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April 27, 2005

Fishing Tip: Fish attractants have been sold at sporting goods stores for years. But if you’re looking for the original “Fish Formula,” try dunking your lure in cod liver oil. The oil will make your lure seem more edible to the fish, and as it spreads through the water it will attract more fish.


White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river is clear and high. Trout fishing is good using live red worms, yellow or white Power Eggs, No. 7 and No. 9 Rapala Countdowns in gold or silver and ¼-ounce Little Cleo spoons in gold. Fly-fishermen should try dragging a small midge, red or brown, or egg patterns in yellow or red.
 
White River (near Goshen): McLellan’s Fly Shop said the annual white bass spawning run is still underway. Multiple reports of white bass catches continue daily. When you head 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 increased this week; there have been one to two units running during most of the daylight hours. After all of this high water, the trout are very fat and full of fight. Several fat brook trout have been taken just below Norfork Dam. During low water, concentrate your nymph fishing on the faster runs and riffles. Try tying on a size 16 scud or sowbug. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days). The big new streamers like the Swimming Jimmy and Articulated Zoo Cougar have produced several strikes and plenty of excitement. The best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud in tan, olive and gray (sizes 14 and 16), Flashback Scud in tan, olive and gray (sizes 12 to 16), McLellan’s Woven Sowbug (sizes 14 and 16), Graphic Caddis in 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 Mother Nature delivered another severe cold front over the weekend with high winds and temperatures dipping into the 30s. The lake temperature dropped from 63 degrees on the main lake to 59 degrees by Sunday morning. The lake level remained stable at 655.15 feet. Fishing has been good with the walleye finally coming around, the white bass spawning, the crappie close to spawn and bass being found in and around almost every cut or pocket. White Bass are in their run throughout the lake, the best bite is in the afternoon from about 3 p.m. until sundown. Best baits are Roadrunners and small spoons. Other baits worth trying are Swimming Minnows, Pointer 78s, Cotton Cordell Tiny Spot Minnows and crappie-sized spinner baits. Crappie were on the banks headed to their spawning areas in the backs of the cuts and pockets, but the cold front pulled them off the banks into 12 to 16 feet of water. Crappie minnows are your best bet until the shallows warm up again. Largemouth are in full spawn and are bedding in 6 to 8 feet of water. The post spawners are out at the first drop offs and around secondary points near their spawning areas. Carolina or Mojo rigs with lizards or finesse worms are working well along with tubes and spider jigs. Bandit and Wiggle Wart crankbaits are also triggering some nice largemouth on windy days. Smallmouth bass are in post spawn. Every day the bite gets better and better around points and transition areas along "do nothing" banks. A number of baits are starting to catch smallies, including lizards, Brush Hogs, centipedes, Wiggle Warts, Bandits and Bill Norman Deep Little Ns. Spider Jigs and tubes are also a good choice. Kentucky bass are almost done spawning and most of them are in post spawn. They are starting to chase shad again and roaming the chunk rock banks and points looking for crawdads. Mojo rigs with Fish Doctors or centipedes are working well. Tubes and Spider Jigs are fooling the crawdad feeders and Flukes or Senkos are working on the Kentuckies traveling with the shad. As the lake warms back up there should be some good top-water action on Pop Rs, Spit 'n Images and Spook Jrs. Walleye are finally on the feed. They have not moved outside of 30 feet as yet, so trollers are having "so-so" success. Shiners on a split-shot and bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses are working around points. The hot bite is at night from 9 to midnight casting X-Raps and Suspending Rogues around points in the creeks or on the main lake. Nice limits were caught almost every night last week. Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake is stained and at normal pool. Crappie fishing is fair up to 7 feet from the shoreline. Try using swimming minnows or baby shad near brush piles. Walleye are biting on nightcrawlers.
 Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has increased considerably over the past week, limiting wading opportunities. However, after all of the recent high water, the trout are ready to bite. In the faster riffles and runs, drift a scud, sowbug, mayfly nymph or caddis pupa under a strike indicator. Be sure to have plenty of caddis pupa, as well as dries, in your fly box. Pupa patterns like the Z-Wing Caddis and the new Graphic Caddis are some of our favorites. As for dry fly patterns, it is hard to beat the classic Elk Hair Caddis, but new versions like Rainy’s Foam-Body Elk Hair Caddis and the flashy Pearl-and-Elk are productive new twists on the original. For slower currents, carry the E-Z Caddis because it rides flush in the film. 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-and-olive Rubber-leg Copper John (sizes 14 to 18), McLellan’s Woven V-Rib Sowbug (sizes 14 to 16), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud in tan, olive and gray (sizes 14 to 16) Graphic Caddis in tan and olive (sizes 14 to 18), Z-Wing Caddis (sizes 14 to 16), Caddis Larva (sizes 14 to16), Elk Hair Caddis (and variations) (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). Wilderness Trail said Fishing for trout on the White River has been good. With generation Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleo's, Blue Fox spinners and Krocodiles are the baits of choice. The brown trout are being caught on Shad Raps, Suspending Rogues and nightcrawlers.
 
 Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is clear to stained. Bream fishing is fair using crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows, jigs and assorted Bobby Garland plastics. Bass fishing is good using spinner baits, crankbaits, top-water lures, jigs and hula grubs. Stripers are fair using live bait, jerkbaits or top-water lures about mid-lake toward the dam.

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