Upper Bull 1/11 Report

[Fishin Hodge]

I fished upper Bull Saturday and ended up having a marginally good day. My trip to the ramp that morning was a scary one. Hwy 14 from Omaha all the way to Tucker Hollow was icey, and I was puckered for most of the trip. Water temps that I saw were 40-42 degrees and the breeze was blowing in the 10 to 15 range. An a-rig was the only bait that was needed as far as I could tell. I'm sure a stickbait in the hands of a more skilled angler could have caught them too, but I couldn't make it work. There were groups of fish on several points throughout the day and you could also get bit on some bluff banks. Don't know if it was just coincidence, but my better fish came on moderately flatter/gravel points, but I could catch more numbers on the bluff ends. I should point out my definition of better as well as I did not catch any fish over 2 1/2 pounds on the day. The majority of the bluff end/bluff fish were 12 to 14 inch blacks with an occasional 15 inch black or 13 inch KY; flatter banks were in the 2 - 2 1/2 range. 6 or 7 keepers on the day, but over 20 fish total. Supprisingly, I did not boat a walleye.

Had mechanical issues (Optimax Compressor) which made for a long day when my boat sat down on me, way up the lake. I was able to get to K-Dock, and hitch a boat ride from a good buddy back to Tucker Hollow. Drove up to K-Dock in my truck, walked about a mile to the dock, trolled to my truck, and right when I got the boat most of the way on the trailer with my trolling motor, it too quit working. Now that was almost bad. But all in all it was a good day.

[powerdive]

What goes around, comes around. Kudos to your buddy...may we all be so kind.

[Fishin Hodge]

I owe him.

[RSBreth]

Glad you got it back in and hauled home - sometimes it goes bad and does not end that way.

[Jay Barnes]

I just started fishing Bull Shoals and am curious if there are blue cats in the area between Powersite dam and K dock?

[Wayne SW/MO]

I have caught a couple incidentally below Powersite. I have no idea what the population is, but I see people jug fishing occasionaly, but again I have no idea if they're wishen or fishen.

[Fishin Hodge]

I'm no cat fishing expert but I've caught Lot more channels and flatheads. Im sure there is a fair population of blues, but i've not seen mamy off them. I can only think of one blue cat I've ever caught on Bull. It was over 20 pounds on a bluff across from Diamond City. When I hooked it it took off like a freight train. Awesome run.

Wish you well in your search for them on the upper river.

[Jay Barnes]

Thanks! I will let you all know if I run across any

[ericangler]

feel your pain with optimax mine has left me trolling back 3 of my last 5 trips last one cost me at least 2nd in the dec. 28 bassothon. one new lower unit later and it ran half a day and decided it wouldnt start, lucky me more $$$$.

[Sam]

I caught a 16 pound blue cat several years ago just downstream from the first bend below K Dock Marina, on the steep chunk-rock side near the bank in 20 F.O.W. I was trolling a Bandit II plug for walleyes, and catching a big catfish that way happens so rarely you can see I'm still writing about it several years later.

It was a good thing it stayed in open water, and I was able to chase it with the trolling motor. I only had ahold of that catfish with a medium spinning outfit and 8 lb. mono, and it took a good half hour and several hundred yards of chasing to get it in.