Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation was off most of last week, producing plenty of low-water opportunities. The trout are all fat and healthy after the extended period of high water. As a result, fly-fishing has been very good lately in the various shoals of the upper river, especially using sow bugs, scuds, Unreal Eggs, Golden Eggs and San Juan Worms. The best flies have been:  Zebra and Black/Olive Rubber-leg Copper John (sizes 14 to18), McLellan’s Woven V-Rib Sowbug (sizes 14 to 16), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to16), Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (sizes 12 to 16), Little Brown Bug (sizes 14 to 16), March Brown Spider (sizes 12 to 14), Red Ass (size 16), Partridge & Herl (size 16), Rag Sculpin (size 6), Golden Eggs (size 16), Unreal Eggs (size 12), Platte River Special (size 4), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4), and Swimming Jimmy (size 4).

 North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been scaled back over the past week, providing plenty of wade-fishing opportunities. Scuds, sow bugs and midges have been producing plenty of strikes. Several big browns are in the Norfork right

now, and they are in spawning mode. Below spawning shoals, Golden Eggs and McLellan’s Tan Hunchback Scuds are starting to produce several hookups. The water is still stained from Norfork Lake turning over, and the dissolved oxygen levels are still low. Be sure to spend even more time than usual reviving trout before releasing them. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days). Big new streamers like the Swimming Jimmy and Articulated Zoo Cougar have produced plenty of excitement. Nymph fishing in high water has also been productive when using bigger McLellan’s Hunchback Scuds, egg patterns and San Juan Worms. The best flies have been:  McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to 16), Morgan’s Midge (sizes 22 to 24), Rojo Midge (size 22), Yong Special (sizes 20 to 22), Zebra Jujubee Midge (sizes 20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (sizes 20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (sizes 20 to 22), WD-50 (sizes 20-22), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Golden Egg (size 16), Unreal Eggs (size 12), Mercury Brassie (sizes 18 to 20), Mercury Blood Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Platte River Special (size 4), San Juan Worm (size 16), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4), and Swimming Jimmy (size 4).

Bull Shoals Lake: Lead Hill Boat Dock said the lake has a good color, and the lake level is about 6 inches below normal. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Wilderness Trail gave their last report for the season December 29, 2004, but will be back in February. In late December they said crappie are in their winter pattern, suspending over channel swings and in the pole trees along the bluffs. They will be between 35- and 55-feet deep using shad as the their main source of food. Crappie tubes, crappie minnows on bright jig heads and small spoons will be your key baits throughout the winter. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and Kentuckies will be wintering along the channel swings in the creek arms, on the deep sides of points and on bluff walls throughout the lake. A number of baits and techniques have proven to work well during the winter months. Spooning and drop-shotting with small baits can put the bait on their noses, Stingray or Beaver tail grubs are winter favorites and can be worked very slowly to trigger some feeders. Walleye spend the winter around deep structure such as big boulders, flooded timber and humps. Graphing is a big part of walleye winter fishing. It takes some time to find a few and then, comes the challenge of trying to catch them. The best baits through the winter are jigging spoons, ball jigs tipped with shiners and a jig-and-grub combination. Trout on the White River are biting on yellow or white Berkley Power Eggs when there is not much generation. Super Dupers, Little Cleos and Mepps spoons are working when there is generation. Fly-fishermen are doing well on floating egg patterns in peach or chartreuse and olive or white Wooly Buggers. Browns can be caught on Suspending Rogues, Flatfish and Rapala Countdowns.  

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting well from 4- to 45-feet deep using live minnows, Lake Norfork jigs or Bobby Garland’s Swimming Minnows. Bass fishing is fair using spinner baits, crankbaits and jigs.