rangerman

Its kind of muddy right now, really not worth going. When conditions are right you can catch alot of hybrids if your using the right techniques. Most will be around the 17 or so inch size but they fight very well. My two better ones from there last year were both around 13 pounds. Love the lake it is just very temperamental when it comes to precipitation. A little bit of rain goes a long way in muddying it up. The day the two big ones were caught it was 2 degrees when I put in. Had to use tire chains on the vehicle to safely launch the boat. Luv to fish in the cold, its a blast.

When the PWT held their tournament there, they were dealing with the extremely high water conditions which is difficult for anyone to fish. I would definitely like to see a tournament held there with the lake at normal stage. Sadly enough the PWT no longer exists. I run into guys fishing in South Dakota that speak of Bull Shoals and the fishery......It has to get some attention. Tax- where did the 48 pounder striper come from?

Wayne there is actually alot of eyes in BS, there are a select group of guys that primarily fish them there. Earlier this summer, I had a couple of 40 and 50 fish days with all fish being caught walleye. It great and saves me a trip to South Dakota.

It would be unreal if they would start stocking lakers. Those things fight like nothing else and are phenominal to eat. The perch in BS are apparently taking off really good, why not put some other "northern" species in there and make it a REAL interesting fishery. I hope the walleye fishery remains as good as it is. I almost bet the next world record will come from there within the next five years. Wayne, I don't think AR cares as much about the walleye fishery as much as MO does, but I could be wrong. MO has dusk to dawn laws protecting spawning eyes in the streams. I have seen fisherman on the AR side of the Kings River keeping multiple giant eyes in the 13 pound and above class that were caught at night tightlining live bait. Granted the spawning success of these fish is low, you are still taking a very large fish out of the system. I hope the Table Rock eyes keep coming on as strong as they are as well. Who knows why state game and fish agencies do what they do.

What a great fish and a great personality, seems Scott is a deserving guy, I never really got into trout fishing much, Buuutttttt, I'm starting to think about it. I think I am a walleye guy at heart though. Congrats again! Jason

A three way can be fished in lots of different ways. Gernerally you can pull them through some brush with little problems, over gravel and medium size rocky bottoms. If you are fishing a bottom with larger rip rap type rock the problem comes in with the bell sinker becoming wedged. I usually fish the rig in the summer, however, I am sure you could use the technique in the spring below powersite. The water condition for fishing a three way really doesn't matter as all you are really doing is slow trolling. In the spring, I generally like vertical jigging and/or pitching jigs. This technique works for me so generally thats what I use. If you want to learn the walleye world I'll PM a website you have to hook up with. Jason

What did you get'em on?

Lonkm, I've used a 3 way alot on TR with great success. I generally pull thundersticks or rapalas if the water is clear enough. The rule of thumb is to pull slow at around 1.4-1.7MPH. Use a bell sinker on your dropper with one ounce of weight for every ten feet deep your fishing. Haven't used the technique at BS yet, due to the fact I have pretty much caught the eyes pretty good in other ways. Also handhold your rod and sweep it forward every once in a while. This seems to trigger some strikes from following fish. Good luck, Jason

I luv that jig. Did you tie them, if not who is the manufacturer?

The worm weight tactic works great on Lake Fork, as generally this time of year the crappie are starting to move little bit deeper. It works great on Table rock as well. You will pick up numerous incidental catches, however, by moving slowing around the tree tops you will catch crappie. I agree with Sam on the crankbait size.

Pull small (2 1/2") pearl colored cranks on the outside channel bends along the bluffs over submerged standing timber. The James and Kings River arms are the best. You can usually get a limit of really good ones if you are persistant. They are usually hanging 18 foot deep or so. If you can find the fish in the timber on the bends and are unable to pull cranks, take a 3/8 ounce worm sinker, tie a barrel swivel with the weight above. Make a leader about 2 feet long and a 4 gold hook. Put on a minner and stay over the tree tops. Should work for ya'

Definitely not worth the trouble around here, I use downriggers in South Dakota salmon fishing over open water, thats about it. Around here it is easier to fish long lines and leadcore.

It is by far the easiest to put in on the Klondike ramp in St Charles County. The park is St Charles county Klondike park right off of Hwy 94. The ramp is located pretty much right across from the power plant. You really kind of have to wait for colder weather so the river clears a little bit.

Watch the water temp. I haven't been down and don't know, but if the water temp gets to around 70 or high 6o's, the eyes should start moving shallower and feeding heavier.

All you have to do is have enough of a boat to get across the river. Bank it downstream from the outlet and walk the bank up. It is by far the best way to fish it. Believe me.

See if you can check the rate of twist. I have a early model 788 in 6mm I use for varmints, however, it will only shoot 80 grain or less bullets accurately. It won't shoot 100 grain bullets worth a darn.

The area around the warm water discharge of Labadie powerplant is really good in the late fall and winter. You'll catch some good whites there along with hybrids anywhere from 4-9 pounds. Usually the colder the weather the better. Catch them on big whites twister tails and large white rooster tails. Don't know about summer though.

I've targeted walleye on the James river arm both in the spring and summer. There are some good ones caught on the James River arm by the guys fishing strictly walleyes. We've caught some up to 8 pounds and lost one that was 12+ at the boat. *!it happens! In the spring near the lower end of the James, we have found holes that you could catch anywhere from 3 or 4 to up to a dozen eyes all in one spot. They are there, you just have to strictly fish for them which is kind of hard when the whites are running.

Sounds like a log perch

I would also like to know, I tried just about every swimbait out there with minimal luck. Althought the best one I have used was the Castaic--hybrid hard head soft tail--in the threadfin shad model. Had pretty good luck with it. Fished it on a 6'5 medium action spinner with 6 pound fireline with a slow steady retrieve.

Definitely makes me all warm and fuzzy.......what a guy!

Leeches are a phenominal bait, I haven't used them on BS but on TR, everything loves them. A good lively leech will continue to undulate as you stop boat movement so when fish following see this, they usually can't resist and grab it. I don't go to South Dakota without them.

From winter to spring, you can target saugers and some eyes where the gasconade and missouri meet. If you catch it right, you can generally catch quite a few.

David, I would stay in the Lead Hill area of Bull shoals for now. There are alot of fish on the on the soft slopes (edges of the flats) in around 28 foot of water. Bottom bouncers and crawlers on spinner rigs are about the thing to use right now, however, some guys have been using jigging spoons in the brush at about the same depth and catching them. If the fish are going good, you can troll if you have that capability. Stay around 2.0-2.5MPH and pull neutral (white, shad) colored deep diving cranks. Something that will get you down around 23 or so foot. There are a host of areas to fish and find eyes, but there seems to be a concentration around Lead Hill right now. Good luck! Jason

Thats my boy, I knew you'd get them sooner or later down there. Good table rock fish, small heads big bodies. Did they have anything in 'em? I am impressed, I thought you didn't like BB and spinner rigs. Glad you didn't lose these fish you'd probably never fish one again.