Paden Flippin caught and released a 36.7-pound brown trout last Wednesday, his 24th birthday, while fishing with friends on the White RIver below Bull Shoals Dam. Paden guides for Cotter Trout Dock but had his birthday off, and he took the opportunity to land this whopper, which he and his friends had been tracking for more than a year. And, as the fish was hauled in and held for this photos, all the guides on the White River around Cotter were ecstatic, we’re told.
Is there a trout like this in your future? It could be. Many trophy trout have caught and released in the past two weeks around Cotter Trout Dock, they say, plus some great rainbows, browns and cutthroats that “may not be considered trophy size, but that fight for the title nonetheless.” Water releases have remained steady at just under one unit of water issued from Bull Shoals Dam (approximately 2,400 cfs) for most of each day, with a rise in the late afternoon and early evening. While the water is low, they’re taking advantage of using shrimp and scented egg baits. Also this week they found success with jigs (brown/orange, ginger/orange and tri-olive), quarter-ounce Little Cleos, both gold and silver and minnows for the browns.
