Wayne SW/MO

It takes a good baitcasting reel to handle P-Line Premium. It's admittedly a little soft for baitcasters, especially in the 8#-12# range, but a good baitcasting reel will overcome it.

Bill am I correct in assuming that wipers/hybrids like shallow flats? What size fly do you usually intend to throw at the wipers?

I suspect that they will hold BS. I say that because the Arkansas is probably pushing more water and they won't want the White high if it can be avoided in order to avoid flooding SE Arkansas farmers. There's a lot of water coming over Powersite and I imagine it won't go any further. NWS is saying between 50% and 70% chance through Friday.

You realize it is still raining? I would keep a real close eye on it.

At Truman you could run them to the dam face, but when they stopped it the cable became the barrier.

Well it's still raining west of you and judging by the radar between here and the gulf i'm thinking more might be possible. :lol: Maybe you can float over McKee.

That would be Bull Shoals and there is a good run. There is also some good friendly bank space at Beaver creek, but with the rain, etc. Swan will remain fishable longer. To get to Shadow Rock simply drive through Forsyth on 160 and continue down the hill to the junction of 160 and 76, 3 way stop, continue a 100 feet or so and turn left and then left again. All this will be obvious after you cross the bridge over Swan, Shadow Rock will be to your left and right. Lots of bank space, playground, sheltered picnic tables and bathrooms, what's not to like with kids and wife.

Did it come from managed water?

Very nice. I used to have some communication with guys in PA and VA and there is no doubt their averages are much bigger than they are here, but I believe their rivers are bigger and deeper, offering more protection from the grease for one thing. I always wanted to fish some of the VA rivers, maybe someday.

COE isn't predicting much of a rise for any of the lakes between now and Friday on their site. What ever they do as far as releases is based on a congressional plan, which is probably based on the contribution system with some concern for the farmers in the White river delta. The squeky wheel might be the fact that the Arkansas got hit hard and if its flooded the White can't empty. At any rate they will hold water in BS first and it is probably the key to everything, but it has been at normal pool so it can hold a lot of water.

You might consider Shadow Rock park in Forsyth, very kid friendly bank and a playground to keep them busy, when they get bored, and you continue to fish.

Maybe you'll get resupplied with temperates.

Steven you'll just have to wait and see what evolves, but you'll be able to fish and the potential will be good.

My only experience to date is below Truman and I've had some luck on top with a baitcaster, but I think flyfishing there might be to much of a challenge. Is Grand a wiper, striper, or both fishery?

It is hard to say what conditions you'll face, but for other information you'll do no better than to go back and read the threads on this site. One of the biggest advantages of this forum is the historical threads from past springs.

One of my goals this year is to learn how and where to chase wipers. Hopefully the learning curve isn't too steep.

Many many years ago there was a brand of line called Perlene and it was one tough line. My fishing buddies and I used it for years before it finally became scarce and most switched to XT. Eventually we did come to realize that its strength was in the label and not the line. It's 15 b test was comparable to 20lb XT in performance, but so was its diameter.

I don't think you can assume the same strength and size. In lake fishing you have an unknown in strength and size that you can't avoid. In stream fishing on the other hand the size and strength are much more predictable. Trout and smallmouth make up the bulk of the fish you're likely to hook in streams and neither is likely to require a line heavier than #8 and that allows some for abrasion. Some go up to #10, but that is probably the limit' I lakes the fish can be bigger, the snags more numerous and the hooksets harder to make. Most people fishing lakes use as much stregnth as they can get away with and on some lakes that can be a lot. You can use a heavier line on Truman then Table Rock because of the clarity and that is often what drives the line size on lakes. As far as braid versus mono or copoly, Braid is thinner, but that means it has less bulk to allow for abrasion while it has less water resistance and allows deeper runs for lures. You can gain breaking strength without increasing diameter when compared to the mono's Mono's are cheaper, offer more stealth and as you know sink. The two biggest advantages to me are that being cheaper you can change to fit circumstances and the shock absorbtion allows you some forgiveness when fighting fish. I personally only like braid for instances where a floating line is advantageous, such as topwater fishing and where sensitivity is a big advantage such as when fishing jerkbaits.

I think we're all waiting because it isn't over yet.

Flooding isn't from the gates opening, but from them opening too far. The lake will have to get much higher before they open the gates. The rain so far has been heavy in the Arkansas watershed rather then the White, so far anyway. You'll just have to play it by ear, but with boats you should able to fish.

I wouldn't call it secluded, but Crowder state park outside Trenton never seems to be very busy. There's a nice small lake there also.

The rain has been concentrated over on the border. There was some heavy rain in the upper White area, but the rest of the watershed hasn't seen buckets of rain, at least not yet.

Make a loop with the uni configuration and run one tag through the front of the loop 3 times and then run the other tag through the same loop from the opposite, or from behind, side 3 times Pull the 4 strands up tight and trim the tags. I've used this for decades in fly fishing and securing my braid leaders and never had it fail, even when the diameters aren't close. I call it wayne's knot.

Well they lead storm that came through didn't leave near as much as it looked like it would. I know that part of the forecast invloved the line stalling and that is always an iffy forecast.

I suspect this rain will bring them in in good numbers.