Advice Needed For Trip Please!

[Hunter53]

Wife and I are planning a trip to Bull this spring. I was thinking about the first week of May? If it would be better to come earlier or later that would be fine. What is you all's thoughts on when the most consistent fishing would be? Getting into some smallies would be a big bonus if that changes anything on when to come.

We may want to hire a guide for the first day to kind of point us in the right direction so any recommendations on a guide would be great as well.

Any information on resort type places that allow dogs would be fantastic!!??

Anything else we should know before coming?

Thanks for any help!!!

[Dutch]

So are you going to go on two trips or are you planning on covering the whole lake?

[Ham]

May should be great. The weather is usually very nice. Spawn should be over and the fish should be eating like crazy. My limited experience has been I can catch em good thriu June. I usually start creek fishing pretty hard after that.

Panfish, bass, and walleye should all be feeding up.

I can't help on dog friendly lodging, but you should be able to find it.

[Hunter53]

Dutch; I asked in both sections of Bull Shoals to get as much advice as I could. Up here we don't have big lakes so making a long run in our boat is kind of fun when we get a chance. No matter where we stay we will end up running a lot of the lake just for fun unless we happen to hit some real consistently great fishing in one spot. LOL

Thanks Ham!!!

[Dutch]

I had seen your other post and was wondering as it is likely 70 miles from one end to the other. You should be able to find lodging around the middle of the lake like at Lead Hill. Then you could go up or down or fish one of the big creeks in that area. Like Ham stated in May everything should be feeding and pretty shallow.

[Ham]

If you like running your boat, bring EXTRA gasoline. When you get bored with one spot run to another.

You'll be able to see a few fishing reports, but people can be a little tight lipped. What do yiou plan on fishing for? How do you like to fish?

Bass should be crushing topwaters. White bass will be scattered, but will play with bass or crappie baits. Walleye should be eay for trolling long lined baits or bottom bouncers.

[rainbow]

Go in April for the white bass run. You can stay at Lilley's which is dog friendly and be on Taney in minutes or the ramp on Bull Shoals in about 20 minutes. Lilley's can give you some good guide recommendations. I did the white bass deal on bull last year and it was a blast. We also caught smallmouth and largemouth but the whites were really fun. We'll be doing that again in April and bringing the boat and the dog to Lilley's.

[Hunter53]

Thanks again guys!!

Ham: I should have mentioned that we will be bass fishing and will be all catch and release. Smallies would be fantastic as it is mostly largemouth up here.

Rainbow: That sounds like fun but we really want to focus on bass and there are a ton of whites up this way.

[SgtChuck64]

I stay at Fish Un Time in Oakland. Pet friendly, 8 bucks extra a night.Smallmouths on crayfish colored hot n tots wherever there is chunk rock. Good idea to hire a guide if its your first time there. I usually go on the full moon in May but this year Im going a week later. I fell in love with this lake a few years ago and plan on retiring there in a couple years. Good luck and let us know how you do.

[Hunter53]

We love the area also and would love to move there as well. My wife is a doc and we have been looking for her a job in the Bull/Table Rock area.