Lures of the Top 12 at Bull Shoals and Norfork

Posted on
This unique two-lake tournament was all about spawning bass. During the Bassmaster Elite at Bull Shoals/Norfork, the water surface temperature started at 59 degrees on the Sunday morning of the first practice day and ended at 71 degrees on the Sunday afternoon of the final tournament day, as measured by champion Randall Tharp from “the exact same place” in Norfork Lake. Enhancing the spawning activity was April’s full moon, which occurred on Friday. The following is a brief rundown of the baits each angler used. <p> <em>All captions: Steve Wright</em>
Photo: James Overstreet - This unique two-lake tournament was all about spawning bass. During the Bassmaster Elite at Bull Shoals/Norfork, the water surface temperature started at 59 degrees on the Sunday morning of the first practice day and ended at 71 degrees on the Sunday afternoon of the final tournament day, as measured by champion Randall Tharp from “the exact same place” in Norfork Lake. Enhancing the spawning activity was April’s full moon, which occurred on Friday. The following is a brief rundown of the baits each angler used. All captions: Steve Wright
<b>12. Koby Kreiger, 51-5</b><br> Kreiger went old school, catching a lot of his fish on a Long A Bomber, one that he’s caught so many bass on that the finish has worn down to a bone color. “Waking a Long A Bomber is a good technique when the water is still cool, about 60 degrees,” he said. “But it warmed into the 70s as the week went on.” So Kreiger switched to a Zoom Super Hog on a 1/8th-ounce weight and concentrated on bedding bass.
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 12. Koby Kreiger, 51-5 Kreiger went old school, catching a lot of his fish on a Long A Bomber, one that he’s caught so many bass on that the finish has worn down to a bone color. “Waking a Long A Bomber is a good technique when the water is still cool, about 60 degrees,” he said. “But it warmed into the 70s as the week went on.” So Kreiger switched to a Zoom Super Hog on a 1/8th-ounce weight and concentrated on bedding bass.
<b>11. Brandon Palaniuk, 51-13</b><br> Palaniuk kept it simple, fishing a 1/2-ounce Terminator jig with a Berkley Chigger Craw trailer, both in green pumpkin. He was flipping bushes in Bull Shoals. Like Mike McClelland, he found far more success on there, where he had 31-7 over two days, than at Norfork, where he totaled 20-6. “I felt like a lot of the fish I caught were spawning, and they weren’t replenishing fast enough, so I just ran new water every day,” Palaniuk said.
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 11. Brandon Palaniuk, 51-13 Palaniuk kept it simple, fishing a 1/2-ounce Terminator jig with a Berkley Chigger Craw trailer, both in green pumpkin. He was flipping bushes in Bull Shoals. Like Mike McClelland, he found far more success on there, where he had 31-7 over two days, than at Norfork, where he totaled 20-6. “I felt like a lot of the fish I caught were spawning, and they weren’t replenishing fast enough, so I just ran new water every day,” Palaniuk said.
<b>10. Brian Snowden, 52-7</b><br> On Norfork, Snowden used a Zoom Magnum Finesse work on a 1/4-ounce shaky head jig, an albino colored Zoom Fluke and a natural green crawfish Storm Wiggle Wart. At Bull Shoals, most of his weight came on a green pumpkin Zoom Z Hog while flipping bushes, but he also caught fish on a Zoom tube and a Zara Spook.
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 10. Brian Snowden, 52-7 On Norfork, Snowden used a Zoom Magnum Finesse work on a 1/4-ounce shaky head jig, an albino colored Zoom Fluke and a natural green crawfish Storm Wiggle Wart. At Bull Shoals, most of his weight came on a green pumpkin Zoom Z Hog while flipping bushes, but he also caught fish on a Zoom tube and a Zara Spook.
<b>9. Mike McClelland, 53-1</b><br> McClelland admittedly “never got dialed in” at Norfork, but he sacked ‘em in two days on Bull Shoals. He had 21-15 in two days at Norfork and 31-2 in two days at Bull Shoals, fishing way up the White River in Missouri. “I didn’t make a cast in Arkansas. I guess I was trying to get as close to Table Rock as possible,” McClelland joked, referring to the White River lake above Bull Shoals where he has won in the past. A Big Bite Baits Dean Rojas Fighting Frog was his flipping bait of choice on Bull Shoals. He used both green pumpkin and tilapia colors with the tails dipped in chartreuse Spike It. When it was slick calm the first day at Norfork, he caught fish on a Big Bite 6-inch finesse worm rigged wacky style.
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 9. Mike McClelland, 53-1 McClelland admittedly “never got dialed in” at Norfork, but he sacked ‘em in two days on Bull Shoals. He had 21-15 in two days at Norfork and 31-2 in two days at Bull Shoals, fishing way up the White River in Missouri. “I didn’t make a cast in Arkansas. I guess I was trying to get as close to Table Rock as possible,” McClelland joked, referring to the White River lake above Bull Shoals where he has won in the past. A Big Bite Baits Dean Rojas Fighting Frog was his flipping bait of choice on Bull Shoals. He used both green pumpkin and tilapia colors with the tails dipped in chartreuse Spike It. When it was slick calm the first day at Norfork, he caught fish on a Big Bite 6-inch finesse worm rigged wacky style.
<b>8. Adrian Avena, 53-9</b><br> Avena caught fish on a little bit of everything over the four days. At Bull Shoals, he drop-shotted a variety of soft plastics, including a Berkley Bottom Hopper, on spawning beds and he cast a swimbait. On Norfork, Avena caught fish on a Zorro Head Knocker buzzbait, a Berkley Bull Shad square-billed crankbait and a jerkbait. “I’m always trying to put the puzzle together as the day goes on,” said the Elite Series rookie. “I don’t consider myself good at any particular thing. I’m just a good, well-rounded angler.
Photo: James Overstreet - 8. Adrian Avena, 53-9 Avena caught fish on a little bit of everything over the four days. At Bull Shoals, he drop-shotted a variety of soft plastics, including a Berkley Bottom Hopper, on spawning beds and he cast a swimbait. On Norfork, Avena caught fish on a Zorro Head Knocker buzzbait, a Berkley Bull Shad square-billed crankbait and a jerkbait. “I’m always trying to put the puzzle together as the day goes on,” said the Elite Series rookie. “I don’t consider myself good at any particular thing. I’m just a good, well-rounded angler."
<b>7. Steve Kennedy, 55-9</b><br> Kennedy fished the two lakes differently. On Norfork, everything he weighed came on a 5/8ths-ounce D&L Advantage jig in green pumpkin or white with a soft plastic chunk trailer. On Bull Shoals, he had a 50-bass, 20-keepers day Saturday, flipping a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver on a 1/4-ounce weight and making long casts with watermelon or green pumpkin 5-inch Senkos, particularly to “point bushes.” Said Kennedy, “We don’t get up to the Great Lakes until after the spawn, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many spawning smallmouth bass.”
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 7. Steve Kennedy, 55-9 Kennedy fished the two lakes differently. On Norfork, everything he weighed came on a 5/8ths-ounce D&L Advantage jig in green pumpkin or white with a soft plastic chunk trailer. On Bull Shoals, he had a 50-bass, 20-keepers day Saturday, flipping a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver on a 1/4-ounce weight and making long casts with watermelon or green pumpkin 5-inch Senkos, particularly to “point bushes.” Said Kennedy, “We don’t get up to the Great Lakes until after the spawn, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many spawning smallmouth bass.”
<b>6. Jacob Powroznik, 56-10</b><br> Powroznik used two the same two baits on both lakes – a watermelon seed V&M Trickster worm and a white V&M J-Bug. For bass on spawning beds, he used the J-Bug with a 3/16ths-ounce Elite Tungsten weight. He rigged the Trickster both wacky style and on a 1/16ths-ounce shaky head. In the deeper areas, Powroznik put some lead wire raps on the wacky rig hook. “Depending upon the weather, I was fishing some deeper bluff banks or around shallow bushes,” he said.
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 6. Jacob Powroznik, 56-10 Powroznik used two the same two baits on both lakes – a watermelon seed V&M Trickster worm and a white V&M J-Bug. For bass on spawning beds, he used the J-Bug with a 3/16ths-ounce Elite Tungsten weight. He rigged the Trickster both wacky style and on a 1/16ths-ounce shaky head. In the deeper areas, Powroznik put some lead wire raps on the wacky rig hook. “Depending upon the weather, I was fishing some deeper bluff banks or around shallow bushes,” he said.
<b>5. Bill Lowen, 58-5</b><br> Lowen thought he caught his fish shallower than most of the other anglers, “with his trolling motor digging the mud.” He used the same two baits on both lakes ¬– a 4-inch black and blue Tightlines UV Bill Lowen tube Texas-rigged on a 3/16ths-ounce Reins Tungsten weight and a Lure Parts Online Brush Puppy 3/8ths-ounce jig with a soft plastic chunk trailer. “I concentrated on flooded brush at Bull Shoals and wood at Norfork,” Lowen said.
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 5. Bill Lowen, 58-5 Lowen thought he caught his fish shallower than most of the other anglers, “with his trolling motor digging the mud.” He used the same two baits on both lakes ¬– a 4-inch black and blue Tightlines UV Bill Lowen tube Texas-rigged on a 3/16ths-ounce Reins Tungsten weight and a Lure Parts Online Brush Puppy 3/8ths-ounce jig with a soft plastic chunk trailer. “I concentrated on flooded brush at Bull Shoals and wood at Norfork,” Lowen said.
<b>4. Matt Herren, 58-10</b><br> Like Tharp, Herren threw his signature jig on both lakes, in his case a Santone M Series 3/8ths-ounce jig in a river bream color pattern paired with a root beer colored Reaction Innovations Twerk trailer. Herren also caught some bass on both lakes with a Reaction Innovations 4.5-inch Pocket Rocket soft plastic stick bait in a “dirty wizard” color. “On a full moon the crawfish spawn too,” Herren said. “It was just a flat-out, free-for-all, eat-a-jig week.”
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 4. Matt Herren, 58-10 Like Tharp, Herren threw his signature jig on both lakes, in his case a Santone M Series 3/8ths-ounce jig in a river bream color pattern paired with a root beer colored Reaction Innovations Twerk trailer. Herren also caught some bass on both lakes with a Reaction Innovations 4.5-inch Pocket Rocket soft plastic stick bait in a “dirty wizard” color. “On a full moon the crawfish spawn too,” Herren said. “It was just a flat-out, free-for-all, eat-a-jig week.”
A closer look at Herren's baits.
Photo: Steve Wright - A closer look at Herren's baits.
<b>3. Chris Zaldain, 58-12</b><br> For Zaldain, the two lakes fished completely different. On Bull Shoals he targeted spawning bass in shallow buckbrush with a 6-inch hand-poured worm that was half purple and half brown, imitating a bluegill. He fished it on a drop shot rig with a short leader, so the bait, which floats, would stay right in front of the fish, 4 to 6 inches off the bottom. At Norfork, especially on the first day, not as much the final day, Zaldain discovered the bass would chase a lure, so he used a Megabass Magdraft 6-inch swimbait in a whiteback shad pattern. “The beauty of that swimbait is the magnet that holds that treble hook in place underneath it,” Zaldain said “The hookup ratio is awesome.”
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 3. Chris Zaldain, 58-12 For Zaldain, the two lakes fished completely different. On Bull Shoals he targeted spawning bass in shallow buckbrush with a 6-inch hand-poured worm that was half purple and half brown, imitating a bluegill. He fished it on a drop shot rig with a short leader, so the bait, which floats, would stay right in front of the fish, 4 to 6 inches off the bottom. At Norfork, especially on the first day, not as much the final day, Zaldain discovered the bass would chase a lure, so he used a Megabass Magdraft 6-inch swimbait in a whiteback shad pattern. “The beauty of that swimbait is the magnet that holds that treble hook in place underneath it,” Zaldain said “The hookup ratio is awesome.”
<b>2. Skeet Reese, 59-8</b><br> Reese vaulted from 27th place to third place on Day 3 at Bull Shoals when he caught the big bag of the tournament of 19-2. He caught 20 to 30 keepers Saturday, and all of them came while flipping a green pumpkin Berkley Havoc Pit Boss on a 1/4-ounce tungsten sinker and a 5/0 Trokar hook. At Norfork, Reese used a Lucky Craft LC 3.5 square-billed crankbait in copper green shad and a shad-colored Berkley Hollow Belly 5-inch swimbait with a 5/0 Trokar 1/4-ounce weighted swimbait hook.
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 2. Skeet Reese, 59-8 Reese vaulted from 27th place to third place on Day 3 at Bull Shoals when he caught the big bag of the tournament of 19-2. He caught 20 to 30 keepers Saturday, and all of them came while flipping a green pumpkin Berkley Havoc Pit Boss on a 1/4-ounce tungsten sinker and a 5/0 Trokar hook. At Norfork, Reese used a Lucky Craft LC 3.5 square-billed crankbait in copper green shad and a shad-colored Berkley Hollow Belly 5-inch swimbait with a 5/0 Trokar 1/4-ounce weighted swimbait hook.
<b>1. Randall Tharp, 61-10 </b><br> He was essentially a one-lure angler, varying only the weight of his 4x4 Randall Tharp Signature Series jig between a half-ounce and 5/8ths. Tharp used a golden craw color pattern in the jig and trailed it with a green pumpkin Zoom Big Salty Chunk. The heavier jig was important the last two days, after Tharp realized the fish wanted something with a faster fall-rate. “I caught everything in 5 feet or less,” he said. “Generally the bigger ones were dirt shallow.”
Photo: Garrick Dixon - 1. Randall Tharp, 61-10 He was essentially a one-lure angler, varying only the weight of his 4x4 Randall Tharp Signature Series jig between a half-ounce and 5/8ths. Tharp used a golden craw color pattern in the jig and trailed it with a green pumpkin Zoom Big Salty Chunk. The heavier jig was important the last two days, after Tharp realized the fish wanted something with a faster fall-rate. “I caught everything in 5 feet or less,” he said. “Generally the bigger ones were dirt shallow.”