Fish Catching Travel

Fish Catching Travel

General Information

Nestled in the north central region of the Ozarks Mountains is an area known as the Twin Lakes.  Surrounding Mtn. Home Arkansas is some of the finest freshwater fishing in North America.  Not only know for the fabulous bass fishing of Lake Norfork and Bull Shoals, where else can you fish for world record brown trout, stream smallmouth, beautiful walleye, and big stripers, all within 3o miles of each other?

An Ozark Mountain Smallmouth.

Impounded in the 50’s, Bull Shoals and Norfork have had the ups and downs all reservoirs go through in their maturation.  As part of that growth the fishing is now as good as it has ever been.  Being highland lakes, water is released from depths of 200 feet from both dams, Bull Shoals into the White River, Norfork into the North Fork of the White River.  These cool water discharges make for some of the finest trout fishing in America.

Both lakes are big, clear, highland reservoirs.  Norfork, depending on water level, has around 400 miles of shoreline and covers approximately 22,000 surface acres.  Bull Shoals is one massive lake, depending on the water level it has around 750 miles of shoreline covering 0ver 50,000 surface acres.  Though big lakes, unlike many other huge lakes in this country, they snake their way through the mountains, and with so many ramps available there are very few days you can not find a place to fish or ski due to the wind.

The water in both lakes is as clear as any in the country.  And adding to the beauty is the fact that being Corps of Engineers Lakes there are basically no houses on the actual shoreline and when you are fishing either lakes it is like fishing in the woods, because you are.  Another advantage of these Corp of Engineer Lakes is that there are good ramps, and lots of them, giving you access to any area of either lake you wish to fish.  There is a small day use fee, $3 at this writing, making it relatively cheap to launch.

There are also plenty of boat docks on both lakes.  From full service, to only open at odd times, most offer gas, fishing licenses, and supplies.  Should you plan on going, be sure to check out any dock you plan on using as their hours and services vary.  On Bull Shoals I highly recommend Lakeview Cove Marina for their good service and friendly attitude.  As you know I rarely specifically do not recommend a business but watch out on “Bull Shoals” for a marina with the worst attitude and service.  I would not recommend them for any reason when I lived there 20 years ago, and would not recommend them to you today.  Enough said about that.  And when you visit should you want to leave your boat in the water they all have overnight dockage.

The Fishing

Lake Norfork Stripers – Ah the good old days.

Lets get to the good stuff, the fishing.  It would be impossible to tell you all you need to know in this article, but the highlights should be sufficient to get your fishing juices flowing.  To simplify matters lets take Bull Shoals first.  If you would like to catch a nice smallmouth and a good walleye in the same day this is the place.  The walleye explosion the last few years has folks chasing walleyes seriously these days.  The new Missouri record striper of over 50lbs came from Bull Shoals last year, add that to great white bass fishing, crappie, largemouth, Kentucky, catfish, and you have a fish factory.  It’s crystal clear water can be daunting at times, but the fishing is fine.

Bull Shoals walleye headed to the frying pan.

Norfork has all the same fish as Bull Shoals but has become on of the better striper fishing lakes in Arkansas.  Night fishing, as well as daytime trolling or live bait fishing, account for big stripers and hybrids, and boating a 20lber is one of the great freshwater accomplishments.  And with plenty of bass, white bass, crappie, and other things to keep you busy, Norfork is a great destination.  In fact you can take out of one lake, and be putting in the other in 30 minutes, sweet.

Lake Norfork Largemouth.

The Rivers 

Here is what I feel is the punch line to the Twin Lakes Area, the rivers.  Both the White and the North Fork are covered up with trout.  From plentiful stockers, to huge browns and rainbows, there is trout fishing for any particular method or skill level.  Soak a worm from the bank, take a float trip , lures or bait, fly fishing, all are successful.  The rivers have changed a lot since I guided on them in the mid 70’s, but the fishing is as good today as it ever was.  Back in those days it was a rare sight to see a fly fisherman, but since “they discovered” the river, fly fishing is a common practice.  But you do not have to be a purist to catch trout, in fact you and the family can camp below Bull Shoals Dam in one of the most beautiful campgrounds in America and catch them from the bank.  They are always willing and it is a great way to introduce a child to fishing.

A morning wade on the White River.

A little over an hour away is the Buffalo National River, one of the first nationally protected rivers in America.  In the mountains, it is a great float with good smallmouth fishing.  There are several choices for a float, and with lots of drop off services, you just show up and go.  Canyons, rapids, the woods, a float on the Buffalo has it all.  A float on the Buffalo River is also great family fun, not to mention the fine fishing.

Another river option is Crooed Creek.  A small stream, it also has great smallmouth fishing in a cool setting .  With a restrictive smallmouth limit, the fishing is fine and there are plenty of services to set you up with a float trip.  Light line, small baits, big smallmouth, what more could a guy want.

Accommodations

From high dollar resorts to riverside camping, the area has it all.  One of the cool things about the Ozarks is that the old family style lakeside resort still exists.  Nothing fancy in many cases, you are out in the woods, and they usually have a dock for the boat.  And with the clear water in both lakes, the skiing, swimming, and scuba diving is fun for the whole family.

For camping nothing beats the Bull Shoals State Park below Bull Shoals Dam.  It is a great place to camp, and though I used to live close to there, we still loved to spend a few days there. And on a hot summer day when they open the dam to generate electricity it cools off the park.  You can catch trout by walking a few feet to the river, and if you want to trailer the boat for some lake fishing there is a ramp on Bull Shoals Lake right up the road.  It is a great place for the family, with all the fishing and floating you could ever want just down the road no matter what your preference.  Additionally there are multiple campgrounds run by the Corp of Engineers on both lakes with great facilities.

When I first moved to Mtn. Home you could not even get anything to eat after 7 at night.  It was a small town with a two lane highway that closed up after dark, and after the summer season, things slowed down even more dramatically.  Now Mtn. Home is a bustling community with a college, a good hospital, the obligatory Wal Mart, along with a host of other amenities to serve visitors.  So if the small resort or camping is not your thing there are motels in town for those who prefer that route.

Conclusion

From a little know destination outside of the Midwest, the Twin Lakes area has become a worldwide destination, and rightly so.  There are few places in America where you have the beauty of the mountians combined with great lake fishing and world class trout fishing.  Where you can float a wild protected national river in the daytime, and catch stripers that night.  Where you can wake up, roll out of the tent, and catch fresh trout for your riverside supper.

If you have never visited the Twin Lake area you need to put it on your bucket list.  A fishing paradise, it is one of the great vacation spots for the whole family.

A good marina on Bull Shoals Lake          http://lakeviewcovemarina.com/

Corps of Engineers info/lakes/camping        http://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Home.aspx

Mtn. Home Chamber                         http://www.enjoymountainhome.com/

 Good Luck and Tight Lines

 Fish Catching Travel      

The weather was still slated to be cool with the wind out of the north, it did not disappoint.  As Shoedog had called off his fishing trip with friends we decided to hit Coleto before he headed back to College Station.  And just a random comment here:  It is just plain crazy, 98 degrees when we fished Monday, and a cool 50 barely hitting 70 here today.  What the heck is up with this weather?

And though there was a cold front, we had clouds and a nice breeze, making spinnerbait our bait of choice.  We had such a good day yesterday that we were looking to get off to a fast start.  We did.  In fact, before we even left sight of the ramp and campground we put exactly a dozen in the boat in just over an hour.

A good representative of today’s fish.

We fished from the very upper end to around the dam.  The best banks were windy with grass and a little deeper water nearby.  Off course any point with a swing had at least one.  We ended up switching today, Shoedog fished buzzbait and I threw the spinnerbait.

On occasion instead of the big bladed spinnerbait I usually throw I like to throw the Strike King Burner.  It is a double willow and when combined with it’s head design, it comes to the top easily.  It is hard to describe the subtle difference between buzzing a spinnerbait on top and burning one in right below the surface.  Sounds the same huh?  The difference is buzzing leaves a big wake while running it along with a 5.3 -1 reel and burning is just high speed running the spinnerbait right below the surface with a 7 -1.  While buzzing is a good technique much of the time, for burning to work the fish have to be on the feed, like post-spawn, and the weather has to cooperate.

 You know you have a bite when a bass this size stops a high speed spinnerbait in it’s tracks.

For the morning it turned out to be an easy 30.  Both the spinnerbait and buzzbait worked equally.  And as they both attract in different ways it is a great time to throw both baits.  There are only few times you can run a spinnerbait as fast as I was today.  And it is a thing of beauty when they bite, as they just stop it.  And it was way cool to have a few smack it right at the boat.

The lake is still down, and for whatever reason the grass has not really started to grow like in years past.  We will just have to see how it shapes up.  It was clear how important the grass was to the current pattern.  Combine the wind with grass and there were fish, grass without wind and you could still catch one, but wind no grass – no bass.  If all that makes sense.

Funny how often a good bite coincides with wildlife movement.  To bad I did not have the big camera with us today.  We saw tons of  deer, turkey, pigs and God know’s what else.  Stuff was moving around just like the bass.

At least they weren’t there for us.

When we got back the house it was a little work on the boat.  Amazing how often stuff needs attention.  And that attention in both cases involved switches and connections.  Salt and corrosion are a constant issue on the Gulf, and when something quits working that is where you need to start.  We almost got it all resolved, pick up a new switch and all will be right with the world.

Yesterday got me thinking about how to use the trolling motor most effectively.  A trolling motor is not just a gadget to get you down the bank.  It is part of your presentation, a critical part.  Fishing high speed baits requires you to cover lots of water, but still maintain good position.  Right now perfect is staying in around 8 foot of water and fishing grass edges.  And to give both fishermen a good chance to catch fish it required spacing your baits in a pattern overlapping each other.  By doing that we were able to catch around 50 the last 2 half days on Coleto.  That is good fishing by any standard.  So keep in mind what you are trying to accomplish when you are fishing, and use your trolling motor accordingly.

The Captain of Team Nancy starts a week off tomorrow and we should be near some water or beach somewhere.  I have not seen any beach reports on trout, but may get a chance soon.  The boys from Austin are at Matagorda this weekend, and I can not wait to get their report.  Besides the big time I know they will have I hope they catch some fish.   And Faye and her husband are down this weekend to flog them at POC, so I can not wait to get her report.  To a few other of you folks I am trying to catch up on my emails.  As the site has grown so have the emails, it has grown to at least 75 a day.  I try to get to them all, and I read every comment I get.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

POC

Every once in a while you will hear someone say to quit your bitchin’ and man up, heck I say it myself.  Generally in my case it is whether it is to windy to fish the Gulf so I just wuss out and fish Coleto.  Today the Shoedog was here and the plan was to head to POC and do some scouting so Shoedog could take a couple of friends fishing tomorrow.  We thought we would have the flats boat back from the shop, but it was not done, so off to POC with the Carolina Skiff.

Now don’t get me wrong, the Carolina Skiff has served me well from the Everglades to the Arkansas River.  It is a great little boat, but when the wind is blowing it can be a pain.  Today was just that.  When we got to POC the wind was blowing like crazy, shifting more to the north as we fished.  To help matters a big front was sitting right on top of us, and around 11 it actually started thundering and lightning, which ended our day, thank God.

From Froggie’s all the way to the Oil Cut the water was a beautiful shade of brown, if you like dirt with that water.  And even in the Oil Cut the wind made it next to impossible to fish like we do, easing down the bank throwing plastics and spinnerbaits.  We put exactly 3 fish in the boat from 7:45 until 11 when we headed to the ramp.  1 red and 2 trout, of which none measured.  About the time we were going to quit, it was just to much hassle, Bob called and the boat was done.  So we headed to town, dropped off the skiff and picked up the other boat.

Coleto

After putting all the “stuff” back in the boat it was off to Coleto.  One thing about this time of year, with the warm water temperature, almost 80 at the lake, a good breeze means good spinnerbait fishing.

Shoedog started things off with a nice one on spinnerbait.  We were making sure the ones we are making and taking to Canada ran right, and they did.

We started way up lake, Shoedog with a spinnerbait and me with a buzzbait.  We both stayed with those the rest of the day.  The spinnerbait he was buzzing right along, I was reeling the buzzbait at a moderate retrieve.  The pattern simply was wind – a good breeze pounding on the bank, and there were fish.  And within the wind, most of the fish came near points, mouth of pockets, anything that would normally hold fish, had fish as long as there was wind.

I finally started helping with the buzzbait.

It seemed like the spinnerbait was the better bait, but before it was over I think it was a tie.  Once on a good windy bank, they would hit one of the other.  Most that hit the buzzbait assaulted it and there was no missing them.  They seemed to come closer to the bank, while the spinnerbait fish came a little farther off.  Probably due to how fast he was whipping that thing in.

Spinnerbait or buzzbait, either way when one decided to eat they were smashing it.

We ended up catching over 20 this afternoon.  It was a really solid bite, and we put several like these in the boat.  It may not have won a tourney, but our top 5 were solid.  We caught them way up, in sight of the dam, and right on the main lake, as long as it had wind.  And while it helped if the bank had good wind, the good bites were on deeper banks.  It seemed the real flat banks were not nearly as good as the deeper ones.  And that will hold true if the lake keeps dropping.

The biggest for the afternoon.

Not having fished Coleto in a couple of weeks I was surprised how far down it has come.  It was in a little holding pattern, but now that we are not getting the rain it could get ugly later.  Getting in and out could be an adventure real soon.

So while the day started off tough, we would have quit down at POC no matter what, it made a nice comeback.  Being able to come back and hit Coleto, and catch a nice bunch, made it sweet.  So we did not suck it up and man up in the wind at POC, no big deal, there will be other days.  Plus I am not one of those folks who subscribe to the adage that suffering makes you stronger.  Far as I am concerned, suffering breeds suffering, and nothing more.  So keep stopping in, with the flats boat back the Gulf is still in my near future.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

It was a beautiful morning as Chris and I headed out from Froggie’s to Big Bayou first.  The tide was high, and  it was the kind of high I have not seen in a while.  But with it set to fall during the day we were looking forward to a good bite sometime in the afternoon.  Unfortunately that just did not happen.  I don’t know if it was the result of me fishing poorly, or the water dropping on the fall like a pinhole leak in a tire, but whatever the cause, it just did not turn out the way we planned.

See, we really did fish out of Froggie’s.  To bad there are not any fish pictures to go along with this, but it happens.

We started in Big Bayou first, and if my memory serves me we did not have a bite.   After fishing a few drains and steeper banks it was time for a move.  From there it was to the Oil Cut, where Shoedog and I caught them last time.

We headed to the last big arm and started catching a few trout.  Chris put one in the boat that was over 16″, and that was the last keeper of the day.  We did catch a few more trout, in fact I had 3 that did not make the box as they were touching the line, but since I do not chance any cooler shrinkage, it was their lucky day.

The thing that was frustrating was it began a day of lost fish.  Before the day was over I personally lost 2 or 3 trout that would easily measure, one a good one, and a nice redfish.  Chris also decided to get in on the act and lost several fish that may have made the box.  What was irritating was the fact that they all came on different plastics, new jig heads, different styles of jig heads, it did not seem to matter, they just kept coming off.

The Oil Cut was the only place we found more than a couple of bites.  To make a long story short we fished the J Hook, Oil Cut, Big Bayou, Dewberry, a mid bay oyster reef, the little jetties, and a couple of other places I can’t remember right now.  We threw spinnerbait, assorted plastics, and topwater.  Nothing other than the plastics resulted in even a bite.

I thnk it boiled down to us making bad decisions on where to be when.  That combined with a super high tide that was falling out like a slow drip just never seemed to generate the big bite we were looking for.  There were several lessons learned and of course the big one was leaving fish to find fish.  As tough as it turned out to be we should have stuck with the Oil Cut.  There are good trout and some reds in there right now.  It may not be the glamour spot, but the idea is to catch fish, not run all over God’s green earth looking for more.

We ended up keeping one 16″ trout, and nothing more.  The day could only  be described as tough.  Tomorrow is a new day and the Shoedog and I will be back at the Gulf.  It was hot today, and it had that summer feel to it.  It just seems like the fish are still just a little behind.  One note, you can catch the snot out of black drum right now.  We saw lots of them again in the channels, and it seems a little late for that.

So keep stopping in.  There will be 3 or 4 more Gulf reports coming in the next few days.  It may have been a little tough, but we will get it figured out, and hopefully help you get on them your next trip.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

 I got the full report from the Shoedog on his trip yesterday to Fayette County.  He caught them pretty good.  Over the last couple of years we have really done well later in the spring when the traffic is down.  It looks like that fishing pattern will continue.  We have put well over a 100 in the boat several days this time of year, and Shoedog said it was an easy 30 for him yesterday.

Shoedog does Fayette County

I got to the ramp about 7 and was surprised to see only about 6 trailers- I guess the small threat of rain scared a few off. I skipped the first real shallow point that we usually stop on because I figured that the bass would probably be a little deeper post spawn. So I went out and started on the long point that comes off the main lake into Oak Thicket Park. I can usually catch fish at some point along this bank, and on the usually windy days it provides some relief from the ever present SW wind. 

His big fish of the day.

Normally I will stay out in 10-12 feet of water ,or maybe 8-10 feet, and cast into 4-6 feet and retrieve over the grass beds with whatever bait we I am using.  So. that’s what I did. The first thing I noticed was that the lake is a full as I have seen it in a while. Either from recent rains or pumping in from the Colorado River, it is bank full. 

I started with my old standby Smithwick rattling/suspending Rogue that I have had a tremendous amount of success with from Texas to Canada and everywhere in between! The last few years I have had amazing luck here in Texas with it on many different lakes. 

That Rogue has worked lots of places this year.  It is the 4 1/2 inch, 3/8th ounce in the Red Bream.

I got more that 3/4 the way down the bank without a bass. I noticed there was less grass and fewer bull rushes than the last few years- a change that I think is a long term effect from the drought and the extremely long cold winter. 

I finally caught a couple and noticed they were shallower bites as the wind had taken me a bit closer to shore, so I re-fished the bank a little shallower. Got bites immediately and noticed tilapia and bass up on the bank in and around spawning beds. Now, whether they are still in spawn or not, I have no idea, but there were a lot of fish shallow. 

Another nice Fayette County fatty.

So, I concentrated on fishing the bank from about 5 feet throwing into 2-3 feet and started whacking them. Maybe they were up in new growth grass or still spawning, I don’t know, but I was not too worried about that!  From then on it was classic Fayette County fishing. I tried a few other normal spots and deeper depths but they were shallow so I listened to them. 

Now is time to do some boat maintenance and plan for Canada in June with Doug, Clyde and John- well and maybe a trip to Belton and a few days at POC and maybe a Coleto trip……..Later- and hope you caught some, too! “

Folks the fish were shallow and I can promise you he was using the jerk/jerk/pause/jerk/pause – then do it all over again cadence.  I had to watch him catch the crap out of them on Bull Shoals last week, and Fayette and Falcon a number of times.  So keep that in mind on your next trip to Fayette.  Incidently we have also used the same cadence with the Rapala Shallow Running Shad Rap in the silver foil on Fayette this time of year with great success.

Tilapia

My friend Jeffish sent me the following picture from his trip to Coleto yesterday.

Fresh Tilapia straight from the lake to the plate is a thing of beauty.

There are still enough Tilapia on the beds on both Coleto and Fayette County to make a trip worthwhile.  Jeffish says  he hit 2 of the first 3 he shot at.  That of course begs the question on how many more shots it took to kill the third one.  Not being a Tilapia affecianado I am not sure how much longer they will be shallow on power plant lakes, but if you want to get a few now would be the time.

Random Thoughts

Everything is falling into place nicely today.  Checked out at Bob’s and the flats boat check up is done and he is just waiting on the trim pump which was covered under warranty.  It should be in today or tomorrow, and since that is all that is left to do we will have the boat back shortly.  And that is a good thing as I would love to get out anytime in the next couple of days.  Then Shoedog is down for some POC time, followed by an ex-employee and her husband for a day or two of Gulf fishing, so the saltwater reports will be coming in hot and heavy this week.  I may even be over in Matagorda a couple of days this weekend with the crazy bunch from Austin.  Looks like a good week coming up.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

It is good to be home.  Monday was the last day we fished on Norfork, and we only fished until noon.  Though it was cloudy with some sprinkles there was not a breath of wind.  The fish were not having it much, the Shoedog put 6 or so in the boat and I think I boated one.  It was so funny to wish for wind, of course as soon as  I got back to South Texas the wind was blowing just dandy.  By June when the wind is not blowing here and it is 104 I will be wishing for it all over again.

There are a couple of things that happened this trip that made it interesting.  First as we headed to the lake one morning there in the middle of the highway is a nice big 4 wheeler just sitting there.  A truck with a trailer was turning around in a parking lot to come back and pick it up.  All I have to say about that is he was real lucky no one hit it and when it landed it landed on it’s wheels.

Then we were about an hour outside of College Station on the way home when I noticed the fender on the boat trailer flapping in the wind.  We pulled over and the fender had broken and the tire was getting gouged.  Luckily we did not get a flat tire, but we did have to change it.  This was the second time I have seen what is called in the Bass Pro catalog the “Quick Change Trailer Jack” in use.  I am sure most of you have seen it here or there, but if you have not used one trust me, it is the bomb.  It is shaped like a half moon and you just drive right on it, super easy.  We placed it under the axle, backed up just a little, changed the tire, and were gone in literally 5 minutes.  That little gadget works.  If you trailer a lot you can not go wrong.  I don’t have one but will next time I am at a store that sells them.

I want to say thanks to Clyde and Maria.  Your hospitality was great and we really thank you for putting up with us.  To bad you did such a good job, we are already thinking about coming back again.  Thanks.

My lovely wife just finished a long stretch in the ER and wanted a little R&R so we spent the last couple of days in Port Aransas.  She got some beach time and I got a little tackle store time, so everyone was happy.  It was the first time we stayed at the Tarpon Inn, where President Roosevelt stayed in the 50’s when it was one of the hottest tarpon fisheries on the planet.  The old pictures were cool, but nothing was cooler than the long wall with all the tarpon scales that were signed and dated from the old days.  It was cool, but maybe it was what hurt the tarpon fishing for decades, who knows.  I do know that they are caught there more frequently now, and there are some real monsters that come to the jetties.  Who knows, may have to try that later in the summer.

So while I am still resting and recovering from the trip, neither Clyde nor Shoedog took a  break, I got pictures from both of them today.  First is Clyde’s……..

Nice smallmouth.  Looks like Clyde has been doing a little night fishing in the Ozarks.

We would have loved to do a little night bass fishing while we were there, but just did not get it done.  I can tell you from experience that night fishing on Bull Shoals and Norfork in the spring is an awesome way to catch nice bass.

And not 5 minutes late I got this from the Shoedog……..

Shoedog with a Fayette County fatty.

I hope to get a more complete report from Shoedog concerning today’s Fayette County trip.  All I got was a message that said Fayette 9 for 10.  I bet he was using a jerkbait, it has become his specialty.

So it will be back to normal starting tomorrow.  I have to check at the mechanics and see how the 300 hour check is going, hopefully the boat is done.  There is email and blog work to be done to catch up, so if I have not gotten back to you I will.  Then it is change a tire on the other boat trailer and sort out tackle to get ready for some serious bay fishing.  It should be good with this serious warming trend.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

After 3 days of fishing on Bull Shoals it was time for a day or two on Norfork.  I actually lived on the shores of the lake for a number of years at one of the boat docks and most of my guiding was done on Norfork.

The plan was to get a late start, which we did, then to do a little night fishing for stripers.  We started in the upper end of Bennet’s Bayou hitting a few brush piles without success, then heading up the creek.  The water temp has risen to the mid 60’s and the spawn for both the bass and crappie is on.

Clyde boats another white bass.

We managed to pick up 3 crappies, and caught some small bass and a white or two on crappie jigs.  I lost a big fish, probably a hybrid striper, but we just could not get on them.  From there we headed down lake to change the scenery when the wind finally blew just a little.  We stopped at a bank with a good chop and started buzzing a spinnerbait and probably caught about  a dozen bass.

Clyde with a nice one.

Norfork is where I cut my teeth buzzing a spinnerbait.  The reason that tactic is so successful is the water is really clear, and if you run it right below the surface making a wake it forces them to react, leading to some awesome strikes as they blast it halfway back to the boat.

Shoedog with a really nice bass.  This was the bite of the trip, she absolutely smoked that high speed spinnerbait.  A CPR fish.

After putting a few more in the boat we headed down lake to the Diamond Bay area to try to put a couple of more smallmouth in the boat.  We caught about 6 of them in Bennet’s, and though we figured it would be good, we only caught a couple of more before it started to get dark,  From there is was down to the damn to see if we could catch a striper.

Not the giants Norfork is known for, but lots of fun.

We hit 3 main lake points using Rogues and topwater, and Shoedog and Clyde both caught one.  I only had 2 bites, and missed them both.  They were real tentative, and they both missed several.  After a long day we finally called it quits.  We ended up keeping a nice mess, which will be our possession limit of bass, and a few other fish for family and friends.

A respectable mess.

I have not kept fish this regularly in quite a while, but when you come this far it is nice to take home some filets for a couple of fish fries.  It is amazing how when folks know you are headed on a trip like this they want some fish.  So here you go folks, you know who you are.

It is raining this morning, and we hope to get out for a little while before heading back to Fayetteville for the last evening at our parents, then home to Arkansas.  It has been a good trip, and was great to see Clyde and his lovely wife Maria.  It was great to stay at their house, it was big enough to hold the whole bunch of us, and we will surely do it again.

So lets see what happens next.  Thanks for coming along with us, I appreciate you reading my stuff,’

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Day 3 started off a little different than the last 2 days.  We decided to head back up lake to the Diamond City area and fish where we fished on Thursday.  Our first stop was the bank where we did the best a couple of days ago, a gravel/rock main lake bank not all that far from the ramp.  And it was deju vu all over again.

What are the stinking odds of catching 2 big carp on grub in consecutive days?

Before we left the first bank I caught 9, this carp, and then smallmouth, largemouth, and kentuckys.  Clyde and the Shoedog could not get it going.  For some reason they wanted the that grub hopped off the bottom and just were not interested in it swimming or in a jerk bait/

The day turned out to be tougher than the last couple.  Of course it was busier, being the holiday weekend, and there looked to be several tournaments on the lake.  There were high dollar bass boats blasting all over the lake, and until around 4 it was a big a$$ boat race.

While the water temp had come up to around 55 all over the area, it was still a real chilly night with a full moon, and when combined with the traffic it kept the fish down some.

.Though we knocked the snot out of the whites a couple of days ago, we only put a couple in the boat today.  But boy are they nice size on Bull Shoals.

The rest of the day it was slow at best.  We had no luck in coves to speak of until later.  They definitely were off the jerk bait compared to the last couple of days.  And the lack of wind and bright sun sure did not help.

We caught 3 walleyes today, they just did not cut the mustard.  But it is nice to catch something so different from my usual fare.

Now I am about to say something that all of you in South Texas might find almost nuts – We were praying for wind, and the last 3 days it has been dead calm.  That can really make it hard with water as clear as drinking water, and a little breeze goes a long way here in Arkansas.  But you do with what you have.

The big fish of the day.

It is funny how our day ended up with us catching around 3 fish, and it was slow.  Other than a couple of places we never had the big run.  I did lose a big walleye on the grub, which was my go to bait all day.  Shoedog stayed with his jerk bait but it just was not happening.  Clyde fished his usual 30 different baits, but grub was still the bait of the day.

So it is Sunday morning and we are getting ready to head out, a late start but we will be fishing after dark today.  Norfork Lake, my old guiding and stomping grounds it next, and crappie will be the fish of choice before dark, then stripers and bass after the sun goes down.

We only kept 5 today, but hope to remedy that with a nice sack of crappies today.  So stay tuned, the fishing saga continues on the great Arkansas extravaganza.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Day 2 of our great adventure was a little slower than day one, but before it was over it turned out to be a pretty good day.  Clyde joined us today and we decided to fish the mid-lake area out of the little town of Oakland near the Missouri line.

The way the day started it looked like we had gone to a different lake.  We headed up to Spring and Gulley Creek and started fishing both jerk bait and grubs.  One thing about the mid-lake area, is it was definitely clearer, if that was possible.  The water temp was fine, but it had been a cool night with an almost full moon, and the fish got off to a slow start.  I think it was around 9 before Shoedog put one in the boat on jerk bait.  We finally made a big move and headed up lake fishing some of the places Clyde knows.  I finally got a really great bite on the watermelon read flake grub and it was a titanic struggle on 8lb. line.

Nothing like a big rubber lips to start your day.

Now I hate to downgrade the lowly carp, but after a 500 mile drive it was not exactly what I had in mind.  So just a little while later we hit another bank, which Clyde said was a place he catches a few drum, and of course you guessed it.  I was now 2 for 2.

Another great fight, but not exactly what we were looking for.

So with that nonsense out of the way lets get to the real fishing.  l stayed with the watermelon grub most of the day.  Clyde alternated between the various grubs and jerkbaits, and Shoedog stayed with that wacky striped red/orange suspending Rogue aberration that worked so well yesterday,  And try as Clyde and I could, nothing beat that funky color Rogue, and the only one that would even come close to keeping up was the classic clown color.

The Shoedog put some great smallmouth in the boat today.

The pattern was clearly flat gravel points when we were in about 15 foot of water.  We caught a few in the back end of the creeks, Music for example, but the water was quite a bit cooler there than out on the main lake.  We caught them right on the main lake, and on flatter gravel points further in the creeks, but no matter what, it needed to be gravel.  But as the day wore on the fishing got better and better.

Clyde with a real honking white bass.  Notice the clown Rogue.

Unlike yesterday when we were way up lake, today we only put 3 white bass in the boat, and no walleye.  The water clarity was unbelievable mid-lake, but there just were not the white bass there that there was way up lake.  Of course that is logical with their spring annual spring migration, same with the walleyes.  There was one big difference, even though we did not boat the numbers today, around 30, the fish were bigger.  And the Shoedog just kept on putting them in the boat.

I am real disappointed in how this smallmouth came out.  Folks this was the biggest of his life, and this picture does not do her justice.  Definitely a CPR fish.

This was actually his last fish of the day.  In fact he was whining, a couple of days of constant jerking that jerkbait is tough, and Clyde made him fish one last place.  Shoedog finally said last cast, and I said watch this, it will be big one.  I no more than said it when he bowed up and caught the one above.  It was one beautiful smallmouth.  A great finish to a good day.

I have spared you the obligatory dead fish stringer, but we had one.  We ended up keeping 12 bass for the table, 4 smallmouth and 8 kentuckys, not a bad day by any definition.  We could have easily kept a few more but were plenty happy with what we kept.  Of the keepers, 3 or so came on grub, the rest came on the Smithwick Rogue in what we have learned is the Red Bream.  If you are fishing Bull Shoals right now, get a couple, the fish love them.

So tomorrow instead of a day on Norfork as planned, we have decided to head back to the upper end of Bull Shoals where Shoedog and I fished yesterday.  We really want to add a few more walleye to the pile.  So it will be Sunday before we get to Norfork, and then it will be some crappie and striper fishing.  It should be great.  So keep stopping in.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

It is almost 10 and I am sitting in my friend Clyde’s basement as he and the Shoedog play guitars.  I am drinking an adult beverage and digesting a wonderful fish supper.  Now I may not be getting hammered, but the Shoedog and I hammered them on Bull Shoals Lake today.

North Arkansas, with Bull Shoals and Norfork Lake  is my old stomping ground.  I moved here in 1974  in my AMC gremlin with $125 and tent, to be a fishing guide.  I bought a small tackle store, met the locals, started fishing tournaments and guiding , and the rest is history.

So Shoedog and I, after visiting our folks in Fayetteville, decided to fish the upper end  of Bull Shoals Lake so we put in at the boat dock at Diamond City and headed out.  One of the reasons I scheduled this trip for right now was in these highland lakes the middle of April is always good.  Water temp of 52 – 55 degrees, the fish looking to spawn, what more could you want.  So we headed to the first cove and it was one of those days you are glad to have a rod in your hand.

One of three keeper walleye I put in the boat.

As Shoedog cut the engine and headed to the deeper side of the cove, I said not that side.  Where you will find fish here this time of year is secondary points, sloping banks with mixed rock and gravel.  He caught 2 or 3 bass on jerk bait in about 10 minutes and from that point it was game on.

Shoedog with one of the many big white bass.

From around 10 in the morning until we quit at 5 it was a jerk bait extravaganza.  I let him get me down about 10 or so while I threw the works at them, and then when I were sure it was jerk bait, the slaughter began.  And when we would catch one, we would catch 3, or 4, or 6.  There were white bass mixed in, the occasional walleye, along with the largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky Spotted bass.  It was just to good.

Our biggest bass of somewhere around 50 today.

One of my favorite lures this time of year here is a watermelon red flake twister grub.  I threw it quite a bit today, and though I only caught 3 fish, 2 were walleyes including the one above.  As soon as we get the smallmouth a little more dialed in the grub will come in to it’s own.  Slow rolling it on light line and spinning gear results in some great hits.  With the weather warming, the fish in pre-spawn and moving to the bank, the next 3 or 4 days should be awesome.  And Clyde will be able to fish with us, so look out, there may be a killing.

A nice Kentucky Spotted Bass and a Smallmouth.

Bull Shoals is on the upstroke right now.  The fish population is as healthy as I have seen it in my 40 years of fishing here.  I told you last post this was going to be a meat haul.  My family have all put in their request, and if it stays like this, they should get their wish.

A nice limit of bass and 3 walleye.

Time to hit the sack.  Clyde joins us for the next 3 days, and it is Bull Shoals again tomorrow.  Then Norfork Saturday for crappies and stripers, it will be awesome.  Every once in a while you hit it right, and this is one of those times.  The walleye have just come off the beds, and so have the white bass, and they are on the feed.  The bass are ready, and if the weather stays like this, they will be on the beds in a matter of days.  So keep stopping in, it should be a great trip and I am glad you are coming along with us.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines