Bull Shoals Fishing Report / 10/6/10

[Mike Worley]

Water surface temperatures are falling with the cooler fall weather. Water surface temperature was 70 early Tuesday morning warming up to 74 by afternoon. I could see the starting signs of turnover at different places on the lake. Turnover starts at about 72 degrees and the larger Shad are moving back into the larger creeks. Walleye are still biting on the points about 35' deep on spinner rigs, gold & chartreuse seem to be the best colors. Some really nice size Bass are biting on Shad type crank baits fished 30'-40' on lead core as well as Walleyes & Crappies. Be sure to keep a jigging spoon handy you can really catch lots of fish on or near points that drop off to the main creek channel in 40'-70' of water. 4" grubs on 1/8 oz. jig heads will catch them when they are blowing up on the surface. Best bite is mid-day to late afternoon when water temp is rising, the schools of fish are following the Shad so watching your sonar unit with these two baits handy can really pay off with a mixed bag of fish. The larger shad 3"-4" move into the creeks to spawn & die this time of year and these seem to be the ones that gamefish are feeding on best. The smaller Shad are on the main lake and can be seen in large numbers surfacing in the late afternoon.

[raise the motor]

Mike I appreciate your reports of location and methods. Thanks.

We had good results from long lining crawlers in June in around 30ft of water. In September the same approach did not work. I gather from your reports that many of the fish had moved to a suspended position above timber in deep water. We saw lots of fish out in deep water but had no idea if any were walleye. What do you look for on the graph, or is a matter of knowing where they have moved in the past? I know walleye can be distinguished in shallower water by the way the lay right on the bottom. What do you look for in deeper water?

When you troll along main lake point ends and coves do you follow the bottom contour or pull the baits down along the ledges? I read a recent report that indicated many bites come from BB rigs falling over ledges.

Thanks

[Mike Worley]

The Walleyes in Bull Shoals tend to move off the bank and suspend in deeper water for a number of reasons such as falling lake levels, water temperature, shad movement and water clarity. When I mark fish suspended out over deep water in Bull Shoals that have a nice clean arc on the fishfinder I generally assume they are Walleyes. I have used my LCX's enough to have a pretty good idea as to what species of fish I am looking at. When you mark fish that are right on the bottom you are looking at inactive walleyes that are probably not biting, keep looking until you mark fish that are about 2' off the bottom. Keeper size walleyes are pretty large sonar targets that generally print a nice clean arc remember that a keeper walleye is at least 18" long and has a very streamlined body shape and air bladder than any other fish you will mark. Other species of fish are going to be shorter and thicker with a wider and shorter air bladder than a walleye which will mark differently on your electronics. When I am pulling bottom bouncers along a point I try to follow the depth contour that I am fishing which puts the bait parallel to the ledges and would have it longer in contact with fish that are near that structure. I have caught many walleyes as the boat has turned away from the bank to make a pass at or move to the next point, I think that is when a walleye is following your bait and it makes a move that the fish thinks is trying to escape and it triggers a response of attack. Thats is why it's a good idea to work your bait with the rod when you have marked a fish that you think is a walleye.

[Martin]

Mike, I talked to a nice couple yesterday that booked a trip with you recently. To say they were happy would be an understatement. They were extremely pleased with how the day went and how the fishing went. Nice mixed bag it sounded like. They were particularly excited about spooning up some fish....

Thought I'd pass that along.

Good work man !

m