Wonderful Fishery

[stone9-7=2]

I don't even mess with upper Bull anymore. Lower Bull is the place for me. I gladly share my info most of the time.

If people want too share i see nothing wrong with it. Like a few have said it's a big big big lake. Plenty of room for everybody. Just my 2 cents worth.

Try lower bull there are lots of great fishing spots all over & i believe lower has just as good if not better fishing than upper.

[Jeremy Rasnick]

"I know, for the most part we all keep our yapps shut about Bull Shoals, but I believe this may be a breakthrough year for the lake. We may see some of that old 60's type of stuff, and it has been a long time coming. Us old hardback locals should not be bitter, and share this wonderful old fishery with some new blood. Help our local marina's and bring BS, back to the prominence it once held, as one of the best fisheries in the US."

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Bill, first off I've really enjoyed your posts here for years. I appreciate all the information, and your efforts to improve everyone's fishing experience around here.

Also, I'm real glad to hear about the new owners of K Dock Marina. I didn't know about them, and I've avoided that business since the day a couple of years ago when I ended up offering to throw the owner off his own dock. I hated to get upset like that. I go fishing to relax, not to fight with someone - but the way he was cussin' at me, I think anyone here would have responded the same way. I'll be sure to go by and spend some money with the new folks now.

Upper Bull Shoals is my stomping grounds - I know about every foot of it from Powersite Dam to Horseshoe Bend. I sure missed fishing it in 2008, but there's not much you can do when the water's 40 feet high and the fish are out in the woods. I figure 2008 gave the fish a good break from fishing pressure, let them grow bigger, and let a lot of little ones get hatched out and survive - so I WAS really looking forward to Spring, 2009 there. Well, I still am.

But dang it Bill - 534 people have read your report at this point, and you said there were 47 rigs parked at K Dock in January. I knew what was going on down there, from friends, before you posted it - but how many more people have those 534 told by now, and your post will stay up from now on and it'll be read for months to come.

Maybe we oughta all chip in and rent a billboard on 65 in Branson with a big arrow pointing at K Dock and a full fishing report? Giant pictures of productive lures could be included, in case folks can't figure it out for themselves.

I understand your point of view and I'm sorry we disagree on this - but I sure wish you hadn't done it. Folks like me have spent thousands of hours and a bunch of money getting to know that stretch of water, and now I just hope I can find a parking place and that there'll be some fish left for me to catch, too.

Things like this make me think that, unlike the way I've done in the past - when I find some good fishing somewhere, I better keep real, real quiet about it or it'll get ruined.

Rest assured, if you would have been out there today, and maybe you were, there were only 4 other boats @ noon, you would have found a parking place. I would have recommended being down their today. It was a great day out on the water. Keep in mind Sam, of the 543 views, i account for about 20 of them, I like seeing each new post. It was a great day to be fishing today and a really bad day to be a white bass, they ended the day with a bad case of sore lips. I never thought the day would come that I would leave biting white bass to try to catch something else. These were really nice ones today.

[Phil Lilley]

Come on Jeremy... give us some details. I know it was a white slider. Did you limit? Were they on the channel drop offs? How deep?

[cotterboy2007]

"I know, for the most part we all keep our yapps shut about Bull Shoals, but I believe this may be a breakthrough year for the lake. We may see some of that old 60's type of stuff, and it has been a long time coming. Us old hardback locals should not be bitter, and share this wonderful old fishery with some new blood. Help our local marina's and bring BS, back to the prominence it once held, as one of the best fisheries in the US."

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Bill, first off I've really enjoyed your posts here for years. I appreciate all the information, and your efforts to improve everyone's fishing experience around here.

Also, I'm real glad to hear about the new owners of K Dock Marina. I didn't know about them, and I've avoided that business since the day a couple of years ago when I ended up offering to throw the owner off his own dock. I hated to get upset like that. I go fishing to relax, not to fight with someone - but the way he was cussin' at me, I think anyone here would have responded the same way. I'll be sure to go by and spend some money with the new folks now.

Upper Bull Shoals is my stomping grounds - I know about every foot of it from Powersite Dam to Horseshoe Bend. I sure missed fishing it in 2008, but there's not much you can do when the water's 40 feet high and the fish are out in the woods. I figure 2008 gave the fish a good break from fishing pressure, let them grow bigger, and let a lot of little ones get hatched out and survive - so I WAS really looking forward to Spring, 2009 there. Well, I still am.

But dang it Bill - 534 people have read your report at this point, and you said there were 47 rigs parked at K Dock in January. I knew what was going on down there, from friends, before you posted it - but how many more people have those 534 told by now, and your post will stay up from now on and it'll be read for months to come.

Maybe we oughta all chip in and rent a billboard on 65 in Branson with a big arrow pointing at K Dock and a full fishing report? Giant pictures of productive lures could be included, in case folks can't figure it out for themselves.

I understand your point of view and I'm sorry we disagree on this - but I sure wish you hadn't done it. Folks like me have spent thousands of hours and a bunch of money getting to know that stretch of water, and now I just hope I can find a parking place and that there'll be some fish left for me to catch, too.

Things like this make me think that, unlike the way I've done in the past - when I find some good fishing somewhere, I better keep real, real quiet about it or it'll get ruined.

Are you serious? First off, I have viewed this thread at least ten times myself, and I know numerous others have multiple views as well. Secondly, I know that upper end pretty good myself, and I believe there is plenty of room for everyone. I have had some record days and some zero days up there. Don't you know that 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish. Maybe your not in that 10% or something, but I for one appreciate Bill's reports and look forward to them. They are insightful and generally only offer a small part of the total picture, and I gurantee 90% of people reading this will never be able to put it together for more than one or two trips per year. What is that going to hurt on that big pond? The walleye are basically put & take anyway. I probably have 30 banks I know in that area, and when people beat me there, I explore new territory and actually try to learn a few new spots. I think we should all try to help one another as much as possible to make this sport more enjoyable for the next guy because the facts are we are losing numbers every day and posts like yours and frankly that selfish attitude are what turn people off to hunting & fishing. Bill & Lilley, keep up the good work. Sorry for ranting on you Sam, but C'mon

[stone9-7=2]

While i may not agree with Sam, he has a rt to say what is on mind. That's what makes this a great site. We can all agree to disagree!!!!

[Ham]

Sharing information is great. I went, I had this weather, these patterns worked or I tried this and it didn't work, WATER TEMP, interesting odds and ends.

I object to specific areas or locations. I feel those can bring to much pressure to bear on specific places.

Theodosia Arm of Bull Shoals is vague enough. Those Big Rocks on the main lake point right outside of Pnotiac is too specific IMO.

When I work something out by myself through trial and error , I HATE to see that information vomited up for everyone else's consumption. You get lots oof company on "your" fish.

[bigredbirdfan]

Thanks for the report Bill. We all aren't professionals and appreciate any extra help so we can take a 10 year old and an 8 year old out and catch some fish. As I write 100 or so of us dads are stampeding down there right now.

[Sam]

Sharing information is great. I went, I had this weather, these patterns worked or I tried this and it didn't work, WATER TEMP, interesting odds and ends.

I object to specific areas or locations. I feel those can bring to much pressure to bear on specific places.

Theodosia Arm of Bull Shoals is vague enough. Those Big Rocks on the main lake point right outside of Pnotiac is too specific IMO.

When I work something out by myself through trial and error , I HATE to see that information vomited up for everyone else's consumption. You get lots oof company on "your" fish.

Now, I agree with that 100%. I don't post here too often, but when I've had a good trip and have info to share I've posted it up here, many times. I think maybe I've helped some, that way.

And I agree that fishing info posted shouldn't be TOO specific. You'll never see me post "look for the big triangle shaped rock on the north bank of the point at Mincy Creek and throw to the brushpile about 30 feet out from the bank in 14 feet of water. It's full of crappie." Obviously, a report like that would get those crappie fished out in short order. I'd tell folks, though, that I'm finding crappie on brushpiles in 14 feet in the Mincy/Yocum/Bee Creek area - nothing wrong with that.

But I think there's another kind of report that can be real damaging. To get on here and post about how a quiet fishery is now back to the glory days of the '60s, assuming its place again as a world-class hotspot, In-Fisherman Magazine article, etc.! C'mon - Bull Shoals had ONE high-water year, finally, and a bunch of fish that normally would have got caught last year are still swimming. If the water level stays fairly normal in 2009, it oughta be a good season because of that, after quite a few tough years in a row. That's something to look forward to.

It's a fine line, and if guys want to get sore at me for pointing it out - go ahead. I'm sure not sore at anybody - just asking that we remember this Internet goes everywhere and if there's too much cheerleading a whole, whole bunch of out-of-area and out-of-state fishermen can quickly crowd-out and fish-out a good situation that's TEMPORARY in nature.

Let's enjoy this fishing with friends and family, but maybe not rent the Goodyear blimp to advertise it - please.

[Whack'emGood]

I personally think Bull Shoals, Table Rock, and Stockton are terrible fisheries... You can't ever get bit, no matter when you fish or what you're fishing with!!! Terrible, terrible, terrible fisheries!!! I wouldn't recommend them to anyone!

[Bill Babler]

Gentlemen, I respect everyone's opinion here. I think I have fished Bull, as long as most, not as long as some, but since 1972 on a pretty regular basis.

When its slow, I fish elsewhere. When its going, I will fish it regularlly. Usually late Winter into Early Summer, and not even on a weekly basis, but just when I can get over there. About a 25 minute drive from the house. For the most part, Table Rock is just a better lake. Not for diversity, but for catching and releasing a sheer number of fish. ie the big three bass species. When I like to have a fish fry, and I mean fresh, I'm not into freezing limits of fish, for later consumption. Just what I want to eat fresh, I usually go over to Bull Shoals, or fish Taney for Trout. I only need a couple to make the wife happy.

Bull Shoals never has nor in our lifetime ever will get the traffic of the Rock. Just not going to happen. To far off the beaten path, to few ramps, to few services, to little lodging, and for the most part, no information. The KC Star is craving info on Bull. Both Buck Creek and 125 have nothing. Yes they are down, and maybe have not turned on as quickly as we do, but when they give info, it is just an advertisment, and not true patterns,or how to catch a stinkin fish.

I respect those of you that fish Bull, and only Bull. You are true diehards and love the area. The way Bull Shoals fishes, numbers of people should not be a problem for locals, that fish it on either a daily or weekly basis. 99.9 percent of the fish I catch on Table Rock or Bull Shoals are not within a Rocket Shot of the bank. People other than us, just don't fish that way. Humps, Channel Swings, Long flat Roll-offs with a tree or two on them, deep trees out from the bank are just not the way outsiders fish.

They can troll, they can cast the bank and if they see it, they can fish a brushpile. If you are a local, and you fish like this, there is a entire nother world on Bull Shoals and Table Rock. I know for a fact this is not how you fish. Outsiders should not be a problem.

I just flat hate it when I get a call telling me that I came to either Bull Shoals or Table Rock with the family last year, and we didn't catch anything. Can you please guide us to some fish. It's a shame that our lakes have to be like that. I want people to want to go with me, not have to go to just catch a fish or two.

With the carry over of legal fish and the great spawn, the lakes should be ready to do well for the forseeable future. Lets share what we have. Not by telling someone the exact rock to cast by, but by telling them the kind of rocks they may be on. Not by a GPS location, but by a condition or a lake wide area that holds fish.

The major question I get during a guide trip is why? People ask how do you know this or that, and why are the fish here instead of there. That is what we would love to convey on this forum, with out giving up exact locations, and numbers on those locations.

90 percent of the fish are in 10 percent of the water. 10 percent of the fishermen, catch 90 percent of the fish. The reason being is the 10 percent know where to look at the right time. In other words, 90 percent of these folks are not going to get in your way.

Our guests to the area, might even get the locations right from time to time, but if the staging or holding fish in the area, are not biting, they easily give up. I don't catch a bucket load ever trip, quite the opposite, but I know where to look and am confident they will bite from time to time.

I guide a little on Bull, but not often. I usually fish it for personal recreation. Bull can be to tough for everyday trips. Table Rock for the most part is a sure deal. In 15 years full time on the Rock, I have only skunked one time. and that was a July afternoon, 1 to 5, 4 hr. trip in 100 degree heat, with a couple of dudes that had way to much to drink. No excuse, I just didn't get-em, but not to bad of a record. If I were fishing Bull as much as the rock, I would have had lots of zeros to talk about.

The day there were 40 plus rigs at the ramp, I was fishing the Beaver Creek area, and we saw 8 boats all day, so the traffic was not to bad. I have very seldom ever seen anyone fishing anything I ever wanted to fish on upper bull. As a matter of fact, the only time ever, is either at the pothole or beaver creek. Never main lake fishing. On Table Rock, it is an everyday occurance. But, thank the Lord, I have lots of spots, and they won't be on them all.

This fourm will continue to give information about our area lakes and maybe help that 12 yr. old and his dad catch a couple for dinner, or make them tell folks," Yes, we went to Bull Shoals and my son and I made memories we will never forget." For most of us, thats how we got started. It should not end with us. The old fishing crowd just doen't come anymore. They have gotten old and there children have found other interest. What a shame. When ever I'm on Bull Shoals and see an eagle soaring or the magnificent timbered bluffs and vast open areas, I am always thinking. I hope someone comes to enjoy this, this is spectacular, what a gift we have.

I love this area, and am willing to share.