Fishing
Tip: As water temperatures begin to rise, fish will start to move up
shallow to feed. The best place to find them is on vegetation and rock
outcroppings on the north side of a lake or stream. The north side of a
lake will receive more sunlight, and the water will usually be a few
degrees warmer than the rest of the lake. The warmer water attracts
plankton, which attracts baitfish. Game fish such as bass, crappie and
walleye will all follow the baitfish up to these warmer areas.
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said
generation was pretty low last week with one or two units running for a
couple of hours in the morning, but they were off by 9 a.m. The
water usually came on around 6 a.m., so the early morning fishermen
could catch the rising water and fish it with white or yellow PowerBait
with live wax worms. Nightcrawlers worked well for larger
fish. Fly fishermen had the best luck with sow bugs, woolly
buggers in all colors, tan scuds, beadhead red fox squirrel nymphs, and
the Y2K bug. Many large browns were caught and released last
week. This is the season that all fishermen wait for all year
long. Don’t miss February and March if you’re looking for a
wall-hanger brown on the White River.
McLellan’s Fly Shop said there
has been very little generation below Bull Shoals Dam lately, providing
plenty of wade fishing on the upper river from late morning on through
the rest of the day. Wade fishing 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.
The catch-and-release
area below Bull Shoals Dam opens back up for fishing on February first,
providing some great fishing for large trout that have been unmolested
for the last three months!
North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said
generation on the Norfork has been a little sporadic lately, but when
they turn on the generators, they haven’t stayed on for very
long. Wade-fishing has been very good lately, and fishing high
water from a boat has been productive as well. Try 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 for the best
action.
Norfork Trout Dock said
the water is at normal level and clear. Rainbow trout are biting well
on PowerBait, Corn, Little Cleos and Original Rapala floating minnows.
Brown trout are a little harder to coax into striking, but a few have
been taken on the Rapala floating minnows.
Bull Shoals Lake: As of Wednesday, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 645.45
feet MSL.
Sugar Loaf Harbor said
the lake is low. Crappie anglers are doing well on minnows fished
around 7 to 15 feet deep around planted brush piles. Some anglers have
found the crappie right off the bluffs in 35 feet of water and are
catching them with heavy jigs. All other species are slow.
Lake Norfork: As of Wednesday, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 538.98 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik
Stop said the lake is up about a half a foot, but still very low. Water
clarity is as much as 12 feet in some places. Crappie fishing is fair
on swimming minnows, crappie minnows and jigs fished around stumps and
brush piles. With the warm weather, the crappie may be anywhere from 2
to 20 feet deep. Stripers are biting fairly well on whole live shiners
and spoons fished in major creek mouths. All other species are slow.
