new to bull shoals

[wildmanII]

Planning a trip around mid march any ideas on what to start with and at what depths. I know the weather plays a big part but i've never been there any help would be appreciated.

[Fishes in trees]

I think Bull Shoals Lake is maybe the prettiest lake in the Ozark region.  The vast majority of the lake has no shoreline development.  Most of the time the water is very clear (20'+ visibility)  With spring rains, it can get a little murky.    Mid-March, it is pretty likely that different things will be happening on different parts of the lake.

Get some maps.  Bull Shoals lake is huge.  Lots of times it is foggy and the wind can make it interesting.  With spring rains, it can get 15 to 20 feet above normal pool.  Most of your navigation landmarks, distinctive rocks, mile markers and islands, vanish at that point.

What part of the lake do you plan to fish?  Where do you plan to stay?  I've only stayed at a few places.   I've stayed at Bel Arco - which I found to be very average.  I stayed at Mar Mar once, much closer to the Bull Shoals Boat dock and has a very neat little tackle store.   On the other end of the town there is Pine Lodge, a remodeled old school motel.  Every room is different.   The woman who ran the place would take cash or a check but wouldn't take a credit card.  There were only 12 or so rooms, so you got to know the other fishermen staying there. I liked that place alot.

Pine lodge is very close to a nice boat ramp close to Bull Shoals Dam.  I fished it in the spring and the fall, when it was a regular stop on the Red-man and then the BFL Ozark  division.  Then it wasn't.   BFL  Ozark Division hasn't fished Bull Shoals for a number of years.

I never did really good there, I caught some fish, but not enough size to place.   All the fish came on Brewer slider worms, 1/4 ounce slider heads and 4 lb test.  This was before I learned how to dropshot.  If I went back there now, I'd dropshot on main lake points.

To start, I'd recommend get some maps and figure out where on the lake you want to put in at.

[wildmanII]

Thanks for the info Fishes in trees.I'll be staying at Bel-Arco i think thats the name going with 2 other buddies my one buddy was in charge of reservations.

[roadwarrior]

Hotdawg updates his fishing report regularly:

http://www.hotdawgguideservice.com/

8-)

[RobE]

Planning a trip around mid march any ideas on what to start with and at what depths. I know the weather plays a big part but i've never been there any help would be appreciated.

Start with a big breakfast at Bel-Arco and get it as deep as your tummy will fill. You will want the white gravy and you dip your biscuit IN it. The Tobasco on your taters (some folks calls 'em hash browns. I calls 'em taters) is free. Right there on the table! Hmmmm.

Bull is deep, clear and, mostly void of 'cover'.

March is a hard month. Weather very unpredictable. We can swing 50 either way in 24 hrs or hold between 24 and 32 all day. That's our tornado season kicking in. We eat good, though.

If you Yankees come down, bring your walleye rigs. It's kinda wierd hooking a wally on a grape Jelly Worm but...

[wildmanII]

thanks robe. i know how to eat ,exspecially breakfast but i still dont know how to fish the bull.

[Jig Man]

Word is out that BS is hotter than a pistol right now (jerks and cranks).

[wildmanII]

I sure hope there on fire in the middle of March. How deep are they catchin em right now.