The largemouth have shown up, which means that guys are starting to build some weight.
Our Marshal photos show us several 2- to 3-pound largemouth, which means the likelihood of stringers getting into the teens is strong.
All of that is expected. But it's my guess that there are some things not so expected taking place. Bull Shoals coming up 2-feet is significant. It takes a lot of rain to get this lake pushing up. We didn't get that much rain yesterday, so it's likely the rise in level has thrown a curve ball to some and been an answer to prayers for others.
The other big surprise, though, is the lack of color of the water. Anywhere else in the country and 2-feet rise and even the rain we had yesterday would have produced some dingy, if not muddy, water in parts of a lake.
But that's not the way it works up here. Bull Shoals is the bottom link to a chain of lakes that start with Beaver, then to Table Rock, then into Tanneycomo and finally to Bull Shoals. All of those lakes saw an influx of water yesterday with the big storm that pushed across the country and it's likely each of them is dumping water to make up for the other's excess water. All of that comes at the hands of the Corps of Engineers. They are likely bent on making sure the flooding in parts of the midwest don't take place here.
Regardless, being at the bottom means they are likely seeing water from Beaver, Table Rock and Tanneycomo, all of it coming out of the bottom of the dam in the form of clean, clear water.
Meanwhile, around the hills and valleys in this part of the world, rain hits rocks (lots of limestone) and very rarely sees any kind of dirt before it gets deposited into the lake.
It takes a borderline monsoon to muddy up parts of Bull Shoals like most people are accustomed to in lakes across the country.