1St Roadtrip To Bull Shoals

[GBpackerfan]

Hello from Wichita!

My buddy is coming from central Wisconsin and I'm driving from Wichita, KS for our first ever AK/MO largemouth bass fishing trip. This is a big deal for us! By the way, we're both catch-n-release.

Anyway, I'm going to highlight a few points about the trip we're planning, and if anyone wants to chime in and offer a little advice, I'd really appreciate it.

• Planning on 3rd week in April. Hoping this timeframe gives us some good action?
  
• First 2 days at Bull Shoals (Upper is the better half for largemouth bass, right?)
  
• Going to tent it at the Bull Shoals White River State Park
  
• Next 2 days at Stockton Lake (tenting it at Stockton State Park)
  
• Next 2 days at Truman Reservoir (tenting it at Harry Truman State Park)
  
• Will we need both a MO and AK fishing license, or if we buy a MO, is there like a cheap boundary/intra-state option?
  
• Anything else we need to be aware of?
  

Thanks in advance!

[duckydoty]

Looks like you'll need the Mo fishing license along with the White River lakes license to cover your fishing in Bull Shoals in AR

[Dutch]

If you are going to be fishing the UPPER BULL SHOALS then I'd think you'd be looking for some camping a lot closer to the upper part than down by the dam.

You should be able to buy day permits to fish both in AR and MO. As far as your time frame goes, you guys must be a lot better at the game than I am. Even living relatively close to all those ponds I sometimes need a couple of days to get a pattern and I can rarely find the same one from one lake to the other.

From my perspective I'd add a day at Bull and Stockton and skip Truman or substitute Pomme de Terre for Truman.

[Phil Lilley]

Fishing license - you'll have to buy out of state license for both... only Ark and Mo residence can purchase the border lake permit.

I would think Lower BS would be better for largemouth and that's where you're camping. If they're running water through the system in the spring, then the water on the upper lake is too cold for bass. Good walleye and white bass action though.

[shaker]

Ha! For my money I would skip everything BUT Truman and concentrate on it!

But all kidding aside since you are going to camp and will be mobile I would watch the weather and lake levels and then decide where the best options would be. All of these lakes can be great if you can catch the right conditions for the fishing style that you like.

If you are going to be fishing the UPPER BULL SHOALS then I'd think you'd be looking for some camping a lot closer to the upper part than down by the dam.

You should be able to buy day permits to fish both in AR and MO. As far as your time frame goes, you guys must be a lot better at the game than I am. Even living relatively close to all those ponds I sometimes need a couple of days to get a pattern and I can rarely find the same one from one lake to the other.

From my perspective I'd add a day at Bull and Stockton and skip Truman or substitute Pomme de Terre for Truman.

[Mike Worley]

The thrid week in April last year Bull Shoals had a 30' rise in 3 days. Trying to learn & fish 3 lakes in 1 week is a awfully tough schedule. I have fished all 3 of the lakes you mentioned and they are all 3 different types of lakes not to mention the required travel time to get to each one. I would suggest you watch for the weather trends in the days before your trip and plan to cut back to 1 or 2 of the lakes and try to relax and have some fun rather than stress yourselves out on your vaction. If we don't get a huge rise in water level on Bull Shoals this April the lower end of the lake should have great bass & walleye fishing and you could fish every day and not see it all. If the White river drainage is hit by heavy rainfall & flooding I would opt for Stockton. BTW White River campground is below the Bull Shoals Dam and if you want to fish the upper or middle sections of Bull Shoals you might want to check out the campgrounds at HWY 125 park (Peel) or Leadhill Park (Diamond City) or Buck Creek Park or Tucker Hollow Park (Lead Hill) all have great accomadations for campers.

[Cajunangler]

FYI I didn't look at the specific dates you are planning your visit BUT there is a small tourny put on by BASS Elite during the days of April 19-22nd at BS. I know that week fell into the days we were planning a trip there and since we like to fish and not be spectators we opted for different dates. I know they can't catch every fish in the lake (unless they are throwing A-rigs!!) but we still prefer less competition when we are out fishing for fun. Good Luck.

[Mr Cub]

I live in Nebraska and a group of my friends and I come down to BS every year around that time. The lake levels do play into the fishing patterns a lot, but we are there to relax and if we catch a few great. We normally have pretty good success. We stay near the hwy 125 ferry and fish mostly buck creek and a couple other points around there. We usually go across the lake and wade the white one day if the water levels are agreeable many of us think this is the highlight of the trip. Regardless the entire area is just a pleasure to visit very pretty and not at all like farm ponds around where we are located. Maybe we will run into some of ya around the 22nd. We are staying a week this year. I will be looking for some reports when it gets closer.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Why would you pass on the Rock? If it were me it would be TR, Truman and LOZ. These are probably the three best bass lakes in the state for visitors.

[clf989s]

#1 - Table Rock

#2 - LOZ

#3 - Stockton