Hunter53

Thanks for all the help guys!! With that said I guess we have a change in plans and are going to be going to Table Rock instead. Wife wanted to be a little closer for things to do after we are done fishing all day. We will make it to Bull some time for sure but just not this time.

Thanks for all the help guys!! With that said I guess we have a change in plans and are going to be going to Table Rock instead. Wife wanted to be a little closer for things to do after we are done fishing all day. We will make it to Bull some time for sure but just not this time.

Thanks!!

We love the area also and would love to move there as well. My wife is a doc and we have been looking for her a job in the Bull/Table Rock area.

Thanks again guys!! Ham: I should have mentioned that we will be bass fishing and will be all catch and release. Smallies would be fantastic as it is mostly largemouth up here. Rainbow: That sounds like fun but we really want to focus on bass and there are a ton of whites up this way.

Dutch; I asked in both sections of Bull Shoals to get as much advice as I could. Up here we don't have big lakes so making a long run in our boat is kind of fun when we get a chance. No matter where we stay we will end up running a lot of the lake just for fun unless we happen to hit some real consistently great fishing in one spot. LOL Thanks Ham!!!

Thanks everyone!!! Does Buster have a web site?

Wife and I are planning a trip to Bull this spring. I was thinking about the first week of May? If it would be better to come earlier or later that would be fine. What is you all's thoughts on when the most consistent fishing would be? Getting into some smallies would be a big bonus if that changes anything on when to come. We may want to hire a guide for the first day to kind of point us in the right direction so any recommendations on a guide would be great as well. Any information on resort type places that allow dogs would be fantastic!!?? Anything else we should know before coming? Thanks for any help!!!

Wife and I are planning a trip to Bull this spring. I was thinking about the first week of May? If it would be better to come earlier or later that would be fine. What is you all's thoughts on when the most consistent fishing would be? Getting into some smallies would be a big bonus if that changes anything on when to come. We may want to hire a guide for the first day to kind of point us in the right direction so any recommendations on a guide would be great as well. Any information on resort type places that allow dogs would be fantastic!!?? Anything else we should know before coming? Thanks for any help!!!

Yeah farm ponds are great but I love to be in the bass boat instead of a jon boat. I have released all my fish as well including the one pictured above. I did get some measurements and had a replica made though.

We are definitely going to be coming back as we absolutely love the area!! If not again this year we will for sure be coming down again next year.

Thanks. We will definitely consider that for sure. We kinda planned out trip around the elite tourny as we wanted to see some of that. We also figured if BASS planned the tourny around that time they thought that would be a good time to be there. I talked with the guy that marshalled with KVD on his last day and he said KVD told him he would loved to be there in another 6 days or so as the fishing should really be good then. Sounds like we missed it by a week or so or should do as you suggested and come just a little bit after the spawn is over.

Water color was from crystal clear up towards the dam to very dirty in some coves a ways up past Diamond City. Water temps were all over the place due to the front and rain. I did talk with Bret Myers while he was fishing on the last day of the tourny and he mentioned the smallies were spawing in 18-22ft of water. He was quite a ways up towards the dam from the 125 ferry crossing. I would have loved to lay my hands on that bass that I lost. It would have been either the second or third biggest bass of my life. I have caught tons of 5-7lb fish out of farm ponds up here. I also caught a 9lb 7oz out of a farm pond up here last year. That is my biggest with a 7lb 14oz being the second biggest I have ever caught. I know the one I had on was somewhere in that higher 7's to low 8 range. Here is a pic of the 9-7.........

I want to thank those that offered any help for my wife and I's trip to bull shoals. It was very much appreciated!! We followed some of the pros our first days there and went to the weigh-ins. That was a lot of fun. As far as fishing goes I don't really have much to offer as we really struggled. We never got on any pattern so we only caught a few fish and most all of them were doing some thing different all the time. We caught a handful of fish on warts shallow, 3 small buck bass sight fishing and a few on shaky heads about 30 feet deep. Just couldn't find a consistent bite to really stick with. Our best fishing was in the cove where Christie caught his big bag on the schoolies. That cove was very close to where we were staying. We got out late the next morning after the Elite tourny was over as my wife did not want to fish in the rain. The fish were still schooling and we managed to catch a few before they quit. I did have a 7 1/2-8lb largemouth on a spook that got off right at the boat as I was reaching down to lip it. All the other fish we caught were 2lbs or less. The front moved in and the wind changed directions and we never saw the fish school in that cove again while we there. Tried finding them doing other things and never could figure them out there. Even though the fishing wasn't great for us we still had an absolutely great time and are planning on coming back next year!! Thanks again for the help!!

I want to thank those that offered any help for my wife and I's trip to bull shoals. It was very much appreciated!! We followed some of the pros our first days there and went to the weigh-ins. That was a lot of fun. As far as fishing goes I don't really have much to offer as we really struggled. We never got on any pattern so we only caught a few fish and most all of them were doing some thing different all the time. We caught a handful of fish on warts shallow, 3 small buck bass sight fishing and a few on shaky heads about 30 feet deep. Just couldn't find a consistent bite to really stick with. Our best fishing was in the cove where Christie caught his big bag on the schoolies. That cove was very close to where we were staying. We got out late the next morning after the Elite tourny was over as my wife did not want to fish in the rain. The fish were still schooling and we managed to catch a few before they quit. I did have a 7 1/2-8lb largemouth on a spook that got off right at the boat as I was reaching down to lip it. All the other fish we caught were 2lbs or less. The front moved in and the wind changed directions and we never saw the fish school in that cove again while we there. Tried finding them doing other things and never could figure them out there. Even though the fishing wasn't great for us we still had an absolutely great time and are planning on coming back next year!! Thanks again for the help!!

Thanks Aaron. We are going to give it our best shot anyhow. LOL

Thanks guys. You have given me some ideas on what I think I will start off looking for.

Would you mind elaborating on this some? My wife and I are going to be there to watch the last day of the elites and then staying the whole week after. It will be our first time ever on Bull Shoals so any help getting us started in the right direction would be very much appreciated.

Thanks guys. I actually posted this on both Bull Shoals sections as I was not sure which one was the most appropriate one.

Trip is getting close and to say we are getting VERY excited is an understatement!! Hope the weather cooperates for us. If any of you see the Charger boat in my avatar make sure to swing by and say hello.

Looks like a great day of fishing!! My wife would love to get into some smallie fishing like that when we are down there next week. Hopefully I can find them with this being my first time on Bull.

Bumping this back up as our trip is getting close and we are very excited for it!! We have a place to stay but any other help would be great. We will be bass fishing so any help in that regard would be great as well. Thanks, Dave

Thank you very much Diamond! We love the Ozark lakes and wish we could live down that way. At least we get to take a weeks vacation each year and come visit you all's little slice of heaven.

Thank you Ron.

Thanks guys! We found a place to stay that my wife thinks looks nice. It is blue waters resort; across the lake from 3&5 fingers coves. How far of a boat ride would that be to the tourny headquarters? If any of you are familiar with the place we are planning on staying at what do you think of the place? Who would be the best guide for focusing on bass specifically? Any other information about the lake/fishing and things to do in the area would be very much appreciated!