April 6, 2005

Fishing Tip: The best style weight to use when fishing for bottom-feeding fish is the flat-bottom or walking weight. Its flattened shape helps it rise quickly from the bottom and plane through the water when retrieved. This reduces the chance of snagging.

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river is clear and high. There have been two to three generators running. Trout fishing is good using red worms, yellow or white Power Eggs, a No. 7 Rapala Original Floating Minnow in silver or gold, small beadhead flies and small midges in blood red or green.

White River (near Goshen): McLellan’s Fly Shop said the annual white bass spawning run has started. Daily reports of good white bass fishing continue to come.  When going to the river, be sure to have plenty of Clouser Minnows, Jiggies and Crazy Dads in your fly box. The best flies have been:  Crazy Dad in Olive, Pumpkin and Orange (size 8), Jiggy in Olive and Shad-colors (size 6), Hot Head Jiggy in White, Tan, Chartreuse and Firetiger (size 6), Cap’n Tim in Olive (size 4) and CFB in chartreuse (size 6).

North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been cut back significantly, providing plenty of wading opportunities. After almost three months of high water, the trout are in very good shape. During low water, concentrate your nymph fishing on the faster runs and riffles; use a size 16 scud or sow bug. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days). The best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 and 16), Flashback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 12 to 16), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 and 16), Graphic Caddis Tan and Olive (sizes 14 to 18), Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph (sizes 16 to 20), Beadhead Hare’s Ear Nymph (sizes 14 to 18), Mercury Brassie (sizes 18 and 20), Rojo Midge (size 22), Mercury Blood Midge (sizes 20 and 22), Red Jujubee Midge (sizes 20 and 22), Johnny Flash (sizes 20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (sizes 20 and 22), Gray Mercury Midge (sizes 20 and 22), Black Wooly Sculpin (size 4), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4) and Swimming Jimmy (size 4).

Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the weather this week has not been bad, but there have been some cool nights, which once again held the water temperature down most of the week. Last week, the water temperature varied from 52 to 55 degrees in the lower part of the lake with some temperatures reported at 60 degrees in the Theodosia Arm. The lake level is at 653.72 feet, which is about one-half foot below normal pool. Crappie have pulled out from most of the brush piles and are holding halfway back in the creek arms over deep water. They have been caught on jerkbaits such as Lucky Craft Pointer 78's and small crankbaits like Wiggle Warts. The crappie that have been caught this week have been big slabs, averaging 1 to 1½ pounds. The white bass are pushing shad into cuts and pockets but aren’t frenzy feeding yet. If the water temperature holds, white bass should be on their feed this week. Be ready with a Pop R or a Roadrunner when you go fishing. The trout on the lake have become quite active this past week and are being caught on Lucky Craft Pointer 78's and Suspending Rogues. The largemouth bass and Kentucky bass are swimming together and are holding on pea gravel point areas in 10 to 22 feet of water. Slow rolling a spinner bait in shad or using crankbaits in a green crawdad has triggered some nice bites this week. The smallmouth bass are in 20 to 25 feet of water next to ledges and are reacting to Suspending Rogues. Walleye have been very elusive this week. The FLW pros and co-anglers have been pre-fishing all week and have found several techniques to catch one or two, but no real pattern has evolved from their efforts. At this point hard baits such as Lucky Craft Pointer 78DD's, Rogues, Glass Shad, Rapala X-Raps and Wally Divers are catching some. With this week's warmer weather, a pattern should emerge and the walleye should move from their hiding places.  Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie fishing is starting to pick up using live minnows or small swimming minnows in white-and-silver or Blue Thunder. Some large bass are also being picked up. A 5.1-pound smallmouth was taken on a watermelon or pumpkin jig.

Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been cut nearly in half over the past week; look for wadable water on the weekend. After all of the high water, the trout are used to eating a lot. In the faster riffles and runs, drift a scud, sow bug, mayfly nymph or caddis pupa under a strike indicator. Pupa patterns like the Z-Wing Caddis and the new Graphic Caddis are some of our favorites. During high water, fly fishing from a boat using large strike indicators and heavy split shot has produced plenty of hook-ups and brought many quality trout to the net, especially in the first mile below Bull Shoals Dam. The best flies have been:  Zebra and Black/Olive Rubber-leg Copper John (sizes 14 to 18), McLellan’s Woven V-Rib Sowbug (sizes 14 and 16), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 and 16) Graphic Caddis Tan and Olive (sizes 14 to 18), Z-Wing Caddis (sizes 14 and 16), Caddis Larva (sizes 14 and 16), Elk Hair Caddis (sizes 14 to 18), E-Z Caddis (sizes 14 to 18), Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (sizes 12 to 16), Rag Sculpin (size 6), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4), Swimming Jimmy (size 4) White Zonker (size 6), Arkansas Conehead (size 6), San Juan Worms (size 10) and Micro Eggs (size 14).

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is mainly clear, but some areas are stained. Crappie fishing is really good at times in shallow water over brush piles using minnows or small jigs tipped with minnows. Some nice slabs have been taken. Black bass are biting well on jigs, crankbaits and plastic lizards. Stripers and hybrids are biting well near the dam around dark on live shad or Rogues.

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