Jig-and-Pig
- Springtime is prime time for big bass, and nothing catches big bass
quite like a jig-and-pig combo. This lure is simply a bass jig
outfitted with a rubber skirt and combined with a plastic or pork
trailer. While many anglers prefer the new plastic trailers because of
the many color combinations possible using them, pork has more buoyancy
and a salty taste that bass will hold on to longer.
White River: McLellan's Fly Shop said there
has been a little more generation below Bull Shoals Dam lately;
however, there have still been plenty of wading opportunities on the
upper river from late morning on through the rest of the day. Tan and
olive McLellan's Hunchback Scuds and Woven Sow Bugs are working well.
Fishing high water out of a boat has also been very productive using
large scuds, eggs and San Juan worms.
Wilderness Trail said
fishing for trout has been good depending on the generation. With low
or no generation Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and pink have worked well
along with a floating Rapalas, frozen shad and red worms. During
generation, Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleos and Countdown Rapalas are the
baits of choice. The fly fishermen have done extremely well with
little generation on olive woolly buggers, caddis and sow bugs. Brown
trout are being caught on Countdowns, Shad Raps, suspending Rogues and
nightcrawlers.
North Fork River: McLellan's Fly Shop said for the
last few weeks, one generator has come online around five or six in the
morning and shut down by mid morning. They have also been generating in
the evenings. Wade fishing is still possible in mid-day, with some very
good action on scuds, sow bugs and caddis patterns. The Z-Wing Caddis
and the Graphic Caddis have hooked tons of trout during the last
week. Also, as more and more adults start to hatch in the late
afternoon/evening, be sure to have plenty of Elk Hair Caddis and
Web-Wing Caddis for some fun dry fly action.
Norfork Trout Dock said
the water is clear and low with little generation. Rainbow trout and
brown trout are biting well on corn, PowerBait, Rapalas, Blue Fox
Spinners and Little Cleo Spoons. Drifting dead shad or a nightcrawler
in the current has also been effective.
Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 646.77 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail said Main
lake temperatures struggled to stay in the upper 40s with the cold
winds and rain. On the plus side, the lake came up about almost a half
a foot, so we are now about 7 3/4 feet below normal pool. Largemouth
bass were more active on the main lake points than they were in the
creeks last week. Football jigs and spider jigs were the key baits in
brown or PB&J colors. Most of the largemouth were staging in 25 to
28 feet of water. As the lake warms back up they will move into the
creeks and pockets to spawn. There are some small largemouths in the
back of the northern creeks. Smallmouth bass are holding on pea rock
points at the entrance of the cuts, pockets and creeks throughout the
lake. They are transitioning towards spawning grounds and are holding
in 24 to 28 feet of water. Brown, watermelon and appleseed tubes,
suspending Rogues, Wiggle Warts and spider jigs are all producing some
nice smallies. Kentucky bass broke away from the balls of shad and have
moved into the pockets and creeks staging on banks that have ledges or
large boulders. Their feeding pattern is still shad although they are
cruising the banks looking for crawdads. Spider jigs, tubes and
suspending rogues are working on the Kentuckies. Roadrunners and Lucky
Craft Pointer 78's will catch Kentuckys as well as White bass. Walleye
continue to elude us. They are hard to find during daylight because
they are cruising but you can go out at night and catch a few off main
lake points and secondary creek points on X-raps and suspending Rogues.
Sugar Loaf Harbor said
the fishing has been very slow and many of the fish are just about
ready to spawn.
Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 543.31 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik
Stop said the lake is stained and the water is rising. Crappie are
biting well on minnows and jigs. The Zig Jig seems to be the hot seller
for crappie anglers stopping at the store. Bass are biting well on
jerkbaits and crankbaits fished along the creek arms. Smallmouth bass
are doing well on primary and secondary points with pea gravel and
chunk rock. White bass are making their run in the creek arms and
Rat-L-Traps, Rooster Tails and speck rigs are working well. Walleye are
in the creek arms as well and the action is heating up on Suspending
Rogues and other jerkbaits fished right along the banks at night.
Rainbow trout are biting well below the dam on gray/white, ginger, and
orange/yellow Zig Jigs and Y2K Bugs fished under a strike indicator.
