1/18 Spring Creek To Theodosia

[Bluff-Bassin]

Fished with the wifey for about 4 hours. Mixed it up between grub, a-rig, and jerkbait. Only caught two LM off a small bluff point over about 25fow with the Jerkbait. Both were keepers bigger one about 3 pounds. Really had to work the bait slow. Water temps between 45-46, clarity around 15feet.

[Fish24/7]

thanks for the post

water is warmer this week I see

[mixermarkb]

Warmer water is a good sign- hopefully we don't get super cold again!

[Ham]

I'm supper excited for fishing in 2015, but I don't dare dream that this warmish week is anything other than a brief timeout from winter. We will have a ton of cold weather ahead. All I hope is that we don't yo yo back in forth from warm to cold in April and beyond. Slow steady warm up in April would be AWESOME.

[Fish24/7]

I'm looking forward to some more water, 660's in the brush

[Diamond City Fisher]

Yes, More Water!

[mojorig]

2015, 2016, maybe 2017 should be great, if the weather is stable!!! Enjoy them while you can.

[Bluff-Bassin]

2015, 2016, maybe 2017 should be great, if the weather is stable!!! Enjoy them while you can.

Is that referring to above average recruitment the last few years? If so I'm guessing by your post it could be on the downward trend after that?

[Ham]

You could always hope for another high water year and above average recruitment before this good thing runs out.

[mojorig]

Yes, currently we are benefiting greatly from the 2011 high water year. Most of the 14-16 inch largemouth bass being caught now were from the large 2011 year-class. Once they starting leaving the system over the next few years due to natural and fishing related reasons, the number of keeper size bass will not be as high as the next few years.

Ham is absolutely correct!! Hopefully, we will have another high water year in the next couple of years and this will be a mute point.

Again, the bass populations in Bull Shoals and Norfork are driven by high water event. The high water event are like a baby boom in humans.

I have attached our length frequency for largemouth bass from our 2014 Bull Shoals Lake samples. You can see the large 2011 year class at 13 -15 inches.