November 30, 2005
Lure of the Week: To familiarize new anglers with the huge variety of lures available, we will be using the fishing tip section to describe a new lure.
White River: Gaston's White River Resort <http://www.gastons.com/> said a couple of units are usually ran early in the mornings, but generation usually ceases before lunch. However as many as, four units have been pumping in the late afternoons. Try fishing the running water in the morning from a boat, fish low water in the afternoon, and catch the trout on rising water later in the day. There are a lot of opportunities to catch a large number of rainbows and browns with this generation pattern. The hot flies right now are the brown and olive bead head Wooley Buggers, Hank's Sculpinator on lower water, and Hank's Ant Bee on high water. Egg patterns or San Juan worms are also seeing much success on high water. Spin fishermen are using white Power Bait with pink plastic worms or live wax worms in the low water, as well as Buoyant Spoons, Rooster Tails, Krocodile lures, and Little Cleos. The higher water allows the use of nightcrawlers and white or yellow Power Bait, Husky Jerks and Rogue suspending lures.
McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has slacked off some this week, with one or two generators usually coming online in the early morning but only running for a couple hours, then shutting off for the rest of the day, providing plenty of wading on the upper river from late morning on through the rest of the day. Wading the upper river has been very productive with tan and olive McLellan’s Hunchback Scuds and Woven Sow Bugs. Fishing high water out of a boat has also been very productive using large scuds, eggs, and San Juan Worms. Early winter is a great time to fish a streamer (even in low water). Try to trigger a strike from the aggressive brown trout by swinging a streamer like the Zoo Cougar or Platte River Spider through a pool. Experiment with different retrieves until you start getting hits. Egg patterns are starting to hook several fish as more trout start their pre-spawn activities. Some of our favorite egg patterns are the Flashtail Mini Egg, the Unreal Egg and the Micro Egg. For the health of the fishery, remember to leave actively spawning fish alone.
Wilderness Trail <http://www.wildernesstrail.com/> said fishing for trout on the White River has been good on yellow and white Berkley Power Eggs. During generation, Buoyant Spoons, Rooster Tails, and Blue Fox spinners are the baits of choice. Fly-fishermen did well on olive woolly buggers, olive scuds, zebra midges and unreal eggs in peach and white. The brown trout are being caught on Smithwick Rattlin’ Rogues, nightcrawlers and Rapala Countdowns.
North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been very sporadic lately, but it has slacked off some with the cooler temperatures, sometimes not even coming online during the daylight hours. The wade fishing has been very good lately, and fishing high water from a boat has been productive as well. Scuds, sow bugs, midges, and eggs in low water, and eggs, San Juan Worms, and big streamers like the Articulated Zoo Cougar in high water have been producing plenty of hook-ups. Egg patterns are starting to hook several fish as more and more trout start their pre-spawn activities. Some of our favorite egg patterns are the Flashtail Mini Egg, the Unreal Egg, and the Micro Egg. Best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (14-16), Flashback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (12-16), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (14-16), Mercury Brassie (18-20), Rojo Midge (22), Mercury Blood Midge (20-22), Red Jujubee Midge (20-22), Johnny Flash (20-24), Mercury Black Beauty (20-22), Gray Mercury Midge (20-22), Flashtail Mini Egg (14-16), Unreal Egg, Micro Egg.
Norfork Trout Dock said the lake is turning over. Rainbow trout and brown trout are biting well on Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Other fish species are biting fair.
Bull Shoals Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 646.73 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail <http://www.wildernesstrail.com/> said the lake temperature is at 56.9 degrees in the mid and lower lake and at 55 degrees above Lead Hill and in the Theodosia arm. The fall bite is in full swing in the upper part of the lake and in the Theodosia arm. Here are a few things that you can try this week. Crappie are on brush piles and deep brush in the watersheds, both on the main lake and in the creeks and pockets. The best bite is in the morning on crappie jigs or tubes and Bobby Garland Split Tails and Baby Shads. Best colors are blue thunder, crystal, pearlescent, and pink or black/blue/white. Crappie minnows are also hard to beat this time of year. Largemouth bass are up on the banks, from the main lake points to the back of the cuts, creeks and pockets. It is typical fall fishing, with crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs being the go-to baits. Windy points are better than leeward points and big rock is better than pea rock. Smallmouth bass are feeding on crayfish and are in the 28- to 35-foot range on channel swing ends or points. Best baits are Wiggle Warts, Bandits and spider jigs or football-head jigs. Kentucky bass have also started to break away from the shad and roam the banks, but the good bite is still under the shad with spoons or a drop-shot rig. Check the cuts and pockets off the main lake for concentrations of Kentuckies. The walleye are at the same depth as the shad. Whether you decide to troll, spoon or fish a bottom bouncer, spend some time graphing to locate baitfish. Main lake areas are always better during a cold fall, but if the weather pattern stabilizes, the walleye will stack up along the banks at one depth. We will just have to wait to see what develops.
Lake Norfork: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 541.28 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake clarity is good, but the level is low. Crappie are biting off and on; try using minnows and jigs. Bass fishing is fair to good using spinnerbaits, crankbaits and jigs. Some stripers are being picked up on spoons in the deep water.
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