1969Larson

I have a rainbow trout colored Redfin that may do the trick. Those things will draw a striper from a long ways away... And you can cast them quite a ways. I wonder how the biologists would capture them. Net? Electrofishing? I can't see those being very easy in that water. I'll try to help them out. The current state record came out of there didn't it?

Have you tried bending the barbs down on those huge swimbaits? You have to file them off! I may try a night float from the dam to Parker Bottoms. I bet a striper in the river in the dark in a canoe would be a blast.

I've seen these bruisers cruising through there. The only problem is they are always in the single barbless hook area.

We can learn a few things WITHOUT needing to know the facts... so [unrelated to this particular incident,] here are a few things to remember: 1. A gravel bar full of drunks is no place for a gun. 2. If you are a property owner, your few feet of gravel is not important enough to cause an altercation. They'll be gone shortly. Take up the cause of something more important than your dirt and rocks. If you need help coming up with things that are more important than your property, contact me. I can provide a laundry list of causes that could use your energy. They actually matter too. 3. If you are a floater and see a property owner who doesn't want you nearby and he isn't smart enough to read or understand what I'm saying in #2 above, shove off. There's another gravel bar around the next bend. Blessed is the peacemaker. I didn't make that up.

My buddy's 19" under a beautiful bluff on the Buffalo River a few weeks ago. Best fish of the 3-day float.

The Starkey / Honey Creek area is nice and not too far a drive to Eureka Springs. I would build a house there and live in it during the summer when the stripers are in the neighborhood. Then during the fall, I would move to the other house I would build In Avoca where I would fish the Prairie Creek area all fall and winter and be close to Rogers. Are two houses not an option? I could help by staying in the other house for you and keeping it up while you are away.

Also, those trout are not reproducing. I can tell you where they are coming from.

You can access this stream without trespassing at a couple of different highway bridges. However, if you walk up or downstream a short distance, you'll find a fence across the creek and even Cameras! Just a thought, but wouldn't the fact that the AGFC has consistently published the trout regulations for this jewel of a steam prove its historic recreational use and thus navigability?

I would love to learn more about this!

Right. Here is a link to the water temps and oxygen... http://www.bwdh2o.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Thermocline1.pdf Updates seem to be sporadic, but this is pretty recent.

Jon, Can you tell a little more about the nursery pond? How is it used? Bass only? Every year? How is the harvest done? Do you literally "pull the plug" and let the whole thing drain back into the lake? Thanks for all you guys do to help keep Beaver Lake so AWESOME!

How did you do?

That section is definitely worth the hassle of the put-in and take-outs.

Did anyone ask them about it? I say congratulate them, challenge them, and then ask if you can follow them next year. They'll either agree and put on a clinic, or not come back.

Come on, guys. Give 'em the benefit of the doubt. But just for fun... why not just follow them around next time? We have enough boats on this forum.. and some skilled outdoor photographers with the right gear.

I guess these biologists know their stuff, but it is hard to believe this will really make a dent in the population? How many people keep < 12-in spotted bass or will now? I have a hunch that most of the people who keep < 12-Inch spotted bass currently also keep < 12-inch largemouth and either are not aware of these regulations or don't abide by them anyway. I could see changing the length limit on crappie or walleye or striper having an effect as fishermen usually keep these for the table when they can. Not the case with black bass. On another note, could this mean that the FLW could be won next year by an 8-in Kentucky since the tournament rules generally follow the creel limits for the tournament body of water.

That's how I understand it, but to establish this "recreational use" for navigability, I believe you have to establish that it has been used for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, etc. for some time. If someone put their mind to it, and could dig up the proof - some photos, a mounted 8-lb rainbow trout, witnesses such as canoe rental business owners, bait shop owners, etc., then you could probably argue this in court. But first... I think there has to be a court case and someone with "standing", meaning someone has to have charges brought against them so there is something to defend against. Any volunteers? IF so, I'll take the stand as a witness to having used this awesome navigable waterway recreation-ally from 1996 - 2000.

Not Beaver Lake, but you gotta love this one... even has a recipe... http://rogersarkansas.com/museum/photo/possumhunters.asp

F&F, How do you fish that Keitech to get a carp to take it? I've snuck up on those things a lot of times and thrown everything at them on light line but never have been able to get them to take it. Do they pick it up off the bottom or hit it as it swims? Looks like fun!

I would actually plan two trips... one for the middle section and one for the lower section. Decide at the last minute which one to do based on the river level. I've been on the middle section in mid to late summer some years and it has been great. Other years, I'm sure glad we went further down where there was more water. If you can avoid the major access points at the highways you will see fewer people on the river. The section from Carver to Woolum has some awesome bluffs and phenomenal gravel bars for camping. In my opinion the scenery rivals the upper river that people rave about. You will only see another boat or two on a weekend float on this section in the summer... during the week probably none.

Let me know if you find someone. I think that is one of the nicest floats on the whole Buffalo. Carver to Woolum is a fantastic 2-night slow float. - Great combination of beautiful scenery, excellent fishing, and never crowded... but partly because the access and shuttling is not easy there.

Fishing for smallmouth can be excellent. I've never caught any trophies in that section, but I have had 100+ fish days using really light line (4 lb) and tiny tubes bounced through the moving water at the end of long pools. My best advice for fishing is to float through the moving water and then pull the canoe over and walk back up to fish. Generally people float right through the best fishing areas too quickly.

So I guess it is fair to say Beaver Lake is a tougher fishery, right? Anybody can drag a plastic worm around Lake Fork and catch 20 lbs of LM bass in a day.... Beaver is a challenge. There were pros here last weekend who came up empty handed and some who brought in a strong limit 4 days in a row. I would say some people didn't get it dialed in each day.

About 15 years ago (long before anybody decided to start making a profit by putting up fences and keeping others off this beautiful stream) I hiked up from the highway 43 bridge fishing for smallmouth and ended up being surprised by a monster rainbow trout. The highway 102 to 43 float used to be awesome in an innertube.

My best advice is to make it an overnight trip. There is nothing like camping out on a gravel bar on the Buffalo. - Doesn't take too much gear to have a great time either. Just find a nice spot and plan an escape route to higher ground in case the river comes up.