Mike Worley

I launched at Welcome Ridge, the water was still up in the parking lot but really no trouble to launch or park.

The winter bite is on at Bull Shoals Lake !! The lake level is dropping and the game fish are biting well in the main lake current areas. Walleye are 40'-50' deep on the bluffs and spotted bass are thick on many of the main lake brush piles at the same depth. Smallmouth bass are bitting at depths of 20'-40'. We caught 9 walleyes in 3 hours with 4 keepers to 24" on spoons.

I have been having at least fair to good catches for the last few weeks. Some days the shad & fish are in the back of the creeks and some days they aren't. The patterns that are working for me are mainly spoons with crank baits also working on some days in the back of the creeks in about 20-30fow. The most consident bite has been main lake bluffs and bluff ends in 35-65fow on spoons and also split shotting nightcrawlers. I'm mostly catching all species of black bass and crappies with a few walleyes . The bass and crappies are real decent sized fish with a keeper walleye about 1 in 4.

This spring before the water level came up on Bull Shoals lake we were surprised by how many yellow perch we were catching on the brush piles in the mid-lake area Music creek, Coon creek, Big creek were loaded with Yellow perch. We were sometimes catching a dozen or so off a brush pile before we could catch a crappie. Jigs, minnows, worms & spoons were all catching yellow perch. Some of these were 10"-12" fish that really filleted well. Yellow perch are now in every part of Bull Shoals. I think that the low white bass population we had for several years let the yellow perch get a good foot hold in the lake. BTW the white bass fishing this year has been great in the mid-lake area in the flooded brush nearly any day the wind blows. The walleye fishing is really hot right now also.

I think there is a "stream closed" fishing season in the areas above the normal lake pool on lakes in Missouri during that time period. Streams are closed, lakes are not. Sorry, after reviewing the MDC regulations on the MDC website I have not been able to find any closure for the Little White River. In years past I think there was a stream closure during the early spring months for some streams in Missouri.

You are fishing way too deep. Keep your boat in less than 20 fow, 10-15 is even better. Stay in the back end of the creek arms. On the gravel flats across from the creek channel. Bottom contact is a must, fish a deep diving crankbait (trolled or cast) across the flat gravel points. Water temps are still pretty low so just enough speed to make your crankbait bang the bottom. For bass jigs and tube jigs dragged at the same speeds will produce also. Believed it or not the fish (bass & walleyes) are keyed in more on crawfish than they are the shad right now. After you catch some bass check the stomach contents and see what you find, I did and it was crawfish.

Can boats be launched at River Run access? ( I know the ramp will be under water still.)

As a diver of 30years + with about 25 years on Bull Shoals. I must say this is the first time I have seen the BS laid on so thick. Nothing wrong with Hwy 125 marinas air. Looks like Hwy 125 Marina will be around long after Sugarloaf Marina is history for not paying the rent and other infractions. Probally due to the fact they have PO'ed at least the divers by selectively not filling tanks because the customer did bussiness with the "the other" Marina. Guess I know where not to do "any" bussiness intill the new owners take over. btw: The not filling in water 10 percent loss is 300 psi on a 3000 psi air fill which means you pay for 3000 psi and only reicive 2700 psi after the tank cools, which most divers I know would call a short fill(also a good way to run off your customers)

I put in at welcome ridge access (right across the lake from point 16 - Jones point WMA)

I fished Bull Shoals yesterday( 12/3) point 16 area. Caught 25 and 23 inch walleyes on 5" stickbaits. Rocky banks the walleyes were in very shallow water. I think I would have caught more fish, but I had to take some rest time (trolling) after I hooked a 15 LB carp in the tail that took 20 minutes to land (my hand and arm are still sore today) The 25 incher bit at 2PM in less than 5 FT of water.

Is ANY body using this forum?? I am heading out this afternoon to try to catch a few monster walleyes. December has always been my best month for catching trophy walleyes. Has anyone been catching anything on a jerk bait yet?