Big browns await hearty winter anglers on the White River

Cold weather can’t stop fishing from heating up across Arkansas

By Jim Harris

Arkansas Wildlife Editor

Dennis Jaynes shared with us the photo on the right of his wife, Regina Jaynes, and the incredible brown trout she caught a couple of weeks ago before the snow rolled in on the White River. The fish was 29 inches long and weighed 13 pounds. 'Thanks AGFC for providing such awesome fisheries in our state,' Dennis added in his email to the Fishing Report. We note from the photo that Regina, like many anglers fishing the trout waters in north Arkansas recently, had to dress warmly. Our friends at Cotter Trout Dock concur with that assessment, that 'staying warm makes fishing more fun, so dress for the weather and enjoy our Natural State.' We're still not even out of January yet, but warmer days are coming.

The White River below Bull Shoals Dam had had some generation of late, but Cotter Trout Dock's suggestion for those looking for low water is to schedule your river time for early morning hours and wiggle a quarter-ounce spinner with a white tail and a gold or bronze blade mid-depth to just below the surface. Lately the water begins to rise at Cotter about 11 a.m. In peak water, try angling a 4- to 5inch jerkbait (best bet: a white-bellied lure with blue, black or midnight blue/black) for trout.

Also worth noting: The catchand- release section of the White River below Bull Shoals will be open again to brown trout fishing beginning Thursday, Feb. 1. That segment has been closed since November for the brown trout's annual spawn.

See FISH, page A9 FISH

From page A8

Check out what our reporters in the trout waters, as well as our sources who are hooking nice crappie and bass these days, have to say in this week's reports.

North Arkansas Fishing Report

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— Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said Bull Shoals Lake elevation has raised one foot to 659.59 feet msl over the last few days due to an inch of rain received Tuesday. The water level is still very near the power pool target but generation has been as high as 19,000 cfs at times. If you're looking to fish low water, schedule your river time for early morning hours and wiggle a quarter-ounce spinner with a white tail and gold or bronze blade mid-depth to just below topwater. As the water rises (around 11 a.m. in the Cotter area), move to a red wiggler worm or nightcrawler for the next hour or two.

Then, when the water reaches its peak, try angling a 4- to 5inch jerkbait. Best bet right now is a white-bellied lure with a blue, black or midnight blue back. The bank anglers continue to have a great catch of rainbows with the shrimp/egg pattern combination, so if it's action you crave, stock up on shrimp.

Again, white would be our first choice for the egg pattern (PowerBait or XFactor), but yellow, orange or the sunrise color are good choices, too.

Winter weather prevails with morning lows averaging about 30 degrees and highs in the mid-40'. Staying warm makes fishing more fun, so dress for the weather and enjoy our Natural State.

John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service says, “We finally have reliable low water and I have waded on both the White and North Fork rivers in the last few weeks. I have even had wade guide trips.

While I love wade fishing, I am always aware that it is inherently dangerous. I do my best to make it as safe as possible. Dead clients don’t tip!

“The most important consideration is information. I have written about reliable generation predictions for the last couple of weeks. While I have to rely to a certain extent on predictions, I always observe water conditions carefully, whenever I am on the river. I always choose a rock that is just out of the water to observe frequently to see if there is rising water (a $100 bill placed on top of the rock will sharpen your power of observation). If you see trash in the water, hear a different sound of the water or feel the water rising, check your rock. If the water is coming up, get out, preferably on the side of the river that your car is parked on. I try to leave the water before it is scheduled to rise. It is easier to walk out on low water.

Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) reported that anglers are catching a lot of rainbows now. Those driftfishing were catching them on little frozen shrimp, Power Eggs and Power Worms. The water is starting to come down a little bit every so often. Brown trout are starting to pick up after the spawn, but nothing trophy-size has been hooked. Browns are biting mainly on stick bait. The clarity is clear, the river level is high and eight generators are turning at the dam. Overall fishing outlook: good.

• Bull Shoals Lake — Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock says the baitfish are on the move again in the creeks and main lake pockets.

Spend your idle time on the graph looking for loons and video gaming, and that will pay off. Fish 50-80 feet in the guts. Most of the shad are suspended over the old creek channels. A Rapala Ice Rig or a Jewell Spoon is useful if it’s windy. Use a Damiki dropshot or McMinnow if it’s flat.

Go powerfishing shallow if there’s wind, cloud, bushes/snags with deeper water close and shad. Rock Crawler, Wiggle

• Norfork Lake — Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort had no report.

Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters had no report. Look for new reports in March.

John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870435-2169) said Norfork Lake rose 0.1 foot to rest at 0.1 foot below seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet msland 26.3 feet below the top of flood pool.

The Norfork is fishing well on the wadable flows. Navigate this stream with caution as things have changed a bit during the flooding over the past two years. There has been major gravel recruitment at the bottom of Mill Pond and the dock hole. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns (sizes 18, 20, 22) like ruby midges, root beer midges, zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles (sizes 14, 16) like the Green Butt. Egg patterns have also been productive. Doublefly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a pheasant tail size 14 with a root beer midge dropper. John says, “My wife, Lori, did well with an olive woolly Bugger. The fishing is better in the morning.”

• Norfork Tailwater — Dry Run Creek is fishing well.

There is less pressure with the colder weather. The Norfork National Fish Hatchery is open but the restrooms are still closed. The hot flies have been sowbugs, Y2Ks various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise), mop flies and egg patterns.

Remember that the White and North Fork rivers and Dry Run Creek are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water.