Phil Lilley

James at the hatchery just emailed me and said the indicators at the inflow went from 1 to 7 ppm overnight so the lake turned last night. I thought it'd turn quick this year.

I have been known to ease up to the anchored boat and say, "excuse me, I need to get through and you're blocking the channel." They have moved every time... so far. But I do inform them when I do go by it's a violation to block a channel and they could get a ticket. That usually doesn't go over very well- but it's true. But again, patrol is on Taney a dozen times a year so they probably won't.

5 degrees tomorrow morning... anybody wanna wager how many boats are froze up and won't leave the dock???? Steering fluid on those rigs are a bear when it gets cold. I have guys leave electric blankets over theirs overnight at my place.

Talked to James today- no movement in DO or temperature yet. I think when if happens it will happen quick unlike last year when it took a week to turn.

You're not... I catch a good bit of grief because of them. I'd make people mad if I quit doing them... and mad if I keep them so I'll keep them. You know, even if the tournaments all go away tomorrow, the same number of boats will be buzzing the same number of boats and the same number of trout will be caught. My opinion... and may I'm alone on it too. And yes- there are guides who go too fast. I suggest you get their boat registration number and report them to the water patrol. One thing they do right is follow up on complaints, especially on local matters pertaining to local guides.

and it's supposed to get real cold tonight. From the WebCam.

3 months in Patagonia!!!! Geeeeezzzzz!!!!!! I hate to ask where you graduated from! What will you do when you come back- career-wise? Make alot of money I hope to pay for you graduation present. Seriously- I could create a forum just for you to report back and post pics of your fishing... how about it!

dynamite??? How about unreal! My fishing buddy Vince and I caught over 250 trout in a tournament last Feb tied up at the cable on the south side - threw jigs from 8 am till 4 pm and caught fish on every cast. None over 20 inches though so no cigar. We were wore out! And 90% of the time we threw white jigs. It was after a shad run. We threw brown jigs for a short time but it didn't make any difference.

No sorry guys... Table Rock's water temp has to drop into the low 40's to cause a shad kill. I wish it would happen too but Table Rock hasn't even turned over yet. Chris- they are refering to shad actually dying on Table Rock and getting sucked thru the turbines into Taney. It's quite a feeding frenzy. We need alot of hard running water for shad to come thru... and I'm not sure we'll see that much this winter with TR so low.

Sorry- I have to defend tourneys. Been doing them for 20 years now. There are 5-6 Saturdays a year that have them... most only have 20 or less boats. Days of the year when there's boaters speeding - many more- try 49 weekends and 150 weekdays. You don't have to be a tourney to be in a hurry- or ignorant. Rule of thumb - if you don't know what to do- idle speed! That means no wake and stay clear of someone's line when possible. If you stay on plane thru boats, you will be ticketed if there's a Water Patrolman is sight. If I can stay more than 70 feet from a boat, I'll keep it on plane. I honestly don't know what the law is... I don't see a patrolman enough to know the answer to that. I lecture guys before every tournament- at the pre-tourney meetings- I tell them to be nice... I tell them that tournaments have been given a bad rap and for good reason- they have in the past buzz people, swamp boats and cut lines. And I tell them- if it happens and I hear about it, I'll cancel the tournament and I will. I request the MO Water Patrol be at every one of our take-offs and weigh-ins... they might make one in a year- might. I have to register with them for every tourney so they know I'm having them and when. I wish they were on Taney esp on winter weekends. They'd write a bunch of tickets. As for Boswell - I think you're up to 12-14 teams, I think.

No. We have had a 4-trout per person weigh-in, 8 per team. I'm not dropping it to 6. BUT - it will be a catch and release contest. If I see there's a problem with dead trout coming in this year, I'll put penalties on fish that aren't released alive. We haven't had a problem in the past- eveyone's pretty good about keeping their fish alive. The only diff this year is no one will clean their catch. The private tournaments- that will be up to them.

Elite - Friday Buddy - Saturday Pro/Am - Sunday Based out of Kimberling Inn, Kimberling City It's going to be a cold bass tournament!!!

Picked this off the Flyfishing Arkansas Board information on minimum flow for Bull Shoals/White River. If you understand it- it's interesting. SIMULATION OF HYDRODYNAMICS, TEMPERATURE, AND DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN BULL SHOALS LAKE, ARKANSAS, 1994-1995

Where is "home"?

No- I know you wouldn't know him... and he's not online that I know of. If his name is mentioned, he may get in trouble for naming dates... who knows. But I was surprised a rep from the power company was so definate about it happening. He's a great trout fisher too- excellent jig fisherman. I've fished in a tournament with him years ago.

Brian- you need to come over and tie while I take pics... it would help mucho much. Seriously- may be Thursday. I have some of Jeremy's crackleback but he hasn't given me the written part yet.

I have a friend who has a friend (and I know this friend) who told me today that a new minimum flow will be activated as early as August of '06, unless someone throws a monkey wrench in the trubines. This friend is an adviser to the Corp and has been involved in the mf issue from the beginning. I've been telling people I didn't think mf had been funded- but I guess I was wrong. Congrats!! MDC will be watching to see if it works I'm sure.

Gabe wanted me to post his newsletter - 12-6-05 Winter winds blow hard in December December is a time of flux in the Ozarks, and it always seems like the winds blow a little chillier this time of year because we are not used to these teperatures. But cold weather helps us in so many ways on these rivers by allowing the "yucky" water near the bottom of the lake to be replaced by better water from the surface of the reservoir. This process is called "turning over", and once it occurs water clarity and quality improves greatly on the rivers (Norfork especially). This fall has been a "5" on a 1-10 scale with respect to fishing, and this sure beats the "3's" and "2's" of year's past. I'll take "5-level" fishing any day in the fall. The fact that they ran a lot of water for the season really helped and oxygen levels never got extremely lethal because of these flows. Both the White and Norfork are in very good shape with respect to nice fish, and as winter progresses, there will be days where we catch lots of nice trout. But for right now, it is still "work" to catch 'em, but just as fun as any other time. Winter fly fishing attracts a different breed...one's who don't mind a little frost on the rod in the morning, and sadistically, most really nasty days offer up hot fishing. Plus, we always get warm stretches every winter that remind us that spring is really not that far off. If you've never seen this area with snow on the ground, it is definitely a site to see, but it doesn't happen all that often. All in all, winter is when everything slows down and you can often have a guide and/or the river all to yourself. This winter (unless we get lots of rain very quickly) should offer up plenty of wading opportunities due to low lake levels, so get in on it while you can. Tips for my readers: Reading rises on the Norfork and White Anyone who has ever fished the White or Norfork on low water has definitely noticed rising fish (most days), especially in the slower areas. This activity goes on throughout the year, and many people think that these rivers are probably best fished with dry flies at first glance. While that can be true, much of the time the trout rises on these rivers paint a picture of what is happening below the surface. Many times trout are "keying in" on midges. When you see bugs flying around, pay attention to two things. Number one: what size are these bugs (and do I have an imitation)? Number two: are any of these bugs actually on the water? Most midges are very small, and often the pupa and larva are eaten in much larger numbers than adults on the surface. During falling water (Norfork) and on dead low water (The White), it is common to see trout "boiling" and rising in a way where you don't see any of their mouth. This is a sure sign of trout feeding "in the film", right below the surface. During these times, what they are feeding on (pupa/larva) can be found throughout the water column, and deeper presentations will often catch more fish. If you notice fish taking midge emmergers in shallow water, often a small dry fly with a pupa dropped below it can be deadly (because it spooks fewer fish than an indicator), and you it's possible to get a huge fish to inhale the small dry. If you're lucky, you will see fish rising in a way where you can see much of their mouth, and they are visibly taking insects off the top of the water, then dry flies can be the best bet. In the winter we get "blue-winged olive" hatches where it can be hard to see the flies on the surface, but otherwise our hatches are somewhat easy to read (caddis, sulphurs/pmd's, midges). Now here's some inside knowledge: when there is a hatch, get into fast, shallow water instead of messing with the slow pools. Watch for insects, rises, and try and get your size and color close to the naturals...and don't be afraid to experiment. If people were, we would never know how well they could hit a #6 beetle pattern in the middle of winter. Even though nymphing techniques often produce the most fish on these rivers, dry fly and emmerger fishing has its time and place. Good to expert anglers (with patience) can catch fish on most any day using dry flies. One more tip: the hatches on Norfork are better as you move away from the dam, and so is the water to fish dry flies. The shoal above McClellen's Dock is the start of the best surface activity (about 1.8 miles downstream from the dam), and there are some great stretches the rest of the way down. So in conclusion: don't come here expecting to dry fly fish, but do expect to see rising fish all year long. When the opportunity is there, these rivers can be some of the best places to hook a trophy trout on a dry anywhere, and some fish can be coaxed to the surface most any day of the year. Winter Fishing 2006 Well, until the last six months we had been served with several years of high water, and this has made for more nice fish than usual on both rivers. Now that we are bone dry, there should be ample opportunities to get some wading in. Often in the winter the dams will release water in the mornings and evenings, leaving a nice window during the day. You can start wading below either dam (remember: the first mile below Bull Shoals Dam is CLOSED until 2/1/06) within an hour or less after the water "shuts off". As the day goes on, you can find "low tide" at various points down the rivers. Also, this is the time of year where they can go days without generating at all. These are great times to really see the White in its full character. There are big fish on the move in the winter, and this is the time of year where most of the huge trout caught on flies and artificials are taken. The average high temperature for January in Mountain Home is near fifty degrees, which is quite comfortable for fly fishing, and we often have stretches of 60's and even 70's. Rarely is there a day that does not get above freezing, but we still have some nasty ones now and again. Please feel free to ask me about any aspect of winter fishing, and most of the area's resorts and restaurants are open for business throughout the season. Best holiday wishes, and don't forget to get a Sage fly rod for Christmas!!! Gabe Cross (870) 435-6529 [h] (870) 404-9027 [cell] gcflyfsh@infodash.com http://arkansastrophytrout.com

I have an opinion about internet users and readers of sites like this- most if not all respect our fisheries and are law-abiding anglers. Saying that, I'm not trying to pry anything out of anyone. I understand what your concerns are. MDC officials have always read my site/reports/newletters over the years. No change in this forum. Question- should I add a forum for expressing concerns? If I did, I would expect the same rules to apply (and I probably would have to enforce them more actively though). Comments would have to be repectful and constructive. Just so happens... my father-in-law is the obudsman for DNR. I could ask him to moderate a forum- been thinking about that one for a week. I'll talk to him tonight. What do you think?

Jeremy spring for refreshments... good luck

I'll have to let Bill answer that... I know that there's only a couple of outfits that make these jigs.

The red line chart basically gives the lake levels each day, each hour almost. the numbers at the bottom tell the hour of day. Knowing the "normal" or power level is essencial though. Bull Shoals power pool level is 654.0 so BS is now 8 feet low. Knowing how that effects the lake in different areas is a matter of knowing the lake in the first place- or replying on those of us to describe it. But the former is much better than the latter because it's hard to describe areas adequately, such as the Snap Hollow area. The blue line is rainfall at the dam which I'm alittle suspect of. We got a 2 inch rain several weeks ago and this indicator didn't show but a trace of rainfall. The green line chart is generation indicators. Actually, it shows Taneycomo's lake level at various times of the day and week. 701.3 is power pool, or the level when the water is "off". As generation starts and builds, the water level rises. This chart is good to watch because you can see patterns to go by, forecasting when they may or may not generate. There are other charts for how much power they are making but these will follow the water level chart.

Here are pics of 3 jigs. They are from my box and are little rough. But you get the idea. WebFreeman- I apologize again for writing over your post. I'm still trying to get used to this whole forum thing.

Bull Shoals Lake and Generation Levels This is worth watching- lake levels for Bull Shoals- when planning your next trip to the lake. Boat Ramps - if it hasn't already, access to the lake is going to get tricky. The ramp at River Run should be in fairly good shape but at some point, the concrete will be out of the water and putting in a boat will be rough. At Highway K access, the ramp there become extremely shallow but as the water drops, the only watered area is in the old river channel exposing land and a road going out to the channel where there is an old ramp. Navagation get tricky too. The upper end of the lake will become more like a river- great for wading but not so great for boating. Trees and gravel bars come into play eating up props and lower units. But low water conditions means less water for fish to hide in. Visible structures come into play when locating crappie and whites. Walleye will start moving uplake and be along channel drops and points. Memorize the lake bottom. For example at Snap Hollar, above K, the mouth of the old creek channel is underwater most of the time. But if you see it when the water is low, you'll see the bank is steep and has stumps all along it. This bank and stumps will hold fish when the water is high, although when the lake is at normal levels, the bank is in the middle of the lake. A GPS would be real handy, pinpointing the stumps and channel drop for later trips. Basically BS will become a new lake to learn, but much more forgiving to the seeker. Take advantage of it and learn.

What creeks did you say those were???