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General Reports
Fly Fishing Reports
April 1, 2008 - Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood
Lake Guide Service The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are hazardous, with increased
current & debris.
As of Monday 31 March, Largemouth Bass are fair at best. Not
much change in Bass bite over the past week, due to muddy, fast
moving water and inflow of all 4 rivers, and having to hold Millwood
pool level high, due to theRed River level. The bass are definitely
pre spawn over the past 2 weeks, and fattening up for a fast
on the beds. Water temp still climbing this week. Large 10-12"
worms, and jigs; w/ a few still being caught on large 3/4 or
1oz size Rat-L-Traps, & large, thumping colorado bladed spinnerbaits,
are the ticket to catching chunky bass but with much more persistance
the last 2 weeks. Keepers up to 9-10 pounds full of eggs have
been caught and released in the last 2 weeks, but the bite has
drastically diminished due to high muddy water. The water clarity
along the river, and main lake, was hit hard again with recent
rain, high wind (lake wind advisories are almost continual for
past several days) and deluge of incoming water. Lake pool has
finally beginning receding, from recent rain and incoming fresh
water and rise of lake pool to approx 8 feet above normal last
week. Be observant of floating debris, tree limbs, and broken
vegetation in heavy current of Little River.
As of Monday, 31 March, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 57º to 68º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood
as of Monday 31 Mar, is approx 3.1 feet above normal, and falling
from recent rain and incoming fresh water, at 262.28 feet. Normal
pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx
0" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility likewise,
at not any visibility from recent high wind, and rising pool
level. Current in Little River and discharge at the dam is 27,020
CFS as of Monday, to reduce the pool level due to rising incoming
fresh water upriver and rain and reduce the lake rise. Much debris,
grass mats, entire trees, limbs, timber, and everything else
you can think of is coming downstream in Little River. Use extreme
caution during navigations on Millwood until normal pool can
be returned. Many river buoys are clogged with broken loose grass
and vegetation mats, missing, or forced out of the channel.
Closed, or unusable USACE boat ramps on Millwood, are Cottenshed
south, Beard's Bluff, White Cliffs, River Run East and River
Run West, due to flooding or high water. The south park at Cottonshed
is closed due to recent storm damage. Yarborough and Jack's Isle
boat ramps are open.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 0". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday,
31 March is 248.83 feet and falling. Discharge/ Release Rate
at the spillway of 27,020 CFS is with all 13 tainer gates open
at at 4 feet each. The recent high wind on the lake has moved
many of the Little River buoys out of the channel center. Use
extreme caution in navigation with increase in debris content
w/ increase of current in Little River.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: Over the past week, the water temps continue
to rise, as the water is finally receding somewhat. The Largemouths
are staging and full of prespawn roe. Numerous males have been
seen & caught, in bedding areas, thinking of spawning. Several
really fat female Largemouth Bass have been caught just slightly
deeper than the males we have been seeing. Bite is about the
same, perhaps slightly improved, over the past week's muddy rise
in lake pool. The most consistent bite remains pitching and flipping
Texas rigged, Southern Pro Flippin or Fattbutt Tubes (with rattles)
in black-red flake; black or chartruese pepper lizards, or big
bulky 12" worms, Hog Assassins & Brush Hogs in blackberry.
Large 3/4 or 1oz size Rat-L-Traps in white, sizzlin bream, red
pepper, or red coach dog colors, in the muddy water are still
taking a few keeper size bass, but with much more persistance
required to do so. If you can locate some slightly less muddy
water, Bass Assassin Shads and Toads are beginning to turn a
few heads and draw some decent strikes. Largemouth bass are finally
beginning to pull back out to the first major drop area of good
water depth and on points in Little River, if you can stand on
the trolling motor long enough to fight the intensely strong
current.
White Bass: With all the muddy water and current, the White Bass
remained elusive again this week.
Crappie: Crappie bite, no change with all the muddy water and
current in Little River, is still slow, at best. The influx of
fresh muddy water has tapered off their bite and prespawn movements
another week or two.
Channel Cats: The good news is that the Cat Bite remains consistent
and steady w/ the current in Little River over the past couple
weeks. Channel Cats, from 3-8 pounds each for the past several
weeks, are good. Good Channel Cats have been caught over the
past couple weeks, using cut bait or chicken livers, on trot
lines and yo-yo's along the river and in oxbows hung from cypress
trees in approx 10-12 feet water depth, near river current.
Longnose Gar: Still remain relatively shallow and cruising, also
thinking of spawning activities, are actively seen in huge numbers
in shallow water spawning areas are making excellent opportunities
for bow fishermen. Clusters of 2-4 fish swimming together in
1-3 feet of water depth are everywhere, and very large schools
of gar are readily seen in same areas.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are hazardous, with increased
current & debris.
As of Monday, 31 March, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 57º to 68º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood
as of Monday 31 Mar, is approx 3.1 feet above normal, and falling
from recent rain and incoming fresh water, at 262.28 feet. Normal
pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx
0" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility likewise,
at not any visibility from recent high wind, and rising pool
level. Current in Little River and discharge at the dam is 27,020
CFS as of Monday, to reduce the pool level due to rising incoming
fresh water upriver and rain and reduce the lake rise. Much debris,
grass mats, entire trees, limbs, timber, and everything else
you can think of is coming downstream in Little River. Use extreme
caution during navigations on Millwood until normal pool can
be returned. Many river buoys are clogged with broken loose grass
and vegetation mats, missing, or forced out of the channel.
Closed, or unusable USACE boat ramps on Millwood, are Cottenshed
south, Beard's Bluff, White Cliffs, River Run East and River
Run West, due to flooding or high water. The south park at Cottonshed
is closed due to recent storm damage. Yarborough and Jack's Isle
boat ramps are open.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 0". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday,
31 March is 248.83 feet and falling. Discharge/ Release Rate
at the spillway of 27,020 CFS is with all 13 tainer gates open
at at 4 feet each. The recent high wind on the lake has moved
many of the Little River buoys out of the channel center. Use
extreme caution in navigation with increase in debris content
w/ increase of current in Little River.
Mike
March 28, 2008 - Norfork
and White River - Submitted by Mountain River Fly Shop -
WHITE RIVER: The White seriously has been fishing
extremely well for the past 10 days. Generation levels all week
have been under 2 full units, though the recording is saying
2, which allows some wading access. The runoff sediment is clearing
and the fishing reports we have had have been amazing.
Davy Wotton has been reporting 65 fish at Bull
on his Sowbugs on Wednesday and some great fishing at Rim Shoals
earlier in the week. There have been a bunch of wade fishermen
at the Dam whacking fish on midges, woolly buggers and big sculpin
patterns all week.
We aren't kidding when we say fish it now. The
high water levels are coming sometime in April and get in while
you can.
NORFORK: Unlike the White wading really isn't an
option with 2 units running but if you can fish from a boat it
opens up some deep nymphing or streamer options. However if you
have kids under 16 then we can report that Dry Run Creek is pretty
much back to normal and fishing very well. Take some midges,
sowbugs (Davy's work very well), and San Juans and a very large
net. You kids will thank you for years.
Tightlines from all at the Mountain River Fly Shop
Gary, Cindy, Jim, Gene, Kevin, Marc, Faye, Mike and Steve
March 27, 2008 - White River - Submitted by Berry
Brothers Guides- JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/27/2008
The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose three and
six tenths feet to rest at eighteen and four tenths of a foot
above power pool of 654.00 feet and continues to rise. This is
twenty two and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Up
stream, Table Rock Lake remained steady at twelve and five tenths
of a foot above power pool or three and one half feet below the
top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell one half of a foot to settle
at eight and seven tenths of a foot above pool or nine tenths
of a foot below the top of flood pool. Beaver and Table Rock
Lakes have been generating heavily. The water has been collected
in Bull Shoals Lake which still has excess carrying capacity.
Norfork Lake has risen two and seven tenths feet to rest at nineteen
and five tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or
eight and one half feet below the top of flood pool. As flooding
clears down stream, the Corps of Engineers will begin drawing
down the Dams on the White and Norfork rivers. With round the
clock generation at maximum capacity they estimate that it will
take from now to May, 10 to return the lakes to power pool. This
estimate is based on no further heavy precipitation. This will
be a great time to hone your high water skills.
The flooding has receded from the upper White River
and the Norfork. The Buffalo River and Crooked Creek are still
high and off colored. The White River below these streams is
stained and not fishing well.
The Upper River is fishing very well. Last weekend
we had low water and the Catch and Release area below Bull Shoals
Dam was red hot. There were several reports of large numbers
of trout caught which included numerous trophy trout. The hot
flies were black zebra midges, olive scuds, and red and worm
brown San Juan worms. There were some very productive midge hatches
which had a lot of trout feeding on the surface. The hot fly
for this action was Dan's turkey tail emerger.
Later in the week we had some low level generation
(one to two generators). During this period the upper river from
the Bull Shoals Dam Catch and Release area to White Hole fished
well. The productive flies were black zebra midges, olive scuds
and San Juan worms.
Another hot spot was Rim Shoals particularly the
Jenkins creek area. The water was still lightly stained from
the recent flooding but it did not affect the fishing. The hot
flies were San Juan worms in bright colors (hot pink, fire orange,
cerise and red). The water along the island and below it fished
well with Y2Ks and olive woolly buggers. Some of the rhyacophilia
caddis have been seen at Rim Shoals but the hatch was so sparse
that the trout did not seem to key in on them.
The Norfork River has cleared up and all flooding
has receded. They have been running a couple of generators and
it has been fishing well. The area around McClellan's has been
a hot spot. Brightly colored San Juan worms along the weed beds
have produced some nice fish. Other effective flies have been
Y2Ks, black zebra midges, and olive woolly buggers.
Dry Run Creek is slightly stained but still producing
trophy trout at a prodigious rate. The flooding has scoured the
creek and rearranged a bit of the structure. The trout do not
seem to mind. It must have been spring break this week because
there were a lot of kids fishing there this week. The hot flies
have been sowbugs, San Juan worms (brown and red), olive woolly
buggers and Y2Ks. Be sure and carry the biggest net you can lay
your hands on. The fish in this creek are huge. The trout of
a lifetime lives here and is waiting to have his picture taken
so carry a camera.
Practice water safety and always check conditions
before you leave home.
John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has
fished our local streams for over twenty five years.
John Berry
March 26, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service -
The lake is 13.90 feet above pool at this time
and rising the temp ranges from 52-58 degrees
Some bass are up on the bank and can be caught
with a spinnerbait and a right bite shakey hooker and the rest
can be caught out deeper with a right bite football head and
a c-rig in about 30 feet of water also try right bite tubes fished
vertical in the old bush line as well as a fluke in the saw briars
The walleye will be getting set up on the rockey
flats soon
Some white bass are up the river spawing , with
more to come soon
A few crappie are being caught around some bushes
No-report bream
No-report on the catfish
In about a week when the water clears some and
the lake gets settled it will be on for most species
Tommy Cauley
March 25, 2008 - Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood
Lake Guide Service
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are hazardous, with increased
current & debris.
Refer to last week's initial comment: What a difference, a week
in south Arkansas in March can have. As of Monday 24 March, Largemouth
Bass are fair at best. Bass bite has taken a turn for the worst
over the past week, due to muddy, fast rising water and inflow
of all 4 rivers and having to hold back the dam due to Red River
level. The bass are definitely pre spawn over the past 2 weeks,
and fattening up for a fast on the beds. Water temp still climbing
this week. Large 10-12" worms, and jigs w/ a few still being
caught on Rat-L-Traps, & large thumping colorado bladed spinnerbaits,
are the ticket to catching chunky bass but with much more persistance
this week. Keepers up to 9-10 pounds full of eggs have been caught
and released in the last 2 weeks, but the bite has drastically
diminished due to high muddy water. The water clarity along the
river, and main lake, which had begun improving from recent muddy
conditions, from high wind, was hit hard again with recent rain
and deluge of incoming water. Lake pool is again rising rapidly
from recent rain and incoming fresh water, this week. Be observant
of floating debris, tree limbs, and broken vegetation in heavy
current of Little River. Lake was rising in the past few days
as much as 8-12" per day.
As of Monday, 24 March, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 57º to 68º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood
as of Monday 24 Mar, is approx 6.5 feet above normal, and rising
from recent rain and incoming fresh water, at 265.54 feet. Normal
pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx
0" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility likewise,
at not any visibility from recent high wind, and rising pool
level. Current in Little River and discharge at the dam is 25,785
CFS as of Tuesday, to maintain the pool level due to rising incoming
fresh water upriver and rain and reduce the lake rise. Lake is
expected to crest Tuesday or Wednesday, approx 8 feet above normal
pool. Much debris, grass mats, entire trees, limbs, timber, and
everything else you can think of is coming downstream in Little
River. Use extreme caution during navigations on Millwood until
normal pool can be returned. Many river buoys are missing or
forced out of the channel.
Closed, or unusable USACE boat ramps on Millwood, are ALL USACE
boat ramps except Cottenshed North and Okay; all other USACE
boat ramps and parks are closed due to flooding. The south park
at Cottonshed is closed due to recent storm damage. Yarborough
and Jack's Isle boat ramps are still open as of today.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 0". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Tuesday, 25 March is
250.54 feet and rising. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway
of 25,785 CFS is with 9 tainer gates open at 3 feet each and
4 gates at 4 feet each. The recent high wind on the lake has
moved many of the Little River buoys out of the channel center.
Use extreme caution in navigation with increase in debris content
w/ increase of current in Little River.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: What a change in a week in March, on Millwood,
can have. All the thunderstorms and flash flood warnings from
last week, have jumped the lake almost a full 7-8 feet in pool
elevation this week. Over the past week, the water temps continue
to rise. The Largemouths are staging and full of prespawn roe.
Numerous males have been seen & caught, in bedding areas,
thinking very seriously about "big Mama" full of roe.
A few "big Mamas" have been caught just slightly deeper
than the males we have been seeing. Bite is much less consistent
over the past week's muddy rise in lake pool. The most consistent
bite remains pitching and flipping Texas rigged, Southern Pro
Flippin Tubes in black-red flake, pumpkinseed-chartruese tail,
or big bulky magnum 8" lizards or 12" worms, Hog Assassins
& Brush Hogs in blackberry, as far back into the bushes and
brush as possible. Large 3/4 or 1oz size Rat-L-Traps in white
or red in the muddy water are still taking a few keeper size
bass, but with much more persistance required to do so. The Largemouths
from 4-9 pounds each are as far back in the brush as one can
reach, and then some even much further. Most of the Bass are
extremely hard to reach this week.
White Bass: Schools of Whites, which were found over the past
few weeks further up stream in Little River, between Hwy 71 bridge
and Patterson Shoals have disappeared with all the muddy water.
Crappie: Crappie bite, with all the rain and influx of muddy
water is still slow, at best. The influx of fresh muddy water
has tapered off their bite and prespawn movements another week
or two.
Channel Cats: The good news is that the Cat Bite remains consistent
and steady w/ the current in Little River over the past couple
weeks. Channel Cats, from 3-8 pounds each for the past several
weeks, are good. Good Channel Cats have been caught over the
past couple weeks, using cottonseed mill cakes, cut baits or
chicken livers, on trot lines and yo-yo's along the river and
in oxbows hung from cypress trees in approx 8-12 feet water.
Longnose Gar: Still remain relatively shallow and cruising, also
thinking of spawning activities, are actively seen in huge numbers
in shallow water spawning areas are making excellent opportunities
for bow fishermen. Clusters of 2-4 fish swimming together in
1-3 feet of water depth are everywhere, and very large schools
of gar are readily seen in same areas.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are hazardous, with increased
current & debris.
Refer to last week's initial comment: What a difference, a week
in south Arkansas in March can have!! The water clarity along
the river, and main lake, which had begun improving from recent
muddy conditions, from high wind, was hit hard again with recent
rain and deluge of incoming water. Lake pool is again rising
rapidly from recent rain and incoming fresh water, this week.
Be observant of floating debris, tree limbs, and broken vegetation
in heavy current of Little River. Lake was rising in the past
few days as much as 8-12" per day. Use extreme caution in
navigation with increase in debris content w/ increase of current
in Little River.
As of Monday, 24 March, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 57º to 68º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood
as of Monday 24 Mar, is approx 6.5 feet above normal, and rising
from recent rain and incoming fresh water, at 265.54 feet. Normal
pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx
0" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility likewise,
at not any visibility from recent high wind, and rising pool
level. Current in Little River and discharge at the dam is 25,785
CFS as of Tuesday, to maintain the pool level due to rising incoming
fresh water upriver and rain and reduce the lake rise. Lake is
expected to crest Tuesday or Wednesday, approx 8 feet above normal
pool. Much debris, grass mats, entire trees, limbs, timber, and
everything else you can think of is coming downstream in Little
River. Use extreme caution during navigations on Millwood until
normal pool can be returned. Many river buoys are missing or
forced out of the channel.
Closed, or unusable USACE boat ramps on Millwood, are ALL USACE
boat ramps except Cottenshed North and Okay; all other USACE
boat ramps and parks are closed due to flooding. The south park
at Cottonshed is closed due to recent storm damage. Yarborough
and Jack's Isle boat ramps are still open as of Monday.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 0". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Tuesday, 25 March is
250.54 feet and rising. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway
of 25,785 CFS is with 9 tainer gates open at 3 feet each and
4 gates at 4 feet each. The recent high wind on the lake has
moved many of the Little River buoys out of the channel center.
Use extreme caution in navigation with increase in debris content
w/ increase of current in Little River..
Mike
March 20, 2008 - White River - Submitted by Berry
Brothers Guides- JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/20/2008
We have had a horrific three day rain storm. At
the time of this writing the lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose
eight and nine tenths feet to rest at fifteen and three tenths
of a foot above power pool at 654.00 feet and continues to rise.
Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose twenty one and five tenths feet
to settle at twenty two and two tenths of a foot above power
pool. Beaver Lake rose seven and eight tenths of a foot to settle
at nine and two tenths of a foot above pool. Beaver and Table
Rock Lakes are at flood pool and have been generating heavily
and have even opened the flood gates. The water is being stored
at Bull Shoals which is expected to crest at 675 feet next week.
Norfork Lake has risen thirteen and one half feet to rest at
sixteen and eight tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00
feet. The Norfork is expected to crest at 572 feet next week.
It is estimated by the Corps of Engineers that it will take about
two months of constant generation to return to power pool on
area lakes. This will be a great time to hone your high water
skills.
The Buffalo River and Crooked Creek are at flood.
The old timers say that this flood is worse than the flood of
1982. The water from The Buffalo and Crooked Creek is unencumbered
by dams and is spilling into the White River causing widespread
flooding on the White. In addition, the water pouring into the
Norfork River from Dry Run Creek, Otter Creek and others has
no where to go and has backed up in the Norfork causing flooding
on it. It will not be fishable in the immediate future.
If you are boating in the White and Norfork, exercise
great caution. Wear your Personal Flotation Device, move slowly
to avoid obstacles and utilize your automatic kill switch.
The upper White near Bull Shoals is quite fishable
at the present. As the water clears, there will be more places
to fish down stream. The fishing has been good on San Juan worms,
Y2Ks and soft hackles. In addition, the Rhyancophilia caddis
has begun to hatch. This is our big hatch of the year. They are
size fourteen and have a bright green body. The best way to fish
them is to use soft hackles like the green butt (I developed
this fly for this hatch) and the partridge and green when they
are keying in on the emergers (this is when you see the trout
feeding just below the surface and there are no adult insects
present). When they begin keying in on the adults, switch over
to a size fourteen elk hair caddis. Cast your fly approximately
eighteen inches above the feeding trout and let the fly drift
over the fish in a perfect drag free float. When the trout takes
the fly, you should set the hook after allowing it to close its
mouth. When there is no top water activity, fish with nymphs
like the fluttering caddis. This hatch is just beginning. It
should last till the end of April.
With the flooding on the White and Norfork River
the Corps of Engineers will not be releasing any water for some
time to allow the flood water to recede.
Dry Run Creek is currently at flood. Yesterday
the waterfall just below the road was four feet under water.
I know that this is a big disappointment to a lot of youngsters
particularly as this is Spring Break, but I expect it to be fishable
very soon.
John Berry
March 20, 2008 - Norfork
and White River - Submitted by Mountain River Fly Shop - WHITE RIVER:
Well our advice is get into the low water conditions while you
can. We aren't quite sure when we will get some more. The huge
volume of water pouring in from every tributary, particularly
the Buffalo which at the time of writing is running at 115,000-110,000
CFS, means flows from Bull Shoals Dam are limited to prevent
downstream flooding. Bull Shoals Lake itself has risen 7' since
yesterday morning with a lot of runoff still coming.
P3190574.jpgClose to the Dam the fishing should
still be decent, but the further downstream you travel the heavier
the influence of every little creek, stream and river.
Even at White Hole yesterday the water was described
as being the color of milk coffee.
But get above the dirty water and the fishing should
be good. Hard to go past black and silver midges, whether it's
a size 16 Zebra or Davy's Super Midge. This are has been holding
some very big fish, who are also suckers for a well presented
sowbug, a scud or a San Juan in amongst the midges.
NORFORK: The Dam may not be generating but the
Norfork Tailwater is totally underwater, due to backfill off
the White. The picnic area and boatramp at the Upper End of the
River is totally under water. Hard to believe I know but check
out these photos from our buddy John Wilson on his Fly Fish Arkansas
and Missouri Forum. Honestly they are mind-blowing if you haven't
experience these types of floods before.
At this stage its hard to predict when the water
will fall out. But the flood on the White crested at Norfork
late yesterday afternoon according to news reports and the water
should now start to recede.
Steve Dally
March 19, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service - The water
level at greers ferry is at 470.15 up 6 feet and rising probably
will get to 10 or 12 feet above pool and the temp has fell some
ranging from 47 up rivers to about 52 else where
The walleye spawn up rivers is over , a few can
be caught coming back down and now is the time to start catching
them in the lake as the lake run fish will start to spawn and
the post spawn fish will get gathered on the rocky flats and
feed try nigh crawlers drifed through them as well as trolled
crankbaits
White bass, a few resident river white bass are
spawning but most have not got their yet and are scattered and
hard to find as well as the hybrids
The bass will go to the bank, the trouble will
be finding it for the fisherman after it quits rising, try spinnerbaits
and flipping bushes , mail boxes and satellite dish and the sort
will hold them also, when it get settled some in a few days fishing
should be good
No report catfish
Crappie are scattered and when water settles should
get good.
No report bream
Tommy Cauley
March 18, 2008 - Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood
Lake Guide Service
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned, with increased
current & debris.
What a difference, a week in south Arkansas in March can have.
As of Monday 17 March, Largemouth Bass are good to very good,
with the best bites on and off all day long. Best bass bite has
taken a turn for the best over the past week, with a huge improvement
in their attitudes. The bass are definitely pre spawn over the
past week, and fattening up for a fast on the beds. Water temps
jumped almost 8º in the past week and the bass' appetite
jumped a notch. Large 10-12" worms, Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits
and jigs are the ticket to catch nice chunky bass with much abandon.
Bass Assassins and Twitch Worms are beginning to work again,
and are beginning to pick up a few chunky keepers up to 7 pounds
full of eggs. The water clarity along the river, and main lake,
which was improving from recent muddy conditions, from high wind,
was hit hard again with recent rain and deluge of incoming water.
The winter drawdown pool was completed last week. Lake pool is
again rising rapidly from recent rain and incoming fresh water,
this week. Be observant of floating debris, tree limbs, and broken
vegetation in heavy current of Little River.
As of Monday, 17 March, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 55º to 64º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood
as of Monday 17 Mar, is approx 7.8 inches above normal, and rising
from recent rain and incoming fresh water, at 259.85 feet. Normal
pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx
5-6" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility approx
3-5" from recent high wind, and rising pool level. Current
in Little River and discharge at the dam is 11,657 CFS as of
Monday, to maintain the pool level due to rising incoming fresh
water upriver and rain and reduce the lake rise.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood, are Cottenshed South;
and River Run East. The south park at Cottonshed is closed due
to recent storm damage.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 7-8". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 17 March is
240.78 feet and falling. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway
of 11,657 CFS is with 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet, and all
13 tainer gates open at 2 feet each. The recent high wind on
the lake has moved many of the Little River buoys out of the
channel center. Use caution in navigation with increase in debris
content w/ increase of current in Little River.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: What a change in a week in March, on Millwood,
can have with the bass' attitudes. Over the past week, the water
temps made a significant recovery from late winter, and have
jumped almost 10 full degrees, on average. The Largemouths are
staging and full of prespawn roe. Numerous males have been seen
& caught, in bedding areas, thinking very seriously about
"big Mama" full of roe. A few "big Mamas"
have been caught just slightly deeper than the males we have
been seeing. Bite is much more consistent and aggressive over
the past week. The most consistent bite is pitching and flipping
Texas rigged, Southern Pro Flippin Tubes in black-red flake,
pumpkinseed-chartruese tail, or big bulky magnum 8" lizards
or 12" worms, Hog Assassins & Brush Hogs in blackberry,
close to deep water. Largemouths from 4-9 pounds each are deciding
they're hungry. Wacky rigged, or dead-sticking Twitch Assassins
and Charm Assassins, Senkos and Salty Rat Tails are taking some
decent keeper bass in the back of clearer water areas like Horseshoe,
Mud Lake and McGuire Lake oxbows. Use a light wire hook in a
1/0 or 2/0 size, for a slow, tantalizing fall that will incite
a solid strike. Watch your line for a pick-up or a swimming bass
to move off with it. Set hard.
Rat-L-Traps, in the 3/4 oz or 1 oz size, fished slower and deflecting
on stumps along Little River are taking keeper size bass in 9-11
feet depth range. The most productive colors of Rat-L-Traps in
3/4oz size over the past couple weeks, are the Red Chrome (sunny
days), Red/Brown Craw colors, or chrome/black and blue.
Jigs, are still coaxing a decent bite, using Texas Craw or black
and blue skirt colors with Green Pumpkin, or solid black chunk
trailers, preferring black Big Daddy Pork chunks. Dead sticking
Twitch Assassins in Crystal Shad, Salt n' Pepper Silver Phantom,
or 5" Senkos and Salty Rat Tails, in kiwi, black/blue fleck,
or grasshopper colors are also working well on a light wire hook
for slow fall. Cordell Ripplin Red Fins and XCalibur Rogues in
gold or clown are taking some pre-spawn females.
White Bass: Schools of Whites were found over the past few weeks
further up stream in Little River, between Hwy 71 bridge and
Patterson Shoals. These fish were actively feeding on any available
shad, and 1/4 oz Rat-L-Traps in chrome, Little Georges, Roostertails,
and white Rocket Shads were catching good sizes of large pre-spawn
White Bass.
Crappie: Crappie bite, with all the rain and influx of muddy
water is still slow, at best. The influx of fresh muddy water
has tapered off their bite and prespawn movements another week.
Channel Cats: Bite remains consistent and steady w/ the current
in Little River over the past couple weeks. Channel Cats, from
3-8 pounds each for the past several weeks, are good. Good Channel
Cats have been caught over the past couple weeks, using cottonseed
mill cakes, cut baits or chicken livers, on trot lines and yo-yo's
along the river and in oxbows hung from cypress trees in approx
8-12 feet water.
Longnose Gar: Also thinking of spawning activities, are actively
seen in huge numbers in shallow water spawning areas are making
excellent opportunities for bow fishermen. Clusters of 2-4 fish
swimming together in 1-3 feet of water depth are everywhere,
and very large schools of gar are readily seen in same areas.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned, with increased
current & debris.
As of Monday, 17 March, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 55º to 64º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood
as of Monday 17 Mar, is approx 7.8 inches above normal, and rising
from recent rain and incoming fresh water, at 259.85 feet. Normal
pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx
5-6" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility approx
3-5" from recent high wind, and rising pool level. Current
in Little River and discharge at the dam is 11,657 CFS as of
Monday, to maintain the pool level due to rising incoming fresh
water upriver and rain and reduce the lake rise.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood, are Cottonshed South;
and River Run East. The south park at Cottonshed is closed due
to recent storm damage.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 7-8". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 17 March is
240.78 feet and falling. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway
of 11,657 CFS is with 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet, and all
13 tainer gates open at 2 feet each. The recent high wind on
the lake has moved many of the Little River buoys out of the
channel center. Use caution in navigation with increase in debris
content w/ increase of current in Little River.
Mike
March 13, 2008 - White River - Submitted by Berry
Brothers Guides- JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/13/2008
There has been virtually non-stop heavy generation
on the White River system and overall the lake levels have begun
to ease down a bit. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose seven
tenths feet to rest at six and four tenths of a foot above power
pool at 654.00 feet. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell one and
six tenths feet to settle at seven tenths of a foot above power
pool. Beaver Lake rose one half of a foot to settle at one and
four tenths of a foot above pool. The pattern has been for extremely
heavy generation twenty four hours a day. This has created some
excellent boating opportunities with no wading available. The
weather has been warm and very windy including lake wind advisories.
Norfork Lake has fallen one and one tenth feet to rest at three
and three tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet. The
pattern on the Norfolk has been similar to that on the White.
There has been near constant generation. There were a few days
with short periods of generation late at night. Why can't they
do that during the day so that some of the people attending Sowbug
could get in a little fishing? The forecast is for the weather
to remain warm with the possibility of a little precipitation.
With the existing conditions above power pool, I would expect
heavy generation and no wading on both rivers.
With higher water conditions, you will need to
employ radically different techniques. The fish will be in different
areas. In low water, they tend to congregate in the main channel.
In high water, they will be closer to the shore and around weed
beds and sunken islands. The best flies for this type of fishing
will be brightly colored San Juan worms. The best colors are
red, hot fluorescent pink, cerise and fire orange. One fly that
has been particularly effective lately is the Y2K. Be sure and
weight them heavily so they get down to the bottom. This will
necessitate using a larger strike indicator to support the added
weight. This rig is not going to be easy to cast. First you will
need a bit bigger rod. I would suggest at least a nine foot six
weight. Next, open up your loop a bit. With this much weight,
it will be very difficult to throw tight loops without tangling
your line.
This past week, the action was definitely up stream
in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam. The shad
were coming through and a lot of anglers were up there in their
boats and there was a lot of reported success. When no shad were
coming through the most action was on brightly colored San Juan
worms. When the gulls got active below the dam this was the signal
that the shad were coming through. The anglers would switch to
shad pattern and begin picking up fish. As soon as it starts
it ends. Some of the shad have somehow slipped through the feeding
frenzy up stream and been washed down stream. I have heard that
anglers have done well with basic shad patterns in white as far
down stream as Rim Shoals.
The Norfork has fished a bit better. The nice weather
has drawn a few more anglers here. There has been good fishing
on the high water, particularly on Y2Ks and brightly colored
San Juan worms. The best colors have been cerise and hot pink.
If you are not fishing in Catch and Release water try a dropper
tied on the bend of the hook of the San Juan worm on two feet
of tippet. Black zebra midges work well for this application.
With Spring break coming up coupled with the great
weather we have been having, I would expect Dry Run creek to
get a bit more crowded. If your favorite spot is taken, do not
despair. There are fish every where. Just walk the bank until
you find some fish. I have had clients catch fish from one end
of the creek to the other. Be sure and carry the biggest net
that you can lay your hands on and a camera.
If you are from out side the area and fishing our
waters, please be aware that the White and Norfork Rivers are
infected with Didymo, an invasive alga. Carefully wash in warm
water and fully dry your waders before using them in your home
waters to prevent the spread of this disease.
March 12, 2008 - Norfork
and White River - Submitted by Mountain River Fly Shop - WELL its been
long awaited and much anticipated but the arrival of high water
has turned on some shad kill action on the White River. Like
most of the great "hatches", the shad kill is weather
and water dependant. Cold temperatures in the lake are one factor,
the second is generation to pull the shad down to the business
end of the lake. The result is dead and stunned shad coming through
the dam in an orgy of food which seems to bring up every decent
fish in the river. Too much food can shut the feeding down as
the trout fill their bellies. When its just right you can hit
fish on surface flies as the trout pick off floating shad, but
so far this year most of the action has been subsurface, sometimes
midwater sometimes on the bottom, and in 6 to 7 units of water
that can take some doing. But being there to catch the kill when
it's truly on is part of its mystery and allure.
Just how long it will last this year is another
good question, but enjoy it while it lasts.
FISHING REPORT:
WHITE RIVER: Its be a case of grab a boat or go
without for the past week with 4 units or better on the daily
menu. Thankfully as you have read above, the shad have been coming
through. It seems to be best in the mornings and to a lesser
extent in the afternoon. But with high flows you definitely need
some weight. Big jigs heads or a bunch of split shot is de rigeur.
And to make the casting even more difficult lengthen up your
leader and distance between indicator and fly, remembering each
unit of water adds roughly 1 foot of water depth _ and velocity.
During the day you can still use weighted Pink
Ladies and deep drifting San Juans, particularly over the flooded
grass beds, and midge patterns trailed behind the heavier "fly"
can turn the trick. High water offers its own challenges but
the rewards can be pretty good as you can see from the fish above.
Hopefully there might be some respite this weekend
to co-incide with Sowbug but with the lake level this high we
aren't going to be holding our breath.
NORFORK: Well we actually got some low water on
Norfork last night, trouble was you had to be on the water around
11pm. That's not to say some fish haven't been pulled, from drifting
boats. Again San Juan's are a good bet on the Norfork in high
water.
Tightlines from all at the Mountain River Fly Shop
Gary, Cindy, Jim, Kevin, Marc, Faye, Mike and
Steve
March 11, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service -
The water level at greers ferry is at 464.39 and
falling the temp ranges from 42-52 degrees and stained water
for the most part
All fishing is off due to the snow run off and
all other weather related changes .
Walleye fishing will be at its spawning will be
at its peak this weekend , and can be caught with jighead minnows
and grubs fished real slow
The bass fishing is taking off and all species
can be caught with wiggle warts and jerkbaits along with spinnerbaits
fished real slow
The whites and hybrids will be making a major move
this week up river and to the bushes and can be caught with grubs
and spoons and in-line spinners as well as roadrunners fished
real slow due to the stained water
Catfish are pretty slow but some coming in on n
ight crawlers .
No report on crappie or bream
Tommy Cauley
March 11, 2008 - Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood
Lake Guide Service
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are normal, with increased
current.
As of Monday 10 March, Largemouth Bass are fair to good, with
the best bites remaining during the heat of the day. Best bet
over the past few weeks for bass, is on Texas rigged Hog Assassins,
large 10" bulky worms, 3/4 ounce size Rat-L-Traps, and jigs.
Spinnerbaits are beginning to pick up a few good keepers. The
water clarity along the river, and main lake, which was improving
from recent muddy conditions, from high wind, was hit hard again
with recent rain and deluge of incoming water. The winter drawdown
pool through 10 March extension date, should be completed today.
Lake pool is rising rapidly from recent rain and incoming fresh
water. Be observant of floating debris and broken vegetation
in heavy current of Little River.
As of Monday, 10 March, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 47º to 52º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake pool is rising again
from recent copious amounts of rain and incoming muddy water.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 10 Mar, is approx 15.6
inches above normal, and rising from recent rain and incoming
fresh water, at 260.5 feet. Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little
River's clarity as of Monday, is approx 3-5" visibility.
Main lake clarity and visibility approx 3-5" from recent
high wind, and rising pool level. Current in Little River and
discharge at the dam is 17,322 CFS as of Monday, to maintain
the pool level due to rising incoming fresh water upriver and
rain and reduce the lake rise.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to winter pool drawdown which completed today. The
south park at Cottonshed is closed due to recent storm damage.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 7-8". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 03 March is
246.26 feet and rising. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway
of 17,322 CFS is with 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet, and all
13 tainer gates open at 3 feet each.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: Not much change has occurred over the past few
weeks, most consistent bite definitely remains during the heat
of the day. The Largemouths are still relating to structure in
Little River's deeper water, and are consistent over the past
few weeks. The most consistent bite is pitching Texas rigged
Southern Pro Flippin Tubes in black-red flake or pumpkinseed-chartruese
tail, w/ the increase in stained and muddy water clarity, big
bulky magnum 8" lizards, Hog Assassins or Brush Hogs in
chartruese pumpkin, or chartruese pepper colors, on the back
side of stump's current breaks with eddies, close to deep water.
Largemouths from 4-7 pounds each are biting well on the downstream
side of stumps in Little River. Wacky rigged Twitch Assassins
and Charm Assassins, Senkos and Salty Rat Tails are taking some
decent keeper bass in the back of clearer water areas like Horseshoe,
Mud Lake and McGuire Lake oxbows. Use a light wire hook in a
1/0 or 2/0 size, for a slow, tantalizing fall that will incite
a solid strike. Watch your line for a pick-up or a swimming bass
to move off with it. Set hard.
Rat-L-Traps, in the 3/4 oz or 1 oz size, fished slower and deflecting
on stumps along Little River are taking keeper size bass in 9-11
feet depth range. The most productive colors of Rat-L-Traps in
3/4oz size over the past couple weeks, are the Gold, Red Chrome
(sunny days), Tenneessee Shad, or Hot Chartruese Craw color.
We are still drawing some good reactions from decent size keeper
bass, on jigs, using Texas Craw or black and blue colors with
Watermelon, Green Pumpkin, or solid black chunk trailers, preferring
black Big Daddy Pork chunks. Dead sticking Twitch Assassins in
Crystal Shad, Salt n' Pepper Silver Phantom, or 5" Senkos
and Salty Rat Tails, in kiwi, black/blue fleck, or grasshopper
colors are also working well on a light wire hook for slow fall.
White Bass: Schools of Whites are still holding in very deep
washouts in the river, (18-23 feet) and hitting vertical jigging
spoons and live shiners, over the past few weeks up Little River,
between White Cliffs and Hwy 71 bridge.
Crappie: Crappie bite was improving late last week, and then
all the rain and snow and influx of muddy water completely shut
down the improved Crappie bite, over the past few days.
Channel Cats: Bite remains consistent and steady w/ the current
in Little River over the past couple weeks. Channel Cats, from
3-8 pounds each for the past several weeks, are good. Good Channel
Cats have been caught over the past couple weeks, using cottonseed
mill cakes, cut baits or chicken livers, on trot lines and yo-yo's
along the river and in oxbows hung from cypress trees in approx
8-12 feet water.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are normal, with increased
current.
As of Monday, 10 March, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake pool is rising again
from recent copious amounts of rain and incoming muddy water.
Be observant of floating debris and broken vegetation in heavy
current of Little River.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 10 Mar, is approx 15.6
inches above normal, and rising from recent rain and incoming
fresh water, at 260.5 feet. Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little
River's clarity as of Monday, is approx 3-5" visibility.
Main lake clarity and visibility approx 3-5" from recent
high wind, and rising pool level. Current in Little River and
discharge at the dam is 17,322 CFS as of Monday, to maintain
the pool level due to rising incoming fresh water upriver and
rain and reduce the lake rise.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to winter pool drawdown which completed today. The
south park at Cottonshed is closed due to recent storm damage.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 7-8". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 03 March is
246.26 feet and rising. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway
of 17,322 CFS is with 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet, and all
13 tainer gates open at 3 feet each.
Mike
March 6, 2008 - Norfork
and White River - Submitted by Mountain River Fly ShopWHITE RIVER: Well
you our advice was a little equivocal last week _ ie keep your
phone handy _ but if you did catch the low water, the fishing
was very good. We even had reports of caddis on the water and
some dry fly action at Buffalo Shoals and the Narrows. Then of
course came the rain and snow, which has a bunch of run-off coming
down Crooked Creek and the Buffalo clouding the water level downstream.
But our big mate Moose reported in yesterday that
the river to White Hole at least is clear and fishing well. Definitely
time to fish the Upper Part of the River with more snow and rain
due in the next couple of days. But the amount of water in the
lower river might limit generation to 1-2-3 units for the time
being, great fishing water.
Kevin Brandtonies, Marc Poulos and the Journal
had a group of Memphis lads on the water on Saturday. Chilly
early we were all shedding layers by lunchtime to keep cool.
The fishing might not have been red hot but it was certainly
steady. Black and silver midges proved effective early, scuds
patterns and red midges did well during the afternoon, before
we switched back to zebras and camel midges.
The majority of fish were fat and feisty 'bows
and a handful of mid-teens browns. Marc's pair, floating the
Upper River in his drift boat hooked into one big brown which
popped the tippet, while we had one straighten out a 2x heavy
scud hook.
We have also had good reports coming into the store
on brown and olive woollies. And don't forget to top up your
caddis patterns.
NORFORK: The Princess of Tailwaters had a very
different look Tuesday afternoon in the wake of all the heavy
rain backed up and going no-where with a torrent running down
the White. The boat ramp at the confluence was stacked with downed
trees, branches and other detritus as per the picture at left.
It might take a few days to have the rubbish removed.
But one of our guide mates Ken Richards, popped
in yesterday and said that the Norfork had now cleared and was
back to normal.
Midges have been very strong, with black and silver,
red and brown the most likely colors whether you are fishing
Davys Super Midges, standard Zebras or your own patterns. Our
Camel Midges have been very effective as well. So have San Juans,
scud patterns, in darker tones and sowbugs.
March 5, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service -
The water level at greers ferry is at 464.21 a
little over 3 foot above pool and rising the temp is 44-52 degrees
, all the n ew water should help the fishing after it settles
down
The bass are on the move and a lot will go shallow
now that were not, rattle traps , crankbaits and spinnerbaits
wil work as well as pitching and flipping the bushes by the ditches
, where the water is clearer try jerkbaits and around any bait
fish you find
Walleye some have made it up the rivers and a lot
more are on the way and when the water clears some the bite should
be great try jighead minnows and grubs , as well as walleye divers
and big billed rebels , fish all the about real slow and if ya
think you are fishing slow enough slow down some more
Catfish are biting crawlers up the creek arms
Crappie will not be doing much until the water
clears some, then they should make a major move to the flooded
buck brush, try grubs and jighead minnows will work the best.
No-report on bream
White and hybrid bass are on the move also some
whites are already part way up the rivers and the rest will soon
follow as well as the hybrids.
Tommy Cauley
March 4, 2008 - Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood
Lake Guide Service
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Monday 03 March, Largemouth Bass are good, along Little
River, and her oxbows, with the best bites remaining during the
heat of the day. Best bet over the past few weeks for bass, is
on Texas rigged Hog Assassins, large 10" bulky worms, 3/4
ounce size Rat-L-Traps, and jigs. Spinnerbaits are beginning
to pick up a few good keepers. The water clarity along the river,
and main lake was improving from recent muddy conditions, from
high wind, then it hit again. The winter drawdown pool is still
in effect and has been extended through 10 March. Lake pool is
rising from recent rain and incoming fresh water.
As of Monday, 03 March, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake pool is rising again
from recent copious amounts of rain and incoming water, even
though drawdown is still in effect on Millwood.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, was initially, to last approx through February 15,
2008, of three feet. Recent approval was received to extend this
drawdown for another ten (10) days through approximately March
10. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project work
to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway, gates,
boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 03 Mar, is approx 24.5
inches below normal, and rising from recent rain and incoming
fresh water, at 257.16 feet. Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Normal
pool during winter drawdown condition is 256.2 feet. Little River's
clarity as of Monday, is approx 5-6" visibility. Main lake
clarity and visibility approx 3-5" from recent high wind.
Current in Little River and discharge at the dam is 12,009 CFS
as of Monday, to maintain the pool drawdown due to rising incoming
fresh water upriver and rain and reduce the lake rise. Navigation
conditions are cautioned from recent winter pool reduction, revealing
log jams and stumps previously underneath normal pool elevation.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 12-15". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 03 March is
236.21 feet. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway of 12,009
CFS is with 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet, and all 13 tainer
gates open at 2.5 feet each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: Not much change has occurred over the past few
weeks, most consistent bite definitely remains during the heat
of the day. The Largemouths are still relating to structure in
Little River's deeper water, and are consistent over the past
few weeks. There is no real reason to even leave the river in
search of bass. We are having most consistent success by pitching
Texas rigged Southern Pro Flippin Tubes in black-red flake or
pumpkinseed-chartruese tail, w/ the increase in stained water
clarity, big bulky magnum 8" lizards, Hog Assassins or Brush
Hogs in chartruese pumpkin, or chartruese pepper colors, on the
back side of stump's current breaks with eddies, close to deep
water. Largemouths from 4-7 pounds each are biting well on the
downstream side of stumps in Little River. Wacky rigged Twitch
Assassins and Charm Assassins, Senkos and Salty Rat Tails are
taking some decent keeper bass. Use a light wire hook in a 1/0
or 2/0 size, for a slow, tantalizing fall that will incite a
solid strike. Watch your line for a pick-up or a swimming bass
to move off with it. Set hard.
Rat-L-Traps, in the 3/4 oz or 1 oz size, fished slower and deflecting
on stumps along Little River are taking keeper size bass in 9-11
feet depth range. The most productive colors of Rat-L-Traps in
3/4oz size over the past couple weeks, are the Gold, Red Chrome
(sunny days), Tenneessee Shad, or Hot Chartruese Craw color.
Stumps and cypress knees, laydowns and timber are the key during
the day, during drawdown, since not as much vegetation remains
submerged.
We are still drawing some good reactions from decent size keeper
bass, on jigs, using Texas Craw or black and blue colors with
Watermelon, Green Pumpkin, or solid black chunk trailers, preferring
black Big Daddy Pork chunks. Dead sticking Twitch Assassins in
Crystal Shad, Salt n' Pepper Silver Phantom, or 5" Senkos
and Salty Rat Tails, in kiwi, black/blue fleck, or grasshopper
colors are also working well on a light wire hook for slow fall.
Any points with stumps along Little River, between 10-15 feet
deep seem to be the most consistent location for crankbait bites
and the best jig bite. The Bomber model A and Rebel Deep Wee
R crankbaits in Bayou Bengal, Fire Tiger, Sexy Shad, or Secret
Weapon colors, fished slowly from 8 to 12 feet deep, are still
finding some keeper bass deflecting off stumps, along Little
River.
White Bass: Schools of Whites are still holding in very deep
washouts in the river, (18-23 feet) and hitting vertical jigging
spoons and live shiners, over the past few weeks up Little River,
between White Cliffs and Hwy 71 bridge.
Crappie: Are still fair at best. Crappies all but completely
shut down over the past couple weeks with influx of incoming,
fresh and muddy water. With the water clarity improving, so should
the Crappie bite in the next week to 10 days.
Channel Cats: Bite remains consistent and steady w/ the current
in Little River over the past couple weeks. Channel Cats, from
3-8 pounds each for the past several weeks, are good. Good Channel
Cats have been caught over the past couple weeks, using cottonseed
mill cakes, cut baits or chicken livers, on trot lines and yo-yo's
along the river and in oxbows hung from cypress trees in approx
8-12 feet water.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Monday 03 March, Largemouth Bass are good, along Little
River, and her oxbows, with the best bites remaining during the
heat of the day. Best bet over the past few weeks for bass, is
on Texas rigged Hog Assassins, large 10" bulky worms, 3/4
ounce size Rat-L-Traps, and jigs. Spinnerbaits are beginning
to pick up a few good keepers. The water clarity along the river,
and main lake was improving from recent muddy conditions, from
high wind, then it hit again. The winter drawdown pool is still
in effect and has been extended through 10 March. Lake pool is
rising from recent rain and incoming fresh water.
As of Monday, 03 March, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake pool is rising again
from recent copious amounts of rain and incoming water, even
though drawdown is still in effect on Millwood.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, was initially, to last approx through February 15,
2008, of three feet. Recent approval was received to extend this
drawdown for another ten (10) days through approximately March
10. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project work
to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway, gates,
boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 03 Mar, is approx 24.5
inches below normal, and rising from recent rain and incoming
fresh water, at 257.16 feet. Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Normal
pool during winter drawdown condition is 256.2 feet. Little River's
clarity as of Monday, is approx 5-6" visibility. Main lake
clarity and visibility approx 3-5" from recent high wind.
Current in Little River and discharge at the dam is 12,009 CFS
as of Monday, to maintain the pool drawdown due to rising incoming
fresh water upriver and rain and reduce the lake rise. Navigation
conditions are cautioned from recent winter pool reduction, revealing
log jams and stumps previously underneath normal pool elevation.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 12-15". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 03 March is
236.21 feet. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway of 12,009
CFS is with 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet, and all 13 tainer
gates open at 2.5 feet each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
Mike
March 1-2, 2008 - Beaver Lake Central Pro-Am
Tournament - Submitted by Curt
Graves
Water = 41-45 mid-lake
Finish = 9th
During practice the weekend before, the goal became survival
as cold wind, rain, and sleet came in. During the first day,
short fish were caught shallow in pockets. I was able to catch
a 4.90 largemouth on a homemade dirty brown jig. Day 2 brought
wind and partly cloudy skies with even warmer temperatures. The
fish moved up on the main lake. I was able to get 3 good keepers
on a big crankbait before the wind was too strong on the windy
bluff ends.
My procraft 200 superpro handled the rough water well. I have
been using the new Quantum PT Energy 7' medium light rods for
cranking. I like the graphite over fiberglass for sensitivity;
I can feel my crankbait wiggle, move over cover, or stop wiggling
with a fish. The med-light is soft enough to allow a fish to
swallow the bait and not tear hooks free.
With a 40th last fall and 9th this spring, I'm looking forward
to CPA at Lake of the Ozarks in April.
February 28, 2008 - Norfork
and White River - Submitted by Mountain River Fly Shop
WHITE RIVER: High water and shad coming through
the dam under 6 or 7 units was the story of the past week. Well
until yesterday when we now have low again. The fishing has been
very good in the past 24 hours, but who knows how long the low
water will last.
The high water was what the shad kill devotees
were after though all our guides said the going was relatively
tough, despite good numbers of shad, until Sunday when things
really turned on. Best fish we heard about went 9 pounds. But
its not your typical fly fishing gig. Monster indicators, long
heavy leader and some of the biggest heaviest flies you are ever
likely to see on a trout river. Its all about getting the fly
down deep.
If the shad aren't coming through then try a red
San Juan dribbled over the shallower gravel bars and you can
pick up some fish. But this is definitely a weekend to keep the
cell phone with the Bull Shoals generation number handy.
NORFORK: There has been more generation on Norfork
than we have seen for a while. But as we mentioned above there
has been some very productive windows to fish. Marc Poulos and
the Journal saved a day for a group of 4 Texas clients on Saturday,
after battling conditions and karma at Rim Shoal. Between the
bad weather, motor problems, dirty water, shut down fishing,
we were battling until a jump to Norfork and finally some fun
turned everything around.
We have been doing well on Zebra Midges and BH
Pheasant Tails, plus some San Juans for good measure. But scuds
and sowbugs seems to have been the most consistent. Depending
on the day, or even hours, Davy's Sowbug, Mclellan's Hunchback
Scud (tan or olive) or the Kaufmann's GB scud in tan or brown
olive seem have been the best bets.
Gary, Cindy, Jim, Kevin, Marc, Faye, Mike and
Steve
February 28, 2008
- White River - Submitted by Berry Brothers Guides-
JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 2/28/2008
Though we have had a bit of precipitation, the
lake levels on the White River system have fallen a bit. The
lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell two tenths of a foot to rest
at one tenth of a foot above power pool at 654.00 feet. Up stream,
Table Rock Lake went down six tenths of a foot to settle at three
tenths of a foot above power pool. Beaver Lake rose five tenths
of a foot to settle at two and eight tenths of a foot below pool.
The pattern this week was for heavy generation (up to seven generators)
for long periods during the day and for lower levels on generation
at night. Then there was no generation for a few days. This has
created some excellent wading opportunities mid week and some
excellent boating opportunities earlier. The weather has been
cold and very windy including lake wind advisories. Norfork Lake
has risen two tenths of a foot to rest at one tenths of a foot
below power pool of 552.00 feet. The pattern on the Norfolk has
been for a bit more generation. We had a few days with no generation
at all and some days with heavy generation. This has created
some excellent wading conditions. The forecast is for the weather
to remain cold with the possibility of precipitation. With the
existing conditions at power pool, I would expect some wading
on both rivers.
The attention has still been concentrated in the
upper river specifically in the recently opened Catch and Release
section below Bull Shoals Dam. Most of the action has been from
a boat. On higher levels of generation, San Juan worms in bright
colors and peach eggs have been the ticket. Y2Ks have also accounted
for a lot of good fish. The big browns seem to be staying in
the area much longer than usual. In past years, they had moved
back down stream by now. On lower water the hot flies have been
San Juan worms and midge emerger patterns.
Of course, the big story in this area has been
the shad kill. They have been observed coming through Bull Shoals
Dam. This has not been noted on Norfork tail waters at this time.
The best flies to use will be white marabou jigs and streamers.
Be sure to have sinking and floating patterns, though most of
the action will be on the bottom. So far, it has not generated
the interest that it has in past years. On one day, there were
only three boats in the Bull Shoals Dam Catch and Release area.
I still want to caution boat anglers to please
avoid dragging chains through the Redds (spawning beds recently
filled with fertilized eggs by brown trout). Now is a particularly
vulnerable time for the eggs and they need to be left alone so
that they can hatch. The redds can easily be identified as clean
light colored depressions in the gravel bottom.
Anglers have also done well fishing at Rim Shoals.
Though there have been very few people fishing in the area, the
action has been hot. The most productive flies in this section
have been Y2Ks, zebra midges in brown with copper wire and copper
beads, olive scuds (size sixteen) and worm brown San Juan worms
(San Juan worms are killer patterns after heavy rain or high
levels of generation).
Another hot spot has been White Shoals. Anglers
have been walking down the trail from Rim Shoals. This area is
not fly-fished very much, but it is holding a lot of trout. Good
flies in this area are Y2Ks, olive scuds and olive woolly buggers.
The Norfork has fished a bit better. There have
been few anglers here because of the inclement weather. There
has been good fishing on the high water days, particularly on
Y2Ks. The fishing in the Catch and release area has been a bit
slower and has been mostly midges. Try brown zebra midges with
copper wire and copper bead and Dan's turkey tail emergers in
this section. The river in general does not fish as well when
there has been no generation for over twenty four hours.
Dry Run Creek, as always, fished well this past
week. The hot action was on gray sow bugs size fourteen. Also
try olive woolly buggers fished below a large strike indicator.
Another fly that is always effective is the San Juan worm. Good
colors are red and worm brown. Be sure and carry the biggest
net that you can lay your hands on. These fish are larger than
you think they are. Do not forget the camera!
John Berry
February 28, 2008 - Beaver
Lake Submitted by JT Cappie Guide ServiceBass
have been hit-and-miss lately. Best places to look have been
along steep chunk rock banks in the mid-lake to upper portion
of the lake and along main-lake points with timber on the lower
portion of the lake. Most fish have been suspended just off the
bottom in 15 to 25 feet of water. Best baits have been Rouges,
drop-shot finesse worms and bass jigs. Crappie have been biting
well on warm sunny days (which have been few and far between).
Try fishing up either river arm around brush or along pole timber.
Fish have been holding anywhere from a few feet later in the
day to 20 feet deep early. Southern Pro tube jigs have worked
well in red/chartreuse, black/chartreuse and chartreuse. White
bass have been caught 20 feet deep in the mouth of War Eagle
and Blue Springs on small jigging spoons. They may begin to move
upstream if we get some warm days. Striped bass have been caught
in Prairie Creek lately on live shad or brood minnows fished
10 to 30 feet down. ï¿12-oz. to ï¿12-oz
jigging spoons also work once a school is found. Catfish have
been a bit slow but cut shad or liver should do the trick along
bluff lines. Hickory Creek has been a good spot to fish.
Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148)
reported that water conditions are normal. Crappie are biting
well around brush on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on large
spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Stripers are being caught on large
minnows.
Jason Piper
February 28, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service -
The water level at greers ferry is at 462.53 and
staying pretty steady, the temp ranges from 40-47 degrees and
should increase this week with the temps and rain expected.
The walleyes are showing up in better numbers now
and can be caught with jig&minnow combos , grubs and the
sort, fish slow and then slow down some more as the bite is extremely
light but females are showing up now and it should be real good
the next couple of weeks
The whites and hybrids are somewhere around the
mud line and after it dissipates the bite should be on as things
will just about happen over nite as we plunge into spring over
nite try small grubs, spoons and rapalas as well as in-line spinners
and roostertails
The crappie should get started with the warm weather
also-try jigs&minnow combo as well as your favorite jigs
and small grubs
Bass fishing will continue to get better , try
magnum wiggle warts on steep channel bends in the main lake-as
well as slow rolled spinner baits in the deeper guts as well
as traps and for the deeper fish drag a football head and jighead
worn also spoons.try dropshots and swimbaits for hard to catch
suspended fish
Catfishing is fair on crawlers.
Tommy Cauley
February 26, 2008
- Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood Lake Guide
Service
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Monday 25 February, Largemouth Bass are good, along Little
River, and her oxbows, with the best bites remaining during the
heat of the day. Best bet over the past few weeks for bass, is
on Texas rigged Hog Assassins, large 10" bulky worms, 3/4
ounce size Rat-L-Traps, and jigs. Spinnerbaits are beginning
to pick up a few good keepers. The water clarity along the river,
and main lake was improving from recent muddy conditions, from
high wind, then it hit again. The winter drawdown pool is still
in effect and has been extended again. Lake pool is rising from
recent rain and incoming fresh water.
As of Monday, 25 February, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake pool is rising again
from recent copious amounts of rain and incoming water, even
though drawdown is still in effect on Millwood.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, was initially, to last approx through February 15,
2008, of three feet. Recent approval was received to extend this
drawdown for another ten (10) days through approximately March
10. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project work
to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway, gates,
boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 25 Feb, is approx 11.5
inches below normal, and rising from recent rain and incoming
fresh water, at 258.27 feet. Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Normal
pool during winter drawdown condition is 256.2 feet. Little River's
clarity as of Monday, is approx 5-6" visibility. Main lake
clarity and visibility approx 3-5" from recent high wind.
Current in Little River and discharge at the dam was increased
to 12,009 CFS as of Monday, to maintain the pool drawdown due
to rising incoming fresh water upriver and rain and reduce the
lake rise. Navigation conditions are cautioned from recent winter
pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps previously underneath
normal pool elevation.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 12-15". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 25 February
is 240.05 feet and rising. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway
of 12,009 CFS is with 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet, and all
13 tainer gates open at 2.5 feet each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: Not much change occurring over the past few
weeks, most consistent bite definitely remains during the heat
of the day. The Largemouths are still relating to structure in
Little River's deeper water, and are consistent over the past
few weeks. There is no real reason to even leave the river in
search of bass. We are having most consistent success by pitching
Texas rigged Southern Pro Flippin Tubes in black-red flake w/
the increase in stained water clarity, Hog Assassins or Brush
Hogs in chartruese pumpkin, and chartruese pepper colored lizards,
on the back side of stump's current breaks with eddies, close
to deep water. Largemouths from 4-7 pounds each are biting well
on the downstream side of stumps in Little River. Wacky rigged
Twitch Assassins and Charm Assassins, Senkos and Salty Rat Tails
are taking some decent keeper bass. Use a light wire hook in
a 1/0 or 2/0 size, for a slow, tantalizing fall that will incite
a solid strike. Watch your line for a pick-up or a swimming bass
to move off with it. Set hard.
Rat-L-Traps, in the 3/4 oz or 1 oz size, fished slower and deflecting
on stumps along Little River are taking keeper size bass in 9-11
feet depth range. The most productive colors of Rat-L-Traps in
3/4oz size over the past couple weeks, are the Gold, Red Chrome
(sunny days), Tenneessee Shad, or Hot Chartruese Craw color.
Stumps and cypress knees, laydowns and timber are the key during
the day, during drawdown, since not as much vegetation remains
submerged.
We are still drawing some good reactions from decent size keeper
bass, on jigs, using Texas Craw or black and blue colors with
Watermelon, Green Pumpkin, or solid black chunk trailers, preferring
black Big Daddy Pork chunks. Dead sticking Twitch Assassins in
Crystal Shad, Salt n' Pepper Silver Phantom, or 5" Senkos
and Salty Rat Tails, in kiwi, black/blue fleck, or grasshopper
colors are also working well on a light wire hook for slow fall.
Any points with stumps along Little River, between 10-15 feet
deep seem to be the most consistent location for crankbait bites
and the best jig bite. The Bomber model A and Rebel Deep Wee
R crankbaits in Bayou Bengal, Fire Tiger, Sexy Shad, or Secret
Weapon colors, fished slowly from 8 to 12 feet deep, are still
finding some keeper bass deflecting off stumps, along Little
River.
White Bass: Schools of Whites are still holding in very deep
washouts in the river, (18-23 feet) and hitting vertical jigging
spoons and live shiners, over the past few weeks up Little River,
between White Cliffs and Hwy 71 bridge.
Crappie: Are still fair at best. Crappies all but completely
shut down over the past couple weeks with influx of incoming,
fresh and muddy water. With the water clarity improving, so should
the Crappie bite in the next week to 10 days.
Channel Cats: Bite remains consistent and steady w/ the current
in Little River over the past couple weeks. Channel Cats, from
3-8 pounds each for the past several weeks, are good. Good Channel
Cats have been caught over the past couple weeks, using cottonseed
mill cakes, cut baits or chicken livers, on trot lines and yo-yo's
along the river and in oxbows hung from cypress trees in approx
8-12 feet water.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Monday, 25 February, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake pool is rising again
from recent copious amounts of rain and incoming water, even
though drawdown is still in effect on Millwood.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, was initially, to last approx through February 15,
2008, of three feet. Recent approval was received to extend this
drawdown for another ten (10) days through approximately March
10. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project work
to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway, gates,
boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 25 Feb, is approx 11.5
inches below normal, and rising from recent rain and incoming
fresh water, at 258.27 feet. Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Normal
pool during winter drawdown condition is 256.2 feet. Little River's
clarity as of Monday, is approx 5-6" visibility. Main lake
clarity and visibility approx 3-5" from recent high wind.
Current in Little River and discharge at the dam was increased
to 12,009 CFS as of Monday, to maintain the pool drawdown due
to rising incoming fresh water upriver and rain and reduce the
lake rise. Navigation conditions are cautioned from recent winter
pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps previously underneath
normal pool elevation.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 12-15". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 25 February
is 240.05 feet and rising. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway
of 12,009 CFS is with 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet, and all
13 tainer gates open at 2.5 feet each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
Mike
February 19, 2008
- Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood Lake Guide
Service
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Monday 18 February, Largemouth Bass are good, along Little
River, and her oxbows, with the best bites still during the heat
of the day. Best bet over the past few weeks for bass, is on
Texas rigged Hog Assassins & large 10" bulky worms,
3/4 ounce size Rat-L-Traps, and jigs. The water clarity along
the river, and main lake is steadily improving from recent muddy
conditions, from high wind. The winter drawdown pool is in effect,
& rising from recent rain and incoming fresh water.
As of Monday, 18 February, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day. Lake pool is rising from
recent copious amounts of rain and incoming water, even though
drawdown is still in effect on Millwood.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, was initially, to last approx through February 15,
2008, of three feet. Recent approval was received to extend this
drawdown for another ten (10) days through approximately February
25. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project work
to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway, gates,
boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 18 Feb, is approx 18
inches, or 1.6 feet below normal, and rising from recent rain
and incoming fresh water, at 257.71 feet. Normal pool is 259.2
feet. Normal pool during winter drawdown condition is 256.2 feet.
Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx 5-6" visibility.
Main lake clarity and visibility approx 3-5" from recent
high wind. Current in Little River and discharge at the dam was
increased to 8,700 CFS as of Monday to maintain the pool drawdown
due to rising incoming fresh water upriver and rain and reduce
the lake rise. Navigation conditions are cautioned from recent
winter pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps previously
underneath normal pool elevation.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 12-15". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 18 February
is 237.72 feet and rising. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway
of 8,700 CFS is with 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet, and all 13
tainer gates open at 2.5 feet each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: During the past few weeks, best bite definitely
remains during the heat of the day. The Largemouths are still
relating to structure in Little River's deeper water, and are
consistent over the past few weeks. There is not much reason
to even leave the river in search of bass. We are having most
consistent success by pitching Texas rigged Yum Wooly Bugs in
Green Pumpkin, Southern Pro Flippin Tubes in Watermelon-Red,
Hog Assassins and Brush Hogs in Blackberry, and chartruese pepper
colored lizards, on the back side of stump's current breaks with
eddies, close to deep water. Largemouths from 4-7 pounds each
are biting well on the downstream side of stumps in Little River.
Wacky rigged Twitch Assassins and Charm Assassins, Senkos and
Salty Rat Tails are taking some decent keeper bass. Use a light
wire hook in a 1/0 or 2/0 size, for a slow, tantalizing fall
that will incite a solid strike. Watch your line for a pick-up
or a swimming bass to move off with it. Set hard.
Rat-L-Traps, in the 3/4 oz or 1 oz size, fished slower and deflecting
on stumps along Little River are taking keeper size bass in 9-11
feet depth range. The most productive colors of Rat-L-Traps in
3/4oz size over the past couple weeks, are the Red Shad, Red
Chrome (sunny days), Honey Bee or Hot Chartruese Craw color.
Stumps and cypress knees, laydowns and timber are the key during
the day, during drawdown, since not as much vegetation remains
submerged.
We are drawing some good reactions from decent size keeper bass,
on jigs, using Texas Craw or black and blue colors with Watermelon,
Green Pumpkin, or solid black chunk trailers, preferring black
Big Daddy Pork chunks. Dead sticking Twitch Assassins in Crystal
Shad, Salt n' Pepper Silver Phantom or Yamamoto 5" Senkos
and Salty Rat Tails, in kiwi, black/blue fleck, or grasshopper
colors are also working well on a light wire hook for slow fall.
Any points with stumps along Little River, between 10-15 feet
deep seem to be the most consistent location for crankbait bites
and the best jig bite. The Bomber model A and Rebel Deep Wee
R crankbaits in Bayou Bengal, Fire Tiger, or Secret Weapon colors,
fished slowly from 8 to 12 feet deep, are still finding some
keeper bass deflecting off stumps, along Little River. Sexy Shad
colored crank baits are still finding a few good bass also.
White Bass: Schools are still holding in very deep washouts in
the river, (18-23 feet) and hitting jigging spoons and live shiners,
over the past few weeks up Little River, between White Cliffs
and Hwy 71 bridge.
Crappie: Almost completely shut down over the past couple weeks
with influx of incoming, fresh and muddy water. With the water
clarity improving, so should the Crappie bite in the next week
to 10 days.
Channel Cats: Bite remains consistent and steady w/ the current
in Little River over the past couple weeks. Channel Cats, from
3-8 pounds each for the past several weeks, are good. Good Channel
Cats have been caught over the past couple weeks, using Catfish
Charlie, cut baits or chicken livers, on trot lines and yo-yo's
along the river and in oxbows hung from cypress trees in approx
8-12 feet water.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Monday 18 February, the Largemouth Bass are good, along
Little River, and her oxbows, with the best bites still during
the heat of the day. Best bite for bass for last several weeks,
remains on Wacky Rigs, Texas rigged Hog Assassins, large 3/4
ounce size Rat-L-Traps, various crankbaits and jigs. The water
clarity along the river, and main lake is steadily improving
from recent muddy conditions, from high wind. The winter drawdown
pool is in effect, & rising from recent rain and incoming
fresh water.
As of Monday, 18 February, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, was initially, to last approx through February 15,
2008, of three feet. Recent approval was received to extend this
drawdown for another ten (10) days through approximately February
25. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project work
to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway, gates,
boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 18 Feb, is approx 18
inches, or 1.6 feet below normal, and rising from recent rain
and incoming fresh water, at 257.71 feet. Normal pool is 259.2
feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx 5-6"
visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility approx 3-5"
from recent high wind. Current in Little River and discharge
at the dam was increased to 8,700 CFS as of Monday to maintain
the pool drawdown due to rising incoming fresh water upriver
and rain. Navigation conditions are cautioned from recent winter
pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps previously underneath
normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 12-15". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 18 February
is 237.72 feet and rising. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway
of 8,700 CFS is with 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet, and all 13
tainer gates open at 2.5 feet each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
Mike
February 15, 2008 - Norfork
and White River - Submitted by Mountain River Fly Shop
WHITE RIVER: Well its getting time to dust off
the Supreme river boat and head onto the water. After a relatively
low water winter, we are now starting to see some consistency
in flows over a unit. Over the weekend there was some water running
but not enough to stop you wading. Cold weather and icy conditions
made things tricky, please be careful on the ramps in icy conditions.
Midges were doing ok on the White, black and silver the best
combination, like a Tungsten Zebra, or a Black and Silver Super
Midge or WhiteTail was hard to beat. The Journal donated a White
Tail to one decent trout's collection, after while a little rusty
on the take. "Soft hands on the 6x"was the mantra.
But we have to say the trout we caught were beautifully colored
and fat bellied. As the ice storm moved through Marc Poulos spent
some time on the water and reported that bright colors seemed
to make a difference. "It was even too cold for midges"
he told us with a grin yesterday. Y2Ks and other eggs patterns
were the trick. With similar conditions expected to prevail this
weekend, pack some in your boxes. It would also be worth carrying
some white buggers and olive buggers for when it gets cold. Fish
them slow and stay warm.
NORFORK: The cold weather and rising lake level
had prompted more generation on Norfork as well, which means
wait for the periods of no water or jump in a boat.Boat fishing
streamers or dead drifting can be very productive. Try a spaghetti
and meatballs rig outside the trophy zones, an egg pattern in
front of a San Juan, perhaps a Pink Lady or larger midge patterns.
Remember to allow plenty of length between your indicator and
fly (or shot) to get that fly down. Streamer patterns can be
very effective. Marco also had clients on Norfork and reported
that big streamers were attracting attention from some very good
fish, including a couple of 20"+ browns. Try some Zoo Cougars,
Zonkers, big woolly buggers or even some of the larger Hansen's
Stay Hungry Streamers in white. Sinking lines, like a type 2
are recommended. In low water fish scuds and sow bugs and midges.
We particularly like Davy's Original Sowbug and McLellan's Woven
V-Rib Sowbugs or Wilson's Trout Crack.
Gary, Cindy, Jim, Kevin, Marc, Faye, Mike and
Steve
February 14, 2008
- White River - Submitted by Berry Brothers Guides-
JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 2/14/2008
We have had a recent rain and ice event and the
lake levels on the White River system have risen a bit. The lake
level at Bull Shoals Dam rose on tenth of a foot to rest at one
and nine tenths feet below power pool at 654.00 feet. Up stream,
Table Rock Lake rose two tenths of a foot to settle at three
and four tenths of a foot below power pool. Beaver Lake rose
three tenths of a foot to settle at six and two tenths of a foot
below pool. There generation pattern on the White has been a
bit of a mixed bag. On some days, there have been one or two
spikes of heavy generation followed by periods of low generation.
On other days, there have been long periods of low level generation.
This has created very limited wading opportunities and some excellent
boating opportunities. The weather has been cold and windy. Norfork
Lake has risen four tenths of a foot to rest three and three
tenths feet below power pool of 552.00 feet. The pattern on the
Norfolk has been for very little generation. We had a few days
with no generation at all and some days with one or two brief
spikes of heavy generation. This has created some excellent wading
conditions every day. The forecast is for the weather to remain
cold with the possibility of precipitation. With the existing
conditions, we should have some wadable water on both rivers.
The attention has still been concentrated in the
upper river specifically in the recently opened Catch and Release
section below Bull Shoals Dam. The generation pattern has severely
limited wading and most of the action has been from a boat. At
low levels of generation, the hot flies have been midge patterns.
Zebra midges in black with silver wire and silver beads and brown
with copper wire and copper beads have been particularly effective.
On higher levels of generation San Juan worms in bright colors
and peach eggs have been the ticket.
I still want to caution all wading anglers to please
avoid walking through the Redds (spawning beds recently filled
with fertilized eggs by brown trout). Now is a particularly vulnerable
time for the eggs and they need to be left alone so that they
can hatch. The redds can easily be identified as clean light
colored depressions in the gravel bottom.
Every one is still on the look out for shad coming
through the turbines at Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams. The recent
rain and cold front should help create the conditions necessary
for this natural phenomenon. The shad kill usually occurs during
extremely cold weather and high generation. As yet, there have
been no shad observed. It should be noted that, the shad kill
does not necessarily happen every year.
Anglers wishing to avoid the crowds at Bull Shoals
Dam headed down stream to find a bit of solitude. One of the
better spots was Wildcat Shoals. This area is wide and fairly
shallow. It is therefore fairly easily waded at the lower levels
of generation that we had at times. Hot flies here were partridge
and orange soft hackles, green butts, and olive woolly buggers.
On higher water, brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns
did the trick.
Rim Shoals was fishing very well. On lower levels
of generation the area around White Shoals was productive. Gary
Flipin at Rim Shoals Trout Dock runs a river shuttle from his
dock to access this remote area for a nominal fee. On high water,
the section below the first island has fished particularly well.
The hot fly has been the San Juan worm in cerise.
The Norfork has fished a bit better. There have
been few anglers here because of the inclement weather. Some
really nice fish were caught on brown zebra midges with copper
wire and copper bead. The bigger fish were caught on falling
water. The river in general does not fish as well when there
has been no generation for over twenty four hours. Anglers have
also done well with Dan's turkey tail emerger when the fish were
keying in on the midge emergers in the film.
There were a few kids at Dry Run Creek this past
week and predictably they did well. While sowbugs are the dominant
food source, try fishing a Y2K or big San Juan worm. They generate
a lot of strikes and the larger hook helps to land some of these
big fish. The majority of big fish are lost at the net. Take
your time and do not rush the process. Of course a big net helps.
John Berry
February 14, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service -
The water level at greers ferry is at 459.60 and
rising and the temp is 38-45 degrees
The over all bite is tough to say the least
The walleye have quit all the new stained cool
water coming in the creeks have shut them off but will get better
as it clears and warms up, try a jig head minnow and fish slow.
The hybrids and whites are biting some but are
slow you just have to be over them when they decide to feed ,
try spoons and in-line spinners as well as swimbaits and fish
slow and watch for some bird activity
No-report on bream
No-report on crappie
No-report on catfish
The bass fishing is some what slow try throwing
a jerkbait and pausing along time between jerks and a, live minnow
will catch a few as will a jighead worm
Tommy Cauley
February 13, 2008 - Beaver
Lake Submitted by JT Cappie Guide Service
Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers reports
the lake's elevation at 1,114.19 feet MSL.
JT's Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) said
bass can be caught by
using suspending jerk baits in bone or clown colors fished off
points
in the Clifty area. The river arms have produced a few bass on
crawdad-colored jigs fished slowly along steep chunk rock banks.
Crappie have
been biting well up either river arm. Sidewalk hole, Blue Springs
and
Friendship Creek are all hot spots. Warm sunny days have been
the best.
Southern Pro tubes in red/chartreuse or black/chartreuse and
minnows have
been working best fished along timber or brush. White bass remain
slow, but are biting along the deep side of main-lake points.
Small jigging
spoons should do the trick. Reports of striper action have been
coming
from Prairie Creek all the way to Point 12. Umbrella rigs with
white
grubs should do the trick trolled slowly behind the boat. Catfish
are
still biting along bluff lines. Cut shad and liver have worked
well.
February 12, 2008
- Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood Lake Guide
Service
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Tuesday 12 February, the Largemouth Bass are good, along
Little River, and her oxbows, with the best bites still during
the heat of the day. Best bite for bass for last several weeks,
remains on Wacky Rigs, Texas rigged Hog Assassins, large 3/4
ounce size Rat-L-Traps, various crankbaits and jigs. The water
clarity along the river, and main lake is muddy, from recent
high wind. The winter drawdown pool is in effect, & rising
from recent rain and incoming fresh water.
As of Tuesday, 12 February, the main lake and Little River's
water surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, is to last approx through February 15, 2008, of
three feet. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project
work to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway,
gates, boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Tuesday 12 Feb, is approx 31
inches, or 2.6 feet below normal and falling, at 256.60 feet.
Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday,
is approx 2-5" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility
approx 3-5" from recent high wind. Current in Little River
and discharge at the dam was increased to 3,404 CFS as of Monday
to maintain the pool drawdown due to rising incoming fresh water
upriver and rain. Navigation conditions are cautioned from recent
winter pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps previously
underneath normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 10-12". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Tuesday, 12 February
is 230.51 feet. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway of 3,404
CFS is with 1 sluice gate open at 6 feet, and 9 tainer gates
open at 1 foot each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: During the past few weeks, best bite definitely
remains during the heat of the day. The Largemouths are definitely
relating to structure in Little River's deeper water, and are
consistent over the past few weeks. Really there is not much
reason to even leave the river in search of bass. We are having
most consistent success by pitching Texas rigged Lil Critter
Craws, 4" Southern Pro Flippin Tubes, Hog Assassins and
Yum Wooly Bugs in Green Pumpkin, Watermelon-Red, Blackberry,
or scumpernong colored lizards, to stumps close to deep water
are drawing some strong Largemouths up to 4-6 pounds each on
the stumps in Little River. Wacky rigs Twitch Assassins and Charm
Assassins, Senkos and Salty Rat Tails are taking some decent
keeper bass. Use a light wire hook in a 1/0 or 2/0 size, for
a slow, tantalizing fall that will incite a solid strike. Watch
your line for a pick-up or a swimming bass to move off with it.
Set hard.
Rat-L-Traps, in the 3/4 oz or 1 oz size, fished slower and deflecting
on stumps along Little River are still taking keeper size bass
in 8-9 feet depth. The most productive colors of Rat-L-Traps
in 3/4oz size over the past couple weeks, are the Red Shad, Red
Chrome (sunny days) or Honey Bee colors . Stumps, cypress knees,
and laydowns are the key during the day, during drawdown, since
not as much vegetation remains submerged.
We are drawing some good reactions from decent size keeper bass,
on jigs using a Texas Craw color with Watermelon or Green Pumpkin
chunk trailers, or black and blue color jigs with solid black
Big Daddy Pork chunks. Dead sticking Twitch Assassins in Crystal
Shad, Salt n' Pepper Silver Phantom or Yamamoto 5" Senkos
and Salty Rat Tails, in kiwi, watermelon-red, black/blue fleck,
or grasshopper colors are also working well on a light wire hook
for slow fall.
Any points with stumps along Little River, between 10-15 feet
deep seem to be the most consistent location for crankbait bites.
The Bomber model A and Rebel Deep Wee R crankbaits in Bayou Bengal,
Fire Tiger, or Secret Weapon colors, fished slowly from 8 to
12 feet deep, are still finding some keeper bass deflecting off
stumps, along Little River. Sexy Shad colored crank baits are
taking a few good bass also.
White Bass: Schools are holding in very deep water of the river,
(18-28 feet) and hitting jigging spoons over the past few weeks
up Little River between Horseshoe Lake and White Cliffs.
Crappie: Almost completely shut down this week with influx of
incoming, fresh and muddy water.
Channel Cats: Bite remains consistent and steady w/ the current
in Little River over the past couple weeks. Channel Cats, from
3-8 pounds each for the past several weeks, are good. Good Channel
Cats have been caught over the past couple weeks, using Catfish
Charlie, cut baits or cut shad on trot lines and yo-yo's along
the river and in oxbows hung from cypress trees in approx 10-15
feet water.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Tuesday, 12 February, the main lake and Little River's
water surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, is to last approx through February 15, 2008, of
three feet. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project
work to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway,
gates, boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Tuesday 12 Feb, is approx 31
inches, or 2.6 feet below normal and falling, at 256.60 feet.
Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday,
is approx 2-5" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility
approx 3-5" from recent high wind. Current in Little River
and discharge at the dam was increased to 3,404 CFS as of Monday
to maintain the pool drawdown due to rising incoming fresh water
upriver and rain. Navigation conditions are cautioned from recent
winter pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps previously
underneath normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 10-12". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Tuesday, 12 February
is 230.51 feet. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway of 3,404
CFS is with 1 sluice gate open at 6 feet, and 9 tainer gates
open at 1 foot each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
Mike
February 7, 2008 -
White River - Submitted by Berry
Brothers Guides-
Due to a recent violent storm front rain, the lake
levels on the White River system have risen a bit. The lake level
at Bull Shoals Dam remained steady at two feet below power pool
at 654.00 feet. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose two tenths of
a foot to settle at three and six tenths of a foot below power
pool. Beaver Lake rose four tenths of a foot to settle at six
and five tenths of a foot below pool. There generation pattern
on the White has been a bit of a mixed bag. On some days, there
have been one or two spikes of heavy generation followed by periods
of low generation. On other days, there have been short periods
of no generation. This has created very limited wading opportunities
and some excellent boating opportunities. The weather has also
been a mixed bag. Some days were cold and incredibly windy and
we had a couple of unseasonably warm days that spawned a killer
tornado. Norfork Lake has risen seven tenths of a foot to rest
three and seven tenths feet below power pool of 552.00 feet.
The pattern on the Norfolk has been for very little generation.
We had a few days with no generation at all and some days with
a brief period of heavy generation. This has created excellent
wading conditions every day. The forecast is for the weather
to remain cold with the possibility of precipitation. With the
existing conditions, we should have some wadable water on both
rivers.
All of the action during the last week was centered
in the recently opened Catch and Release section at the base
of Bull Shoals dam. Numerous anglers came into the area to participate
in the opening of the area after the spawn. There were several
trophy trout caught. The action seemed to be best on midges,
eggs (peach) and on heavy generation San Juan worms. Due to the
infestation of this section by Didymo (the invasive algae), we
are not seeing many sowbugs or scuds here. I caution all wading
anglers to please avoid walking through the Redds (spawning beds
recently filled with fertilized eggs by brown trout). Now is
a particularly vulnerable time for the eggs and they need to
be left alone so that they can hatch and become big brown trout.
The redds can easily be identified as clean light colored depressions
in the gravel bottom.
Every one is still on the look out for shad coming
through the turbines at Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams. The recent
rain and cold front should help create the conditions necessary
for this natural phenomenon. The shad kill usually occurs during
extremely cold weather and high generation. As yet, there have
been no shad observed. One of the early indicators is, gulls
converging below the dams to feed on the shad. The most effective
flies to use during the shad kill would be large white streamers
in floating and sinking versions.
Anglers wishing to avoid the crowds at Bull Shoals
Dam headed down stream to find a bit of solitude. One of the
better spots was Roundhouse shoals in Cotter. There is plenty
of water there with easy access. Hot flies here were gray sowbugs,
olive scuds, zebra midges and olive woolly buggers. On higher
water, brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns did the
trick.
Rim Shoals was fishing very well. The hot flies
for this section have been gray sowbugs, olive woolly buggers,
olive scuds, black zebra midges with silver wire and silver bead
and brown zebra midges with copper wire and copper beads. On
high water, the section below the first island has fished particularly
well. The hot fly has been the San Juan worm in cerise.
The Norfork has fished a bit slow. There have been
few anglers here in spite of the reliable midge hatches in the
afternoon. Anglers have done the best with Norfork bead heads
in olive size eighteen, zebra midges in black with silver wire
and silver beads and brown with copper wire and copper beads
in the same size. When the fish are keying in on the midge emergers
in the film, Dan's turkey tail emerger and Chucks emerger both
in size eighteen have been the go to patterns.
There were a few kids at Dry Run Creek this past
week and predictably they did well. While sowbugs are a reliable
producer, try fishing an olive woolly bugger under an indicator.
They generate a lot of strikes and the larger hook helps to land
some of these big fish. With these you can use really heavy tippet
(3X or 4X). Most fish are lost at the net. Take the biggest one
that you can lay your hands on and do not forget the camera.
John Berry
February 7, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service -
Water level at Greers Ferry Lake is at 458.46 and
falling. The temperature ranges from 38 to 48 degrees F.
Black bass fishing is fair on spinner baits and
rattletraps. Along with wiggle warts and football head jigs.
If the sun's shining, fish shallow on channel bends. If not,
drag the football head out deeper.
Catfishing is surprisingly good for some reason
at present. Try fishing jugs with a 17 to 19 foot leader, using
live bream for bait.
Crappie fishing has slowed somewhat with the cooler
nights and the bite is real light. Try using small minnows in
standing pole timber. On channel swings, fish about 15 to 20
feet deep over 40 to 60 feet.
No report on bream.
The walleye fishing has slowed due to colder nights
and colder water temps. The warm rain we just had should really
get them fired up and fishing should become real good in the
next couple of days. Try trolling deep running crank baits in
shad or trout color, deep diving rebels, wally divers, and such.
You can also use bream on a Carolia rig or three-way rig. Also,
try dragging a crawler round or a jig head tipped with a minnow
on small secondary gravle points.
White and hybrid bass fishing is hit or miss if
you're there when they're feedig its hit, but if you will watch
for the birds feeding on shad or use electronic to find shad
and stay with them the bass feed on the shad at least twice a
day. Use buckshot, inline spinners, jigging spoons, swim baits,
hair jigs and grubs. Concentrate in 30 to 60 feet of water.
Tommy Cauley
February 6, 2008 - Norfork
and White River - Submitted by Mountain River Fly Shop
WHITE RIVER: Its been a difficult day and its been
pretty hard to concentrate on fishing, even as much as we obsess
about it. But it had been a pretty good few days. Some very nice
fish were caught by the dam and Clint Wilkinson was in this morning
talking about a 100 fish day for his client on Monday. But the
severe cold front which came in yesterday will have slowed things
some
Davy Wotton's Super Midges continue to do very
well, as do more common Zebra Midges, Poison Tungs, and the like.
Black and Silver and red are very strong colors. But we have
also had decent reports on olive and Camel Midges.
Olive McLellan's scuds and Woven V-Rib Sowbugs
have also been catching plenty of fish alongside Trout Crack's
and sneaky brown San Juan's.
Woolly buggers in olive and black continue to fish
strongly.
NORFORK: Chad Johnson floated Norfork last Saturday
and nailed fish on a variety of patterns. But he reported that
red based midges with some flash were the best bet. Try the Red/Yellow
Tailwater Midges as well. We have heard too of some irregular,
patchy but occasionally very good blue wing olive hatches coming
off.
So keep some Parachute Adams in 18s and 20s handy,
and some small Pheasant Tails..
Tightlines from all at the Mountain River Fly Shop
Gary, Cindy, Jim, Kevin, Marc, Faye, Mike and
Steve
February 6, 2008 - Beaver
Lake Submitted by JT Cappie Guide Service
Beaver Lake : As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 1,113.54 feet MSL.
JT's Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) said bass fishing has
been
best in the Big and Little Clifty area. Crawdad-colored Wiggle
Warts
and watermelon jigs fished along chunk rock banks have produced
some
bass. Points with timber have been holding bass as well. Try
using
suspending jerkbaits in clown or bone colors. Crappie fishing
continues to be
best in the river arms. The Neals Bluff area and Friendship Creek
have
been good spots. Look in shallow bays on warm sunny days around
laydowns
and brush piles. On cloudy days try around standing timber near
the
channel in 10-25 feet deep. The best baits have been minnows
and Shineee
Hineee jigs. White bass are still in their winter haunts along
deep
main-lake points. Indian Creek, Eden's Bluff and Point 12 are
all good
spots to look. On warm, sunny days, they may venture out to flats
or in
shallow bays. Jigging or casting spoons will work best. Stripers
have
been in Prairie Creek and south towards Monte-NE. Umbrella rigs
with
3/8-oz. jigheads dressed with white grubs have produced well.
Catfish are
biting well along bluff lines on shad or liver.
Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said water conditions
are
normal. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs around brush.
Bass are
fair in deep water on jerkbaits and plastic worms.
LakeSWEPCO: JT's Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980)
said bass on
SWEPCO are a bit fussy on some days. Try crawdad-colored jigs
or live
minnows around pole timber. Shallow-running crankbaits have taken
a few
bass near the discharge. Bluegill in SWEPCO have been hitting
crickets
along timber and the deep channel on the east side.
--
Jason Piper
J.T. Crappie Guide Services
479-640-3980
January 31, 2008 -
White River - Submitted by Berry
Brothers Guides-
Despite a recent rain event, the lake levels on
the White River system have fallen a bit. The lake level at Bull
Shoals Dam fell one tenth of a foot to rest at two feet below
power pool at 654.00 feet. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell seven
tenths of a foot to settle at three and eight tenths of a foot
below power pool. Beaver Lake fell one tenth of a foot to settle
at six and nine tenths of a foot below pool. There generation
pattern on the White has been a bit of a mixed bag. On some days,
there have been one or two spikes of heavy generation followed
by periods of low generation. On other days, there have been
short periods of very light generation. This has created some
great wading opportunities and some excellent boating opportunities.
It has been extremely cold and incredibly windy with a couple
of warm pleasant days thrown in that allowed for some great fishing.
Norfork Lake has risen one tenth of a foot to rest four and four
tenths feet below power pool of 552.00 feet. The pattern on the
Norfolk has been a mixed bag. We had a few days with no generation
and some days with a brief period of heavy generation. This has
created excellent wading conditions every day. The forecast is
for the weather to remain cold with the possibility of precipitation.
With the existing conditions, we should have some wadable water
on both rivers.
Keep in mind that the Catch and Release area below
Bull Shoals Dam opens on February, 1. This section has been closed
for the past few months while the brown trout have been spawning
and no one has been allowed to fish here during this period.
I caution all wading anglers to please avoid walking through
the Redds (spawning beds recently filled with fertilized eggs
by brown trout). Now is a particularly vulnerable time for the
eggs and they need to be left alone so that they can hatch and
become big brown trout. The redds can easily be identified as
clean light colored depressions in the gravel bottom.
The next major event on the Twin Lakes fishing
calendar is the shad kill. This is when threadfin shad are drawn
through the turbines at Bull Shoals and Norfork dam. This usually
occurs sometime from January to March during periods of very
low temperature and high generation. This generally happens just
after the brown trout spawn when they are very hungry. It is
usually the best time to land a huge trout. This is not a reliable
phenomenon and sometimes there is no shad kill. As yet, there
have been no shad observed. One of the early indicators is, gulls
converging below the dams to feed on the shad. The best flies
to use during the shad kill would be large white streamers. Be
sure to carry both floating and sinking flies.
Despite the generally cold and windy conditions,
we had an incredible weekend with high temperatures and sunny
wind less days. There were many anglers that took advantage of
the unseasonably pleasant weather. One hot spot was the Narrows
. There have been several reports of great fishing on black zebra
midges with silver wire and silver beads and olive woolly buggers.
Rim Shoals was fishing very well. The hot flies
for this section have been olive woolly buggers, olive scuds
and black zebra midges with silver wire and silver bead. The
deeper holes along the first island have been productive particularly
with Y2Ks. On high water, the hot fly has been the San Juan worm
in cerise.
The Norfork has fished a bit better this week.
There have been some reliable midge hatches in the afternoon.
Anglers have done the best with Norfork bead heads in olive size
eighteen, zebra midges in black with silver wire and silver beads
and brown with copper wire and copper beads in the same size.
When the fish are keying in on the midge emergers in the film,
Dan's turkey tail emerger in size twenty two have been killer.
To change things up try large San Juan worms in red and worm
brown and Y2Ks. They frequently tempt large trout.
Dry Run Creek, as always, has been the place to
take the kids fishing. The warm weekend drew out a few youngsters.
Those few that showed up did exceptionally well. The hot fly
was a size fourteen sowbug. Other effective flies were olive
woolly buggers and San Juan worms. Be sure and use at least 4X
tippet and carefully pinch down those barbs.
John Berry
January 30, 2008 - Norfork
and White River - Submitted by Mountain River Fly Shop
WHITE RIVER: Well we should have guessed it. The
end of the winter closure of the Bull Shoal Catch and Release
area is upon us and there is snow in the forecast _ for the 29th
at least. But there might be some of the white stuff still on
the ground come Friday morning. Drive carefully if you are planning
an early start.
The cold weather should mean plenty of water coming
through the Dam, which means the Upper End of the river will
be host to a fair number of boats. As Momma used to say "play
nicely with the other kiddies" if you are heading out. Try
to run up behind other fly fishers, don't drive over their drift,
get in line for a drift and don't cut in. Then everyone can have
some fun.
February 1 is often seen as the start to the new
year of fishing, despite there being no closed season, and there
will be plenty hoping to kick off with a shad kill. As we mentioned
last week cold weather and generation are the critical factors,
and we keep edging towards it.
But even so the fishing has been very good on the
White. Davy and T-Bird called in during the week to deliver more
Super Midges, and a couple of new versions, and reported a very
good day above White Hole, earlier this week. T-Bird whopped
them with a Black Whitetail Super Midge off her vise. Davy on
the other hand was fishing a team of his specialty wet flies,
which are going to join our fly stable later in the year.
The trout are definitely hungry. Red White Tails
have been very popular, egg patterns continue to do well, particularly
the Flashtail Mini Eggs and Unreal Eggs.
And woolly bugger fly fishers are continue to seek
out our Red Head Olive Buggers in preference to all our other
patterns, so thankfully we just topped up our bins.
NORFORK: The majority of reports off Norfork continue
to be fair at best, with a lot of smaller fish on the menu. Wading
was wide open this week, with the warmer temps, but generation
started yesterday with the cold front pushing through.
Some decent flows should help out. Smaller scuds,
olive, gray and tan McLellan's Hunchback, Davys Sowbug in Gray
and small Kaufmann's in brown olivive have been doing well. Zebras
and Super Midges have been productive, as well as WD40s. As we
mentioned last week try fishing lightly weighted or unweighted
emergers swing up in the film. Or swing Tailwater Soft Hackles
or Anna Ks through the tail outs of the riffles.
Tightlines from all at the Mountain River Fly Shop
Gary, Cindy, Jim, Kevin, Marc, Faye, Mike and
Steve
January 30, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service -
The water level at greers ferry is at 458.30 and
falling as is the temp it ranges from the low 30's to 42 degrees
at present
We need some warm sun shine to warm the water some
what and a warm rain would sure help also
The hybrids and whites have been on the move ounce
again since it got colder , they will stay in 1 place for a while
and then move some and may not move much , just watch your electronics
and the birds the easiest ways is the birds the smartest way
is electronics and that way you can usually have them all to
yourself, ounce you find them if they are on the bottom use a
jigging spoon and if they are suspended try a buckshot in-line
spinner, swim a grub, hairjig or swimbait thorough them as well
as a fishhead spin or horsehead and real pretty slow.
No report on bream
No report on catfish
The crappie are still in the biting mode if the
sun shines in the late afternoons they will move up in the water
coloum and bite some , try channel bends with pole timber and
ledges with timber with a small minnow
The walleye have slowed but the longer days will
have them on the move and it should pick up some what in the
next week
Tommy Cauley
January 24, 2008 -
White River - Submitted by Berry
Brothers Guides- JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/24/2008
There was locally minor rain event and the lake
levels on the White River system have continued to rise. The
lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose eight tenths of a foot to
rest at one and nine tenths of a foot below power pool at 654.00
feet. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell seven tenths of a foot
to settle at three and one tenths of a foot below power pool.
Beaver Lake remained steady at six and eight tenths of a foot
below pool. There generation pattern on the White has been for
one or two spikes of heavy generation each day followed by periods
of no generation or low generation. This has created some limited
wading opportunities and some excellent boating opportunities.
It has been extremely cold and very windy. Norfork Lake has risen
three tenths of a foot to rest four and three tenths feet below
power pool of 552.00 feet. The pattern on the Norfolk has been
a mixed bag. We had a few days with no generation and some days
with a brief period of heavy generation. This has created excellent
wading conditions every day. The forecast is for the weather
to remain cold with the possibility of precipitation. With the
existing conditions, we should have some wadable water on both
rivers.
There was an incident this week on the White River
at Taneycomo where an angler drowned. He was attempting to pull
his boat out of the water on an icy ramp. His car slid into the
river and though he got out of the automobile he was unable to
make it to shore. This highlights the danger of icy ramps in
the bitterly cold weather we are currently encountering. Avoid
using any ramp that is iced. Live to fish another day.
Keep in mind that the Catch and Release area below
Bull Shoals Dam will open on February, 1. This section has been
closed for the past few months while the brown trout have been
spawning and no one has been allowed to fish here during this
period. I would expect that this will attract several anglers.
To avoid the crowds, try to fish early or late or better yet
on a week day.
Despite the cold and windy weather, the fishing
on the White has been good. There have not been many anglers
out but those that have fished have done well. One hot spot has
been the Narrows . There have been several reports of great fishing
on Y2Ks and egg patterns. In addition, this area has yielded
some decent browns. On high water, brightly colored San Juan
worms and egg patterns have been quite productive.
Wildcat Shoals has also been fishing well particularly
on the lower end of the shoals. When there is a bit of water,
egg patterns have produced well, while on low water, partridge
and orange soft hackles and green butts have done the job.
Rim Shoals was fishing very well. Anglers walking
down to White Shoals have been rewarded. Remember that this is
a long hike and if the water comes up it will be dangerous. Always
check generation before beginning this trek. The hot flies for
this section have been olive woolly buggers, olive scuds and
black zebra midges with silver wire and silver bead. The deeper
holes along the first island have been productive particularly
with Y2Ks. On high water the hot fly has been the San Juan worm
in cerise.
The Norfork has fished a bit better this week.
There have been some reliable midge hatches in the afternoon.
I have done the best with Norfork bead heads in olive size eighteen
and black and silver zebra midges in the same size. When the
fish are keying in on the midge emergers in the film, Dan's C
B emergers (also known as Chuck Berry's emergers) in size twenty
two have been killer. Other productive flies have been Y2Ks,
San Juan worms, and olive scuds.
Dry Run Creek, as always, has been the place to
take the kids fishing. Because of the bitterly cold weather there
have been precious few kids fishing there lately. Those few that
braved the cold did exceptionally well. The hot fly is a size
fourteen sowbug. Also try olive woolly buggers and San Juan worms.
Be sure and use at least 4X tippet and pinch down those barbs.
Always take the biggest net you can find and a camera.
If you are in the area and opt to visit the Norfork
Fish Hatchery, be sure to remove your waders before entering
the facility. Diseases such as whirling disease could be carried
on your waders and this could have a devastating effect on the
hatchery.
Practice water safety and always check conditions
before you leave home.
MIDGE FISHING
Winter is one of my favorite times to fish. There
is greatly reduced fishing pressure, seasonally low water, and
a reliable hatch, midges. The midge is the smallest of the aquatic
insects of interest to fly fishers and possibly the least understood.
In addition, they hatch in the winter when there are fewer anglers
than any other time of year. They are often overlooked because
of their size. My clients frequently ask how a fish can see and
be caught by such a small fly. You have to consider a full-grown
man eating M&Ms. They are small in relation to his total
body size but he eats several of them at a single setting. Midges
are the most available food source at certain times and the fish
eat a lot of them.
Yesterday was an incredible day for the middle
of January, forty degree temperatures, sunny skies and light
winds. Lori and I started off fishing with size 20 Norfork bead
heads. We immediately began catching fish. When I pumped the
stomachs of the first few fish we caught, all that I found was
midge larvae. We were high sticking the nymphs in fast water
on light tippets. I was using 6X while Lori was using 5X because
of her tendency to set the hook too hard. We noticed some top
water action but could not see any insects emerging. We assumed
that it was midges. I pulled out my midge box and selected a
size twenty two Dan's Turkey Tail Emerger, my go-to fly for midge
hatches. This pattern was developed by my brother, Dan, and it
is an absolute killer pattern. Lori did the same and we began
fishing the fly by casting downstream at a 45-degree angle. As
soon as the fly hit the water we stripped it back to sink it
in the film. We let the line swing in the current. When a belly
formed in the line, we did not mend but left it there so that
the drag would help set the hook when a trout struck. Rather
than waiting to feel the strike we carefully observed the fly
line and quickly set the hook if we saw end of the line move.
Trout can be very subtle when they are feeding on midges. We
opted to work the water systematically by slowly working our
way down stream. If we saw a rising fish we cast so that the
fly would drift over it. We soon began catching fish. Lori landed
a fat 21-inch rainbow that qualified her for the 20/20 club,
(catching a 20-inch or better fish on a size 20 or smaller fly).
I took a photo and we fished until dark.
The next day I was fishing with a fellow angler
and observed his midge technique. He rigged the same way I did
except that he put a small strike indicator about four feet from
the fly. He cast the fly up stream to rising fish. As the fly
drifted down stream, he carefully stripped in any slack line.
When the strike indicator twitched, he set the hook. He caught
as many fish as I did but I think his method requires better
casting skills and more attention to detail. The key is line
control. As the fly drifts down stream, you must strip line so
that at any moment you can set the hook yet have enough slack
in the line to allow for perfect a drag free drift. This technique
can be amazingly effective.
My brother Dan, in addition to fishing with emergers,
likes to fish midge hatches with dry flies. He loves glass smooth
water, 70-foot casts, and is particularly fond of Griffith's
Gnats. I find these and other midge dry flies to be too small
to fish. If I can't see it, I can't fish it. Dan sets the hook
if he sees a rise near where he thinks the fly is. He has caught
a lot of big fish doing this.
One of my clients last week was a seventy five
year old retired doctor. Every day he fished size twenty six
cream midge dry flies that he tied himself. He fished them very
close and did well. In fact, he out fished his buddies that were
concentrating on midge larva.
If you want some good action in the winter check
the weather forecast, call the dam, catch a good day and consider
fishing midges. You'll be glad you did!
John Berry
January 23, 2008 - Norfork
and White River - Submitted by Mountain River Fly Shop
WHITE RIVER: For an Aussie this weather is crazy,
you know we have outlawed temperatures below freezing Down Under.
Well if the laws haven't passed yet they ought to! It was in
the low teens this morning when we clicked on the Open sign and
cracked the front door. Thanks goodness for strong coffee!
But it hasn't kept some from the water. It was
about 14F last Saturday, plus some wind-chill, when we packaged
a handful of Michigan fly fishers off to the water. That is some
sort of commitment and the Journal was happy to be sitting at
his desk. But the guys had been catching plenty of fish, up and
down the river.
It seems like we have been saying it every week
but Davy's Super Midge was the hot item, particularly the Red
and Black White Tails. The standard versions work very well as
well but the White Tail is grabbing fly fishers and they are
catching fish. Incidentally we are adding a couple of new versions
to the range over the next few weeks.
As we mentioned in the Shad Fly segment two elements,
temperature and generation (the latter ensures there are shad
close to the dam) are required for a good shad kill. Right now
we have cold weather and some decent generation, particularly
over the past two days. But even on the warmer days we have been
getting a couple of bursts of generation early and late in the
day. But whether we get a shad kill, how thick and long lasting
it is, is in the hands of the fishing gods. Stay tuned and tie
flies.
Of course as we mentioned last week mobile white
flies, like the Deep Shad Patterns mentioned above, white woolly
buggers or anything "fleshy" tied with rabbit or marabou
can work pretty well run deep in generation periods. It's time
to add some heavy tippet and big shot to the shopping list.
Speaking of Buggers it's a great time to be fishing
buggers on the dark overcast days, bigger streamers too. We particularly
like mobile streamers, lots of rabbit, mink, and marabou, some
weight to get it down and a bit of flash to attract attention.
A size 10 woolly is probably our most popular but we really like
the bigger sizes 6s and 8s, even 4s, for bigger fish. Barr's
Tungsten Slumpbuster, in olive or natural is one of our favorite,
its flashy, it wiggles like its alive and it sinks like a stone.
Dave Whitlock's Near Nuff Sculpin is another favorite, Conehead
Flash Bunnies, Conehead Kiwi Muddlers and Conehead Madonnas are
also worth having. Check them out on our Streamer page
NORFORK: Generation on Norfork has been a little
harder to judge. But basically it's been off most of the day
over the past week. Short splashes of water have come early,
late or not at all.
As we mentioned last week the fishing can be good
one day and bad the next it seems, our reports have been very
mixed. Chad Johnson (remember the mini-Guide?) was out in the
chill last Sunday and reported that small emergers, like gray
Glass Bead WD40s and small midge emergers fished up in and close
to the surface film performed the best. He also took some fish
on the Y2K and zebra-style midges. But the fish wanted the fly
close to the surface.
As well as the Glass Bead WD40s, we'd be packing
Mercury Midges, particularly in gray or olive shades, perhaps
even our favorite Black Beauties. Chad also mentioned a smattering
of blue wing olive, (18s and 20s) hatching sporadically during
the afternoon. Fish some Parachute Adams and BWO Comparaduns
or Sparkle Duns for the adults, and always keep some small Pheasant
Tails or Micro Mayfly patterns in your box to match the early
stages of the hatch.
Tightlines from all at the Mountain River Fly Shop
Gary, Cindy, Jim, Kevin, Marc, Faye, Mike and
Steve
January 23, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service -
The water level is at 458.67 and falling as well
as the water temp with all the cold weather we have been having.
The colder weather has put a damper on the walleye
, and walleye fishing as well but it will pick back up soon as
we will be on the upper swing and the days getting longer, continue
to try and find the warmest water middle ways up the creeks and
down size baits and line and fish real slow and if ya thing you
are fishing slow enough slow down some more.
The hybrids and whites are still fair on spoons
and in-line spinners as well as swim baits in about 50 feet of
water just stay on the shad and the fish will be close by.
No report on bream
The bass fishing has slowed somewhat with the weather
but will again be good , right now try out deeper with a jigging
spoon and a football head in 35-40 feet of water in the deeper
ditches .
No report on catfish
The crappie have even slowed also with the best
bite in the afternoons if the sun is shinning in the pole timber
in the bends of creeks and rivers with real small minnows.
'WE FIND EM YOU CATCH EM '
Tommy Cauley
January 23, 2008 - Beaver
Lake Submitted by JT Cappie Guide Service
Beaver Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 1113.56 feet MSL.
Bass have been hitting jigging spoons and hard
jerk baits along wind blown banks from midlake and south in 20-35
feet of water. They have also been hitting jig-and-pig combos
along chunk rock banks with timber. Crappie have been hit-or-miss
with the best fishing on warm, sunny days. Try using minnows
or Shineee Hineee jigs around brush and pole timber along bluff
lines and channel ledges.
The best places to fish are the War Eagle creek
arm, Monte Ne and Edens Bluff. White bass have been around main
lake points and humps near the main channel. Quarter-ounce jigging
spoons lowered down to the school have worked best. The best
places to find whites have been around Point 12, Edens Bluff
and the Horseshoe Bend areas. Striped bass have been anywhere
from up in the rivers to Prairie Creek. Try umbrella rigs with
white grubs. Catfish are near bluff lines and can be caught with
liver or nightcrawlers. Hickory Creek is a good spot to look
for catfish.
Bream are also along steep bluff walls near timber.
Crickets or worms fished 15-30 feet will be productive.
--
Jason Piper
J.T. Crappie Guide Services
479-640-3980
January 21, 2008 -
Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood Lake Guide
Service The Overall Picture:
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Monday 21 January, the Largemouth Bass remain relating
to the deeper water in Little River and her creek mouths dumping
into the river. Bass are good to fair, along Little River, and
her oxbows, with the best bites during the heat of the day. Best
bite for bass for last several weeks, remains on Wacky Rigs,
Texas rigged Hog Assassins, large 3/4 ounce size Rat-L-Traps,
various crankbaits and jigs. The water clarity along the river,
is improving from recent heavy stain. The winter drawdown pool
is in effect, & slowly falling. The reinforced cooler weather,
drop in water temperatures, have the Largemouth Bass relating
to almost exclusively to the river.
As of Monday, 21 January, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 43º to 45º, depending
of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, is to last approx through February 15, 2008, of
three feet. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project
work to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway,
gates, boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 21 Jan, is approx 35
inches, or 2.9 feet below normal and falling, at 256.50 feet.
Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday,
is approx 6-8" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility
approx 5-6" from recent high wind. Current in Little River
and discharge at the dam was decreased to 1,255 CFS as of Monday
to maintain the pool drawdown. Navigation conditions are cautioned
from recent winter pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps
previously underneath normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 15-20". The tailwater elevation
that was available below the spillway on Monday, 21 January is
229.12 feet. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway of 1,255
CFS is with 1 sluice gate open at 6 feet.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: During the past few weeks, best bite definitely
remains during the heat of the day. The Largemouths are definitely
relating to deeper drops and wash outs, creek mouths and the
similar structure of Little River close to deep water, and are
consistent over the past few weeks. A lot of the fish we have
been catching are, for the most part, suspending during mornings
and roaming some later in afternoon. Texas rigging Lil Critter
Craws, 4" Southern Pro Flippin Tubes, Hog Assassins and
Yum Wooly Bugs in Green Pumpkin, Watermelon-Red, Camo, Ozark
Smoke, and Blackberry and pitching to stumps close to deep water
are drawing some good strikes and strong Largemouths up to 4-6
pounds each on points in Little River. A 10-pounder was caught
last week out on the main lake, in the river. Wacky rigs Twitch
Assassins and Charm Assassins, Senkos and Salty Rat Tails are
taking some decent keeper bass.
Rat-L-Traps, in the 3/4 oz or 1 oz size, fished slower and deflecting
on stumps along Little River are still taking keeper size bass
in 8-9 feet depth. The most productive colors of Rat-L-Traps
in 3/4oz size over the past couple weeks, are the Gold, Red Shad,
or Crappie colors . Stumps, cypress knees, and laydowns are the
key during the day, during drawdown, since not as much vegetation
remains submerged.
We are drawing some good reactions from decent size keeper bass,
on jigs using a Texas Craw color with in Watermelon or Green
Pumpkin chunk trailers. Dead sticking Twitch Assassins in Crystal
Shad, Salt n' Pepper Silver Phantom or Yamamoto 5" Senkos
and Salty Rat Tails, in motor-oil red flake, purple smoke, and
kiwi are also working well on a light wire hook for slow fall.
Long tapering points with stumps in Little River, between 10-15
feet deep seem to be the most consistent location for Bomber
model A and Rebel Deep Wee R crankbaits in Black Pearl, Bayou
Bengal, or Secret Weapon colors, fished slowly from 8 to 12 feet
deep, are still finding some keeper bass deflecting off stumps,
along Little River. These areas were good for the past few weeks
with a jig'n pig, but over the past few days to a week, it seems
this population of bass have changed their preferred diet to
a fat shad crankbait presentation. Locations close to the 3-5
mile marker of Little River are hot with cranks this week.
White Bass: No report.
Crappie: The best Crappie bite over the past couple weeks or
so, was along planted brush piles & 16-20' deep trees, mid-mornings,
on live shiners or smoke grubs on light wire jig heads. Vertical
jigging Blakemore Crappie Thunder Road Runners were taking some
really nice slabs up to 2.5 pounds each, between 12-17' deep
last week. Best color for the Crappie Thunder Road Runners were
Silver Shad or using a crappie tube in smoke/silver flake. Smoke
colored, Cordell paddle tail grubs on light jig heads, are turning
good slabs on.
Channel Cats: Consistent and steady current in Little River during
pool drawdown over the past couple weeks, have kept the Channel
Cats biting, from 3-8 pounds each for the past several weeks.
Good Channel Cats have been caught over the past couple weeks,
using cut baits/cut shad, cottonseed mill cakes, or Charlie on
trot lines and yo-yo's along the river and in oxbows hung from
cypress trees in approx 10-15 feet water.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Monday, 21 January, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 43º to 45º, depending
of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, is to last approx through February 15, 2008, of
three feet. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project
work to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway,
gates, boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 21 Jan, is approx 35
inches, or 2.9 feet below normal and falling, at 256.50 feet.
Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday,
is approx 6-8" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility
approx 5-6" from recent high wind. Current in Little River
and discharge at the dam was decreased to 1,255 CFS as of Monday
to maintain the pool drawdown. Navigation conditions are cautioned
from recent winter pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps
previously underneath normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 15-20". The tailwater elevation
below the spillway, that was available on Monday, 21 January
is 229.12 feet. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway of 1,255
CFS is with 1 sluice gate open at 6 feet.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
Mike
January 19, 2008 - Norfork
and White River - Submitted by Mountain River Fly Shop
WHITE RIVER: If it hadn't come from the source it did we
probably wouldn't have believed the story. One of our local regulars,
softly spoken Charlie was in yesterday telling of a day out at
White Hole this week on one of Davy Wotton's White Tail Super
Midges. That the Red White Tail could catch 50 fish isn't such
a surprise, we have been having great reports on this and other
White Tails for the past couple of months. But Charlie was really
talking about "One Fly", the same single model he purchased
a couple of week's back. "It was pretty torn up by the end,''
he said "but they were still chasing it down". Not
only is this a testimony to the effectiveness of the pattern
but the durability built in by the designer himself and the skill
of his protégé, Teresa "T-Bird" Van Winkle
in tying them. Pretty cool, folks.
Well, we are sure you have gathered by this that
the fishing has been pretty good, and you would be right. But
as always some days are exceptional and are the payoff for days
you have to work a little harder. This the Journal has learnt
from other fly fishers, having been laid up in bed with a nasty
dose of the "lurgy" as its known Down Under, which
lingered longer than expected. Y'all might call it "the
Crud". We are ignoring any suggestion that fishing underdressed
in the wind and rain, an outing described last week had anything
to do with it, as nothing so ugly could be fishing related.
Generation had been moderate, usually some in the
mornings, possibly followed by some evening water. But there
have been big gaps of low water moving downstream allowing plenty
of wading if you time it right. You can usually head downstream
to somewhere like Rim, or even lower, to get on the back of the
falling evening generation and fish for 4, 6 or even 10 hours
before the next burst reaches your spot. Or if you prefer fishing
upstream, and like a lazy start on these cold mornings, wait
until the water falls out and head up to State Park, or spots
down to Wildcat to get behind the morning water..
Basically its hard to have too many midges, though
definitely selections in red, pearl green and black are the tickets.
Have some of Davy's Super Midges and White Tails in your box,
a few standard tungsten Zebras (try the olive as well) and some
Camel Midges.
Egg patterns, like Unreal Eggs, Veiled Eggs, Y2Ks
and Thorne's Fire Egg are standards at this time of year. Orange
and Gold hues are still good but as winter continues on we seek
out paler colors shading into the pinks and champagnes. San Juans
continue to work well in browns, red and pinks. Don't forget
a selection of scuds and Sowbugs, some olive and black buggers
and you are off to a good start. And as we have been suggesting
for the past few weeks, if the midging action slows as the day
warms switch over to Micro Mayflies, and Pheasant Tails for the
drift of BWO Nymphs, and even a possible hatch you can tackle
with Comparaduns and Parachute Adams flies.
We are also getting plenty of questions coming
at this time of year about a shad kill. The lake still isn't
cold enough for a widespread shad kill yet, but that's not to
say some dribs and drabs of fish flesh aren't coming through.
And white flesh or shad imitations are a pretty good fish catcher
on generation in the winter months anyway. And we remain in hope
of a honest to goodness, big fish raising shad kill sometime
over the next 6 weeks.
NORFORK: We are itching to get over to fish Norfork
again particularly as it appears from reports that the crowds
have dwindled drastically. Norfork seems to be firing one day
and fairly slow the next, but its an impossibly alluring spot
to fish, particularly on those rare days when you have it to
yourself.
Davy's Super Midges have been capturing all the
publicity lately but there have been a few canny types quietly
knocking over some very nice fish on Davy's range of Sowbug and
Sowscuds. These patterns are nicely weighted to get down whether
they are needed and while they aren't "eyeball and armpit"
perfect imitations are a very fishy representational pattern
that works. The dubbing blends are a closely guarded secret known
to only Davy, no matter how many times we try and con it out
of him. Give them a swim right now.
The Journal, as mentioned last week, had a couple
of Colorado characters in the lower part of the catch and release
catching plenty of fish on size 16 olive McLellan's Hunchback
scuds. You really shouldn't fish the White system without a representation
of these either, and we have our first stocks of Umpqua's new
size 18 Hunchbacks in the fly bins. They aren't going to last
long. You might also like to try a new Umpqua pattern for the
store, the Hot Spot Scud in Olive and Light Gray, which the Journal
has wielded to good effect in the past.
Again keep some small parachute Adams, or "midgish"
parachutes handy incase the dry fly action ignites. Our own Tailwater
Soft Hackles, in Green/Yellow, or a Green Anna K will do exceptionally
well when the trout are taking emergers under the surface.
Tightlines from all at the Mountain River Fly Shop
Gary, Cindy, Jim, Kevin, Marc, Faye, Mike and Steve
January 17, 2008 -
White River - Submitted by Berry
Brothers Guides- JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/17/2008
There was minor rain event and the lake levels
on the White River system have continued to rise. The lake level
at Bull Shoals Dam rose six tenths of a foot to rest at two and
seven tenths of a foot below power pool at 654.00 feet. Up stream,
Table Rock Lake rose seven tenths of a foot to settle at two
and four tenths of a foot below power pool. Beaver Lake rose
two tenths of a foot to settle at six and eight tenths of a foot
below pool. There generation pattern on the White has been a
mixed bag during the last week. We had several days with no generation,
a few days with a spike of heavy generation for a short period,
and a day with a spike of heavy generation followed by a period
of low generation. This has created some good wading opportunities
and some excellent boating opportunities. We had several very
windy days which included lake wind advisories and some very
cool temperatures. Norfork Lake has dropped two tenths of a foot
to rest four and six tenths feet below power pool of 552.00 feet.
The pattern on the Norfolk has also been a mixed bag. We had
a few days with no generation and some days with a brief period
of heavy generation. This has created excellent wading conditions
every day. The forecast is for cooler weather with some precipitation.
With the existing conditions, we should have some wadable water
on both rivers.
Many anglers are eagerly anticipating the opening
of the Catch and Release area below Bull Shoals Dam on February,
1. This section has been closed for the past few months while
the brown trout have been spawning and no one has been allowed
to fish here during this period. The browns do not feed when
they are spawning so they will be hungry. This will be an opportune
time to land a good one.
The fishing on the White has been good. There have
not been many anglers out but those that have fished have done
well. The upper river, from Bull Shoals State Park to White Hole,
has fished well. On low water, the hot flies have been black
and silver and brown and copper zebra midges. On high water brightly
colored San Juan worms and egg patterns have been quite productive.
The front side of Roundhouse Shoals has fished
particularly well. It seems that the best fishing is either at
the top of the shoals or at the bottom. The hot flies in this
section have been bead head pheasant tail nymphs, olive scuds
size eighteen, brown and copper and black and silver zebra midges,
partridge and orange soft hackles and green butts.
Rim Shoals was fishing quite well. Anglers that
motored up to Jenkin's Creek area by boat did particularly well.
On low water, the hot flies in this section were Y2Ks, crapadans,
olive scuds size eighteen, and Dan's turkey tail emerger. On
high water the hot fly has been the San Juan worm in cerise.
On the warmer days, there have been some really nice caddis hatches
and some anglers were reporting nice fish on elk hair caddis
size eighteen.
Another hot spot has been just down stream from
the confluence of the White and Norfork rivers. This area fishes
best when there is a bit of generation on the Norfork. Hot flies
here have been zebra midges in black with silver wire and silver
bead and in brown with copper wire and copper bead. Soft hackles
like the partridge and orange and the green butt have also been
effective.
The Norfork has fished a bit better this week.
There have been some reliable midge hatches in the afternoon.
I have done the best with Norfork bead heads in olive size eighteen.
When the fish keying are in on the midge emergers in the film,
Dan's turkey tail emergers in size twenty two have been killer.
Other productive flies have been Y2Ks, San Juan worms, and olive
scuds.
Dry Run Creek, as always, has been the place to
take the kids fishing. It is located in a deep, tight valley
and is seldom affected by the strong winds we have had lately.
There have been precious few kids fishing there lately and now
is a great time to avoid the crowds. The hot fly is a size fourteen
sowbug. Also try olive woolly buggers and San Juan worms. Be
sure and use at least 4X tippet and pinch down those barbs. Always
take a huge net and a camera.
John Berry
January 16, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service -
The water level at greers ferry is at 459.19 and
falling and the temp varies from the high 30's up river to 47
and then main lake 52 degrees.
The hybrid and white bass fishing is great and
can be caught on spoons in 50 feet of water and hair jigs swim
baits and the buckshot in-line spinner is also working , if you
find the bait the fish are close , the better days for the spoon
bite is if ya have some sun if not swim the hair jig or swim
bait through them for best results.
The black bass are biting wiggle warts jerk baits
and spinnerbaits as well as fishhead spins and horse heads all
over the lake
No report on bream
The crappie bite is good most days in 20-25 feet
of water on channel ledges where it falls to 40 feet or better
on small minnows or jigs.
No report on catfish
The walleye are biting in water that is 47 degrees
which is up the rivers not very for and can be caught with jighead
minnows , the bite is ever so lite use small line and be patient.
Tommy Cauley
January 14, 2008 -
Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood Lake Guide
Service
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
Largemouth Bass remain relating to the deeper water in Little
River and her creek mouths dumping into the river. Bass are good
to fair, along Little River, and her oxbows, with the best bites
during the heat of the day. Good bites we have had, is on Texas
rig Hog Assassins, large 3/4 ounce size Rat-L-Traps, various
crankbaits and jigs. The water clarity along the river, is improving
from recent heavy stain. The winter drawdown pool is in effect,
& slowly falling. The reinforced cooler weather, drop in
water temperatures, have the Largemouth Bass relating to almost
exclusively to the river.
As of Monday, 14 January, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, is to last approx through February 15, 2008, of
three feet. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project
work to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway,
gates, boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 14 Jan, is approx 35
inches, or 2.9 feet below normal and falling, at 256.32 feet.
Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday,
is approx 6-8" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility
approx 5-6" from recent high wind. Current in Little River
and discharge at the dam was decreased to 2418 CFS as of Monday
to maintain the pool drawdown. Navigation conditions are cautioned
from recent winter pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps
previously underneath normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 15-20". The tailwater elevation
below the spillway on Monday, 14 January is 229.08 feet. Discharge/
Release Rate at the spillway of 2,418 CFS is with 2 sluice gates
open at 6 feet each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: During the past few weeks, best bite definitely
remains during the heat of the day. The Largemouths are definitely
relating to deeper drops and wash outs, creek mouths and the
similar structure of Little River close to deep water. A lot
of the fish we have been catching are, for the most part, suspending
during mornings and roaming some later in afternoon. Texas rigging
Lil Critter Craws, 4" Southern Pro Flippin Tubes, Hog Assassins
and Yum Wooly Bugs in Green Pumpkin, Watermelon-Red, Camo, Ozark
Smoke, and Blackberry and pitching to stumps close to deep water
are drawing some good strikes and strong Largemouths up to 4-6
pounds each on points in Little River. A 10-pounder was caught
last week out on the main lake, in the river.
Rat-L-Traps, in the 3/4 oz or 1 oz size, fished slower and deflecting
on stumps along Little River are still taking keeper size bass
in 8-9 feet depth. The most productive colors of Rat-L-Traps
in 3/4oz size over the past couple weeks, are the Gold, Red Shad,
or Crappie colors . Stumps, cypress knees, and laydowns are the
key during the day, during drawdown, since not as much vegetation
remains submerged.
We are drawing some good reactions from decent size keeper bass,
on jigs using a Texas Craw color with in Watermelon or Green
Pumpkin chunk trailers. Dead sticking Twitch Assassins in Crystal
Shad, Salt n' Pepper Silver Phantom or Yamamoto 5" Senkos
and Salty Rat Tails, in motor-oil red flake, purple smoke, and
kiwi are also working well on a light wire hook for slow fall.
Long tapering points with stumps in Little River, between 10-15
feet deep seem to be the most consistent location for Bomber
model A and Rebel Deep Wee R crankbaits in Black Pearl, Bayou
Bengal, or Secret Weapon colors, fished slowly from 8 to 12 feet
deep, are still finding some keeper bass deflecting off stumps,
along Little River. These areas were good for the past few weeks
with a jig'n pig, but over the past few days to a week, it seems
this population of bass have changed their preferred diet to
a fat shad crankbait presentation. Locations close to the 3-5
mile marker of Little River are hot with cranks this week.
White Bass: No report.
Crappie: The best Crappie bite over the past couple weeks or
so, was along planted brush piles & 13-17' deep trees, mid-mornings,
on live shiners or smoke grubs on light wire jig heads. Vertical
jigging Blakemore Crappie Thunder Road Runners were taking some
really nice slabs up to 2.5 pounds each, between 12-17' deep
last week. Best color for the Crappie Thunder Road Runners were
Silver Shad or using a crappie tube in smoke/silver flake. Smoke
colored, Cordell paddle tail grubs on light jig heads, are turning
good slabs on.
Channel Cats: Consistent and steady current in Little River during
pool drawdown over the past couple weeks, have kept the Channel
Cats biting, from 3-8 pounds each for the past several weeks.
Good Channel Cats have been caught over the past couple weeks,
using chicken livers, hot dogs, cut bait or Charlie on trot lines
and yo-yo's along the river and in oxbows hung from cypress trees
in approx 10-15 feet water.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Monday, 14 January, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp is ranging approx 45º to 50º, depending
of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, is to last approx through February 15, 2008, of
three feet. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project
work to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway,
gates, boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 14 Jan, is approx 35
inches, or 2.9 feet below normal and falling, at 256.32 feet.
Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday,
is approx 6-8" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility
approx 5-6" from recent high wind. Current in Little River
and discharge at the dam was decreased to 2418 CFS as of Monday
to maintain the pool drawdown. Navigation conditions are cautioned
from recent winter pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps
previously underneath normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown, are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed;
Saratoga closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards
Bluff due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed
many submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface
in boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 15-20". The tailwater elevation
below the spillway on Monday, 14 January is 229.08 feet. Discharge/
Release Rate at the spillway of 2,418 CFS is with 2 sluice gates
open at 6 feet each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
Mike
January 11, 2008 -
Norfork and White River - Submitted
by Mountain
River Fly Shop
WHITE RIVER: Fishing has been pretty good if you
can handle the wind. Some days its been enough to blow the milk
out of your coffee. It was only the true lunatics out like the
Journal and guide Marc Poulos on Monday afternoon. Our colleague
Kev Brandtonies was on the water this week two with some friends,
before being blown off the water with 25 mile an hour winds.
But its been easy enough to dodge the generation
and find some accessible water and then some hungry fish. And
as we sit here writing this on Friday morning we just heard that
Bull Shoals is shut down.
Big chunks of food have been a good option, it
has been a parade of buggers out of the store every day. There
is little surprise that an olive woolly is the favorite. Beadless
version are most popular, either the Flash-A-Bugger or the Redhead
in 6-12. You might also ass some BH Flash-A-Buggers in olive
and black for faster runs.
And don't be afraid to whip out some white buggers,
they can be very good at this time of year.
Midges still remain a mainstay. Davy's Whitetail
Midges have been getting rave reports, as well as the Super Midges.
Everyday black and silver midges and blue dun Cadion midges have
been doing very well. If you are boat drifting the Journal scored
some fish on a size 14 Cadion Midge through the Narrows on 2
units of water Monday afternoon.
And we keep hearing enough reports of blue wing
olive hatches around Cotter that its definitely worth carrying
some BWO dries, emergers and small Pheasant Tail nymphs.
NORFORK: The Journal guided Jim and Bruce from
Colorado last Friday afternoon on the White then slipped over
to catch Norfork as the water fell out. As we reported last week,
there had been some good information some heavy dry fly action
during the afternoon. Of course we hadn't figured in the howling
wind and lower temperatures.
Our hatch was truly blown. The bugs were in the
air between gusts and every so often a few trout would poke their
heads up. But its didn't ever get a chance to solidify into a
free for all like we hoped.
Still the guys had fun, Bruce swinging one of the
Journal's Tailwater Soft Hackles (pics next week) missed the
fish of the day. It was the first time this well travelled fly
fisher had swung flies in this manner and he had a blast. Jim
did very well on a 16 olive McLellan's Hunchback Scud, picking
up a bunch of fish once the water level stabilized. But none
of the fish were the bigger cuts or browns we had been hoping
for.
Scuds, Trout Crack and San Juan's were the best
taken offerings.
Tightlines from all at the Mountain River Fly Shop
Gary, Cindy, Jim, Kevin, Marc, Faye, Mike and
Steve
January 10, 2008 -
White River - Submitted by Berry
Brothers Guides- JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/10/2008
We have had a rain event that was heavy in some
areas. As a result, the lake levels on the White River system
have continued to rise a bit. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam
rose two tenths of a foot to rest at three and three tenths of
a foot below power pool at 654.00 feet. Up stream, Table Rock
Lake rose one and two tenths of a foot to settle at three and
one tenth of a foot below power pool. Beaver Lake has remained
at seven feet below pool. There has been no discernable generation
pattern on the White during the last week. We had a day with
no generation, a few days with heavy generation, and a few days
with very limited generation. This has created some good wading
opportunities and some excellent boating opportunities. We had
several very windy days which included lake wind advisories and
some very warm temperatures. Norfork Lake has dropped two tenths
of a foot to rest four and six tenths feet below power pool of
552.00 feet. The pattern on the Norfolk has been for some generation
every day accompanied by long periods of no generation. This
has created excellent wading conditions every day. The forecast
is for cool weather with no precipitation. With the existing
conditions, we should have some wadable water on both rivers.
Last Sunday, the Corps of Engineers control room
telephone recording (431-5311) reported the previous days recording
which indicated no generation for over twenty four hours. However,
there had been light generation from midnight to six AM on Sunday
morning which was not mentioned on that recording. At the same
time, the Corps of Engineers website was not properly functioning
and could not be relied on to provide any information on generation
for Bull Shoals Dam. Luckily the generation levels for that day
were very light and no one was hurt. This certainly brings the
reliability of generation information into doubt. As a result,
you should always remain vigilant for rising water. Constantly
observe water levels and always have an escape plan formulated.
The fishing on the White has been consistently
good. Several anglers took advantage of the unseasonably warm
albeit windy conditions to enjoy some nice water and cooperative
trout. Rim Shoals was fishing particularly well. Anglers that
were willing to wade down to White shoals did particularly well.
The hot flies in this section were olive woolly buggers, olive
scuds size eighteen, and Dan's turkey tail emerger. On the warmest
days, there have been some really nice caddis hatches and some
anglers were reporting nice fish on elk hair caddis. Obviously,
this has been an added benefit from the warm weather.
Buffalo Shoals has fished well. There have been
several fly fishers that boated up to the shoals on the last
few days. This is a treacherous place to take a boat on shallow
water. I usually anchor my boat at the bottom of the shoals and
wade around to find the hot spots. The hot flies have been partridge
and orange soft hackles, green butts, olive scuds and bead head
sow bugs.
Another hot spot has been just down stream from
the confluence of the White and Norfork rivers. This fishes best
when there is a bit of generation on the Norfork. Hot flies here
have been zebra midges in black with silver wire and silver bead
and in brown with copper wire and copper bead. Soft hackles like
the partridge and orange and the green butt have also been effective.
There have been some nice caddis hatches reported in this area
on the warmest days.
On the Norfork, the bite has been a bit slow on
low water. There have been some midge hatches in the afternoon.
I have done the best with Norfork bead heads in black and olive
sizes eighteen and twenty. Dan's turkey tail emergers in size
twenty two have been killer. Use them when you see fish keying
in on the midge emergers in the film. Take special care with
your presentation and use light tippets (6X or 7X). On high water,
use San Juan worms and egg patterns. Fished over weed beds, they
have accounted for a lot of good fish.
Dry Run Creek has been the place to go. The warm
weather has made perfect conditions for our younger anglers.
Dry Run Creek is located in a deep, tight valley and is seldom
affected by the strong winds we have had lately Create memories
by high sticking sowbugs. Use at least 4X tippet so that you
have a good chance to land some of these huge fish. Carry the
biggest net you can find and a camera.
John Berry
January 8, 2008 -
Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood Lake Guide
Service
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
Largemouth Bass are relating to the deeper water in Little River
and her creek mouths dumping into the river. Bass are good to
fair, along Little River, and her oxbows, with the best bites
during the heat of the day. Largemouth Bass' best response we
have had, is on Texas rig Hog Assassins, large 3/4 ounce size
Rat-L-Traps, various crankbaits and jigs. The water clarity along
the river, is heavy stain from recent high wind. The winter drawdown
pool is in effect, & slightly rising from recent rains. The
reinforced cooler weather, drop in water temperatures, have the
Largemouth Bass relating to almost exclusively to the river.
As of Monday, 07 January, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp continues cooling; is ranging approx 44º to
47º, depending of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, is to last approx through February 15, 2008, of
three feet. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project
work to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway,
gates, boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 07 Jan, is approx 32
inches, or 2.7 feet below normal and falling, at 256.56 feet.
Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday,
is approx 2-5" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility
approx 2-3" from recent high wind. Current in Little River
and discharge at the dam was increased to 3,002 CFS as of Monday
to maintain the pool drawdown, due to rising lake level from
recent rains. Navigation conditions are cautioned from recent
winter pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps previously
underneath normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed; Saratoga
closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards Bluff due
to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed many submerged
objects at or just within inches of pool surface in boat lanes
and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation, many of
the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only 3-10
inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 10-14". The tailwater elevation
below the spillway on Wednesday, 07 January is unavailable. Discharge/
Release Rate at the spillway of 3,002 CFS is with all 13 gates
open at 0.4 ft each, and 2 slousch gates open at 6 feet each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: During the past few weeks, best bite is definitely
during the heat of the day, except for Crappie. The Largemouths
are definitely relating to deeper drops and wash outs, creek
mouths and the similar structure of Little River close to deep
water. A lot of the fish we have been catching are for the most
part, suspending during mornings and roaming some later in afternoon.
Texas rigging Lil Critter Craws, 4" Southern Pro Flippin
Tubes, Hog Assassins and Yum Wooly Bugs in Green Pumpkin, Watermelon-Red,
Camo, Ozark Smoke, and Blackberry and pitching to stumps close
to deep water are drawing some good strikes and strong Largemouths
up to 4-6 pounds each on points in Little River. Bomber model
A and Rebel Deep Wee R crankbaits in Black Pearl, Bayou Bengal,
or Secret Weapon colors, fished slowly from 8 to 12 feet deep,
are still finding some keeper bass deflecting off stumps, along
Little River.
Rat-L-Traps, in the 3/4 oz or 1 oz size, fished slower and deflecting
on stumps along Little River are still taking keeper size bass
in 8-9 feet depth. The most productive colors of Rat-L-Traps
in 3/4oz size over the past couple weeks, are the Gold, Red Shad,
or Crappie colors . The best size Largemouths we are catching
are suspended on stumps in 6-8' of creek channel or river channel
depth, & at least 5-7 feet deep below the surface, on the
side of the stumps.
Carolina Rig bite tapered off over the past few days in Little
River. We are drawing some good reactions from decent size keeper
bass, on jigs using a Texas Craw color with in Watermelon or
Green Pumpkin chunk trailers. Dead sticking Twitch Assassins
in Crystal Shad, Salt n' Pepper Silver Phantom or Yamamoto 5"
Senkos are also working well on a light wire hook for slow fall.
Cinnamon- Purple Flake, Motor-Oil Red Flake, and Smoke-Black/Purple
Flake are best colors for dead sticking baits.
Jig and pig bite over the past few days has improved, with the
the Texas Craw color (chart/ pumpkin/black) or black/ blue/ purple
colors working most consistently, using solid black, watermelon
or green pumpkin chunk trailers. Finding long tapering points
with stumps in Little River, between 10-15 feet deep seem to
be the most consistent location for the jig and pig bite most
lately.
White Bass: No report.
Crappie: Crappie bite continues to improve. The best Crappie
bite over the past couple weeks or so, was along planted brush
piles & 13-17' deep trees, mid-mornings, on live shiners
or smoke grubs on light wire jig heads. Vertical jigging Blakemore
Crappie Thunder Road Runners were taking some really nice slabs
between 12-17' deep last week. Best color for the Crappie Thunder
Road Runners were Silver Shad or using a crappie tube in smoke/silver
flake.
Channel Cats: Consistent and steady current in Little River during
pool drawdown over the past couple weeks, have kept the Channel
Cats turned on from 3-8 pounds each for the past several weeks.
Good Channel Cats have been caught over the past week, using
chicken livers, hot dogs, cut bait or Charlie on trot lines and
yo-yo's along the river and in oxbows hung from cypress trees
in approx 10-15 feet water.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions
Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Monday, 07 January, the main lake and Little River's water
surface temp continues cooling; is ranging approx 44º to
47º, depending of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, is to last approx through February 15, 2008, of
three feet. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project
work to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway,
gates, boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
The lake level on Millwood as of Monday 07 Jan, is approx 32
inches, or 2.7 feet below normal and falling, at 256.56 feet.
Normal pool is 259.2 feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday,
is approx 2-5" visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility
approx 2-3" from recent high wind. Current in Little River
and discharge at the dam was increased to 3,002 CFS as of Monday
to maintain the pool drawdown, due to rising lake level from
recent rains. Navigation conditions are cautioned from recent
winter pool reduction, revealing log jams and stumps previously
underneath normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown are both ramps at Paraloma and both at Cottenshed; Saratoga
closest to the dike, and both ramps closed at Beards Bluff due
to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed many submerged
objects at or just within inches of pool surface in boat lanes
and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation, many of
the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only 3-10
inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 10-14". The tailwater elevation
below the spillway on Wednesday, 07 January is unavailable. Discharge/
Release Rate at the spillway of 3,002 CFS is with all 13 gates
open at 0.4 ft each, and 2 slousch gates open at 6 feet each.
Extreme Caution is advised during any navigation on Millwood
Lake project, during the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams
and other normally submerged objects may be revealed or slightly
below surface, now that winter pool drawdown condition has been
reached.
Mike
January 3, 2008 -
Norfork and White River - Submitted
by Mountain
River Fly Shop
WHITE RIVER: Looks like a warmer weekend ahead,
with some nice cloud cover to keep the fishing on the boil, after
several days of severely frosty weather. Even more of a shock
to the system was the Bull Shoals voice message saying 8 units
were running on Wednesday morning then 6 this morning. Christmas-New
Year had provided a welcome respite unless you were intent on
running the river in a prop-boat. The Journal managed to find
a few rocks on the 30th at Buffalo Shoals and Rim Shoals the
following Day seemed to be barely ankle deep getting to the island.
Fishing three days straight was a nice break.
For all that the fishing continues to be very good.
We are restocked with Davy Wotton's Whitetail Red Super Midge,
which had the fly of choice for most of our customers the previous
week. But Davy sent us a message that his guide clients had caught
a 100 fish a day on the Black and Silver and Black and Pearl
White tails. You have to get some of these in your box.
Mark Lavelle also showed the Journal a photo of
a very nice brown taken on a Red and Gold Super Midge in the
Upper River early in the week.
Again both the standard red and black Zebra Midges
have been doing exceptionally well.
Some customers were reporting the midge fishing
slowed during the afternoons from Cotter downstream, but that
there had been some nice blue wing olive hatches on. So the Journal
slipped on a nice tungsten bead Pheasant Tail imitation at Rim
and stuck some nice fish, the best a deep bodied 18" bow.
The bugger fishers have been doing exceptionally
well since Christmas, particularly our Red Head Olive. At Buffalo
City our friends Chris and Elizabeth absolutely slayed them fishing
the Red Heads on a tight line in at the tail end of the riffles.
It barely seemed like they has any time at all between hookups.
This isn't a technique the Journal often uses, but its good for
the soul to try new things so Bec and I played around with the
technique, and she in particular did very well. The Journal somehow
fluked a incredibly pretty 17" bow but left the camera at
home, the colors were stunning.
NORFORK: It seems like more and more people have
been hitting Norfork the past week, and with good reason. It
has been fishing nicely and though he water seems a little stained,
the lake turnover is now done. Midges are the order of the day,
Zebras Poison Tungs, WD40s and the like have all been performing
well.
We have also had good reports on Y2Ks and Egg patterns
plus the usual San Juan Worms.
But even more interestingly, for dry fly fiends,
was the report today of some serious surface activity underway
in the pm. Try Parachute Adams and standard Adams patterns in
size 20 and 22. No huge fish among them was the tip but the comments
was they were "hitting the surface like schooling bass".
If the hatch isn't on when you are there make sure
you have a healthy dose of Davy's Sowbug patterns and a handful
of McLellan's Scuds.
Tightlines from all at the Mountain River Fly Shop
Gary, Cindy, Jim, Kevin, Marc, Faye, Mike and
Steve
January 3, 2008 -
White River - Submitted by Berry
Brothers Guides- JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/03/2008
We have had a few days of light rain and the lake
levels on the White River system have continued to rise a bit.
The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam remained steady at three and
five tenths of a foot below power pool at 654.00 feet. Up stream,
Table Rock Lake rose three tenths of a foot to settle at four
and three tenths feet below power pool. Beaver Lake has remained
at seven feet below pool. Early in the week there was virtually
no generation and later in the week there were some periods of
substantial generation (up to six generators). This has aided
boat navigation and has created some excellent wading conditions
on the White River . We had several very windy days which included
lake wind advisories and some very cool temperatures. Norfork
Lake has risen three tenths of a foot to rest four and four tenths
feet below power pool of 552.00 feet. The pattern on the Norfolk
has been for no discernable generation early in the week and
periods of significant generation later in the week. This has
created excellent wading conditions. The forecast is for colder
weather with the possibility of precipitation. With the existing
conditions, we should have some wadable water on both rivers.
Despite the cold temperatures and high wind, there
were several anglers that took advantage of the low water to
fish between the Christmas and New Year's holidays. The fishing
has been excellent for wading anglers particularly on the White.
The State Park below Bull Shoals Dam has fished
well. There are very few campers there this time of year and
plenty of water to fish. There have been some nice midge hatches
in the afternoon. The most productive flies have been zebra midges
in red with brass wire and brass beads. Partridge and orange
and green butt soft hackles have also accounted for a lot of
fish.
Wildcat Shoals has been a local hot spot. The partridge
and orange and green soft hackles have produced a lot of fish
in the lower section below the shoals, especially when fish can
be seen rising. This section also fishes well with woolly buggers
either in olive or brown. Both should have a bit of flash. In
the shoals, zebra midge nymphs in black with silver wire and
silver bead and brown with copper wire and copper bead have accounted
for a lot of fish as well as the Y2K.
Rim Shoals had quite a bit of pressure but still
fished well with olive scuds, black zebra midges and Y2Ks. Anglers
going into more remote water to find a bit of seclusion have
done particularly well. Some have waded down from Rim Shoals
to White Shoals and caught some nice brown trout on olive woolly
buggers and green butt soft hackles. This is about a thirty minute
trip and you should check the latest generation report before
you begin this trek.
Several anglers also found some really great fishing
by going up stream by boat from the Buffalo City access to Buffalo
Shoals. This area fished well with Y2Ks, olive scuds, partridge
and orange soft hackles and black zebra midges.
On the high water, the most effective method of
fishing it to fish from a boat and use heavily weighted San Juan
worms. The best colors would be hot fluorescent pink, fluorescent
orange, red and magenta. Large eggs are also effective. You should
use heavy tippets (4X or 3X) and large strike indicators. To
handle this much weight I would recommend at least a five weight
rod. Open up the loop on your cast to prevent tangling your line.
On the Norfork, the bite has been a bit slow on
low water. There has been so much pressure on this river in the
summer and fall that the trout are very wary. There have been
some midge hatches in the afternoon. Try zebra midges in black,
brown and red, Norfork bead heads and Dan's turkey tail emergers.
Take special care with your presentation and use light tippets
(6X or 7X). On high water use San Juan worms as described above
and concentrate on weed lines and grass beds.
Dry Run Creek has been virtually abandoned. The
cold weather has kept a lot of our younger anglers at home. Now
is a great time to bundle the kids up and give it a try. When
my daughter, Katherine, was young enough to fish there, the best
day we ever had was when the temperature was fourteen. She wore
everything she owned. She landed a twenty seven inch rainbow
and Dad got the picture. Create your own memories by high sticking
sowbugs. Use at least 4X tippet. Carry the biggest net you can
find and a camera.
John Berry
January 2, 2008 - Greers
Ferry Lake - Submitted by Fish Finders Fish Service -
The lake level is at 460.24 and falling and the
temp ranges from 43-50 degrees
The hybrid and white continues to be good , especially
on sunny days they are moe predictable on cloudy days they could
be any where b ut can be caught if ya watch out for the birds
and shad. Use spoons and hair jigs as well as the buckshot in-line
spinner and their have been reports of fish schooling also.
The murky water has not the walleye in a bad mood
and will pick back up when it clears and especially after this
warm rain coming next week they should get going pretty good.
The crappie are real good on sunny days , you have
just got to be out their.
No report on catfish
No report on bream
The bass fishing is fair on traps , blades and
small crank baits up shallow , real shallow and the deeper fish
can be caught with football heads and c-rigs in 50 feet of water.
Tommy Cauley
January 2, 2008 -
Millwood Lake - Submitted by Millwood Lake Guide
Service
The Overall Picture:
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
Largemouth Bass are relating to the deeper water in Little River
and her creek mouths dumping into the river. Bass are good to
fair, along Little River, and her oxbows, with the best bites
during the heat of the day. Largemouth Bass' best bite, over
the past few weeks, has been a mixed bag from fair ranging to
good to occasionally very good, on Carolina and Texas rigs, crankbaits,
Southern Pro Flippin Tubes and Rat-L-Traps. The water clarity
along the river, is fair, to moderate stain depending on wind,
and the winter drawdown pool was reached over a week ago, now
slightly rising from recent rains. The reinforced cooler weather,
drop in water temperatures, have the Largemouth Bass relating
to deeper water.
As of Wednesday, 02 January, the main lake and Little River's
water surface temp continues cooling; is ranging approx 44º
to 48º, depending of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, is to last approx through February 15, 2008, of
three feet. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project
work to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway,
gates, boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
There are no fishing [daily creel or length] regulation changes
during the drawdown period, for Millwood Lake. The lake level
on Millwood as of 02 Jan, is approx 32.4 inches, or 2.7 feet
below normal and falling, at 256.50 feet. Normal pool is 259.2
feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx 8-9"
visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility approx 3-5"
from recent high wind. Current in Little River and discharge
at the dam was increased to 3,002 CFS as of Monday to maintain
the pool drawdown, due to rising lake level from recent rains
& navigation conditions are cautioned from recent pool reduction,
revealing log jams and stumps previously underneath normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown are both ramps at Paraloma, Cottenshed south, Saratoga
closest to the dike, and both ramps are closed at Beards Bluff
due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed many
submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface in
boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 12-15". The tailwater elevation
below the spillway on Wednesday, 02 January is 231.03 feet and
rising. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway of 3,002 CFS
is with all 13 gates open at 0.4 ft each. Extreme Caution is
advised during any navigation on Millwood Lake project, during
the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams and other normally
submerged objects may be revealed or slightly below surface,
now that winter pool drawdown condition has been reached.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: During the past few weeks, best bite is definitely
during the heat of the day, except for Crappie. Bomber model
A and Rebel Deep Wee R crankbaits in Black Pearl, Bayou Bengal,
or Secret Weapon colors, fished slowly from 8 to 12 feet deep,
are finding some keeper bass deflecting off stumps, along Little
River. The Largemouths are definitely relating to deeper drops
and wash outs. A lot of the fish we have been catching lately,
are suspending most of the day. Texas rigging Lil Critter Craws,
4" Southern Pro Flippin Tubes, Baby Brush Hogs and Yum Wooly
Bugs in Green Pumpkin, Watermelon-Red, Camo, Ozark Smoke, and
Blackberry and pitching to stumps with any close, remaining vegetation
are drawing some good strikes and strong Largemouths up to 6-7
pounds each on points in Little River.
Rat-L-Traps, in size of the 3/4 oz and 1oz, fished slower and
deflecting on stumps along Little River are still taking keeper
size bass. The most productive colors of Rat-L-Traps in 3/4oz
size over the past couple weeks, are the Gold Shad, Smokey Shad,
or Yellow Perch . The best size Largemouths we are catching are
suspended on stumps over at least 8-12 feet of depth of creek,
at least 5-7 feet deep below the surface, on the side of the
stumps.
Carolina Rig bite has jumped a notch and finding good size keeper
bass responding over the past couple weeks, with the fish suspended
in Little River. We are drawing some good reactions on Carolina
Rigs using the 5" Zoom Fork Tail Centipede in Watermelon
Red and Green Pumpkin and 6-7" Twitch (Bass) Assassins in
Crystal Shad, Salt n' Pepper Silver Phantom, or Gold Pepper Shiner.
The Yamamoto 5" Senkos are also working well on a Carolina
Rig in Cinnamon- Purple Flake, Motor-Oil Red Flake, and Smoke-Black/Purple
Flake.
Jig and pig bite over the past few weeks has been on and off,
with the the Texas Craw color (chart/ pumpkin/black) or black/
blue/ purple colors working most consistently, using solid black
or green pumpkin chunk trailers. Finding long tapering points
with stumps in Little River, between 10-15 feet deep seem to
be the most consistent location for the jig and pig bite most
lately.
White Bass: No report.
Crappie: Crappie bite continues to improve. The best Crappie
bite over the past couple weeks or so, was along brush piles
17-22' deep trees, mid-mornings, on live shiners. Over the past
week, jigging Blakemore Crappie Thunder Road Runners were taking
some really nice slabs between 12-17' deep. Best color for the
Crappie Thunder Road Runners were Silver Shad or using a crappie
tube in smoke/silver flake.
Channel Cats: Current in Little River during pool drawdown over
the past couple weeks, have kept the Channel Cats turned on from
4-6 pounds each for the past several weeks. Good Channel Cats
have been caught over the past week, using chicken livers, hot
dogs, cut bait or Charlie on trot lines and yo-yo's along the
river and in oxbows hung from cypress trees in approx 9-12 feet
water.
}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little
River Conditions Report <º)))><{
Navigation conditions in Little River are cautioned during lake
pool drawdown.
As of Wednesday, 02 January, the main lake and Little River's
water surface temp continues cooling; is ranging approx 44º
to 48º, depending of course, on location and time of day.
The USACE, which began the winter drawdown this year on Monday
26 November, is to last approx through February 15, 2008, of
three feet. This is for numerous reasons, and partially for project
work to be completed and routine maintenance at the spillway,
gates, boat ramps, boat lanes, and vegetation reduction. Volunteers
to assist the USACE perform preventative maintenance on the lake
during the drawdown, are encouraged to call the Millwood Lake
USACE office @ 870-898-3343.
There are no fishing [daily creel or length] regulation changes
during the drawdown period, for Millwood Lake. The lake level
on Millwood as of 02 Jan, is approx 32.4 inches, or 2.7 feet
below normal and falling, at 256.50 feet. Normal pool is 259.2
feet. Little River's clarity as of Monday, is approx 8-9"
visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility approx 3-5"
from recent high wind. Current in Little River and discharge
at the dam was increased to 3,002 CFS as of Monday to maintain
the pool drawdown, due to rising lake level from recent rains
& navigation conditions are cautioned from recent pool reduction,
revealing log jams and stumps previously underneath normal pool.
Closed, or unusable boat ramps on Millwood during winter pool
drawdown are both ramps at Paraloma, Cottenshed south, Saratoga
closest to the dike, and both ramps are closed at Beards Bluff
due to reduced winter pool. Winter drawdown has revealed many
submerged objects at or just within inches of pool surface in
boat lanes and Little River. Use extreme caution in navigation,
many of the boat lanes during winter pool drawdown are now only
3-10 inches in overall depth in various places.
Upriver oxbow's clarity approx 12-15". The tailwater elevation
below the spillway on Wednesday, 02 January is 231.03 feet and
rising. Discharge/ Release Rate at the spillway of 3,002 CFS
is with all 13 gates open at 0.4 ft each. Extreme Caution is
advised during any navigation on Millwood Lake project, during
the winter drawdown, when stumps, log jams and other normally
submerged objects may be revealed or slightly below surface,
now that winter pool drawdown condition has been reached.
Mike
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