Fishing is really turning on!!!
Don Schnable
May 29, 2014
Bull Shoals - Freshwater Fishing Report
Bass-
--- plastic baits in 5 to 15 feet of water. Mostly carolina rigged lizards, brush hogs, French fry worms, and 4-7 inch plastic worms. Carolina rigging is the most popular for this. Some of you don't know what this is so I will try to paint you a visual picture. First, take and cut a piece of line 2-6 feet long. You can experiment with this. Set that aside. Then take a slip sinker that has a hole in it and slide it up the line coming from your rod, the weight of this can be anywhere from 16th oz all the way up to 3/4 oz. You can experiment with this too. It depends on the weight of line, type of rod, ect. The light the line and rod the lighter the weight. The heavier the line and rod the heavier the weight. After you have put the sinker on the line, then time a small swivel or snap on the end of the line. This works as a stopper for the sinker. Then tie the other piece of line to the other end of the swivel or snap. then tie a hook on the remaining end. The size of hook depends on the type of plastic lure, line weight and what you are trying to accomplish. Again you might have to experiment to see what works for you. Do not put any weight on the hook/bait end. Put you choice of bait on the hook. Sooooo. Now you have plastic bait that will float off the bottom, 2-6 feet a head of that will be the sinker that will be laying on the bottom while the bait floats off the bottom 2-6 feet back. Get the picture? This is a very effective fishing pattern due to the bait floating off the bottom and looks like it is swimming. The greens like watermelon, pumpkin seed, browns, blacks and other natural colors seem to work the best.
--- Plastic tubes, Jig-n-trailer, swim baits are also working very well. These are designed to be fished with a weight on them like a jig head and crawled across the bottom like a crawfish. The natural colors again seem to be working the best. 5 to 15 feet of water seem to be the best right now.
--- Stick baits like a rogue, rebel, x-rap, mega-bass or something that simulates a dying shad.
--- Top water baits are starting work early in the morning and on cloudy days. Mostly minnow looking flukes but the other top water baits should start soon.
--- spinner baits in 0 to 10 feet of water back in the creeks on channel swings.
--- Live minnows on a small split shot in 5 to 15 foot of water
Crappie- when I can get a crappie fisherman to show off their crappie or talk about them this is what they are saying. I know there is some being caught. Most of the brush piles are 20 to 35 feet right now.
--- 1/32 oz or 1/64 oz jigs around the brush piles
--- small minnows when you can get them
--- small spoons around the brush piles.
White Bass - the whites are being caught. Go back in the creeks as far as you can go. Try 0 to 15 feet until you find them. There are reports of surfacing white bass schools around the lake during the day.
--- white jigs, rooster tails, spoons, road runner jigs, rapalas and or anything that looks like a minnow
Walleye - the walleye seem to be done spawning and are scattered in different depths. There are reports of them being caught during the day in 25 to 25 feet of water off the points on plastics on the bottom. There is also some being caught on rippin stick baits late in the day. I would also think working a spoon on he points during the day would work. Bottom bouncing should start any day or flat trolling
Target Species:
General
More Fishing Reports:
