Pond to the East- Bull Shoals 10/18-10/22

[Sprint21fter]

Well for this shallow bank beater TR has been tough, had a state tournament last weekend on bullshoals and found some willing to bite. The shallower the better. Once I found what rock to fish it was on! The fish were gorging on craws before the tournament. Plopper and cranks did the damage. Finished 15th but needed a  top 10 to advance to the regional. Our club won the team event with the help of Fisherman and others we had a good time.

[Sprint21fter]

[Champ188]

Congrats on the team win. Looks like you guys had a big time. Goes to show that there are always some fish shallow. Just takes a bit of tinkering to figure out how to catch em.

[Sprint21fter]

Yes Sir! Thanks.

[merc1997 Bo]

great job.  I have heard of some nice catches in the k dock area really shallow.  lipless seems to be working in that area.

bo

[Sprint21fter]

Its Lake wide over there as far as nice catches go.  In practice, I fished 3 sections of the lake catching 12-17lb limits.  Granted during practice we had high winds to position the fish and it was a blast.  I put all my eggs into the shallow game and I knew it was going to change during the tournament, but really the fish never moved they changed how they bit the bait.  Instead of eating the plopper and crankbait they would slap or knock the bait.  Was catching them outside of the mouth instead of inside.  

[Royal Blue]

I've been catching keeps on that lake for a month.  Always super shallow near bushes but you have to have wind.  Not many on a crankbait yet.  Most on War Eagle spinnerbait.  Water clarity determined color.  In super clear water, I'd throw a mouse or green pumpkin color.  White and purple in stained.  We also figured out that almost all of them have been caught when we have a Keitech and a trailer hook.  If you bounce it off of a branch of a bush, hang on.

[Sprint21fter]

Hang On! is corrrect.  They would absolutely try to steal your junk in a heart beat.  The first day leader of the tournament caught his fish on a blade.  Anytime I catch fish like this and put them in the live well or look down their mouth they are always eating crawdads.  There was some small needle fish present and some bream but no big gizzards or threadfiins.  They haven't made there big migration yet weather needs to cool more.  

[Champ188]

Not sure what has drawn them but there's been a shallow bite throughout the White River chain all year ... even thru what few "dog days" we had. Sprint and Royal both nailed it by pointing out that weather conditions need to be favorable (wind, passing frontal system, etc.) for them to bite beyond just slapping at the lure, but some good sacks have been caught on the right days.

I'm a firm believer that there are always some fish shallow, but this year there has seemed to be more.

[Sprint21fter]

My theory on why there has been more up shallow this year was due to the flood we had in late December causing a lot of colored water lake wide causing the fish to move shallow in the winter. Any bank during this time that had sun hitting it all day you would catch fish off of it with a jig, ned rig, crankbait or spinnerbait. I think they were there mainly to warm in the sun but also I saw gizzard shad running around these banks also. Craws were there two.  The bait was up all winter and spring until they finally pulled the lake way down a couple of months ago.  That's my 2 cents.