BKB

Crawfish patterns....light brown or tan.

1. Lots more boulders/cover in stream. 2. Remove all rock jetties 3. Limit the # of fisherman on the stream per day (example: sell 50 tags RSVP and 50 first come-first serve) 4. I personally would like artificial only, but am understanding of bait. 5. 2 fish limit. C&R over 18" 6. Remove dam at end of park. 7. Stock browns for C&R fishing 8. Stock fish like they did prior to a few years ago

I have camped and fished here for many years. There are plenty of fishing spots right at the campground as well as up and downstream from the campground (more up than down). Very easy to wade. Use anything that looks like a small crawfish and you will do very well. I use crawfish looking jigs bounced slowly along the bottom.

I am late in posting this, but just got back in town from family vacation. As part of our trip, we camped at Bull Shoals/White River state park for two days on July 5 and 6. I only got to fish on the morning of the 6th from about 8:15-12:00. Water was perfect for wading and was very foggy. I started right at the upper campground circle and waded across to deeper water. There were a fair amount of people fishing....looked like a MO trout park in spots. I did not catch a thing with only one bite for the first hour or so and neither did anyone fishing around me. I noticed a large hatch of small black insects around 9:30 and fish eating them off the surface. I did not pack a ton of dries for this trip, but i tied on a size 14 black and tan EHC. It was a hit with the trout! First cast = 16" very FAT brown trout. Caught about 5 on that fly and then tied on a small dropper and caught 3 more on it. I was the only one catching fish around me. Then, the dry fly bite turned off like a switch. I caught a few more on a black and silver size 18 zebra midge. I moved downstream from the state park dock a few hundred yards to a good riffle. I proceeded to get a fish or a bite on almost every cast on either a red copper john or black and silver zebra midge. Caught 8 there, including my first every brook trout. I had to stop fishing to join family for lunch. This was my first time ever fishing the White and I really liked it....hope it will not be my last. BTW - I have read the other threads on the White river recently about the "Golden Trout" being caught. I saw one in the slack water by the concrete pier at the park both days during high water.

Active

Funny...i got my start fly fishing 2 years ago during a guided trip in Estes Park in Big Thompson Canyon as well! I echo the $$$ comments above! I have the added problem of once i get into something, wanting to go all the way! I have been to Montauk a few times and would recommend small (size 18-22) Zebra Midges and Size 16-18 Chartruse Copper Johns.......they worked decently well for me at least.

I Love Estes Park! Been fishing with a guide twice in Big Thompson Canyon....probably my two favorite fishing trips ever!

IMO, i agree that waders once full do not really "weigh you down" because the force of water is equal all the way around them. I think that they just make it really hard to swim and get out of a difficult situation. I have saved my old pair of waders for a future dip in a swimming pool to test my opinion out. We will see!

I have only fished the current a handful of times, but have waded the area between the park and baptist several times and there are very few gravel bars in this section large enough to set up camp on IMO.

About 10 years ago, on a very hot June float trip on the Huzzah, i floated past a family that was fishing with nightcrawlers and had stringers with several rainbow trout on them. I was shocked to see this on the Huzzah to say the least. After I got home, i looked at a map and realized that we were about a mile or so downstream of the confluence of the Dry Creek coming from Westover and the Huzzah. I assumed that they were all escaped trout from there. Was still surprised to see them alive on a 95 degree day in the Huzzah though! I think Bass Resort also services the Huzzah, so pic could be from there I guess.

Largemouth - 12lbs on a 7" plastic worm @ LOZ in May 1996 Smallmouth - 7.5lbs on a silver crankbait in Canada

I had success in March with Psycho Prince above and just below TanVat

July 27th

I believe April, but certainly by May.

I also don't believe that you can rent battery or motor. My recommended lakes for bass fishing in order are: 34, 38, 37, 28, 31

I've pretty much decided that I'm taking my camera with me from now on to record and report. I recently discovered the Current River (been 6 times since last June) and I think it's a shame that anyone wouldn't play by the rules and hurt the fishery.

A wonderful weather day! 75 degrees, sunny with some clouds and breeze 8:45-11:30 Arrived at TanVat and walked upstream to turn hole... didn't spend a whole lot of time in any one place, kept moving. Caught 19 total, 1 rainbow and 18 Browns! I think the yearly stocking has taken place...although they were all a bit large to be stocked (14" or so), so I'm not sure. Caught them on a variety of nymphs with a size 16 psycho prince and size 20 black zebra midge responsible for about 1/2 of my catch. Passed 6 other fisherman on my walk upstream from TanVat to the Turn. Significant Caddis Hatch going on all morning. BTW...saw a bald eagle perched in tree above Rock Garden Hole. 11:50-12:45 Arrived at Baptist and fished at access and just downstream about 50 yards....several strikes, caught one brown and one rainbow on black zebra midge. 2 FRUSTRATING OBSERVATIONS TODAY #1 Saw two elderly gentleman dressed in denim overalls sitting on the high bank overlooking the deep hole with the deadfallen trees just upstream from TanVat...right next to the sign that says bank restoration project in process, please keep off. One was fishing with a roostertail...saw him foul hook a trout, fight him forever, drag the trout up the 10 foot tall dirt bank to where he was sitting, step on the fish, yank the hooks out with pliers and then kick the fish 5 feet out from the bank into the air where it fell 10 feet back into the stream. Meanwhile...his buddy was fishing with a huge catfish pole with what looked to be 50lb test line with a huge (size of my hand) treble hook. Is snagging legal at all on this part of the Current River?? Based on his technique, I think he was targeting trout, which I know to be illegal. After I glared at them enough, they packed up and left. Later, on my way to Baptist, I passed their old pickup truck coming from Baptist area. #2 While fishing just downstream from Baptist, another guy was walking downstream (looked and talked like Cletus, the slack jawed yokel from the Simpsons!), he stopped to talk to me saying he was curious about flyfishing and he has never understood how it worked. After a quickie explanation on my part, I looked at his spin rod and saw what he planned on using as bait....a 3 inch red and white plastic tube jig! I told him that I wasn't an agent or anything, but that type of bait was not allowed on this section of stream...he looked at me, smiled and said "Aint illegal if you don't get caught" He proceeded to cast right where I was fishing! I shook my head and walked back upstream to my car. Only afterward did I think about my camera that I had with me! BTW... A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE GENTLEMAN WHO HELPED ME OUT OF THE MUD AT TANVAT!!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

When I used to spin fish, I fished it like you...small float, with jig positioned about 2 1/2 feet below and I caught tons that way. What pound line do you use?.....gotta use 2lb IMO.

That's a great fish for that water! WOW!

I will echo Lilley...Beautiful Fish!

You can't go wrong with the water right at Baptist Access and just downstream in long riffle with small zebra midges.

You can catch smallmouths year round at Bennett in the park. Your tube jig is safe in Zone #3 March 1 - October 31

If you are camping at the springs, I would fish from there down to the Cardiac access... you will fish the same water and save yourself the drive and tough hike.

I would echo the comments about the refs and have one BIG question... The play at the end of the game was ruled a fumble, but Warner's arm looked like it was going forward......Why no official booth review????