Trout Fishing Report-White River-Arkansas
From Arkansas Game and Fish CommissionApril 4, 2007 Edition
White River :
Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said fishing has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, pink and bubblegum along with Power Wigglers in pink. During generation, Buoyant Spoons, Colorado spoons and Little Cleos are the baits of choice. The fly-fishermen have done well with little generation on olive woolly buggers, San Juan worms in bright colors and sow bugs. Browns are being caught on Countdowns, Rogues and nightcrawlers.
Bull Shoals Lake :
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 654.11 feet MSL. Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said water temperature soared into the upper 50s (58.7 degrees) with temperatures of 62 to 64 degrees in the backs of many northern creeks. The crappie have moved to the back side of brush piles and in the middle of the docks that have brush around or hanging from them. Artificial baits are now triggering more bites than live bait. Swimming minnows, tube baits, crappie grubs or Bink’s crappie spoons are all working well. White Bass are in the backs of most northern creeks and pockets waiting to spawn. A number of baits will trigger some nice action – Roadrunners, Lucky Craft Pointers, Rapala Countdowns and tiny Cordell Spots are just a few. The best bite seems to be from mid-afternoon until dark. Largemouth bass are cruising the banks and the backs of the creeks and coves getting ready to spawn. Fish spinnerbaits and crankbaits on breezy days and flukes, tubes, spider jigs or Carolina rigs with lizards when the wind is down. Key on secondary points and transition areas along the banks. Most of the smallmouth are holding off secondary points and on pea rock banks feeding on crawdads and shad. Kentucky bass are using chunk rock banks to feed on before they spawn. Suspending Rogues, Lucky Craft Pointers, Senkos and flukes are the best bets for suspending Kentuckies. When they are on the bottom switch to Spider Jigs, tubes and hula grubs. Walleye are spawning throughout the lake. Not all walleye will spawn at the same time, so we are now moving into that two-week period where we are catching one or two a day. Reaction baits are the best during this period. Lucky Craft Pointers, X-raps, Glass Shad Raps, Wiggle Warts and Suspending Rogues are a few of the key baits to fish. Work areas inside points that have small chunk rock on them. Night anglers should continue to work points with jerk baits.
LakeNorfork:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 552.09 feet MSL. Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said the water is clear and at normal levels. Bream are fair on redworms and crickets in 5 feet of water. Crappie are fair on crappie minnows and jigs fished around brush piles near the bank. Bass are biting very well on Zoom finesse worms and grubs near spawning areas and on crankbaits fished around secondary points. Walleye activity is picking up. Anglers are catching walleye on Reef Runners and Rogues trolled around sloping points. Stripers are biting well early and late in the day on Rogues and top-water lures where feeder creeks and rivers are emptying into the lake.
Norfork Tailwater:
Gene’s Trout Dock (870-499-5381) said water releases have been between one or two generators. The early morning hours have proven very good for low water, and fly-fishing has been great. Olive and black woolly buggers and sow bugs have dominated the eating pattern. Fishing was tough when the turbines ran last week. Be patient and get your fly or bait down far enough for the trout. Don’t add more weight to your line, just slow your boat’s drift. Frozen shad, nightcrawlers, corn, red wigglers, Power Eggs and salmon eggs are always a good choice to use for bait.