JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 7/10/2008

Though we have had two significant rain events in the last week, the reservoir levels on the White River have fallen a bit. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell three tenths of a foot to rest at thirty seven and six tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is three and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at eleven and seven tenths of a foot above power pool or four and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose eight tenths of a foot to settle at eight and eight tenths feet above power pool or eight tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with high flows both day and night. While these flows made for excellent boating, there have been few safe wading opportunities on the White. Norfork Lake has risen one tenths of a foot to rest at twenty three and three tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or four and seven tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run two generators with substantial periods of no generation at night and during the morning. This made for some excellent wading conditions. On the higher water, boating conditions have been excellent.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission boat launching ramp in Quarry Park at the base of Norfork dam has been repaired and is open for business. The adjacent parking lot was destroyed during the flooding this spring. It has been closed since then. This is the only public boat ramp on the Norfork River and its closure required that anyone wanting to use a boat on the Norfork to launch at the ramp at the confluence of the White and Norfork Rivers and then motor up. This makes it much more convenient for those wanting to boat on the upper river. I have noted that a lot of non boating anglers are parking in the boat launch parking lot. These spaces should be reserved for boating anglers, which require much more space to accommodate their trailers. There is plenty of parking available in the park.

Overall, the fishing has been excellent on the White River, particularly in the Catch and Release section at Bull Shoals Dam and the adjacent state park. The hot flies have been San Juan worms (in tan, orange and red), and brightly colored marabou jigs. Jigs have the added advantage of riding hook point up which makes them virtually weed less. Other hot flies have been midge larva patterns (like black zebra midges) in larger sizes such as fourteens and brightly colored egg patterns. The better fishing is early morning.

Anglers that are bored with fishing San Juan worms are opting to fish large streamers against the bank. This does not produce a lot of fish but it has resulted in some large trout, particularly browns. Other anglers are fishing large dry flies, particularly grass hoppers and ants against the bank. This requires good casting skills but can add a new exciting dimension to fishing high water.

The recent heavy rains have raised the water levels on the Buffalo River and Crooked Creek. This has muddied the river below these tributaries and made these areas much more difficult to fish.

The Norfork has been exceptional in the morning on low water. The hot spots have been Quarry Park just below Norfork Dam and the Ackerman access. Anglers reported great success with black zebra nymphs and olive Norfork bead heads both in size eighteen. Other good flies were olive woolly buggers, partridge and orange soft hackles, Dan’s turkey tail emerger and copper johns in size fourteen. In the afternoon, on higher water, fishing slows quite a bit. Use conventional high water techniques and if you are not fishing in the Catch and Release area consider using a dropper tied to the lead fly. Black zebra midges and copper johns are great flies for this purpose. They should be fairly large (size fourteen).

Dry Run Creek has fished well. Summer vacation is in full swing and more families are taking advantage of this unique fishery. If one spot becomes crowded, just move to another one. There are fish all up and down the creek. The most productive fly is still the sow bug in size fourteen. The most productive technique is high sticking. There is very limited room to cast. Be sure and use at least 4X tippet and carry a big net. Mash down those barbs, it is the law!

Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River muddied up during the recent rains and are not fishing well.

HIGH WATER HOPPERS

BY JOHN BERRY

By far, one of the most rewarding ways to fish high water is by fishing dry flies. There is something exciting about observing a big brown emerging from the depths to nail your fly as it drifts naturally down stream. You may not catch as many fish as you would fishing nymphs or worms on the bottom but you will love the heart stopping action of fishing terrestrials on high water.

Now, is the time of year (summer), when the terrestrials have begun to appear in abundance along banks of the streams in our area. When a strong wind blows across the river, insects are blown into the water. Since they are terrestrial and not aquatic insects, they are helpless in the current and are easy prey for trout. In addition, the larger insects, like grass hoppers, are very large bites and make a very tempting meal that can cause a large trout to move a significant distance to take it. In these instances, the take can be vicious.

I generally prefer a nine foot six weight rod coupled with a matching weight forward floating line. Use a reliable reel with a smooth disc drag and plenty of backing. These are pretty big flies and the heavier rod does a better job of casting them. I use a seven and one half foot 4X leader with an eighteen inch 4X tippet. This gives me a nine foot leader/tippet combination. This is substantially shorter than I use for most of my dry fly fishing but necessary to turn over the large flies. If you have trouble turning over your hopper, shorten your tippet. I do not use fluorocarbon tippet or leaders because the fluorocarbon has a higher specific gravity than water and will sink. This could make mending a bit more difficult.

My favorite terrestrials are grasshoppers. My go to patterns are the Rainey’s hoppers and Dave’s hoppers. The Rainey’s hoppers are foam therefore they do not require dressing and they float like corks. The Dave’s hoppers are made of natural materials and must be dressed. I prefer them in situations where the trout are a bit more selective as they are very realistic looking. They also come in a greater variety of sizes. In the beginning of summer the hoppers are small and they get progressively larger over the summer. Traditionally hopper season begins in June and goes on to the first frost. I will fish them much longer because I know for a fact that trout do not have the weather channel.

I have also had a lot of success with ants. Yesterday, I took my big fish, a nineteen inch brown with a Chernobyl ant. I have a bit of problem seeing the Chernobyl ants in certain light conditions even with a quick sight spot on the back. I prefer to use an Amy’s ant or 747 ant. Both are western patterns introduced to me by Jack Dennis several years ago when I was guiding him during the Hooked On A Cure fishing tournament. Both have a white parachute wing (the 747 has two) and are easy to see in heavy water.

Another fly that I keep in my fly box is the stimulator. This fly was designed to imitate stoneflies. Yes we have stoneflies and they should be hatching now. The stimulator is also a pretty good imitation of the hopper. I have had great success with clients fishing them, particularly on the White River.

You can also use a dropper fly if you are not fishing Catch and Release water. Tie a two foot tippet to the bend of the hook on the dry fly and suspend a small nymph like a pheasant tail below it. Set the hook when your dry goes down.

The basic tactic for fishing terrestrials is to cast them to the bank and have them drift drag free in the current. When the water comes up the fish generally move from the main channel to the bank. They can be as close as two feet from the bank. The real trick is that the current near the bank tends to be a bit slower than the current further out. There fore you will generally need to mend your line up stream in order to get the best drag free drift. The key to success is line control. You must have enough slack for the fly to achieve a perfect drag free float yet you must be able to set the hook. Be ready as soon as the fly hits the water. Remember, the take can happen at any time during the drift.

The other problem that I encounter is that when the trout hits the fly there is a tendency to set the hook too soon. The adrenalin is pumping and the sight of the take is too much. Some of these takes will be particularly vicious. You need to wait a second for the trout to close its mouth before you set the hook. I call this the longest second in fly fishing.

If you want to add a new level of excitement to your high water fishing, consider hoppers.

Catfish No Report

Crappie No Report

Stripers No Report

Largemouth Bass No Report

White Bass No Report

Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report - Sunday July 7th, 2008

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Hello everybody. Lake level is still hovering around the 692 level. Yes we have been getting a lot of rain still. Most of the rain has been around the Springfield MO water shed. So, we end up with it in our lake. Most recent corp. projections put the lake back to normal level the first week of October. The water temperature continues to rise and is up in the lower 80's on the surface. There is a major thermo cline around 25 foot level. It is a 10-15 degree difference from 20 to 30 feet. You can see it on my water temp page. see Water temp/ oxygen level link. Visibility continues to be poor from the surface to 25 feet due to all the brush in the water, then it clears up to the average visibility at 15 to 20 feet depending on where you are in the lake. The bluffs should be the best. Have some new fish pictures. SEE fish picture page.

Spear fishing season has been open a few weeks. Not much being brought in now that the catfish have finished spawning. There has been a few walleye. The divers are reporting them in the 25 to 30 foot level around the bluff ends and single trees out from t he bank.

We are into the summer patterns now that the water temp has risen above 80. Haven't had much activity reported but was has is below.

BASS-

NEW PATTERN- SPOONING 1/2 OZ IN 28 TO 32 FEET OF WATER IS PRODUCING ALL SPECIES OF FISH. MOSTLY WALLEYE AND BASS. Around the standing tree out from the back, bluff ends, and standing timber in the bluff ends.

1. Top water-- Flukes, spooks, and any other top water baits are working. This pattern is mostly in the early morning and late afternoon before the sun gets up and after it gets low in the sky. This patterns should start to slow down as the water temp warms up. However, with all the brush and trees in the lake, the fish have a place to hide from the sun and this pattern should continue.

2. night crawlers - with a small split shot worked over the top the brush and around the standing trees. Also, dragging them with a heavier weight in the 35 to 55 foot range in the old shoreline.

3. Minnows-- we are selling lots of minnows so somebody is catching fish on them.

4. 1/4 oz white road runners in 25 to 35 feet of water worked over the top of the brush.

5. Drop shot a small plastic worm or night crawler in 25 to 30 feet of water around the standing trees out from the bank. Use a weedless hook, leave a 12-14 inch tail of line after you tie the hook. Put a drop shot weight, swivel sinker or split shot on the end of the tail. Fish this straight down on the bottom, jigging it up and down off the bottom around the trees.

NIGHT FISHING- Night fishing under lights has slowed down almost to a halt. Regular bass fishing is also slow at night. Too much brush for the average fisherman to deal with.

White bass - . Day fishing has changed to trolling shad raps or other types on minnow stick baits-hard baits. 25 to 35 feet seems to be the depth to keep your bait in. Spooning is also producing some fish

Walleye - The walleye have moved down into the colder thermo cline water this week. They always go to this level when the surface temp warms up. They seem to be running in the 25 to 32 foot range. Spooning is the most productive this week around the trees out from the shoreline. Also try : split shoting a night crawler in on the old shoreline and ends of the timber bluffs. - trolling shallow to medium running reef runners and walleye divers along the shoreline above the brush in the 25 to 32 foot range. - Bottom bouncers with night crawlers on the old shoreline in 25 to 32 feet of water. - lindy rigs with night crawlers in that 25 to 35 foot range.

Crappie - Still haven't seen many crappie. One or two here or there. I would like with the lake level and all the brush in the lake that they would be hard to target. As the lake drops and there is less brush in the lake I would think we should start to catch some. The night fishing under lights has produced some fish.

Catfish- The catfish have moved up shallower. We have seen several BIG blue cats caught on limb lines this week. Trot lines and jug lines are producing some fish, it seems the limb line thing is working well. Just about any type of stink bait, liver, shrimp, blue gills, ect is working. I have been told anywhere from a 5 foot drop to a 35 foot drop.

White River:

The river fishing has been great!! Check out the picture page for photos of some big ones caught over the last couple of weeks. Nothing new on the patterns. --- Worms, night crawlers, power baits, salmon eggs, Count down Rapalas, spoons, rooster tails, jigs and just about any other type of trout bait or pattern you have heard of.

As of Monday, 30 June, the main lake and Little River's water surface temp range approx 78º to 88ºF, depending of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood as of Monday 30 June, is approx 4.92 inches above normal, and falling, at 259.61 feet. Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx 6-10" visibility. Main lake clarity /visibility 3-6" away from current. Current in Little River and discharge at the dam is 1,168 CFS as of Monday. Many river buoys have already been replaced.

All USACE boat ramps and campgrounds are open, as of Monday.

Upriver oxbow's clarity has improved over the past week, and is ranging approx 12-24". The tailwater elevation was 227.34 on Monday, 30 June.

Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway of 1,168 CFS is with 3 tainer gates open at 1 foot each. Use caution in navigation on Little River during low light conditions due to debris and broken vegetation still present and floating downstream in the increased current. 

The Details:

Largemouth Bass: Bass are very good, and definitely the best during early and late hours, over the past few weeks and have been caught and released, up to 7.5 pounds each, in 2-12 foot depth areas. The mayfly hatch is in full swing, and numbers of bass are chasing and feeding on bream feeding under willow and cypress trees which are feeding on the mayfly population. Chunky Bass from 3-5 pounds remain consistent over the past week, but are tough to find and entice a bite after 11am until just before dark. Most consistent reaction bite is on Toads, Bass Assassin Shads, white jigs w/ white chunk trailers, and 10 or 12" worms Swimming jigs in white or blue glimmer w/ pearl white chunk or craw trailers around grass and pads are best producers over the past week for a big bite. Bass Assassin Shads in Gizzard shad and white are best colors for a reaction bite in heavy lily pad stands. Trick or Wacky Worms and Salty Rat Tails in watermelon-red flake, continue working. Not a lot of change in overall Largemouth bite patterns, over the past couple weeks, full blown summer routines. Early and late, find shallow flats with cypress, stumps and grass or pads, next to deep water drops and creek channel swings, and you are in the correct zone. Swim baits like the magic shad are working near deep drop zones in the river and creek channels, close to most any grass Siefert's Buzz Baits, in Hot Firecracker, Cole Slaw and Bleeding Avocado colors, near mixtures of lily pads and any grass, 2-8 foot depths of clearest water you can find, are drawing good reactions and catching fish from 14-19" in length. War Eagle spinnerbait, in Spot Remover, Aurora, and Hot Mouse colors, are still working for 15" to 19" size Largemouth's around flooded vegetation and cypress trees, away from current of the river, close to deep water. Rat-L-Traps in Sexy Shad, Bleeding White Striper, and Spring Bream colors seem to remain the hot lipless crank bait bites again over the past week. 10 and 12" worms in blue fleck, red shad, and plum or electric blue colors are working once the sun gets up and the bass nose down.

White Bass: White Bass are improved, between White Cliffs and Cemetery Slough, along Little River using Little Cleo's, Little Georges, Rooster tails and Rocket Shads in colors of white, red, and chromes. Best depth zones run 12-16' 

Crappie: Crappie bite, slightly improved again, this past week in Little River with the reduced current and discharge at the dam and better water color than last week. The most consistent bite remains on live shiners, smoke grubs on light wire jig heads, and Mizmo tubes.

Channel Cats: Blues and Channel Cats continue to hit well on trotlines, and remains best in current in Little River. 2-6 pounders are very good to excellent, using cut shad or Charlie, cottonseed mill cake and chicken hearts and livers. Yo-yo's hung from cypress trees in approx 8-10 feet water depth, near any current are picking up some decent 2-4 pound cats.

Bream: Continue to bite well again along the banks on crickets and red worms around docks and cypress trees. With the mayfly hatch in full swing, numbers of mason bream and redears can be caught under a single cypress or willow tree on ultra light or spin cast tackle on smoke colored tubes, jigs and also on white and chartreuse colored popping bugs.

}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions Report<º)))><{

Navigation conditions in Little River are near normal.

All USACE boat ramps and campgrounds are open, as of Monday.

Upriver oxbow's clarity has improved over the past week, and is ranging approx 12-24".  The tailwater elevation was 227.34 on Monday, 30 June.  Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway of 1,168 CFS is with 3 tainer gates open at 1 foot each.  Use caution in navigation on Little River during low light conditions due to debris and broken vegetation still present and floating downstream in the increased current.

Wear that Life Jacket!!  If you are thrown from your boat, it could be your only chance of survival.  HYPOTHERMIA can set in as little as 5-8 minutes in water temperatures around 50º !  Use caution navigating Little River in low light conditions, SLOW DOWN, and pass friendly to other boaters!  As always, careful watch for any random floaters and debris in Little River's current, and wearing your PFD and kill switch is a requirement!! 

Don't forget, be courteous, and respect the other guy's right to use the lake too.  Release those big bass to spawn and fight again, and take home those little 16"ers to fry up!  Use caution in low light conditions, and wear your flotation device!  If you are suddenly thrown from your boat, or knocked unconscious, your life preserver can potentially be your only hope to survive. 

Huge Thank You's to the US Army Corps of Engineers, The Millwood Lake Citizens Focus Committee, and AG&FC personnel who recently received State approval for the return of winter normal lake pool draw down this year on Millwood to help reduce the spread of aquatic vegetation. 

""""""Good Fishin'! <º)))><{""""""""""""