigs in the timber Channel Catfish No Report Spotted Bass No Report Bream No Report Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 1121.4 Temperature: 58 Outflow: 3951 cfs. Level: 7.57 feet high Crappie excellent using minnows and jigs in 2 to 8 feet of water Stripers No ReportLargemouth Bass good using soft plastic baits at the end of the lake White Bass good using live crawfish Catfish using chicken liver and live shad Report by Ripple Outfitters No Report Temperature: 59 Report by Ripple Outfitters The water temperature is 60 degrees and the river is very floatable. A goggleye are being caught. Small and largemouth bass are hitting Rebel Crawfish, Gitzits and plastic grubs. updated 04/22/04 Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 657.0 Temperature: 50's to 60's Outflow: 1852 cfs Level: 9.05 feet high Fishing Report by: Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock "Braggin Board" GENERAL CONDITIONS Lake Level: hanging around 652, Surface temperature: ranging from the mid 50’s to lower 60’s We have had a colder than normal April. There were 5 mornings below 30 degrees, which keeps setting back the water temperature. There are several bass making beds on the banks in the cove around the marina. Mostly Largemouth Bass in 2 to 7 feet of water. There are a few Kentucky-Spotted bass beds around. Most of these seem to be in deeper water. The Smallmouth should be making beds too but they are usually in a little deeper water and on flatter gravel points. Bass fishing for all three species has been good. For other species see below. VISIBILITY- It is very clear here at the Marina. The backs of the creeks have some color in them, as does most of the upper lake from point 18 to the other end of the lake. With the water temp warming up the lake should clear up unless we get a lot of rain. LARGEMOUTH BASS- There has been several good Largemouth being brought in and reported. We have seen several between the 3 to 5 LB class. It has been several years since we have seen these size of Largemouth. Most of the fisherman have reported lots of 13 – 14 inch largemouth bass which is just under the legal limit. These should be the spawn form the high water of 2002. SPOTTED KENTUCKY BASS- These are in their usual deeper pattern then the largemouth bass, mostly on the channel swings and brush piles back in the creeks. SMALLMOUTH BASS- I have seen three 4 LB caught and released here at the marina this week. These are on the gravel flats and pre spawn banks. BASS PATTERNS- These are the 3 top patterns right now.
These patterns could also work or turn on in the next few weeks. WALLEYE- I know you won’t believe me but the Walleye are still spawning. Yes, that’s right. I believe they are on the back end of the spawn but they are still doing it. There are not very many being caught yet. The ones that have been cleaned here at the marina are full of eggs and spawn. I have been out in the lake three times in the last two weeks at night. It is easy with the clear water to take a spot light and shine the gravel banks and points and actually see dozens upon dozens of walleye along the bank in 5 to 10 feet of water. These walleye are in little groups of 2’s to 5’s. They are spawning which is late for them. They should turn on any day in this end of the lake. WHITE BASS- The water temperature has been yo-yoing so the white bass have been doing the same. We have had a few caught back in the creeks and a few schools have surfaced but nothing like the usual "white bass run" that we get. We will have to see if the warmer weather turns them on or if we will miss them like last year. CRAPPIE- Same deal on the crappie. There are very few being reported or being caught. I guess the water temperature is still to cold for them to turn on. The few that I have seen are being caught on the brush piles or timber bluffs on small minnows, white jigs or small tube jigs. If anybody is catching a bunch then they are keeping it a secret White River- Fishing has been good. All of our guides are reporting
good catches and activity. Same baits as always- worms, salmon eggs, power bait, night
crawlers, corn, for live bait. Rapalas, spoons, spinners for artificial.
The top ranked walleye pro anglers will be in Bull Shoals this June for
the PWT tournament. You can fish with them to learn more about where and how to catch Bull
Shoals walleye. The PWT is a Pro-Am. April 26, 2004 Largemouth bass were headed into spawning grounds until the big rains. Look for the largemouth to hold up on secondary points until the lake stabilizes, then go to the buck brush bushes and trees later in the week. Carolina rigs with lizards or finesse worms will work well early in the week. Switch to Flukes, Sinko’s and jigs when you work the brush and trees. Smallmouth bass will stay on the ledges they were spawning on until the lake level settles down. To find them add the rise of the lake (9 feet as of Sunday) to where they were before the rains (8 to 14 feet of water) so that means you will now find them in17 to 25 feet of water. Spider Jigs, tube baits, centipedes, and lizards will all work well over the ledges. Kentucky bass were spawning before the rains on chunk rock banks in 18-24 feet of water. They will move up the bank faster than the largemouth and smallmouth bass, foraging for crawdads and food that is washing into the lake. Triggers baits will work the best for the next week or two. Fish Fluke’s, Sinko’s, trick worms and Minus One or Bill Norman’s Mad N’s around the bushes. Walleye were just going into the post spawn feed and unfortunately, now there is so much new food in the lake the bite will fall off for a few days. Points and flats will be the two prime holding areas until the lake temperature pushes the walleye to the drop offs. Nightcrawler split shot and crawler harnesses will pick up through the week but until then fish Suspending Rogues, Rat’L Traps, Shad Raps and Reef Runners over 15 to 25 feet of water. The night bite will be the best closer to the bank on Rogues, Rapalas and Lucky Craft Pointer 78’s. Don’t miss the opportunity to fish with the PWT pros – there are still a few amateur spots left for their June tournament. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the walleye fishing on Bull Shoals Lake. Under the Pro-Am format amateurs get to ride with them to their spots, fish with their tackle and weigh the walleye they catch together under the boat-weight format. For more information contact Wilderness Trail. Trout fishing on the White River has been best on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and purple, Earthworms and Maggots. Little Cleos, Mepps and Rooster Tails have also been working when there is some generation. The fly fishermen have been doing well on olive Woolly Buggers, soft hackles, pheasant tail and San Juan worms. Browns are being caught on Suspending Rogues, Shad Raps, and nightcrawlers. Remember to keep only what you can eat and release the rest for another day. Rick Culver of Wilderness Trail does the research for this report and the writing of this report. For more information call Rick or Sue Culver at Wilderness Trail at 870-445-2703, e-mail us at wtrail@bullshoals.net Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 259.20 Temperature: 65 - 73 Outflow: 12935 cfs. Level: 0.78 feet high Please use extreme caution in the river. Report by: Millwood Lake Guide Service }><(((º> Millwood Lake Fishing Report 4/26/04 <º)))><{ Largemouth bass in the 3-7 pound range are best on
gold and orange belly Rat-L-Traps, Brush Hogs in tequila sunrise or watermelon/purple
flake and 5" worms in }><(((º> Lake Fishing Conditions
<º)))><{ Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 552.0 Temperature: Release Rate: 643 cfs. Level: 11.15 feet high Report by: Ripple Outfitters No Report Back to TopReport by Ripple Outfitters No Report Back to Top
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