Arkansas White River Trout Fishing Report -
May 3, 2006
(Reports
are from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission)
Fishing
Tip: A long rope can save the life of someone who has fallen overboard
and is struggling in the water. But it takes too long to untangle a
rope that lies in a heap in the bottom of the boat. Here’s a system of
rigging a long throw rope so it can be thrown immediately and
accurately. Punch a 3/8-inch hole in the bottom of a plastic jug.
Thread 50 feet of 3/8-inch rope through the bottom hole and out the
top. Tie a loop at each end. Pull one knot snug against the outside
bottom of the jug. Feed the rest of the rope into the mouth of the
bottle. Toss the jug while holding the loop at its mouth. The rope will
pull out smoothly as the jug sails through the air.
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said
there was no generation at all last week or during the weekend;
however, we did receive a small amount of water on Monday and
Tuesday. Our best flies right now are the No. 14 Red Ass, No. #14
Brown Bivisible dry fly and the Light Fluttering Caddis dry
fly. Spin fishermen are mostly using white or yellow PowerBait and
wax worms or artificial lures, such as a white Rooster Tail, silver or
gold Little Cleo, rainbow Buoyant Spoons and several of the new Mepps
lures. The fishing has remained excellent this week and there have
been several brown trout in the three to five pound range caught and
released.
North Fork
River: Gene’s Trout Dock said
the water is clear and at normal levels. Rainbow and brown trout
fishing has been very good, but not many good-sized fish have been
brought to the bank. Frozen shad and crayfish are working well, as are
the usual spoons, spinners and sow bug-patterned flies.
Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 650.30 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail said the
big change for the week is the water clarity. The hard rain mixed
the pollen in the lake and now the visibility is at 7 feet, which is
quite a change from 16 feet. The lake temperature dropped a few
degrees, which will hold up spawning. The main lake is at 64
degrees and the creeks are at 65 to 66 degrees (surface
temperature). White Bass are still in the back of the creeks and
pockets. Crappie are in spawn and post spawn phase. They are in 1
to 4 feet of water along the banks and in the back of the
pockets. Best baits are Swimming Minnows and Crappie
tubes. Largemouth bass have spawned out up above Tucker Hollow and
the upper end of the Theodosia arm, but throughout the rest of the lake
they are still in pre-spawn with a few starting to bed up. A
number of baits and techniques are working, including trick worms
fished wacky style, Flukes, spider jigs, tubes and mojo rigs with
Senkos, centipedes, Brush Hogs or YUM Wooly Hawgtails. Smallmouth
bass are all mixed up – some are spawned out, some are on beds and some
are still in pre-spawn. Key on banks that have sharp ledges to
find the nicer smallies. The best baits have been tubes, spider
jigs and mojo-rigged Senkos, Brush Hogs, finesse worms and
centipedes. Another technique that is triggering some nice
smallies is the “Flirt” worm by Reaction Innovations, fished on a
Shakey head jig bounced along the bottom. Kentucky bass are biting
well. Chunk rock points, watersheds and the inside of the channel
swings are the areas to check for spawn or post spawn
Kentuckies. Best baits are tubes, spider jigs, Senkos and
mojo-rigged Zoom Fish Doctors. Walleye are finally coming
around. The day bite is around points and along chunk rock banks
with gold Shad Raps, white Glass Shads and nightcrawlers on a
split-shot rig. There is some crawler harness action with bottom
bouncers in 25 to 27 feet of water along pea rock banks and
points. This bite is just picking up and gold blades or
chartreuse/orange blades are working the best. The night bite is
still OK around points.
Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake is a little low. Crappie are
hit-and-miss on minnows and blue thunder 2-inch jigs around the brush
piles. Bass are biting well on watermelon/red lizards and Hula grubs.
Catfishing is good on minnows and chicken livers suspended under jugs.
Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 546.07 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik
Stop said the water is clear and has risen from last week. Bream are
biting well in the shallows on red worms and crickets. Crappie are
finishing up their spawn and are biting well on minnows and Zig Jigs
near woody cover. Bass are biting very well on War Eagle spinnerbaits,
Zoom lizards and Eakins jigs fished around 5 to 15 feet of water. The
black bass are also hitting Zara Spooks and Redfins early in the
morning in the shallows. Walleye are biting fairly well on jerkbaits,
Reef Runners and X-Raps fished in the creek turns. Crawler harnesses
are also working well. Stripers are schooling early in the mornings and
biting very well on large spinners, flukes, Redfins and Storm swim
baits.
Ron & Debbie
Gamble,
Owners/Operators
Cotter Trout Dock
P.O. Box 96
Cotter, Arkansas 72626
Toll
Free: 800-447-7538 Local: 870-435-6525
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