29 May 2007
Spearfishing at Bull Shoals lake in Arkansas
Posted by Darrell under: SPEARFISH HUNTING!; Arkansas .
On June 16, just one week after my return from Alaska (hopefully with a bear), I will be travelling to Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas for a day of spearfishing. I’m stoked.
I love to fish and I love to hunt. There is nothing quite like hunting fish with a spear gun on their turf.
When I first got certified for scuba, I never even considered spear fishing - to be honest I didn’t really know anything about it. Fortuneately, I have some friends that are old pros at it and they quickly got me involved. Now, I really look forward to it. In fact, I’m perfectly able to think about spearfishing (and search the net for information about it) on day 3 of my Alaska hunting and fishing trip.
I can’t find a lot about spearfishing on the Internet, especially in blogs. I did find a pretty good post by Michael Miller on his blogspot ScubaTeacher blog about finding fish while spearfishing. Even though his post is about salt water hunting, there are several helpful and applicable points - one being that to be successful you need to know the area you are hunting.
This set me to thinking “Wonder if there are any spearfishing guides on Bull Shoals?”. It would be AWESOME to go spearfishing with someone that really knew the lake and where the big fish are and well worth paying for. Maybe someone could quit there lousy job and start a business doing something they truly love - fishing with a gun?
7 Comments so far...
Derick Says:
1 June 2007 at 4:55 pm.
I’d never have thought to spearfish Bull Shoals. I always think of salt water fishing when spears are involved. I wonder how the visibility is in the lake and how much of an impact that’s going to have on your hunt? Will you be able to see fish from far enough away to get them without scaring them off?
Daniel Says:
6 June 2007 at 7:43 pm.
My buddies and i are also planning a trip to bull shoals for a spearfishing trip. ive been in southeast LA, but never where you have visability….I actually was looking for a guid service and came across this site (btw…no guide services to be found). anybody got advice? tips? contacts to seek out?
Darrell Says:
7 June 2007 at 12:33 am.
Derick: Visibility is generally pretty good at Bull Shoals. It is often even better at Beaver Lake, but Beaver is always booked way in advance (no boats or cabins to rent). Yes, you can see them and shoot them without scaring them off. You just don’t make sudden movements.
Daniel: There are no guide services that I’m aware of. You should contact the Bull Shoals Boat Dock as they have a full scuba shop and are knowledgeable about spearfishing the area. Their website is http://www.bullshoalslakeboatdock.com/
Good luck with your trip! Bull Shoals is a great spot for spear fishing. A lot of catfish can be found in brush piles and the piles are marked on shore by the corp.
Howard Says:
9 July 2008 at 8:40 pm.
Darrell
Your trip to Bull Shoals sounds great. I will be diving the lake next week and am looking for some advice on spearing some large fish. I have heard that one of the best techniques is to look for catfish tracks in the bottom and following them to the fish. Do you agree with this technique? Another way to get a lunker is supposedly to dive to the thermocline and try and find ledges that are about the same depth. Does this sound right to you. I have also heard the best spear fishing is in about 40 feet of water. What did you find to be most successful.
Howard
Darrell Says:
10 July 2008 at 10:32 am.
Howard, I’ve never followed a track to a fish. Interesting idea. Every big cat I’ve ever seen is securely lodged in or under a big tree or ledge. A lot of cats seem to like the muck zone around the thermocline. Unfortunately, this is also where the water clarity is worse and it is hard to see them. Recently, though, they’ve been in shallower water 10-20 feet. 40 feet is great for walleye and stripers but is below thermocline and too deep for cats. If you can find brush on points at 40 to 50 feet and just position yourself (like deer hunting in a tree stand), you should have some big walleyes swim by and above you. Good luck!
Howard Says:
10 July 2008 at 12:06 pm.
Darrell
Thanks this sounds great. so we will position our boat in a empty cove and dive around the inner aspect of the cove at about 20 to 30 feet looking for logs and any structure (like a shelf or large submerged rock) . Once we get toward the outer aspect of the cove toward the main lake, we will head a little deeper (40 to 50 feet) and try and find a brush pile where we can position ourselves and ambush any walleye or stripers that happen by.
any other suggestions would be great. Daniel and Derick, do you have any other ideas that will make this more fun and productive???
Howard
Darrell Says:
10 July 2008 at 1:27 pm.
Sounds about right Howard. However, I’d concentrate on 10-20 feet in the coves. Most of the catfish we are finding are above the thermocline and definitely in structure. Flathead season opens the 15th!!! We find lots of flatheads in brush piles (12-18′) and logs and stumps. They blend in well! If you’ve never been before, you might pass several before you start seeing them. They have some of nature’s best camo. Watch for any movement. What you might have thought was a sunfish from a distance might just turn out to be a fin or tail barely moving.
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