Weekend Fishing Report

[Clay Goforth]

I was fortunate enough to hit the water this weekend and thought I would report to you all...With the recent rain and rise in water level at Bull Shoals, the powers that be weren't afraid of running some units...The lowest water we had was supposedly 4 generators according to the dam generation recording but I don't know that the down river areas ever saw the low water...

We started out Saturday morning as the only boat on the water at Bull Shoals dam at 7:00 in a brisk 20 degrees. There were, if memory serves me correctly, 5 units online and we fished white jigs, black jigs, and sculpin jigs...all 3/32 oz. By 8:30 there were boats of at least a bakers dozen ripping around and we continued to fish for about another hour with minimal catches...We ended up with 6 fish in the boat...By 9:30 the number of boats had doubled, including a 3 boat party from Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock and we decided it was about time to head out. We loaded up and headed to some more peaceful water at Cotter.

From Cotter we floated down to Rim Shoals and this is where we had some good luck...this stretch had roughly 6 units of water and was flowing pretty good but we found some good fish starting about 2 miles above the catch and release area which consisted of a 15 inch cutthroat (not that big but I was exited as it has been probably 2 years since I have caught a cutthroat in the White), numerous 14-17 inch rainbows, a brown that measured at 20 inches, and a fish that was never seen but had no trouble peeling line off my reel...I fished this area differently than I have ever fished on the White, cranking a Rat-L-Trap in what we call an Arkansas shiner color. I also ripped a rainbow color Rapala X-Rap and had good luck with it. We spent the majority of the day floating this stretch of water again and again with it consistently producing good fun size fish.

At around 3:00 we loaded back up and headed back to the dam. We got on the water again at about 3:45 to 4:00 and finished up fishing 3/32 oz black jigs in "The Triangle" at the dam and caught a good number more fish which included an 18 inch rainbow that was a great football fish and probably weighed upwards of 2.5 - 3 lbs...Overall, saturday produced roughly 40 fish.

Sunday was another story...Another cold morning and I was bound and determined to get a big big fish...We drove to Rim Shoals and put in, motored about a mile up stream and began fishing jerkbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and I was fishing an 8 inch deep running countdown Rapala. We caught very few fish in the 7 units that were coming through...We floated on down to the stretch of river across from Crooked Creek and fished there a while as well...We had to pull out about 11:00 am and head back to Fayettnam...Sunday was much slower with only 14 fish in the boat by the time we pulled off the water.

I included a pic of the weekends big brown...we wanted something bigger but are not disappointed.

[cotterboy2007]

what size rat L trap and xrap? I have had a little bit of a slow start on jerkbaits so far. I just never seem to catch the right water. either too little or too much. Sounds like we will be getting mostly low water for awhile.

[Mikey]

Cotterboy,

My family and I are planning to camp at Bull Shoals next week. It is imy 3rd time there and my wife and kids' first. I've been watching the water and had felt it would be really high...what info did you get about the water levels coming down? Just curious...

Mikey

[Clay Goforth]

I threw both the XR08 (just over 3 inches) and the 10 which is 4 inches with minimal difference in the catch...The Rat L Trap was an 8 as well...

Mikey, I can give you two phone numbers:

1. Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams Generation Report: 870.431.5311 This number gives you information on current lake levels and generation...It also tells you when more units were added, when they were shut off, and how long they have been running units...This is probably the number you will use most often.

2.Generation Schedule from the Southwest Power Association: 9185956779 This number calls Tulsa but gives information on all of the hydropower facilities in the area...They are rarely correct in the number of units they say will be online and the times at which they will turn them on, this is more helpful in finding out if they are going to run any water at all...

[snagged in outlet 3]

Good info Clay but one thing he should be aware of is that the dam number is often wrong and not updated. The weekend of Feb 23-25 we camped at Quarry with 2 units running and the dam line said 0 units. It didn't update for 2 hours. I think the beginning of the message says "don't use this to predict safe water conditions"

SIO3

[Don Allenbaugh]

Two things> 1-they are supposed to generate 6-8 around the clock until the 18th of March. This is according to info I got yesterday from the AGFC who had talked to the corps as they have a job in progress at Norfork.

2-Clay, the brown you are holding is one of several that are in that hole. The hole is in my back yard. I live in the cedar house that is right beside my ramp, and right where you took your picture. I had a 10 lb brown that lived in that hole for about 2 years along with 2 5 lb largemouths (unbelievable) but they left this past winter.

[Phil Lilley]

Don- have you heard anything about the Corp shutting down Bull Shoals Dam and holding the water in Bull Shoals? I know they do this every year- something to do with farmers in the lower delta.

BS is already up 6 feet over power pool and rising. They've shut down 2 of 4 units at Table Rock this morning.

[Clay Goforth]

Snagged you are completely right about the dam generation number not being updated...They did a good job this weekend because we called a number of times to test it out but I too have had the frustration of them saying there is nothing on line only to drive to the dam and see the water pouring through...Don, you don't happen to be the gentleman that my buddy and I yelled back and forth to from the water on Saturday and Sunday are you??? Is your ramp a grass ramp? Anyway, we caught a number of good fish in that long stretch of deep relatively slow moving water...That is where I hooked a fish I believe to be larger than the one in the picture as it peeled a good amount of line off before the hook pulled loose. If you ever fish the area at Buffalo City, my family owns the cabin that is the old buffalo city store on the left before you cross the railroad tracks...Anytime we are there, feel free to stop in.

I also was fortunate enough to meet Mr. John Berry in the flesh this weekend while at Rim Shoals...genuinely nice guy.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I didn't want to step on any toes or seem like a know it all, but when I see a guy planning a first trip and he mentions his family, I think a word about safety is paramount.

SIO3

[patfish]

Well why didn't you offer some SIO3?