5/22/19 Fishing Report

[Ham]

I continue to bang my head against the wall that is Bull Shoals at 680. I’m pretty frustrated, but part of that may be my unreasonable expectation to catch 50 or more every Spring trip on Bull. 

I used the High Water ramp in Diamond City. The ramp is beautiful. Launching and loading there by yourself is a little sketchy TBH. 

My furry alarm failed to wake me at her usual 4:15 AM so I was late out the gate. I doubt it would have mattered, but I was aggravated. 

I tried to find a Shad spawn along docks and bluffs for the first hour. I got one tiny Spotted Bass on my first flip, but that was the only bite. 

I headed way my up a cove off of West Sugarloaf. I found big groups of threadfin Shad milling about and nothing was feeding on them. Bad Sign. I worked a variety of top water stuff over 5-15 FOW water. Zero. Tried a wacky rigged stick bait. Nada. 

Trird a bluff from 5-20 FOW with Ned, Tube, swimbait, and plopper. Nope. Nada. Zero bites. 

I tried a small main lake cut. It had a steeper side and a flatter side. Flooded brush on both sides. Wind had picked up so I went far enough in to get a little wind break. 

Started pitching a pegged weigh Texas rigged Baby Brush Hog. Almost immediately so got my best bass of the day. A 19 1/4 inch LMB. She cut up. 

I had flipped to the outside of the last bush I could see under the water. I tried a few other things w/o a bite before moving the boat much.  Got the BBH going again and almost immediately got a chucky short. A few flips later got another keeper. Then another short. Then another keeper. Then another short. I’m loving life about right now. 

A gentleman in a Champion 198 was working the flatter stuff. I hit the end of the my side and visited with him a bit as I went out to re-tie and regroup a little further out from where I started. 

He was prefishing for this coming weekend and moved on to try other areas. I reworked my steeper stuff and got a couple more shorts. Then things got dumb. I caught a keeper walleye on my 3rd cast with a larger swimbait. It never got another look all day. 

So now I keeping fish to go along with the walleye. Somebody must have told the bass and they quit biting. I caught another small spot in a SB and got a nice keeper Spot flipping on the flat side , but that was all. 

No worries. I have a pattern. I’ll go fish similar stuff in the same way and get me some more keepers. I fished similar stuff for the next five hours to catch three fish none of which kept. 

I lost a nice keeper spot on a small swimbait, but it’s hard to clean a fish that jumps off. 

Water was beautiful. Not as gin clear as down lake. I had wind and at times clouds. I also had 20 plus foot of extra water. I fished a lot of great options with not much to show for it. 

I did see a few bluegill, but I left them alone. I picked on some Longnosed Gar. I got a BIG one to the boat, but then what do you do with a 4 foot Gar? She eventually got annoyed and went crazy boatside. No pic of Gar. 

Seaguar AbrazX  17 lb is tough stuff. Several fish took me into brush. No issues what so ever. Line didn’t even scuff. 

High water has lots of big wood floaters on the main lake. Slow down and stay alert. 

Lots of plastic trash floating. I feel like OA guys care more than the average Joe.So Please Pick up garbage when you can.  I got a small pile out . Pro Tip: Bring a net to scoop up trash easier and quicker. I wish I had done that. 

Soon maybe I can fish a top water bite. I’ll try again in a few days. 

[Ham]

My walleye. 

[Ham]

My fished out trash. 

[Johnsfolly]

Congrats buddy on the fish you did catch. For that size gar you may need to get one of those gator gar lassos. Musky cradle may just complicate things and i don't think you could use one effectively solo. Also I would be concerned about whether a gar would get its teeth hung in the cradle. That would be a mess.

[Ham]

Well, since I catch less than 5 Gar a year, I don’t NEED to change a thing. 

[Fish24/7]

 Nice job Ham👍

Got any big worms??   I've had 3 rods rigged with a big worm all month.  A yum mighty weightless tx rig. A big c mac with a 3/16 slip sinker tx rig,  and another c mac weightless tx rig.   I'm thinking  in that stained water and all the cover the large profile worm is easily visible and looks likes a baby 🐍  that's been flooded  out of his hiding spot . All the 🐍 I've seen lately on the water are about the same length and diameter as my worms. All depends  on the wind ,clarity, and depth which worm gets bit the most.  

If you can find a sudden sharp  depth change on flats you'll find bass there. Doesn't  have to be deep but just a quick depth change.

Water color looked good where you fished!

Try a ditch ,or a steeper bank that transitions  to a flatter bank,a flooded small cut /pocket like where you caught some flipping.   Deeper water close by has been a key deal for me.   Bill Dance fishing show yesterday was a great example!

Those debris mats are worth a few flips ,and a 🐸  too! Especially  when it's sunny .theres baby gills and bass fry schooled up under those mats right now. 

If only more people  would pick up trash.  I've never seen so many one dollar mini liquor bottles floating around😡 and honey flavor seems to be the most liked

Every time I go I get a small grocery bag full of people's crap. I even put a trash can tied to a tree by the road and people don't use it. 10' away there was a fire pit full of beer cans and bottles,smh

[Ham]

I’ve got big worms, but I haven’t used them in years. Looks like I should. 

[Fish24/7]

Same deal with me.   Just wasn't ever much of a worm fisherman until one day this year I decided I needed to be. I think I bought the big ones because they were on clearance or something 😄 

have an old 2 sided fenwick tackle box with gator tails, kangaroo worms, jelly worms,culprits  and cremes I've had for 30 sum years . There's even some older worms in there too but have no idea what they are. 

[Fishrman]

Fished last 3 days out of tucker shed we caught more than I can count.   Spinnerbaits and swim jigs in long coves and flats.   Nothing over 3.5.  But caught so many it was nuts.   First time I've fished Bull that high.  Wish I could have stayed another 3 days.   Simply great fishing.   You do have to be careful running with all the floaters.

[Ham]

Seriously jealous. I’m glad you caught em, and mad as Hell I didn’t. I know what’s possible. It just isn’t happening for me.