Bull Shoals 1st week in April

[jcass]

I'll be coming down to Bull Shoals 1st week in April to fish a walleye tournament and plan on fishing some evenings for crappie. I am familiar with the big brush piles there and have the Hot Spots maps for the lakes.
I will be fishing mostly the lower part of the lake. Can anyone offer some advice as to what baits, techniques, etc to use that time of the year?
THanks.

[Jason Piper]

I'll be coming down to Bull Shoals 1st week in April to fish a walleye tournament and plan on fishing some evenings for crappie. I am familiar with the big brush piles there and have the Hot Spots maps for the lakes.
I will be fishing mostly the lower part of the lake. Can anyone offer some advice as to what baits, techniques, etc to use that time of the year?
THanks.

Try contacting Duane in the missouri threads. He has fished Bull Shoals often and should be able to help you!

[duane]

I'll be coming down to Bull Shoals 1st week in April to fish a walleye tournament and plan on fishing some evenings for crappie. I am familiar with the big brush piles there and have the Hot Spots maps for the lakes.
I will be fishing mostly the lower part of the lake. Can anyone offer some advice as to what baits, techniques, etc to use that time of the year?
THanks.

what area will you be fishing from? I looked up that walleye tournament and you will be fishing from Bull Shoals Boat Dock near the dam. That will be a good time for Crappie but mostly the upper ends of the lake in Missouri rather than near the dam in Ark. I would say if your going to be around Oakland area I would choose the Saddle area and your larger creeks like Gulley Spring Creek. From what I understand Gulley Spring Creek is a great spring time crappie area but never have fished it myself.

[jcass]

Duane:
THanks for the info. I was actually up there last April in that exact spot(water was low) and caught some walleye and bass trolling cranks. I saw all the brushpile markers (and on sonar) and saw several boats that I assumed were crappie fishing. That's an easy area for me to get to in my smaller boat - from Bull Shoals Dock. (16 foot w/75 horse)
Do you generally sit over the brush piles and drop a jig down into them? Tip them with minnow or other bait? Troll over tops of them?
I fished the saddle some in June for walleye but they were all 'spooked' out due to heavey tournament fishing. Is the saddle and area that they spawn or just hang out?
The water was clear when I was there in April - when I came back in June it was higher and somewhat murky. Is that normal?
THanks again.
Jerry

[duane]

Duane:
THanks for the info. I was actually up there last April in that exact spot(water was low) and caught some walleye and bass trolling cranks. I saw all the brushpile markers (and on sonar) and saw several boats that I assumed were crappie fishing. That's an easy area for me to get to in my smaller boat - from Bull Shoals Dock. (16 foot w/75 horse)
Do you generally sit over the brush piles and drop a jig down into them? Tip them with minnow or other bait? Troll over tops of them?
I fished the saddle some in June for walleye but they were all 'spooked' out due to heavey tournament fishing. Is the saddle and area that they spawn or just hang out?
The water was clear when I was there in April - when I came back in June it was higher and somewhat murky. Is that normal?
THanks again.
Jerry

Jerry this lake is normally clear, some of the larger creeks and spring arms may get murky. In the spring I would look to the shallower water and the humps like the saddle. Find 62 degree water and the crappie will be on the bank. I would use roadrunner type jigs for casting to the bank and trail the boat with rig with a slip bobber and minnow. From what I read that will be a big tournament with a big field of fishermen. I fish north of there up the Little Norfork arm out of Pontiac, MO. I am starting to go up the White River arm, way up river crappie fishing seem to be better there.