Ham

I don't think the water ever got as cold at the dam area as it did up lake. We fished Shoal Creek from the WAY back to the mouth trying a variety of areas and lures. We caught one small LMB. Waters temp was about 44.5" in the way back and 46' near the mouth of Shoal. White Bass were in the back and would ocassionally strike, but we could NOT hook a single fish. Water temps will be increasing. I expect my success to improve as well.

Adults fishing at Dry Run Creek should be reported immediately. Hopefully, AGFC would respond quickly to educate the offenders to the error of their ways. Poachers om that creek are really stealing from children. Lots of other areas on Norfork and the White to go gut hook trout with PowerBait.

Lake was very busy, but no one else seems to have anything to say. Hmmmm. Friday was a very pleasant day to fish once the heavy frost melted away. Water temps had cooled significantly from last week. We struggled to find even 47' water. Lots of the water we found was less than 46'. Cajun Angler and I fished hard with very little to show for it until very late in the day. We found a few fish late that were willing to hit jerkbaits for us. Nice sized fish AND we ended the day on a high note. Saturday we headed back to the fish we found friday afternoon and there was an OUTSTANDING morning bite. We put 18 fish in the boat in about an hour with the largest about 19 inches long and a handful of other fish that would make a tournament angler happy. The local club tournament boats (held out of Leadhill) got there JUST a little too late. Tough after that. We found another small group of fish early afternoon. Smaller fish though. We finished the day back in the area we started in hoping for a replay of the morning bite, but things had changed. We knew the fish were there, but those fish WOULD NOT hit a jerbait anymore. Again Saturday was beautiful, but I would rather it had been ugly weather and GREAT fishing. Conditions are rapidly improving after today and soon I expect it will be unsafe to stick your toes in the water for fear of a fish hitting them. NO White Bass intell to share. SOOO many boats going into Big Creek that we changed our plans and fished other areas.

If it were me, I'd swing by Blue Rbbon Fly shop and pick up a free map and some free advice. I usually try to spend 20 bucks or so when I go to a new area at the local fly shop to get what's been working. YOU MUST take your son fishing at Dry Run Creek. He'll be hooked on fishing and you'll have a ball helping him. It's more important than if you get to fish at all. BRF can help you with that as well. I'd recommend 10 ound straight mono and flys in the #8 or #10 size for DRC. There are some monster trout there and big tippitand a big hook help a young fisherman. Barbless Catch and release only on DRC.

The general rule of thumb was that FNF was better in water < 50', but give it a whirl. I think it would likely always have a chance of working, but in warmer water other stuff might be a better option.

I hate that they cost $25 dollars each, but they flat out work. That's a great color selection you have in stock, BTW. I hope lots of guys come by and buy em all.

Good looking baits.

Lots of the big boat docks on BSL (on TR and Beaver too?) end up having massive schools of carp around them. You can't fish directly from the boat docks, but I would imagine you could nibble around the edges especially if you are polite and use your head. Read the regs and ask nicely.

Les bon temps rouler! I love it up here, but there are things I really miss from back home.

I need to learn these rules in a hurry because I'll likely be a passenger rather than the boat owner for a while. Hey, we did throw baits at While bass for a while and we were hoping Walleye would hit our jerk baits (but they didn't) so it wasn't just a green fish report. Besides all that, the bass weren't very green either.

Sounds like a big time.

The "y" store ? Or is it a different gas station?

Cajun Angler and I hit the water before 0700. Launched at Buck Creek. We ran a little ways and headed up a creek. Water temps mid forties to almost fifty. Wind was our friend most of the day. Nice chop on the water helped our bite(I think). We got bass on grubs and jerk baits. We also caught one lone White Bass. Judging from the locals fishing from shore some Whites are being caught, but we had little luck with them. We caught just over 30 bass. CA had one over 4 lb, but most were small fish. Another great day on BSL.

Thanks Dutch! My trout boat has a Merc 20 jet, it will run pretty shallow. We've had a change of plans and we're gonna fish more mid lake, but I still will be looking to catch a few whites. I'll try to post a trip report with water temp etc.

Headed to the upper lake tomorrow with my trout boat most likely to run up Beaver Creek. Any general word on White Bass or other fishing in that area. I don't keep White Bass, I'm just looking to sore mouth a few. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

the receipe is available on the North Arkansas Fly Fishers site (NAFF).

Thanks for the trip report. I'm glad you got a chance to get out and ya'll caught a few fish. Kinda an unusual mix of fish, what lures/baits were ya'll using?

> 150 views and two comments. Hmmmm. Do be careful running the lake at seven foot below pool level. Lots of solid bottom in places the map shows as water.

I love a good spoon bite!

Amen Brother! I'm headed back home to fish with dear old Dad for a couple of days, but I'll have a light action spinning rod with me on my "bass" trips from now thru June. I figured TR MUST have a bunch of crappie in it, but I KNOW BSL and Norfork do. I haven't caught a crappie yet in 2011, but I will.

Browning Medallion GT 6' medium. Used to be a great value, but have gotten a little more expensive. They put them sale a couple times a year. I absolutely love that little rod. I bought four of them as backups last time they dropped them to $40.

I can imagine it very well and it would not be cool at all. I was on a SW MO stream with Cajun Angler in our yaks when a big rock let go up the hillside. It was making a ig noise rolling down hil, but got stopped by trees etc before it made it to the river. We were never in any danger, but it was kinda spooky none the less. A whole section of bluff letting go like that would be pretty darn scary if you were anywhere close to it at all. It would be pretty cool if someone had a before photo they could upload of thet bluff that let go.

Bet that was loud.

I wish we would get real high water again.

Rick Clunn has had a long standing relationship with Lucky E Strike lures. I don't think those crank baits coming out lends any credence to the above rumors. Select sizes and colors of those LC RC baits have been marked down for months. IF they were getting rid of that line of baits, why would they still be introducing new colors and be featured in the Spring Classic flyer? IF they really wanted to rid themselves of the 1000's of baits in stock, I would think they would all be marked down online not just a few sizes and colors.