Lower Bull Shoals 12/27 Bass Report

[Fish24/7]

WT 44-46

The bass are packing on the pounds and are looking really healthy for next years spawn !

660.36 12/29/13

The lake had been rising from all the snow melt.

Started at 10 am. quit at 3

Best bite was from 12-2.

Faced with unfavorable weather conditions for fishing Bull Shoals

I always first go back to where I caught some last time.

Just to see if maybe they are still there..Not this time.

Rising water means moving fish so once again the hunt was on.

I have left the deep bite alone now and went shallower for bigger fish.

I found some bass schooled up shallow on steeper points at the mouths of spawning coves.

Inside those coves steep channel transition banks also held bass in 10-20fow.

Soft plastics worked along the bottom has been the deal for size and numbers the last two trips.

19 total ,10 were keepers, 5 were largemouth over 4 lbs., biggest was 4-8, all released,

The bite was way better than I had expected, but hey when you're hungry you're hungry !!

Bull Shoals winter fishing right now is as good as it gets imo !

[Ham]

I'm totally lost. I've caught them before this time of the year, but I've really struggled this year.

[Diamond City Fisher]

Thanks for the report....it is encouraging.

[Fish24/7]

Ham,

My electronics are my best friend right now!

What I've noticed the last 2 trips is there are some bass one step ahead of where they usually are w/ WT's in the 40's

The deep bite in the river and ck. channels suddenly stopped producing big fish.

Some are already visiting spawning areas on flats up the creeks but they don't stick around for very long.

Others are bunched up on pre spawn staging areas in coves already. Places where you'd typically catch them in mid-late Feb.

There are always several patterns working at any given time on Bull.

Remember this IS Bull Shoals, they could be anywhere come tomorrow right ?

[Tuffy]

Nice report. Thanks. I am with Ham. I have been really struggling this season. I have been fishing the lower Bull Shoals area for a couple years now. I usually do okay, not great. This past fall has been really slow for me. I guess I need a good lesson on how to read the electronics.

[Fish24/7]

Tuffy,

My graphs don't have high def imaging, gps maps or anything like that.

I still use the old paper maps and study them relentlessly with a magnifying glass when I'm at home.

Always have maps in the boat too.

You don't need a $700+ unit to catch these bottom feeding fish.

I've got an old Eagle dash mount and it's at least 20yo, shows them just fine.

I just watch for groups of fish on or near bottom features like flats,points, drop offs, ditches, transitions in bottom composition,ect ,.

just something irregular on the bottom.

I spend just as much time idling and looking as I do fishing most days.