Fishing Report
08-29-10 The Lake has continued to drop and is now 1 foot below
normal at 652.90. We are supposed to get rain this next week and can
really use it. The forest is dry and burn bans are in effect now. The
river has been low in the mornings with high water in the afternoons.
Some generation has been all night. Same baits and flies are working.
The lake is starting to cool down with over 6 degree drop on the main
lake surface temps to 85 degrees. The best baits are nightcrawlers. Long
line trolling and bottom bouncers are working in 25 -35 feet of water.
The White lost a long time guide this week with the passing of White
River Slim his name was Robert Sleidel and was quite the character. GOD
Bless him and his family.
08-22-10 The lake is now .5 feet below power pool and is at
653.51 and still dropping. I have been at a sportshow most of the
weekend and only fished two days last week with one on the Lake and one
on the river. The lake is still fishing great with the same baits as
last week. The best baits on the river are also the same. Lots of bass
being caught by working plastics and jigs in the 15-30 foot range. I am
starting my fall run and will be fishing almost every day from now until
deer season and if not guiding will probably be out looking for fish for
the next trip. Sculpins are the best big bait on the river right now and
also big stickbaits. GOD Bless and good luck Hotdawg!!
08-15-10 The Lake is finally back to power pool!! Level is
654.12 as I write this. Chance of rain possible next week and we could
use some. The fishing on the river has been great with low levels of
water in the morning with high water in the afternoon. The best baits
are worms and shrimp with lots of flies working for the fly fisherman
scuds san-juan worms and caddis the best. The lake is in its summer mode
with most fish being caught at 25-35 feet down. Reef-runners and
nightcrawlers are the best baits with crawdads coming on strong. Also
spoons and soft plastics for the bass. God bless and see-ya on the water
Hotdawg!!
08-08-10 Wow!! Back HOT again!! And the Lake is dropping with
the level at 655.01 and falling. The corps is running water around the
clock with at least one unit or two all night then a quick rise up to
all eight generators running full max output. The bite has been
incredible for numbers when you stay ahead of the high water and drift
fish using shrimp,worms,and egg patterns. Sculpins are also working
well. The lake is fishing well with most fish being caught on
nightcrawlers and spoons with some soft plastics working for bass. They
are in the 25 -35 foot range with the major thermocline at 30 -35 feet.
Surface temps are in the 90 degree range. Some cooler temps are expected
this weekend and I am ready for that!! GOD Bless and good fishing
Hotdawg!!
08-01-10 Sorry I missed a week of reporting folks. The heat has
been brutal with extremely high humidity and temps.It hasn't slowed the
fishing on the river though with numerous fish being caught and browns
also. The best baits are worms, sculpins, and power eggs. Also shrimp is
hot for better rainbows. The corps is running water around the clock
with the lake level at 655.48. I also fished the lake with six different
species caught all on nightcrawlers both days and most fish in the 28-32
foot range. The surface temp is at 90 degrees and higher in the backs of
the creeks. Come on fall!! GOD Bless and make your reservation for this
fall and winter soon as I am getting booked up fast Good Luck Hotdawg!!
07-18-10 The lake has risen three more feet this week and stands
at 658.10 and should stabilize as they are running the water around the
clock. High temps are making it hard to fish in the afternoon with high
heat indexes. The river is the way to go with a half day fishing
preferred. The best baits are worms, shrimp, and sculpins. The best
flies are br-549, sulfers, and san-juan worms. The lake is fishing okay
for numbers with lots of short fish being caught. Bets baits are
nightcrawlers and soft-plastics. I am getting extremely booked up for
this fall so if you are planning a trip please call and make your
reservations early. GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
07-11-10 Wow what a crazy week for the water and the weather!!
Lots of low water then non stop eight generators then 2 units around the
clock today. The weather has been extremely warm with high humidity and
lots of locally heavy thunderstorms. We had 3 + inches of rain on Friday
and Saturday. The lake level is at 655.80 which is 2.80 feet above
normal for this time of year. The fish are biting extremely well on the
river with the browns biting sculpins and nightcrawlers. The best flies
are midges and san- juan worms. The lake has yielded another record
striper for Missouri 58 pounds and beats the old record by 2 pounds it
was caught on a big swim bait! The best live bait is still crawlers in
24-32 feet of water. Good luck and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
07-04-10 The lake has stabilized at 656.55 with little
generation during the day and 1-4 generators most of the late afternoon
and evening with it shut off by midnight most evenings. The river
fishing is Red-hot with all bait working well. The best big fish baits
are sculpins and nightcrawlers. The hot flies are midges and san-juan
worms. The lake has been fishing well for #'s and keepers being about 1
for every 6 fish caught. I guided on Monday and had seven species all on
nightcrawlers in the 26-32 foot range. Good luck and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
06-27-10 Wow what a week. My grandkids wore me out fishing,
swimming and yes CLIFF Diving. The lake has continued dropping fast and
now sits at 657.72 which is only 3 feet above normal and dropping fast!
The corps is running heavy 8 generators most of the day so be careful.
You have to use a big weight to get your bait to the bottom. Shrimp red
worms and corn are working well. Also puff ball flies on a spinning rig.
Fly fishing has been tough with all the super high water. The lake has
been fishing well with most fish holding in the 23-30 foot range.
Nightcrawlers and bottom bouncing crankbaits has been the most effective
on the walleyes. Gitzits and lizards for the bass. I must say that
nothing beats having your Grandkids say Pepaw please take us fishing
even when it is 95 and a heat index over 100. Lots of sunscreen and lets
GO!! GOD Bless and if you are thinking about a fall trip with the Dawg
call and book early as my calendar is filling up fast!! GOD Bless and
take a child fishing you won't regret it !! Hotdawg!
06-20-10 The lake has continued to drop and now sits at 660.12. Same
baits are working with 6-8 units running on the river round the clock.
My grandkids are coming so this will be short GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
06-13-10 Lake level is still dropping and is at 663.68 today
with all eight units running around the clock. Trout are biting well on
the river with some browns being caught on eggs and sculpins. The Lake
is fishing well with most walleye holding at 22 feet to 26 feet on the
main lake points and some starting to hit the flats as well. Soft
plastics are still working for bass and the surface temps are in the low
80'S GOD Bless and good luck Hotdawg!!
06-06-10 Well the corps is finally dropping they are running 6
generators around the clock. The first two days of that made it tough on
the river because of the moss but yesterday it cleaned up and the
fishing was much better. The best baits are red-worms, shad, shrimp,
sculpins, corn and crawdads. The best flies are scuds, glo-balls, and
wooly buggers. The lake level is 666.12 and falling. The bite on the
lake is still good with a thermocline setting up at 20-26 feet with most
fish hanging at that level. I am still getting about 15% keepers to
shorts but I am catching over forty fish a day so winding up with
anywhere from 20 to 40 pounds of keepers all on nightcrawlers. The
secret for me is to keep it moving. I am catching up to 9 species a day
with 6 different species the average. There is also a bite at dark on
stickbaits. GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
05-30-10 UNBEILIEVABLE!! That is the only way to describe the
numbers of fish being caught on the River and the Lake . I had three
people catch 182 fish on Saturday on the White with a lot of Browns in
the 18 inch to 25 inch class also. Ever bait normally used is working
well now with puff ball flies and scuds working well. The generation is
low with it off in the morning and only two units most of the day. They
will surely start heavy generation soon as the lake is at 666.96 or 13
feet above normal. The Lake is also fishing well with nightcrawlers and
soft plastics catching huge numbers with up to 9 species in a day in my
boat. Keepers are still running about 1 keeper to every ten fish caught.
GOD Bless Hotdawg!
05-23-10 HEAVY HEAVY RAIN!! That is the story but the Great news
the fish don't care!! The lake fishing has just exploded with INCREDIBLE
numbers being caught and up to eight species a day for me!! The best
bait is live night crawlers trolled at .85 to 1.1 miles an hour and also
plastics in 5-15 feet of water on the old brushline. The lake level is
664.65 which makes it almost eleven feet above normal. They are running
three generators around the clock with lake still rising and expected to
crest at 658 feet with no more rain not likely with the weather patterns
we are seeing but it hasn't diminished the fish from cooperating
we are seeing fifty fish days common on the lake with 20 to 40 pound
stringers of up to eight species in one day GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
05-16-10 Rain, Rain, and more Rain!! The Lake has risen to
658.95 and is still rising . The lower river is flooded so they are
shutting off the generators every night and not turning them on till
later in the day. The lakes above us saw significant rains and are way
up. The bite on both the river and lake for numbers is PHENOMINAL!! I
caught 31 Walleyes on Saturday with three keepers and six species
caught. The smallies are spawning on the main Lake with all fish chasing
shad and crawdads. Best baits are soft plastic .stickbaits, crankbaits
nightcrawlers, flukes, spoons in other words whatever you like to throw
will probably catch fish. The river is fishing great with browns eating
shad and minnows and all kinds of flies with several hatches going on.
This is going to be some great fishing for the next several weeks on
both waters. I personally am having a blast fishing the lake with twenty
to thirty fish days common book now for some great summer fishing
Hotdawg!!
05-09-10 HOLY COW!!!! I caught my largest walleye this year on the lake
this Sunday while on a half-day lake trip. It weighed 7lb 15 oz. and we
also caught 17 more with five keepers. We were dragging nightcrawlers on
my special rig with 8 pound main line and 6 pound drop. All
flourocarbon. We were in 22-28 feet of water around the brushpiles.We
had 6 species also as a bonus with numerous kentuckies all the way to 4
pounds. The lizard and gitzit bite for smallies is real strong with
spoons bringing in the numbers also. There really isn't a type of
fishing on the lake that you can't use and not catch something. This is
some of the best fishing for numbers and size I have ever
experienced!!The river is also fishing well with shad and sculpins
catching the big ones and numerous heavy hatches going on right now for
the fly fishermen. GOD Bless and book now for some fantastic summer
fishing!! Hotdawg!
05-02-10 WOW!! The daytime bite for walleye has finally started!
I was guiding two days on the lake this week and have caught a number of
walleye during the day on stickbaits and on nightcrawlers dragging them
in anywhere from 18 -26 feet of water with the best action on steeper
banks or right on top of brushpiles. The keepers are starting to come up
on the shoreline and also we are catching up to 5 different species of
fish. Also working is spooning in 30 feet of water throwing up to 15
feet and working it back to the boat. The longline trollers are starting
to catch fish also. The bass are working great on soft plastics with the
smallies and kentuckies on spawn beds on the main lake and chasing shad
schools so it is a great time of year to do lots of different types of
fishing and all being productive. I feel the some of the best catching
in years will be seen in the next three months. The river is fishing the
same as last week except low water in the mornings with three to five
generators in the afternoon. Same baits are producing as last week. GOD
Bless Hotdawg!!
04-25-10 The weather took a turn for the worse on Friday and
Saturday with heavy rains and thunderstorms and also tornadoes. Luckily
most of the worst weather was east of us. The lake level 656.75 with
three units around the clock. The river is fishing well with the worm
bite and shrimp coming on real strong. The surface activity on the lake
has picked up also with the nighttime bite slowly starting to pick up.
The surface temps on the lake are 68- 69 degrees in the backs of the
creeks and 60 on the main lake. The fish still are not vary predictable
from one day to the next. Just keep looking from about half way back in
the creek arms to all the way back and when you catch one work that area
over thoroughly with several different baits then go to the next creek
arm. Walleye are still slow with a narrow window of catching. GOD Bless
and good luck Hotdawg!
04-18-10 Man oh Man What a difference a week can make!! The
River and lake are both RED HOT right now!! The Lake level is 658.66
which is just 3.5 feet above power pool. And the Bass are biting!! The
surface bite has come on strong along with soft plastic working well on
Smallies and Kentuckies. The average day has been at least forty fish!!
The nightime Walleye bite is starting as well. The best baits are Rogues
and X-raps. The Browns are eating a number of baits, worms and shrimp
minnows and white worms also the rainbows are hitting well on corn and
power eggs and worms. I had a customer catch a21 inch Cutthroat and
released it after pictures it was in the 5-6 pound range!! Now is the
time for some GREAT action on the Lake and River. GOD Bless and see ya
on the water Hotdawg!
04-11-10 YAHOO!! The Smallies are a biting on Bull Shoals!! The
smallies have moved up on the banks in the area of yocum bend to the
music creek area. Top baits are Green pumnkin lizards and hula grubs
fished on a 1/4 ounce jighead on 8 pound flourocarbon line. Also Lucky
crafts in chartruese shad and american shad color. The river has been
fishing well with corn worms and minnows working for numbers as well as
browns. I had a 42 pound stringer of white bass and largemouths and
kentuckies on Wed. in the wind on stickbaits and caught 41 smallies on
friday with several in the 3 pound range on soft plastics. The bite is
going to get better and better from now on. I know it will be some of
the best fishing in years on Bull Shoals. The walleye bite is picking up
at night way up the lake but is still slow down here should pick up in
the next two weeks GOD Bless and book now for May and June Catchin!!!
Hotdawg!
04-04-10 WOW!! The weather has finally got a little more normal
with nights above fifty and daytime temps in the low to upper 80"s.
Consequently the fishing on the Lake has started to heat up drastically.
In the last two nights there have been 5 stripers over 40 Pounds caught
on Rogues with the biggest at 47 pounds!! The smallies are starting to
move up on the banks along with the Kentuckies getting ready to spawn. I
have caught them on soft plastics, Lucky Crafts, and Rogues. Half way
back in the creeks to all the way back. Lake level is 661.71 which makes
it 8 feet above normal. The river has been fishing excellent with
numerous Browns being caught on minnows, sculpins and nightcrawlers.
Best flies are midges and scuds along with bright san-Juan worms. The
best Lake fishing is going to be starting in about two weeks with the
walleye's starting to hit the banks. If you want to go in May now is the
time to book. GOD Bless and good luck fishing Hotdawg!!
03-28-10 Wow another crazy week of weather! Cold and wind then
rain then warm and lots of sunshine. Bull Shoals lake has risen 6 feet
to rest at 659.84 feet above sea-level. The water is just into the first
line of trees and the temps have risen a little to 54 degrees in the
backs of the creeks and a little colder on the main Lake. Best baits are
still crankbaits and stickbaits and soft plastics. The weather is
supposed to warm a lot all next week and the bite should get better and
better from now on. The River has been red hot all week with numerous
browns being caught on minnows and sculpins and shad. Hot flies are
woolly buggers and san-juan worms with no wadable water due to round the
clock generation of five to seven units. The night bite for Bass is
starting with the walleye to follow in the next couple of weeks. Good
Luck and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
03-21-10 What a CRAZY weather week. First high winds lake
and river advisories then warm and finally yes Rain and snow to end the
week! The River has been fishing extremely well with lots of big browns
being taken on river minnows and shad and sculpins. With the sowbug
roundup going on we have had lots of low water which has been good for
wading and anchor fishing for the big browns. The best flies are caddis
hatch flies, midges and san-juan worms also scuds. The best baits are
minnows and worms with the rain also shrimp has been producing. The lake
was 50.9 degrees on Saturday and I caught 9 fish in a half day before
the rain on soft plastics hula grubs and critter craws fished on the
steep banks half way back in the creek arms in five to fifteen feet of
water holding the boat in 20-25 feet of water. Also caught two on a
wiggle wart crankbait. The bad news is we have had 39 to 34 degree rain
and snow coming in since 6:00 p.m. Saturday night all day so far this
Sunday and continuing into the early morning on Monday. I am sure that
this will drop our surface temps back to at least the low forties and
maybe 39 in some places. We have to stay above 50 at night with warm
days in the 65-75 degree range before the catching will pick up. We are
over 15 degrees behind last year on our surface temps. Thank Al for all
this global warming. GOD Bless and Take a child fishing it pays in the
years to come Hotdawg!
03-14-10 Well back to cool weather and a little rain. Lake level
is 653.74 and remains steady with one to three generators running. The
fishing on the White is incredible for numbers with some browns in the
14-20 inch range being caught. The best baits are still shad, sculpins,
worms, and egg imitations. With scuds, midges, and san-juan worms thee
hot flies. The lake has been slow with crankbaits and soft plastic still
producing some keepers in 5-15 feet of water in the middle to the backs
of the creeks where there is some cover by deep water. It is supposed to
warm up more this week with possible cold weather coming I again
this weekend so I think the best lake fishing is still a couple of weeks
off. Norfork has been having some action starting up lake and we are
usually a couple of weeks behind them. Congratulations to Ed Druml and
his wife to two 25 pound stripers last week on Bull Shoals!! There will
be some big ones caught this year I am sure of it. GOD Bless Hotdawg!
03-07-10 Yahoo!! Warmer weather finally!! The daytime temps have
been in the 60's the past three days and nighttime temps have been 48 to
49 degrees, which is where we should have been a month ago. The lake
level is 654.19 and they are starting to shut the dam down between 10:00
p.m. and midnight and turning it back on at 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. every
day. They are running between 2-5 units and the fishing has been Red Hot
on the river. Best baits are shad,sculpins,and shrimp for the Browns
with eggs,corn and shad working for the rainbows. The best flies are
san-juan worms egg patterns, shad imitations, and scuds or midges. The
lake is starting to warm slowly with the best baits being soft plastics
and stickbaits with some crankbait action. Hula grubs, gitzits and
lizards are working. Some of the backs of the creeks are at 52 degrees
with a warm rain expected Monday night and Tuesday. That is what we
really need is for it to be 60-65 and rain about an inch or two.
Although we have to watch what we ask for as to what happened the last
two years of HIGH water. I believe that it will be the end of March
before we start to see any consistent action. Most fish are in 5-15 feet
of water. located near some structure with the bite being real light.
Good luck and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
02-28-10 Wow back in town finally!! I have been gone to some
sportshows and finally am home and I got to fish on the lake and the
river so here goes... The Lake level is at 653.91 and slowly falling.
They have been running anywhere from 2- 7 units around the clock. Not
much shad coming through at all but still are working in the first three
or four miles of the river. I was on the lake for a half day on Saturday
and we caught 5 fish that weighed 12.5 pounds and lost three others all
were Largemouth's and were caught on Hula Grubs on a 3/8 ounce jighead
and on American Shad Lucky Crafts. All fish were in 5-ten feet of water.
Surface temperature was 42.8 degrees and I also used a drop thermometer
and it was the same temp all the way to 40 feet. The river is still
fishing well with egg patterns and san-juan worms also olive wooly
buggers. Countdowns and Rapala's are also catching some nice fish. GOD
Bless and Good luck fishing Hotdawg!!
02-15-10The White River is RED HOT right now with shad coming
through the dam. The lake level is 656.31 with seven units around the
clock. The best bait is of course shad! Any artificial bait that
imitates shad is also working . The browns are almost done spawning and
the rainbows are spawning on some of the gravel bars and in the shoals.
The shad kill is still sporadic and not real heavy yet. The best flies
are shad pattern and San-Juan worms in bright colors. Bull Shoals lake
is fishing ok with the cold temps. Most surface temps are in the 39-45
degree range. When you find fish they are usually three or more in a
small area. The best baits are wiggle wart crankbaits, rogues,
luckycraft , and soft plastic or spoons. Depth is varied from 5-15 feet
on the banks to 40-60-feet on the bluff ends. GOD Bless Hotdawg!
02-08-10 WOW!! I just received the results of the third leg of
the winter bass-o-thon and what an unbelievable result!! The team of
Lynn Luther & Anthony Gates had a five fish limit of 25.59 pounds to
win!! That is a 5.2 pound average!! That would win most major
tournaments all across the U.S. or at least have you in the top ten!!
The most amazing thing was with all the snow the surface temps were
37-42 Degrees!!! The top 15 places were all at or above 15 pounds! Big
Bass was 5.92 pounds caught by Jim Byler & James Southard. I truly
believe this will be the year that the Big Bull will be the talk of
fishermen all over the country and that a five fish limit of over 30
pounds will be brought to the scales! The walleye and crappie and all
species have had tremendous spawns and growth in the last three years so
make your reservation early for the hot months of April, May 7 June. GOD
Bless Hotdawg!
02-07-10 Well on Saturday we finally had two spurts of shad come
through though they were not heavy. Most were ate up by the gulls and
trout by the end of the state park. The snow really lowered the temp on
the lake down now to between 37-42 degrees depending where you are on
the lake. The lake rose slightly to rest at 655.45 which is almost 1.5
feet above normal. We are supposed to have another big snow event
tonight and tomorrow with bitter cold the rest of the week and snow on
the weekend. If we do the shad should start coming through heavy I will
keep everyone posted. Hot baits are still egg imitations shad and pink
worms. San-juan worms shad and midges for the Fly fishermen. The lake is
still producing some fish on spoons stickbaits and some spinnerbaits.
GOD Bless and good luck Hotdawg!
01-31-10 Boy oh boy if this is global warming somebody forgot to
tell Mother Nature! We had a giant snow storm this week starting on
Thursday night and ending on Saturday. We had almost eleven inches of
snow!!!! Thank goodness it wasn't ice like last year at the same time. I
fished early in the week on the river and lake with excellent fishing on
the river being had. Numerous rainbows and browns were caught on shad
and egg patterns. Still no shad coming through the dam but with all the
snow and melting it could happen any day. The lake has been sporadic but
some big bass are already being caught. 8.5 pound Largemouth being the
biggest I have seen. Lots of Kentuckies in the three and four pound
range and smallies also. Most on stickbaits and rogues and spoons and
some plastic worms and grubs. We all get antsy with the warm weather and
start to think about it being an everyday affair but we are still some
weeks away from consistent fishing patterns on the lake. I will be on
the river tomorrow when the fishing opens up at the dam and state park
so I will have a extra report on that on Tuesday. GOD Bless and make
your reservation early as I believe this will be one of the best years
on the lake and river in some time due to all the high water from the
last three years. Hotdawg!!
01-24-10 We had some significant rains this week although the
lake did drop all the way to power pool but rose one foot to settle at
655.01 this week. The fishing on the river continues to be above average
with generation fluctuating between 4 generators around the clock up to
seven units. I predict continued generation around the clock so they can
get the lake level below normal before the spring rains. San-juan worms
and midges have been producing well for the fly-fisherman in bright
colors with corn, white worms, sculpins and rogues working for the bait
fisherman. The lake has been hit or miss with the temps holding in the
41-46 degree range depending on where you are. Best baits are stick
baits, spinner-baits, and shaky head worms. Also some spoon action on
the bluff ends. As the weather gets nice everybody thinks that the fish
go crazy just because it is 60 degrees but the water is still COLD! and
that is what gets the fish active it has to get to 50 degrees down at
the 1-5 foot level in the back of the creeks for some significant action
to get going. We are supposed to have cold temps again all week with
some snow possible. The upper river opens again on February 1 to fishing
and that is a good day and week to catch some really big fish. Once
again book early for the best dates this spring and GOD Bless Hotdawg!
01-17-10 Bull Shoals Lake continues to drop rapidly and now
stands at 655.99 which means it is two feet above normal and dropping
almost one foot a day now. The river is fishing very well with 7 units
operating around the clock. I guided several days this last week with
Browns caught every day mostly on egg patterns and white worms the best
baits.I also had my first legal length browns caught by Chuck O'brien
and his son Royce with both over the 24 inch minimum the best one 25.5
inches long. Both released alive after pictures. The browns and rainbows
are still spawning in certain sections of the upper river.
The lake temperature is Anywhere from 41 degrees to 45 depending where
you are. Most action is in the backs of North creek arms on Rogues or
shaky head worms. Some spooning on submerged timber in 45 to 75 feet is
working also. For all your fly-fishing needs see Jimmy T at W&F flyshop
in Bull Shoals next to the Texacoe station. He now has Hardy & Grey's
Flyrods and tungsten beads, fly tying material,and hooks .Remember to
book your trip early as I am getting booked up for the prime time this
spring. No shad on the river as yet but still hoping. GOD Bless and good
fishing Hotdawg!!
01-10-10 Bull Shoals is now at 661.10 which makes it only 7 feet
above normal with around the clock generation of seven units. The
weather has been bitterly cold all week with highs in the teens and lows
around zero to -4 below. The lake temp. has dropped to 45 degrees now
and is probably going to continue to drop in the next few days. The
temps are going to rise a little with highs in the mid forties and lows
in the 20's. Egg patterns and white worms grubs and shad are working
well on the river and with continued low temps I feel a shad kill is
going to start soon. I am fishing a lot next week so will have a better
forecast next week. Not much action on the lake with all the cold try
spooning in 75 to 100 feet is my best guess. GOD Bless and take a child
fishing it pays off later in life !!!!Hotdawg!
01-03-10 Happy New Year Everyone!!! Well Bull Shoals now is at
655.45 this morning with round the clock generation of 5 units. Still
high down south or they would be generating all 8 units. The lake is now
11.5 feet above normal. We have 4 inches of snow on the ground with more
forecast on Wednesday. Also daytime highs below freezing for the next
week and lows in the single digit range with wind chills around -18
below. BRRRR! The fishing on the river has been good with
sculpins,rogues, and egg-patterns working. The lake temperature is at 48
degrees and still dropping. If it gets below 44 degrees the shad will
start dying and the fishing on the river will explode. I hope it gets
their soon and if they start to run maximum water they will start to
have bursts come through then also. If you haven't fished during or
after a shad kill it is the best time to catch big fish and lots of them
as all the fish in the river want one thing SHAD!! The lake fishing has
slowed with the cold and bad weather so no report there. GOD Bless and
remember to book early to get your dates with me for the lake or river.
12-20-09 Bull Shoals is still rapidly dropping this week and now
sits at 668.24 feet above sea-level which is 14 feet above normal. We
still have a long way to go and need to avoid a rain like Florida has
got all week 14 inches in spots. That would be a disaster. The lake has
a great report from Ken Shirley on all species from the high water from
the last two years with a great forecast on next years Walleye fishing
especially. The river has been extremely high with up to 17 flood
gates running with 7 generators around the clock. Fishing has been good
to excellent with egg patterns still the best. No word of any shad yet
but I am hoping the continued cold weather will get them to start. GOD
Bless all and Merry CHRISTmas to all HOTDawg!!
12-14-09 What a difference a week can make Bull Shoals lake
level is now down8 feet in a week. It is now at 672.79 or 19 feet above
normal. 7 units are running with an additional 5 flood gates open. That
puts it at almost 9 generators. Do not go out unless with an experienced
boat driver! Do not try to anchor or drag a chain in this kind of water.
The bait of choice is any egg pattern and flies of that nature. Lots of
weight to get it to the bottom. The lake has been producing some fish on
spoons. Use your graph to find the baitfish then jig under them. Be
careful and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
12-07-09 Well I am Back!! I must apologize for not writing this
weekly report as I have been really busy Hunting and guiding when I have
been back in town so here goes. The lake finally crested a week ago at
680.89 feet above power pool. That was almost 27 feet above normal at
the absolute wrong time of year for it! The corps finally on December
first announced that they were opening spill gates to get it back to
power pool by January 30 with no more heavy rains Good luck on that with
El Niño in effect. Bull Shoals has been running 6-8 generators around
the clock with 2 to five flood gates open 1 foot each for the equivalent
of 8 to 9 units. BIG Water. Folks be extremely careful out there!!! The
fish are starting to settle down and the catching is Good! The best
baits are some kind of egg imitation. Their hasn't been any shad yet but
I think that might start soon as the shad on the lake are at 40 to
ninety feet deep on the lake depending on where you are. Norfork is also
running additional flood gate for the equivalent of 3 or 4 units of
water Be CAREFUL!!! Don't go out with out having your motor running good
and at least two paddles in your boat! And wearing a life jacket all the
time is recommended. The lake fishing as I have heard is mostly spooning
in 30 to 45 feet for Bass and 60- 90- feet for walleye. If it warms up
next week I will be going out some. If you book now with a deposit for
next year you will get 2009 prices. Must have deposit before January 1.
As for my deer hunting 328 pound 10 point buck 163 Pope & young gross in
Kansas my personal Best Ever. GOD Bless and Merry Christmas Hotdawg!!!
10-13-09 I know this has got to sound repetitive but the
weatherman was wrong again we had more rain this week and the Lake is at
665.15 and still rising with more rain in the forecast. The bite for the
walleye has slowed way down with only a few being caught in a day and
only one or two keepers. The bass have picked up though with spoons
jig&pig and hulagrubs working. The best bait is nightcrawlers and
crawdads. Best depths are 25 -45 feet for live bait and 15-35 feet for
soft baits. The water has been fairly consistent on the river with three
units around the clock. Shrimp pink-worms and corn working. San-Juan
worms, scuds and woolyboogers are the best flies. I will be out all week
on the lake and river so I will have more on next weeks report. GOD
Bless Hotdawg!
10-11-09 Well the weatherman was wrong again we had a much
higher rain event with 6.75 inches here in Bull Shoals with higher
totals on the upper lake up to 11.5 inches in Nixa Missouri. The lake
has had a large rise and now stands at 660.05 which makes it 6 feet
above normal and rising almost 1 foot per day. The lakes above us are
significantly up in their flood pools also so here we go again.
We are just now starting our fall rainy season and the lake is way to
high already. The lake has begun it's rollover for the winter and the
water is the same temp from 25 feet to about 50 feet. The fish are
scattered in this range so adjust your fishing accordingly. I was able
to take my Grandson and Granddaughter fishing this past week and Matt
put it on Pepaw. He caught the first biggest and most with his sister
taking second Dad was third and me last!! I wouldn't have it any other
way. The river fishing is still the best I have seen in 20 years for
numbers and a few large fish being caught. The rainbows are spawning in
some sections and the browns are moving up with an early spawn going to
probably start in December. The best fishing on the river and lake is
coming in the next few months as the pressure slows and the weather
becomes an issue for some fisherman.Nightcrawlers are still the best
bait on the lake 25 to 45 feet deep with minnows coming on. Also minnow
lures and spoons. The best baits on the river imitate an egg sac or
sculpin for the big ones. Best flies scuds san-juan worms and
wool-buggers, br-549's. Get yours at W&F flyshop in Bull Shoals across
from the gas station. GOD Bless and see ya on the water!! Hotdawg
10-04-09The lake is still rising and they are predicting severe rain
with accumulations of up to 5 inches or more next week. The brown trout
catching has slowed on the White with big fish coming only sporadically.
The lake is starting to roll over which means that the lake is also
becoming more sporadic also. Same baits are working as last week. GOD
Bless Hotdawg!
09-27-09 Rain, rain, and more rain. All week long we have had it
off and on with the lake rising up to 657.89 or about 3.5 feet above
normal. The rain has made the worm bite on the river pick up along with
shrimp or crawdad tails. The generation has been around the clock with
at least two units increasing sometimes to 5 units. Best flies are
san-juan worms in red or charisse and scuds along with wooly boogers.
Br-549 is working also, get them at W&F Flyshop in Bull Shoals next to
the Gas station. The lake has been producing well with lots of short
fish being caught on nightcrawlers and crawdads and any type of shad
bait you like to throw. Schooling fish are starting to show up more. The
surface temp is running 71 to 79 degrees depending where you are and
what time of day. The bite is getting better and better I cannot wait
till next spring as all these short fish will be keepers by then. GOD
Bless and good luck fishing Hotdawg!!
09-20-09 The rain is coming back!! It has started again the lake is now
rising and is about 2 feet above normal with heavy rains predicted for
tommorow and thru next weekend. I have to fish every day and am getting
a little tired of that! The same baits are working as last week with
sculpins continueing to slow down but still producing a few browns. Long
line trollers are starting to catch fish on the lake with Hot-n-tots and
rebels and rogues working. Also bottom-bounceing in the 27-35 foot range
with nightcrawlers and minnows working. Smallies are starting to move up
into th 20-25 foot range . GOD bless and be careful Hotdawg!!
09-13-09 The fishing on the White has still been great for
numbers with round the clock generation of one to two generators and
highs of five units during the day. The sculpin bite has slowed a little
with shrimp being the best bait for drift-fishing. Same flies as last
week. The bite also has slowed a little on the lake but still good
stringers on crawdads and nightcrawlers. Surface lures in the morning
are catching some nice fish as well as trolling in the 20-25 foot level
with minnow like lures. The lake is still a little above normal at
654.48. The weather is supposed to be calling for lots of rain all next
week so we will see what that does to the level and generation patterns
GOD Bless and take a child with you it pays off well!! Hotdawg!
09-06-09Well folks the bite on both the lake and river is still
Phenomenal!! I had trips on both the river and the lake with large
stringers of multiple species everyday on the lake and great strings of
rainbows and browns in the 2-6 pound category caught and released! The
bite on the lake for me is still all on nightcrawlers in the 27-36 foot
range on main lake points. I am dragging a modified Carolina rig with 6
pound mono or fluorocarbon drop with 8 -10 pound main line, 1/4
ounce egg-sinker red or orange glass bead with a three foot drop and a
#1 Aberdeen hook. Crawdads are also starting to work well. The
best baits on the river are still sculpins for the big browns and egg
imitation and shrimp. Remember folks that I will guide you in your boat
on the lake for a half or full day for a fee and teach you how to catch
fish in your boat. Check out my rates and give me a call Good luck
fishing Hotdawg!!
08-30-09 WOW!!! Unbelievable fishing this past week on the River
and the Lake The river is still red-hot with sculpins and large
nightcrawlers the preferred bait of the big browns. I had numerous
browns in the 2-5 pound category with one bruiser of 31 inches and about
11 pounds by a customer. The hot flies are sculpin imitation and br-549
and scuds. See Jimmy T at W&S flyshop in Bull Shoals for your fly tackle
and further info. Now the Lake it is just unbelievable the number and
variety of fish that we are catching!! I was out two days with at least
50 fish caught both days and 6 different species each day. The best days
catch weighed 33 pounds of kentuckies and walleyes with the largest at
4.25 pounds. We caught most of them on nightcrawlers at 27-36 feet on
the main lake points using my modified Carolina rig. Also some on
rattletraps and rogues the bite is just Incredible we also caught some
nice smallies but turned them all lose. GOD Bless and I can't wait till
this week!!!
08-23-09The Lake has risen slightly to 654.80 do to the
continued work on the catch & release area at the dam. The schedule has
been to hold the water off to between 12 noon and 4:00 p.m. then to turn
on 2 -5 generators and run them till 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 am the next day.
Then the workers start , the water tends to color up a bit at the state
park hole and newlands but is still fishable. Same baits are working on
the Lake and River as last week. I have lots of trips on the lake as
well as the river and will give a more detailed report next week. GOD
Bless Hotdawg!
08-16-09 The lake is finally at power pool!! It is now at
645.25,but with the lower water levels predicted next week for the work
at the dam look for it to rise again. The fishing on both the Lake and
River are EXCELLENT!! I took my wife out today for two hours and caught
26 pounds of catfish and about twenty other short fish which were
Largemouth,smallmouth,kentuckies and bluegills all on nightcrawlers in
20 feet of water. Walleye are biting real well up the lake on
bottom-bouncers and nightcrawlers in 28 -36 feet of water on the main
lake flats. Also spooning in 30-38 feet around brushpiles. The river has
been beyond belief this week for big browns. I have had as many as 13
browns caught by one man in a day with his daughter getting 9. All over
20 inches up to 29 inches long. Also some walleye on nightcrawlers. Keep
all of them on the river as their is no length limit. Most of the browns
are coming on sculpins. The best flies are egg-patterns,BR549, San-juan
worms and scuds. The water is scheduled to be off in the morning for the
work at the dam so be careful if wading after noon as they will probably
turn on a lot of generators at once. Remember to pay it forward and take
a child fishing GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
08-09-09
The lake has continued to drop and now sits at 655.15 with five units at
least running around the clock. The corps and the game and fish are
going to start on Monday the 17th to begin their "Habitat Improvement"
at the dam catch and release area. Look for low water until noon with
generation beginning then and continuing until midnight. The fishing for
bog browns has been excellent with sculpins and shrimp the best baits.
Wooly buggers and San-juan worms the best flies. The lake has been
incredible for numbers with some limits of walleye being caught up the
lake in 28-38 feet of water on the flats. Best baits still spoons and
nightcrawlers. GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
08-02-09
The lake has really dropped this last week and now is only two feet
above normal at 656.01 with seven or eight units running around the
clock. The plan is to stop the running of water as soon as it gets to
normal pool so they can start the trout habitat improvement project at
the Dam catch and release area. I personally think that this will cause
some major changes to the river in the state park hole as well as
Newlands hole. But only time will tell. The fishing on the river has
been great with the same baits producing well. The lake fishing is
getting better also with the fish holding in 30 to 38 feet of water on
the main lake points with some top-water action early and late. Good
fishing and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
07-26-09
Well folks once again we have had some significant rain with almost 7
inches on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The lake has still dropped to
rest at 660.05 which is 6 feet above normal. We had an excellent spawn
again and the next couple of years are going to be fantastic!! I will be
out on the lake three days this week so I should have a good report next
week. The bite as of late has been better in the afternoon due to
increased water flows on the White. The bite is still good for bigger
fish on egg pattern flies and worms with a crawdad or shrimp trailer.
They corps and game and fish will be starting there "Habitat
improvement" on the catch and release area at the Dam next month so look
for lower water flows.
Take a child fishing it brings great rewards!! Hotdawg!
07-19-09
The lake has continued to drop with the level at 661.42 The fish are
still on the same patterns as last week with some night time action
starting to be reported. Strawberry worms and spinner-baits being
helicoptered down the bluff walls working. Black single-spins with a
green frog or tandem spinnerbaits in white and chartreuse. The river
patterns are the same also with round the clock generation. Good luck
and GOD Bless Hotdawg!
07-12-09
The lake really is dropping now with the level at 662.80 as of 5:15 this
afternoon with eight units in operation. The fishing on the river is
still REDHOT and the best baits are egg patterns, worms and crawdads or
shrimp, and sculpins. The best flies are as follows grasshopper
imitations, San-juan worms,or egg patterns. The flows on the
rivers are very high and extra caution is needed to prevent an accident
or worse please be careful on both the White and the Norfork. The lake
is still fishing well with the fish starting to go deeper at 30-35 feet
on the main lake and the center of the main lake cuts. The smallmouth
are fishing well in 15- 30 feet on crawdads and gitzits with some lizard
action. The early morning surface activity is spotty with white bass and
some kentucky and largemouth action on rattle-traps and zera-spooks. The
best baits are live nightcrawlers and live crawdads fished on the bottom
in 25-35 feet of water on the main lake points with brush piles starting
to hold fish. Good Luck and GOD Bless Hotdawg!! If you want to talk
fishing just call me at 870-445-4175 between 6:00 and 8:00p.m. Mon.-tru
Sat.
07-05-09
Absolutely REDHOT is the word for the fishing on both the Lake and the
White river this week! The hot baits on the river has been egg patterns
and sculpins. On Sunday I had the best day of sculpins fishing I have
ever had with over thirty browns landed with the biggest at 27 inches
long and numerous fish from 18-24 inches!! The pattern has been for
about 4-5 generators at night with up to all eight during the day the
Lake level is now 665.61 and dropping fast. The bite on the Lake for
short fish has been the best in years. The best baits are nightcrawlers
and crawdads with spoons, gitzits, topwater, and crankbaits all working.
the best depths are 21-30 feet on the main Lake points and in the center
of the cuts. Long-line trolling is also working as well with bottom
bouncers. Good luck and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
06-28-09
The lake has finally started to drop significantly this week with the
level at 668.48 with eight units in operation as of 7:45 this
evening.That means it is 14.5 feet above normal now. The lake was
red-hot for me this week with several stringers of fish in the
twenty-five pound range and on Thursday with the Becker party of Texas
tops with 33 pounds of bass and walleye. The best bait was nightcrawlers
and crawdads. Also working has been topwater baits and spoons. The best
depth has been 21- 30 feet deep on main lake points. With the high water
on the river the fishing should really turn on in the next two weeks.
The river has been fishing well with lots of browns being caught on egg
imitations and sculpins also a new fly called the BR-549 is working. To
get them check out the new fly shop in Bull Shoals at W&S Flyshop across
the street from Snappy-Mart in the wishes and fishes building. Be
careful on the high water and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
06-21-09
The lake has only dropped a little this week as it is at 670.28 due to
some heavy rains early in the week that had the corps shut down the
river for two days. The fishing on the river is still red-hot same baits
as last week are still working well. The fishing on the lake has been
incredible for numbers but still keepers are hard to come by the action
is the best I have seen in years for small fish though. Long-line
trolling is working with nightcrawlers still the best bait. Topwater
early and late is also working well. We have had two drownings recently
so PLEASE PLEASE be careful and respect the water. If wading it would be
a good idea to look at the new co2 life vests it could save your
life!!GOD Bless and Happy Father's Day.Hotdawg!
06-14-09
The lake is still going down slowly and is now at 670.28 feet above
sea-level. That will probably start to change as the Corps is scheduled
to start running all 8 generators tomorrow morning. They have been
running3 to 5 units around the clock all week. The fishing has been
fantastic on the White all week. I have now upped my total of keeper
browns to 36!! The bite was incredible on sculpins with two of my
clients catching 32 inch and 30.5 inch browns on consecutive days. I was
also on the lake several days with numbers being caught all days and one
day with 11 keepers. Hot baits have been 1/2 ounce spoons and gitzits
and lizards. Nightcrawlers have been the most productive with numerous
species being caught on them. Depth is key with 20 to 25 feet of water
holding the most fish. Remember to be safe on the high water on the
river and DO NOT ANCHOR on all 8 units. GOD Bless and have a Great week
Hotdawg!!
06-07-09
Finally the lake is starting to drop! The lake level is at 671.66 and
dropping slowly. The corps is now running 5 generators after having it
shut off for 7 hours this morning. The river has been red-hot this week
for Large browns. I have now caught 21 legal browns this year with all
returned to the White after pictures and measurements taken. The hot
baits this week were sculpins and orange eggs on spinning rods with some
nice fish being taken on midges and streamers as well! The lake has been
very inconsistant with lots of small fish being caught but not very many
keepers. Best baits are rogues,spoons,gitzits,lizards and shad-raps. The
hot baits are nightcrawlers and minnows. The generation should ramp up
to 8 generators before too long so be careful and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
O5-31-09
Once again the lake has risen to 672.02 which means it is 18 feet above
normal with more rain predicted for tuesday and wednesday.The keepers on
the lake are still being stubborn with lots of short smallies and
walleyes being caught on soft baits and stickbaits.Minnows are starting
to work with nightcrawlers coming on also.The White has been red-hot for
several weeks now with numerous browns being caught on sculpins, worms,
rogues, jigs and corn. The best flies are midges and scuds.The full moon
next week should start some better night fishing on the lake. Surface
temps are are in the mid seventies depending on where you are at on the
lake GOD Bless and have a Great Day Hotdawg!!
05-24-09
I know this sounds like last year but the lake is still rising and now
sits at 16feet above normal and the fish are starting to hide in all the
brush making it difficult to fish for them.The best fish are on the old
shoreline with lots of small fish up shallow.The best bite for walleye
is a small window of one hour before dark and one hour after with
x-raps, rogues and lucky kraft lures all working. Their also is a good
bite starting on spoons and shad-raps in the daytime still not real
consistant though.The White river is still providing non stop action on
corn,sculpins, crawdadand red worms working well.Hot flies are y2k,
scuds, midges,and streamers.Generation is steady at 2-3 generators
around the clock.Remember to take a child fishing and make a friend for
life!! GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
05-17-09
The lake is still rising and now stands at 13feet above normal and still
rising.The same baits as last week are working with some surface
activity taking place in the early morning. Lots of short fish being
caught with not a lot of keepers.The White river is still hot with
sculpins and eggs working.Best flies are san-juan worms, scuds and
streamer flies. GOD Bless Hotdawg!
05-10-09
Well folks more rain and the lake is now 10.5 feet above normal and
still rising.The temperature has risen by about three degrees to rest at
about 62-64 degrees depending on where you are fishing.The hot baits are
gitzits,french-fry worms, and lizards.Dark green colors are the best
with various color of flakes in them. Also rogues,x-raps and spinnerbaits
are working too! The same baits are working on the river and flies as
last week with water being run around the clock. Walleyes are being
caught early and late at night with most being caught with a slow
retrieve technique. GOD Bless and take a child with you next time!!
05-03-09
Rain,rain,rain and more rain is the word for the last ten days! The lake
is now 6.5 feet above normal and still rising.The temperature has
actually fallen since friday by about four degress to rest at 58
degrees. The fish are getting ready to spawn and the hot baits have been
rogues, gitzits, and lizards. The River has been red-hot with eggs, corn
,worms, and sculpins all working well. Hot flies are still scuds and
sanjuan worms. GOD Bless and good luck fishing Hotdawg!!
03/30/2009
Well folks we have had some rain this past week and the lake is
back up about one foot above normal. Generation on the White has been
high with four to eight generators daily. Hot baits are scuylpins,
redworms, shad and corn. Lots of browns in the 18 inch to 23 inch range
being caught. Hot flies are zebra midge and san-juan worms. The lake is
getting better with crappie, bass, and a few walleyes being caught on
minnows, crankbaits and hula grubs. Norfork has been real good with
crappie ,stripers and bass all being caught. Have fun and GOD Bless
Hotdawg!!
03/21/2009
The river is red hot right now with lots of browns being caught
and the numbers of rainbows being caught is incredible. I have had eight
legal browns caught so far this year with a 29 inch 10.5 pound brown the
largest. With the new length limit it is going to be hard to catch many
keepers this year but in the next two or three years it will be some of
the best fishing ever on the White. All the fish were caught photo's
taken and released alive. The best baits are shad and sculpins. The lake
is steadily getting better with crappie, white bass, and kentuckies, and
largemouths being caught. Minnows, rapala's ,rogues ,and crankbaits the
best baits. Good luck and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
03/16/2009
The White has been hot! The White River is fishing very well. I
have had six customers catch a legal brown this year with the largest
this Saturday at 29 inches and a weight of 9.11 pounds! It was caught on
a shad out of Sportsman hole on the White. Shad, eggs and sculpins have
been the best baits for the big ones with zebra midges, san-juan worms,
and scuds the best flies. The Sowbug round-up is all this week so enjoy
and be careful. Both lakes are starting to fish well with crappies, and
bass starting to bite well on minnows, crankbaits and plastics all
working what ever is your favorite. GOD Bless and take a child with you
and make a fishing partner for Life !! Hotdawg!!
01-10-2009
The story this week is WIND,WIND, WIND!!All this week we have been
having 15 to 30 mile an hour winds from the south and even higher gusts.
The river fished real well with shad and egg patterns the big producers.
The river was low Saturday and Sunday with great numbers and some big
browns being caught on shad. The lake cooled back to 45-48 degrees on
Wednesday I fished and caught several bass and white bass on hula grubs
and lucky crafts. The warm weather all weekend and wind should really
jump the temps in the backs of the creeks with the white bass and
walleye sure to follow. GOD Bless and take a child fishing
Hotdawg!
01/01/2009
Well folks its been a while since I last reported as you might
have seen we had a terrible ice storm and have been very busy with storm
damage cleanup and fishing. The lake actually has been fishing quite
well despite a surface temp in 45-49 degree range. The walleye are
spawning and not biting well though I managed to catch some last week
all on jigs. The bass are being caught on soft plastic and stick-baits
with half ounce jigs working well too! Now for the White... SHAD KILL
SHADKILL SHADKILL< this is the biggest shad kill in about 10 years at
least. The shad are all the way to Cotter and below . The upper river is
fishing well early then you have to go down the river and get where the
shad are thinner. Any bait that imitates a shad is working and the fish
are really growing. The generation has been heavy with 8 generators 24
hour operation schedule. The fishing is going to be red-hot on the lake
this spring so book early and have a great day, GOD Bless
Hotdawg!!
01/18/2009
Well good news folks, with the cold weather the SHAD have
started coming through the dam when they are generating. The river is
fishing very well with egg patterns working well and shad patterns. Live
shad is working along with white jigs and rapala countdowns. The lake is
currently two feet below normal power pool and is slow with some fish
being caught on spinner-baits and football jigs on the steeper banks.
Good luck and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
12/11/2008
Well folks finally back in town from my annual deer hunting
trips. What a great year for deer hunting. Two Pope and Young deer and
the biggest deer I have ever harvested in Arkansas 218 pound field
dressed!! Well finally the lake level is back to normal and they are
starting to shut the water level off for some good wading opportunities.
I fished last Saturday with a great day of bait fishing with numerous
rainbows and a few browns caught all on power-bait and corn. The local
fly fishers are doing well on y2k's and any egg pattern flies. The lake
is producing some fish on spinner-baits and crank baits in the backs of
the creeks. Good luck and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
11/03/2008
Well folks the lake is steady dropping and now is only 16 feet
above normal. The fish are moving into the backs of the creek arms
chasing shad. The lake is beginning its fall rollover and is going to
get better in the next few weeks. The river is still fishing well below
White hole due to the low oxygen content on the upper end. When the lake
gets done turning over the bite will get better. Same baits as last week
are working. As most of you know I am leaving on my annual Deer hunting
trips to other states so The report will be absent for about two weeks
while I am away. Good luck and GOD Bless ! Hotdawg!
10/26/2008
Well folks the lake is steadily falling and is now at 674.62
which is now 20 feet above normal pool. I have been out a lot lately and
have been catching lots of fish in the 20 to 28 feet of water on
night-crawlers and crawdads. Some surface activity is also going on with
a lot of small fish being caught on white roadrunners and spinnerbaits.
The river is still fishing great below White hole all the way to Norfork
river with redworms and corn best baits and san-juan worms and sowbugs
the best flies. Good luck and GOD Bless Hotdawg!!
10/12/2008
The white river is experiencing dissolved oxygen problems and
the fishing has slowed down somewhat above the white hole to the dam.
The fishing is still excellent below all the way to the mouth of the
Buffalo. Best baits are red worms and shrimp or crawdads. Hot flies are
san-juan worms and sowbugs. The lake is starting to get better with fish
holding in 25-30 feet of water. Best baits are night crawlers and
crawdads with spinner-baits and flukes also working. The lake level is
680.15 or 26 feet above normal Good luck and GOD Bless
Hotdawg!!
10/06/2008
Well folks the lake is once again coming down and the catching
is slowly starting to improve best baits are nightcrawlers, crawdads,
and spoons fished in 24 to 34 feet of water. Early and late in the day
is best the lake level is 683.17 or 29 feet above normal the White River
is still red hot for catching with the same baits as last week working
well. GOD Bless and Great fishing Hotdawg!
09/28/2008
Well everyone the lake is finally starting to fall. As of this
evening the lake is at 685.83 which is 31.85 feet above normal. They are
running at least 7 generators around the clock now. The fishing is still
fantastic on the White with red worms, sculpins, corn and eggs all
working well. The lake is still kind of hit or miss I fished it two days
last week with one day catching lots of short fish and the next nothing
but keepers. We were using spoons and night crawler both days with each
catching about half the fish. The magic depth seems to be 30 - 36 feet
down on main lake points. The reports from Norfork is that most fish are
at 75-80 feet deep. Well good luck and GOD Bless
Hotdawg!!
09/21/2008
Well folks the lake is back on the rise again! We got about 6
inches of rain from Hurricane Ike and extreme wind with lots of power
outages. The lake is back up to 685.46 which is 31.5 feet above normal!!
It has never been this high this long or late in the year ever!! The
white river fishing is excellent with seven generators around the clock.
Red worms, sculpin, eggs being the best baits. Hot flies are san-juan
worms and scud patterns. Lake fishing is starting to pick up with spoons
night crawlers and crawdads in 24-28 feet of water the best. GOD Bless
and good fishing Hotdawg!!
08/24/2008
Well folks the lakes are finally starting to come down. Bull
Shoals is at 682.44 and dropping about 4 inches a day. The river fishing
is still great with the high water. Same baits are working good, worms,
egg patterns and sculpins . Fly fisherman are using san juan worms,
streamers and egg patterns. Lake fishing is slow with most of the fish
being caught 35 to 45 feet deep. Good luck and GOD Bless.
Hotdawg!
08/18/2008
Well folks another rain event 5 inches but the lake held steady
at 654.28 feet above sea-level so we are at 30.3 feet above normal. The
river is still generating at all eight units. Same baits and flies are
working lake fishing is slow. GOD Bless and good luck fishing.
08/10/2008
Well folks more rain in the area but the lake level is holding
steady at 32 feet above power pool. The fishing has been excellent on
the white with worms the hot bait and san-juan worms the hot flies. Lake
fishing has slowed with the hot weather and is real deep at about thirty
to 50 feet. Stripers are being caught on Norfork at these depths
trolling down-riggers and spooning. GOD Bless and good fishing
Hotdawg!!
08/01/2008
Jim Hilton -right- recently caught this 15-pound, 3 ounce brown
trout while fishing on the White River with Tim Curtis. The fish was
released back into the river.
07/28/2008
Well folks good news the lake is finally coming down. We are at
688.70. Norfork is at 573.28.They are bringing the lake down about a
third of a foot a day now. Might be back to normal by October. The river
is still red hot for bait and fly fishing with the fish eating uo red
worms and san-juan worm the best. Sculpins and shad have been catching
some big browns also. The lake fish are starting to go deeper with
surface temps in the high eighty degree range.I have been catching some
yellow perch on night crawlers. Spooning and drop-shot for bass is the
best on the bluff ends. GOD Bless and good fishing
Hotdawg!
07/20/2008
Hey everybody the lake is finally starting to come down!!Lake
level is at 690.38 with eight units in operation around the clock! I
guided on the lake on Saturday and we caught three yellow perch! The
first time in years. They used to be common twenty to thirty years ago.
Great eating! The river is still fishing great with numerous large
browns and even a 13.3 pound rainbow was caught by guide Rick O'Neil.
Worms and eggs sculpins and shad are best baits and sanjuan worms
midges, and woolly buggers for flies. Great fishing and GOD Bless,
Hotdawg!!
06/08/2008
Well folks the fishing is doing just great on the white and the
lakes are also starting to heat up!! The best baits on the white are RED
WORMS, sculpins and eggs. The bets flies are bright san-juan worms and
egg patterns. The lakes are starting to produce well on gitzits, rogues
and live nightcrawlers and shad. Be safe and GOD Bless
Hotdawg!
05/18/2008
Well good news for a change!! The fishing on the White river and Norfork
is HOT!! Lots of large browns and healthy rainbows are being caught,
mostly on red worms and shad. My customers have been getting
a lot of browns in the three to five pound category with two fish in the
last week of 29 inches 9 pound range and my second customer fish this
year over thirty inches of a 30.5 inch brown 12+ pounds
all released.
The lake is also heating up with the smallmouths and walleyes starting
to bite on gitzits and rogues. Hot flies are san-juan worms and egg
patterns. Be careful of the ticks this year as lyme disease is being
reported in the area. GOD Bless Hotdawg!
05/04/2008
Well folks they finally shut down the flood gates at Bull
Shoals and at Norfork. Lake level at Bull Shoals is 693.65 and 598.75 at
Norfork. I fished Bull Shoal 5 days last week and did great two days and
not very good the last three. We had two nights in the high thirty
degree range and that really lowered the water temp. The highest I could
find on Saturday was 61.4 degrees. We caught almost all our fish on
Rogues and Lucky Craft stick baits throwing at the tree lines where the
wind was blowing. The White river and Norfork are fishing extremely well
despite the high water. The bait of choice is REDWORMS. Fly fishers are
using lots of different colored San-Juan worms. Remember be safe on the
high water and make sure your motor will always start and wear a life
jacket just to be safe. GOD Bless Hotdawg
Curtis!
04/08/2008
Well folks the lakes of Beaver, Table Rock, Taneycome, and
Norfork are all at record levels. Bull shoals today is at 686.86 feet
above sea-level and that is 32 feet above normal!! The forecast is for
more rain today, tomorrow and Thursday. The river is still fishing well
with only two units running around the clock. Soon they will pull the
cork out of the dam and will start to dump massive amounts water .Be
safe and GOD Bless. Hotdawg!!
03/23/2008
Well folks, sorry I missed last week. The word now is be
careful what ask for! We have had an unbelievable amount of RAIN!!! In
just two days we had 12.5 inches of rain The lower White is way above
flood stage. The old-timers say it is record level flooding. The lake
has risen to 16 FEET above power pool and is expected to crest at 21
feet above normal, that is with no more rain. The upper white is fishing
well above cotter. Worms, shad, and power-bait is the best baits. San
Jaun worms, olive-wooly buggers and midges on flies. They are now
running two units around the clock. Soon we will be back to 8 units so
be CAREFUL!! The lake is starting to produce white bass and walleye in
the back of the creeks we are still about two weeks out for some good
action. Lots of debris in the lakes and rivers so watch out and SLOW
DOWN. Wear your life jackets and check all your safety equipment. GOD
Bless and good luck Hotdawg Curtis!
03/10/2008
Well folks the report for the weather is about the same. rain,
sleet, SNOW, and then a day of 60 degree and sun. The fishing on the
river has been excellent though! Their has been small amounts of shad
coming through with about 6 units of generation in operation. The best
fishing though is to get ahead of the big water and ride the rise using
artificial bait and river minnows. Robbie Dodson of Harrison won the FLW
tournament on Norfork Lake with a three day total of 28 pounds 9 ounces.
Preston Havens of Mt. Home was second Congratulations Guys!! Bull Shoals
has cooled again to 43 degrees on the surface and the bite is awful
slow. We had six inches of snow and that didn't help. Well enjoy the
coming warm trend and GOD Bless HotDawg!!
03/04/2008
Well Folks the weather pattern has been holding at CRAZY for
the past month. As I sit here it is now snowing after being 70 degrees
on Saturday and Sunday. The fishing on the White is very very good right
now. There has been some small amounts of shad coming through the dam
and that is triggering some good action in the catch and release area of
the river. Also, minnows are working well on low water. The lake has
risen almost 5 feet to 658.78 feet above sea-level. That is 4 feet above
power-pool and their is still more run-off to come. That is great for
both the river and lake. The lake fishing on Bull Shoals is still hit
and miss. Norfork is starting to turn on so that means that we are about
three to four weeks away. Well good fishing and GOD Bless
Hotdawg!!!
02/25/2008
Well folks we have had the same weather pattern going now for
the last month. In any given week we will have rain, sleet, snow, ice,
sun, and thundershowers! The lake has rose by about three feet to rest
at 654.07.Generation has been extremely high with most days 6-7
generators running. The fishing has been fantastic on the river in spite
of the weather and the water conditions. I guided all last week and the
size and numbers in my boat were great!! I had several browns from 3-5
pounds and some rainbows in the 2-3 pound category. The catch and
release area at the dam is fishing particularly well, with shad
imitation working the best! The tournament guys on the lake are
reporting that they are catching walleye way up the lake on stickbaits
in 8-10 feet of water. That usually means that the bite on the lower-end
of the lake is about three weeks off. Well good luck fishing and GOD
Bless Hotdawg!
02/18/2008
Well folks we have a pattern on our weather it could only be
classified in one word CRAZY!! Once again record warmth then severe
storms followed by bitter cold sleet hail heavy rain and high winds. The
fishing has been excellent on the river and the tournament guys have
been doing well on the area lakes. The trout have just about stopped
spawning and are starting to put on the feed bag. The lake has risen to
642.25 feet above sea-level and is still rising. We could use a lot more
rain without the storms and cold. You all may have heard about the
devastating and deadly tornado that struck Gassville AR. Pray for
everyone and their families in their time of need. GOD Bless and great
catching to you all Tim Hotdawg Curtis!
02/04/2008
CRAZY,CRAZY,CRAZY that is the kind of weather we are having!
Six inches of snow on Wed. & Thurs. cold with highs around 20 degrees
and now on Monday morning the low last night was only 59 degrees! The
high for today is going to be in the low 70's!! Fishing on the white has
been excellent! I guided on the opening day of the catch and release
area up by the dam and tore them up on egg-pattern flies and steamers!
Also did extremely well all the way to white hole! The lake is the same
temperature from 0 to 68 feet so the fish could be anywhere. Your best
bet for catching is the White or Norfork. Have a great week GOD Bless,
Hotdawg!!
01/27/2008
Whew!! The deep freeze is finally ending!! Well all week the
temps have stayed below thirty-five for the highs with the lows anywhere
from 20 to 8 degrees with wind chills well below zero on a few days!!
Lake level at Bull shoals is now 652.01 still 2 feet below power-pool.
Lake Norfork is at 547.55. Generation at Bull Shoals has been one to
four generators with some water running for a little while each day.
Same patterns for fly fishing are working with wooly-bugger, San-juan
worm, and scud-imitations. Bait is sculpins, eggs, worms, and
power-bait. We need more rain!! Lake fishing is slow, slow, slow. Most
fish are deep and very sluggish, spooning off the points in 50-60 feet
of water is catching a few. It's the time of year where the fishing is
great on the lake but the catching is slow!! The fish on the river are
still biting well. God bless and remember take a child fishing you won't
regret it!! Hotdawg Curtis!
01/20/2008
Well folks we are back in the DEEP FREEZE again!! The temperature in the
last few days hasn't made it above thirty degrees for the highs with the
lows at night in the low teens to last night 11 degrees with even lower
wind chills! I took a friend out for a few hours on wed. before the bad
cold hit, we caught some nice trout and enjoyed the sunshine. The lake
level at Bull Shoals is 651.75 feet above sea-level with some generation
everyday but not usually all day. River is fishing well with bait with
salmon eggs and roe doing the best! Scud imitations and wolly-buggers
the best fly's. The lakes are in the winter time patterns with most fish
going deep and the bite being almost nonexistent. So if you want to
catch some fish go to the river for trout. I am putting on a walleye
seminar at the walleye club meeting on the regular meeting Tuesday night
January at the Eastside Baptist Church in Mt. Home Ar. I if you would
like to talk or learn something about the way I catch lot's of walleye
on the big Bull come see me on tues. at 7:00p.m. GOD Bless
Hotdawg!!
01/13/2008
Well talk about crazy weather we have had it! Record warmth,
tornadoes, high winds, hail, rain, and now back cold again. The lake is
in its winter patterns the winter bass-a-thon was won slow rolling
spinnerbaits in 15-25 feet of water. The white is fishing excellent for
numbers of trout with the big ones being kinda finicky but still biting
sculpins fairly well. Fly fishing at wildcat and rim shoals is very
good. Have a great day and GOD Bless, Hotdawg!
12/30/2007
Bull Shoals Lake level is at 650.58 to rest at 3.5 feet below power
pool. Table Rock is 4.6 below pool, Norfork is 4.8 feet below pool,
and Beaver is 7 feet below pool. We need some RAIN! I guided on the
White Saturday and had a great day despite the low low low water level.
The dam has been shut down for Six Days Straight creating some great
wading opportunities but tough boating! Mike Worley of Flippin landed a
monster striper on Bull Shoals of 39 Pounds. His partner also caught one
too! He was using a 5 inch Rainbow trout stickbait at night! Bill Funk
of Lakeview caught a 3.9 pound smallmouth using plum gitzit. Fly
fisherman have been having excellent wading all up and down the White
and Norfork, nymphs in zebra, y2k's, egg patterns have been best also
sculpin imitations, olive wooly-buggers. Best baits have been salmon
eggs, sculpins, crawdad tails, and the old stand-by corn. Remember take
a kid fishing it will make him or her smile and you too!! GOD Bless and
Happy New Year from the Fish Acquisition Specialist Tim
Hotdawg Curtis!!
12/19/2007
12/13/2007
The weather for the past three days has been rain with very cool temperatures in the low 40's to high 30's at night. The lake temperature has really dropped with all the cold water runoff into the lake. Surface temperatures are 50-52 degrees in the backs of the creeks to the high 40's on the main lake. All fish on the lake are in their winter time patterns. The lake has rose almost two feet to 649.77 feet above sea-level. It is still about four feet below power-pool but coming up. The forecast is for more rain and on Saturday and Sunday possibly three to six inches of SNOW!!! The White River at this time is running four generators of water. It has been a long time since they have run this much water, but it will help the brown trout spawn. The best fly patterns have been zebra-midge, olive wooly-bugger, san-juan worm, and sculpin imitation. Hot baits have been salmon eggs, shrimp, sculpins, slick minnows. Remember to dress warm and to tell someone where you are going and what time you plan on returning, and watch for rising water levels as the corps could get very unpredictable with generation. Have a great day and take a kid with you!! GOD Bless, Hotdawg Curtis
12/02/2007
Hello, Bull shoals lake level is 648.44 feet above sea- level which puts the lake 6.5 feet below power pool all the lakes Bull Shoals, Beaver, Taneycomo, and Table Rock are below their respective power pools which is where the corps likes to keep them. This is a little low for this time of year. Today Dec2 we have had rain off and on all day with at least 1 inch here in Bull Shoals. Water temp on the surface of the lake is about 55 degrees . As of 2:45 p.m. though we have had almost a 20 degree temperature drop. The lake has been slow with most of the fish in their winter time patterns more on the lake next week. The White river and Norfork have been experiencing lots of low water conditions with little or no generation. Fly-fishing patterns have been the zebra midge, [particularly black with silver wire and silver bead] sowbugs, scuds, San Juan worms, and y2k's. Best baits have been salmon roe, worms, crawdad tails, shrimp, and sculpins. With little generation the only way to fish artificial is jigs in green or brown. The Norfork has been experiencing low oxygen content so be careful to not stress the fish by fighting it to long before releasing it.
Remember to take a kid fishing if you can and get them hooked on fishun not on DRUGS!! Thanks and GOD Bless, Hotdawg {The fish acquisition specialist}
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