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July 20, 2005

Fishing Tip: When fishing for bass with top-water lures, always have a back-up rod ready. Whenever a bass strikes at a buzzbait or other surface lure and misses, reel in quickly and cast back to the same spot with your backup. The fish will often strike, thinking they stunned the animal they struck at the first time. Tubes, soft-plastic stick baits and worms are some of the best backups used by fishermen.

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the water is clear and low. Trout fishing has been good on white and yellow Power Eggs, Gold Rapala Floating Minnows, Buoyant Spoons and Gold Little Cleos. Fly fishermen are doing well on red and green midges and orange Glo bug patterns. Wilderness Trail said Fishing for trout on the White River was good last week.  Bait fishermen are doing well on yellow and pink Berkley Power Eggs and Belgian red worms.  Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleos, and Super Dupers are working well during generation. The fly fishermen did well on olive and black Woolly Buggers, tungsten beadhead midges, soft hackles and scuds when the water was low. Brown trout are being caught on Suspending Rogues, Flat Fish and nightcrawlers.   

McLellan’s Fly Shop said Bull Shoals Dam has had at least one unit running most mornings, gradually stepping up to six units by early afternoon. The catch-and-release area immediately below the dam has been fishing especially well lately. Caddis action is still hot on the White River, so be sure to have plenty of caddis pupa, as well as dries, in your fly box. Best flies have been:  Graphic Caddis Tan and Olive (sizes 14 to 18), Z-Wing Caddis (sizes 14 to 16), Caddis Larva (sizes 14 to 16), Elk Hair 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), San Juan Worms (size 10).

<> North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said Generation has been sporadic lately, but there have usually been some good wading opportunities in the mornings.  Many quality trout are being hooked in the catch-and-release area. During low water, concentrate your nymph fishing on the faster runs and riffles; tie on a size 16 Skip Nymph or Flashback Pheasant Tail. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days). Best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to 16), Flashback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 12 to 16), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Skip Nymph (sizes 14 to 18), Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph (sizes 16 to 20), Beadhead Hare’s Ear Nymph (sizes 14 to 18), Johnny Flash (sizes 20 to 24), Black Wooly Sculpin (size 4), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4), Swimming Jimmy (size 4).
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<>Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the dog days of summer are here, making fishing slow. The lake level is 652.37, two feet below normal pool. Generation has picked up and the lake is slowly dropping before the fall rains come. The thermocline is steady at 35 feet and the water clarity is 14 feet. White bass are schooling in the mornings, pushing shad to the top and frenzy feeding.  The best place to look for them is in the back of the creeks or in the main lake pockets.  Catfish anglers have done well overnight with jugs and bottom-fishing rigs using chicken liver and nightcrawlers.  Main lake cuts and pockets have been yielding the better catfish. Largemouth bass can still be caught at dawn and early evening on buzzbaits, Zara Spooks or Flukes around secondary points and chunk rock banks in the creek arms. The bite is pretty slow during the day, but Carolina rigs and spoons will trigger a few in 36 to 45 feet of water if you can stand the heat. Smallmouth bass have moved out to the thermocline and repositioned on chunk rock or boulder banks. The top-water bite is spotty in the mornings, but you can raise a few on Zara Spooks. The best bite is on tubes, spider jigs and mojo rigs with finesse worms or baby brush hogs. Kentucky bass are still under the shad.  They will push shad to the top anytime during the day. Keep a Pop R, Sammy or Chug Bug tied on just in case they come up in front of you.  Spooning is also starting to trigger a few Kentuckies in 40 to 45 feet of water. Check main lake and creek arm pockets and main lake cliff wall ends for groups of shad. Walleye are suspended and are feeding above the thermocline somewhere between 20 and 36 feet, although they could be up on the bank or out over 60 feet of water.  Bottom bouncers with crawlers or leech harnesses are working along channel swings and flats. Lead core line anglers are having success on the suspended walleye pulling Reef Runners, Glass Shad and Bill Norman DD14’s. Remember it is dog days and the bite is slow. Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake is clear. A few walleye are being picked up trolling. All other species are slow.
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<>Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is clear and most of the fish have gone deep with the summer heat. Bream are biting well, but are extremely deep. Bass fishing has been good on black soft-plastic worms at night. Catfish have been biting decent on chicken livers.
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