Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report & Fishing News
by Ricky Eastwold and Crew, Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock

- Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report -  

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2009 FISH "CATCHING" picture page

2010 FISH CATCHING   picture page

March 10th 2010 - Hello everybody! I'm back from all the boat-sport and travels shows in the midwest. FINALLY !  I did 8 shows in 8 weeks. Thanks to all of you that stopped at my booth and said hi. Now for the fishing. I haven't had a chance to go out yet but I have been getting all kinds of reports. They are mixed reports so here goes. The lake temp is in the lower 40's at this end of the lake. I am told its in the mid to upper 40's in the mid to upper part of the lake. Yes, it is colder then usual for this time of year but we have had a cold winter. The water temp should rise quick with the warmer weather. We really need a warm spring rain and things would change quick. The water is very clear right now. I had to dive yesterday to fix some things and the visibility was a goo 20 - 30 feet. I wen to down to a depth of 55 feet and it was just as clear. Of course that was here in the marina cove. I am told the back of the creeks are just as clear.

   I am also told that there are literally thousands of shad dying in the lake. This is normal when the water temp gets in the lower 40's. This happens most years but some years the water temp never gets below 50 degrees. It is definitely happening this year. This has a tendency to make the fish very lazy and harder to catch. They don't have to work for their food. They generally have to swim around with their mouth open to eat. So, this can make fishing tougher because they dot have to work for food, esp. at the end of the cycle like now. They have gorged themselves on dying shad so they are use to having it easy. There are a couple of things to do though. You can use baits and patterns that simulate a dying shad. Suspending rebels, rogues and xraps for example. Jigging a spoon is another example. Basically anything that simulates a dying shad. When the water temp starts to rise and the shad aren't dying anymore then these patterns are also good because the fish are use to seeing dying shad. So these patterns shoals work well for the next month or so.

The next thing to try is something completely different. I believe that fish are like you and I. They like to eat different things. So, dragging a jig, tube jig, lizard or other types of "bait" will also work. I have had one report that the carolina rigging a lizard is working now.

Friday March 12th 2010 -  Hey again. The water temp is starting to warm up some. This should zig -zag with our air and rain temperatures over the next month. We have had some nice warm days this past week and the water temp has zoomed up to the high 40's - low 50's in the back of some creeks. The WHITE BASS  have started to get active. I have had several reports of good stringers being caught back in the creeks. We have also had a couple of nice largemouth caught this week. See picture page for these. White River trout fishing is excellent as usual. I will be back with more after this weekend.

Fishing patterns for spring 2010 starting in march

BASS-- Spooning - The first is the basic vertical jigging . Look for schools of fish on depth finder and drop spoon into them or under them. Jig up and down hoping to attract there attention. This pattern was working anywhere from the main lake to the back of the creeks. The fish could be anywhere from 5 to 50 feet of water right now. As soon as the water temp warms up the fish should move up shallower.  Second, cast your spoon into the bank and slowly work back to the boat varying your retrieve. This could work in 10 to 50 feet of water. Look for balls of shad and concentrate your baits around them.

-- Stick baits such as deep diving rogues, rebels and x raps. Also the suspending baits are good too. These baits simulate a dying shad which is happening right now in the lake. The trick is to work these very slow .

--  carolina rigged lizard- try this pattern working it real slow, stopping it, crawling it, jerking it ect. Vary your retrieve until you figure out how the fish want it. It can change from day to day and spot to spot.

-- anytype of crankbaits that simulates a bluegill type fish or crawfish. Work these baits in 5 to 20 feet of water .

-- Black jig-n-frog - this is an old time favorite in cold water. The trick is to swim it very slow in 5 to 20 feet of water or deeper.

-- Jig n frog , n salt craw, n 4 inch worm - what ever your preference. This is catching Smallmouth bass in 15 to 25 feet of water on the gravel and chunk rock banks where crawfish hang out.

- Plastics such as grubs, hula grubs, tube jigs - work these slow along the bottom simulating a crawling crawfish. I would also try different depths until you find where the fish are. Anywhere from 15 to 55 feet.

-- Twin spins on the bluffs. This pattern always turned on when the water got cold. Throw and twin spin on the bluffs and let it free fall forever. Work it very - very slowly back to the boat while pulling over the standing timber. White or shad is usually the best pattern. 

WALLEYE-  I know a lot of you are waiting for the walleye bit just like me!!!  I have only seen one here and one there caught so it hasn't started yet. It should start very soon. The ones that have been caught were caught while bass fishing. The white bass have started so the walleye shouldn't be far behind. I will keep you posted. If you are going to try it I would do the following patterns below.

-- ripping a stick bait - rogue , rebel or xrap. I would start late and the day and fish to after dark.

- spooning  the points in 5 to 50 feet of water.  

- spilt shot a night crawler - this pattern is working but catching lots of smaller sunfish and bluegills. If you are catching these fish that is good because that is what the walleye are feeding on and that's where you need to be fishing for them. They are anywhere from 15 to 55 feet of water. I have been getting varying reports on depths.

- trolling - either flat trolling, bottom bouncing or down rigging.

CRAPPIE - Haven't seen much activity yet. I will keep you posted.

White River:

NOTHING EVER CHANGES ON THE RIVER EXCEPT THE WATER LEVEL!!!  THE FISHING IS ALWAYS GREAT!! 

The river fishing has been great!! Check out the 2009 picture page for photos of some big ones caught over the last couple of weeks. Nothing new on the patterns. --- Worms, night crawlers, power baits, salmon eggs, Count down Rapalas, spoons, rooster tails, jigs and just about any other type of trout bait or pattern you have heard of.

Come visit our expanded bait and Tackle department and good luck and good fishing to you all.

Good luck and good fishing, and please come and see us at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock for all your fishing needs…Thank you!     

FISHING -- INFORMATION -- FISHING

                        Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report

                         March 12, 2010

                                Bob Pauletti guide at

Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock 

Well Finally, It looks like there might be and end to this cold and snow. Spring is just around the corner, and just in the nick of time.  This week has been just beautiful with temperatures reaching into the mid-70s and with that, the fishing is starting to heat up!   Water temps range from 49deg in the back of creeks to 43deg on the main lake.   Lake level is at 653.74 with constant generation of 4to 5 unites.

I wanted to take a moment and give you folks my opinion and thoughts of how I think the fishing will be this year…and years to come.  With the last 3 years of high water, and what I have seen on this lake.  I think you may see some of the best fishing on Bull Shoals that this lake has ever experienced!  So, with that, I suggest you get your poles out, re-spool your reels, and start booking your trips! 

Here is a short report of what I have been seeing on the lake this week. 

This is the time for big bass, especially large mouth.  Look for better fish on bluff wall ends and channel swings that are located in the major creeks, also try main lake pockets that may have wind blowing on them, my choice for these fish is a stick bait that suspends or slowly sinks.  The key to this bait is to make it appear to be a dying shad.  This means work your bait as slow as you can, a jerk and pause can be deadly.  Other baits to try, imitation crawdad baits, crank baits worked slowly, a Carolina rig or mojo rig in the very back of the major creeks, these fish are on the short size being that they are pre-spawn males.

White bass have moved to the back of the major creeks.  This action has just started and is some of the funniest fishing there is.  Look for these fish in the very back of major creeks. Some of the regular favorites are Howard creek, Jimmie creek, gulley, and Barnes bay.  Baits for these fish are, Roadrunners, white jigs, Beetle spins and small crank baits in white or silver.  A little tip, I add a plastic tail in white, this aids in slowing the fall and adds some action to your bait.

Crappie fishing has been slow so far, but this will change very shortly.  Your best bet now is a minnow and jig, or just a minnow and split shot rig over brush piles.   Along with the Crappies you are going to find Yellow Perch.  I have caught these more and more over the last few years in the same places I catch crappie.  I am not sure where these fish came from but they are everywhere in the lower portion of the lake.  Side note: the state record is 1lb 8oz, and is excellent table fair. 

Walleye fishing is also slow at this point, especially for this time of year, but this too will change VERY soon.  One of the baits that work well is stick bait worked slowly on long points with access to deep water, live bait, a night crawler and jig, or minnow and jig that is laid on the bottom.  I suspected that the Walleye are spawning now and will be on the night feed shortly. 

Lastly, the white river from the dam to white hole is loaded with fish!  There has been very few shad coming though the dam but that hasn’t hurt the fishing.   There has been 3 to 5 unites running.  A river rig with corn and power egg will catch as many Rainbows as you want.  For better fish Drifting a shad or jerking a stick bait, spoons, or white jig.