Mike Worley

Fairview ramp is AG&FC not a USACE ramp. There has never been a fee for those ramps. The ramps operated by USACE are the only ramps requiring a day use fee or permit. With the exception of Browns Beach which is operated by the city of Bull Shoals and requires a permit issued at city hall or day use fee at the park. Most of the boat ramps on the lower end of the lake are AG&FC but the ramps located in parks like Oakland, Diamond City & Tucker Hollow are USACE and are subject to the fees.

The walleye bite seems to have really improved this past week. Bottom bouncing with crawler rigs in the 20'-30' has been working. Trolling crankbaits 15'-30'. And jigging points with jigs & spoons are all working well. Main & secondary points that have shad present are the key. The lake level dropped about a foot and has moved the shad to the main lake points. Jigging spoons on brush piles on these points as well as larger swimming minnow jigs & rattle trap lures are catching sone nice keeper walleyes.

Seems USACE has made some changes for day use (boat launching) this year. They raised the price to $5 for a one day use. Still can get the yearly pass $40. But now for age 62+ holders of a senior pass available from any US Park service office for $10 have free day use for life. Just hang the senior pass card from your vehicle rear view mirror. The USACE will mail you the hanger for free.

SOLD

My vote goes to possum!!

For Sale. This is a Mossberg & Sons Model 640KC "Chuckster" .22magnum (.22 WMR). This rifle was manufactured prior to 1969 so it doesn't have a serial number. It's in fair / good condition with a beautifully checkered & engraved stock. Bore is in good condition and is bolt action with a detachable clip. Also included are 2 boxes of CCI Maxi-Mag HP ammo (100 rds). These rifles were considered to be "tack drivers". Includes rifle & ammo. Case is not included. $200. 870-321-3705

Just want to say that I really find this article to be very interesting & well written. But I did not write or post it and hope the real author will take credit for a fine article.

Are still looking for this?

Any ammo included?

Looks like I can fish Friday and Maybe Saturday and bring my boat. I won't be able to stay the night due to some obligations at night. But I am looking forward to seeing and fishing with the OAF. Had a great time at both events last year and really appreciated Gris putting up with me while my boat was in the shop.

Bull Shoals Reservoir is one-of-a-kind. It's character doesn't resemble many other man-made lakes in the country. It's banks are, for the most part, void of docks or buildings. It seems as if it's lost in time when the Ozark Indians used to use the once White River for their source of life. Bull Shoals Reservoir is one-of-a-kind. It's character doesn't resemble many other man-made lakes in the country. It's banks are, for the most part, void of docks or buildings. It seems as if it's lost in time when the Ozark Indians used to use the once White River for their source of life. What about the fishing?! As many lakes in the midwest, white bass are a sought after trophy, for their meat and for their fight. I remember years ago in Oklahoma, to name one state, white were considered a trash fish and not fit to eat. No limits on this abundant fish didn't seem to deter the population on most lakes and rivers. There seemed to be an endless number schooling up and down the flats, devouring and schools of shad in their way. Times have changed, as they do, and the white bass, or called sand bass in some other parts of the country, have become coveted as crappie and walleye (well- almost). Most anglers come out of the woodwork on warm, sunny days in March and April to line the banks and fill the channels with their boats to do what? Chase whites. When do the whites start their march? All depends on the weather. In January, we start to see white bass show up when fishing for winter crappie off mud flat banks or fishing for walleye off the flat channel in deeper water. On into February, more start to show from K-Dock up to Beaver Creek in the main channels and you can usually depend on finding them close to the bottom. How do you locate them? Find them through countless days of drifting and trolling in this 4 to 6 miles stretch... or... read my reports and I'll tel you where I've either caught them or heard of other catching them. I don't know about you but I can't afford to spend countless anything but working here at the resort! Once found, they won't move too far too fast-- especially if they are close to say Beaver Creek where they will run up to spawn. How to catch pre spawn whites- as I said, they will be close to the bottom of the lake. **Bull Shoals is designed to be the holding basin for the White River Chain of lakes-- it can hold lots of water. About 15 years ago, they put 40 feet of water over the normal pool-- that's allot of water!! Then normal thin lake went sprawling all over the place and it was difficult to find anything in so much water.** You need a good depth finder, not necessarily to find the whites but to see what kind of depth you're in. Finding the fish is good too. Lures and techniques- your preference from here. I like jigs. I use 1/18th and even 1/4th oz jigs, depending on the depth and wind conditions. I use marabou mostly when vertical jigging. White, blue, chartreuse, gray, yellow, purple.... I switch around until I find a color to their liking. Some people like to jerk spoons. I've never got the hang of that but I know it works. One thing to remember when working either a jig or spoon up and down-- look for it to stop before it hits bottom. You won't feel the proverbial tap like when retrieving a lure- they usually take the lure on the drop. Drifting minnows on the bottom is good. Either with the wind or current. Careful not to use too much weight so as to get hung on the bottom a lot. Trolling deep diving crank baits is also good- blue/silver hot-n-tots, shad raps and heavy rooster tails. If the lake level is low enough, use 1/8th oz lead heads and swimming minnows and work them slowly across the bottom. We use several colored minnows including motor oil, blue, purple, chartreuse and smoke. Powersite will start holding white bass early in the season. Either fishing from a boat or the banks, working crank baits or swimming minnows is current or not can be productive. You really never know what you'll catch up there too- whites, crappie, black bass, rainbow or brown trout, drum, carp, catfish, walleye- even striper now. That's why they call it the "Pot Hole". Night fishing for pre spawn whites is very popular and productive closer to the spawn. I've headed out in my boat from River Run on many a night, while others are heading in. I head down to the "Willows" and anchor in current along the mud bank in about 18 feet of water. I throw a purple swimming minnow (1/16th oz lead head in medium current and 1/8th in heavy current) towards the bank almost at a 90 degree angle and let the lure drop close to the bottom before retrieving it. When the lure makes the swing at the back of the boat, I usually get the strike. This is when we catch a lot of the "sows" or female whites- big whites!! Conditions do have to be just right for this to happen but in most years- we do get water generation at night and we do catch whites this way. Other ways to catch whites at night- off the banks- the same willow bank, the mouth of Swan Creek, up close to Powersite Dam and the mouth of Beaver Creek. Use slow-moving lures like jigs, grubs or swimming minnows and work them close to the bottom. Darker colored lures usually work best. Spawning whites- when does it really happen? Water conditions in the creeks need to be: warm- 60 degrees or higher; running water preferred; water color- I believe anything but extremely muddy. In the spring, weather fronts and rains play havoc on fishing. "The whites and running- now their not- it's too muddy- water is too high- too low- too clear- too cold- new moon- old moon." If you're like me, you spend half your time chasing "stories" about what happened yesterday and coming up empty. In early to mid April, our white bass are usually in peak spawn and most of the time, you'll find white spawning on up into May. Whites will certainly stay in the creeks into June sometimes feeding on minnows. Early mornings and late evenings in low light times, whites generally make a run up in our creeks and are easy pickings. Night time too. Whites will moving up in creeks and then hold in deep pools before continuing on their trek. People wading using minnows in holes below riffles usually do real well. Use 4 lb line with a small split shot and #8 hook. Toss the line in the current and let it settle in the pool. If the pool isn't real deep, blue rebels are a hot lure to use. Jerk it erratically, triggering the strike. This technique works on post spawn whites too in the main lake and in creeks. Working swimming minnows through these pools also is good. Use different colors- depending on water color- till you find a color they will hit. Fly fishing is a blast for whites in the creeks now. Fly fishing is the best technique for fishing the fast riffles and pockets along these riffles. Use small jigs, streamers and even nymphs like stones and hellgrammites. Whites usually like flashy flies. Whites bass hang around the same areas for weeks after spawning, usually out closer to the mouths of the creeks and in the main lake. After spawning, they are vivacious feeders and very aggressive. Jerk baits like the blue rebel and sluggos are a blast to use. We fish up in Swan Creek with small sluggos into the month of June and in clear water, you can see the white swarming the lure as you twitch it in. Main lake- rattle traps is one of the best lures to locate and catch whites. Bottom line- white bass is a great sport fish to fish for and even to eat. I hope this helps you have a successful fishing trip this spring. View full article

I've seen large clusters of zebra mussles all the way to the back end of Jimmy creek. I dought any place on the lake is free of them. Lets just hope there is a bright side, I seem to have read some place that catfish and some sunfish thrive on zebra mussels as well as freshwater drum. I've fished the Missouri river & Green Bay both of which have had zebra mussels since they were first found. Both still have excellent walleye & bass fishing. Sometimes we would pull up a few attached to the line or lure, but in general they didn't seem cause a lot of problems as far as fishing was concerned. Dragging a plastic lizard on a Caroline rig or a jig might seem tough but we were able to do both with out much problem.

Xterme Boats, made in Bull Shoals Akansas is what we call "The Big Boy Boat". I'm 300+# & 65yrs old and use one for my river trips. These boats have 2' tall sides and 48" wide deck rated for 30Hp. Jeff Moore 870-405-4983 builds them. Might be what your looking for.

It's a low spot in chimney bluff that when flooded allows you to cut though (Jones point WMA) to point 16 cuts off several miles of distance.

Went though the gap yesterday, with plenty of depth. Lake level was 691' (691.9' as of 0700 this morning) Lots of bank trash and some pretty big logs floating all over the lake. Launched at dam site where the courtesy dock required a knee deep wade. Guess the attendant had the day off. We found the bite to be pretty tough. Early morning trolling crank baits 35' deep seems to be whats most consistent. Edge of the brush line was about 37'.

Has anyone been though "Hanks gap" yet?

I really don't use crawler harnesses with more than one hook. What works for me is a slow death hook tied behind a spinner blade and a few beads. Smile blades work well for a floating rig. The slow death hook is soft enough when tied on 12# fluorocarbon to pull out of most snags and be rebent with fingers or pliers. I use at least a 2 oz bottom bouncer and braided line. A linecounter reel really helps when fishing in this brush. The less tackle you lose the more time you spend catching fish. Beef it up and leave the mono line at home, heavy braid right under the boat.

Looks like damsite ramp is usable again. Browns beach had 0 rigs parked Tuesday so we launched at Bull Shoals marina to do some prefishing for a trip Wed. The ramp by the shop usable both days but parking was up the hill. We found plenty of walleyes biting on bottom bouncers with crawler rigs fished over the submerged brush in 25-35 fow. My fishing partner (grandson) Dylan caught a nice 23 incher right off the bat, we caught a dozen shorts and called it a day after about 2 hrs. The half day trip on Wednesday went about the same. The wind pretty much died and left many go to banks with lots of floating trash. Talked to some friends Tuesday who were trolling crank baits and they said the same thing about 10 shorts to catch a keeper. The marina owner said the corp told him they perdict the lake will crest at 688 on July 3 but be perpared for 690.

I talked to a friend who launched at Tucker several times this past week, so I think it's ok.

I fished in the Oakland / pt.16 area Saturday. There were a few rigs in the parking lot at Oakland. We had a 3 boat trip and ate lunch there, seems a couple of boats were launched and picked up. Courtesy dock was completely underwater. The Welcome ridge access had a few rigs and the courtesy dock was above water and looked usable. The lake seems to have crested today at 677.5 lets hope we don't get more rain downstream and the corp can kick the units on. The walleye & SMB bite was fairly good. We didn't try trolling crankbaits, seemed the water was pretty trashy. But crawler rigs were catching walleyes just outside the brushline 21'-26' and the SMB were biting smoke /silver grubs on the gravel points. I launched my boat at Browns beach, courtesy dock was mostly underwater had to wade knee deep to do it. Bull Shoals dock behind the shop is doable but parking really sucks after about 10 rigs.

This bass swallowed the tube jig and was bleeding badly. We tried to release it but it didn't look as if it would survive. It died. My 9 yr old grandson caught this and was very happy to show it to his mom. We had for dinner last night.

Limited parking, very few ramps open look what this guy does. This was at Point Return / Browns Beach. SMB have been biting well all over the lower end of the lake my grandson caught this 18" bass on a tube bait Mind as evening in about 20 fow. Walleye have been very active and smallmouth fishing has been great on jigs & tubes. They are pretty close to the edge of the brush which was about 21' yesterday. Keeping the boat in about 30' and cast a 3/16 jig to the brushline was working, be sure to keep contact with the bottom. Bass,walleyes and a 5# catfish were hammering it.

Ain't looked for a spoon bite yet but I got a spoon rigged anytime I'm on the lake. There's walleyes on main lake points that's always a option especially on the brushpiles.

This past week or so I've been pretty busy on the White river, but I did manage to get out on the lake a couple of times. I found the walleyes to be spotty especially on the rainy days and early morning. Once the sun and a little wind picks up it seems to move them out into deeper water. I've only been using nightcrawlers either on bottom bouncers with spinner or a Carolina (hotdawg) rig with a plain hook. And a grub on a jighead. One sunny afternoon I caught 25+ walleyes & smb in 18-23'on bottom bouncers lots of shorts with a few keepers up to about 24". These fish were halfway back in a creek arm on rocky gravel points. The next morning the lake level had came up about 1-2' cloudy rainy day, couldn't get a bite except for smb & ky's in 10-23' on grubs and the hotdawg rig. About 2:00 the sun came out and a little wind, I tried the bottom bouncer again and started marking walleyes on a main lake point. They were in 25-32' caught a 26"er in 27'fow. Then had to leave due to a commitment I had made. I did mark walleyes on more than one point in that 25-32' range before I had to leave. Mojorig says the lake will come up more in the next few days, so this should move more walleyes out to the main lake points and maybe deeper. The grub has been pretty good up in the edge the brush out to 20' mostly catching smb & lmb with a few walleyes mixed in. Top water baits are pretty hot for bass right now according to the bass fishermen, flukes and senkos are aldo working.