rps

Tough conditions. Way to perservere. Did I spell that right?

Solid advice above. This weekend through Friday will be tough on self guided at TR, BS, and Norfolk ... even on the Norfolk below the dam. Taney won't muddy up until the TR and Beaver mess reaches there towards the end of the week, and it's less likely to be uncontrolled. I understand you wanting the boy to have a last shot at Dry Run, but if it were my father/son long distance trip, I would head for Taney.

There is a good ramp at Holiday Island. Drive past the normal marina/ramp turn in, cross Leatherwood creek, immediately turn right. The paved and sloped road normally used to drive down to the beach serves as an excellent ramp. There is even parking. Good Luck.

It would appear that guitar players are nearly as common as bbq eaters. And what's wrong with that?

Please do that. I went in the water last year. I was alone in the boat. Fortunately I had my vest on and it was May. Also I was near the dock and could climb out onto it. Since then I've bought a ladder that stays in the boat until I need it. It is attached to a cleat and can be reached from outside the boat. I did not enjoy the experience one bit. BTW, the video is very cool.

Camera didn't work - dead batteries. Took the pictures today, but posted them in SKMO's thread about the upper White.

Visited the Holiday Island ramp and marina today. As expected the walkway out to the dock is under water and the usual ramp is difficult if not impossible to use. However, if you drive past the marina turn and over the bridge, the point has a paved road (normally down to the beach) that slopes into the present water. Watched a boat launched easily while I was there. In addition, the water from Beaver has partially cleared a portion of the channel. I will attempt to upload two pictures of the mud line and one picture of the marina pictures showing the above. If you do put in, be careful of the timber. Side note: the current has sucked much, but not all, of the raft of wood and debris away from the marina and down stream. Just down river from the marina and opposite Haddock Creek, the first cove on your right, there is an island with brush now submerged. I suspect I would try the downstream side of the island (it's a long, long point) where they could hold out of the noticeable current we have up here right now. Good luck. rps

With the drastic change in water level and color, I suggest you try colorado bladed chartreuse/blue spinner bait reeled slowly. In Oklahoma, dingy cold lakes meant the bait had to be loud and slow. Dragged jigs meet that criteria as well. Good Luck.

You ask an interesting question. If ... only normal rainfall and weather from now until then and if ... the corps tries to control the water to avoid down stream floods and if ... the corps tries to avoid a large drawdown during the spawn then ... the spawn will be different this year than last. The bass will be on the beds and you'll be fishing more objects that were dry last year. Change the assumptions and the equation goes haywire. What are the guesses of the rest of you out there?

:-( A couple of weeks ago I wrote a report on water conditions at and above Holiday Island. In that report I made it clear how much I was looking forward to my spring break from school and to the onset of Spring. The weather gods must have heard my remarks. Can't tell you the water temp this time. The debris the wind blew into the Holiday Island marina blocks putting my boat in the water. Unlike most marina operations, this one is not owned by anyone. The Holiday Island District owns it and leases its operation to a concessionaire April to October. That means no one has been there the last two days to drag off floating timber, bottles, cans, and other material floated into the lake on the water rise. The Northeast winds of the storm blew that raft into the marina cove. If you need firewood, there are enough floating logs between my stall and clear water to survive the next winter, even if the only heat in the house is wood burning. Only good thing is someone is paying attention to the dock lines. However another 4 or 5 feet of rise will flood the parking lot and put the walkway out of reach from shore. The water clarity is nonexistent. The color is not chocolate milk. Instead it looks like heavily creamed coffee. The muddy water lakes of Oklahoma like Eufala are redder and darker than the current upper end of TR. If I could get my boat out tomorrow, I would be digging through my gear for the spinner baits with #5 or 6 cupped colorado blades. In water this color and early in the year, a bait needs to rattle or thump and move slow to get bit. Looked at the lake levels for the White River chain. At 7 feet over power pool, TR is the lowest. Beaver is at 8, BS is 10.5, and Norfolk is 12. That is a lot of water. Despite the fact all the dams are discharging, the levels are still rising. Makes you wonder what it would have been like before the dams were put in. Also makes me wonder how many already have water in their homes or businesses. Even thwarted from fishing over my Spring break, I am lucky compared to those souls. This afternoon I'll go down and take a picture of the flooded forest and then later I'll post them.

Welcome! There is something oddly wonderful about this group. It may have something to do with the southron charm of us'uns. It may be we talk civilized to one another.Whatever ... come join us and enjoy yourself. Tell us what interests you and we will tell you what we know.

Braid is good for several things. I troll 10# braid for walleye. I often set up 14# braid for caroline rigging. For day in day out, I gave up on other choices like Pline and switched to Yozuri 10#. Yes it has some memory, but it doesn't break down in the sun or heat and it stands up to fishing. It is way cheaper than flouro and ties a way stronger knot. Try it and see if it suits you. Bon chance.

Snow Fly: I based my comment re fly fishermen demographics upon anecdotal evidence. The TU meetings in Tulsa in the 80's looked like a joint meeting of the Petroleum Club and Southern Hills membership. Yes, since then I have discovered good old boys who fly fish, but if someone did do a scientific survey, I bet money I would be proven correct. BTW, please remember I moved to Arkansas voluntarily to teach in a semi rural school. I do not mean to imply anything negative about good old boys. To the contrary, I prefer them to that 80's TU crowd.

The flies vs. bait vs. CR vs. whatever the fish and game regs may be always has fascinated me. My opinion, with which you are welcome to disagree, but I hope not send insults: 1. No empirical study exists that shows/proves fish survive catch and release on single barbless hook in significantly greater numbers than those caught and released on artificial baits with barbless treble hooks. Everything out there is anecdotal. How the angler handles the fish before releasing it is probably a greater factor in survival rate than whether or not the fish was caught on a single hook or a treble. 2. Bait fishing for fish will not kill every fish caught. Proper handling and release is again the key. One afternoon on the White in Sportsman hole, I watched a doofus and dumbnuts pair practice CR while using powerbait. They grabbed each trout around the middle, squeezed, jerked every hook up out of the stomach (they were letting the trout swallow and run before they knew they had a bite), and then threw the fish back. When they left, the bottom was littered with dead trout. I caught and released one nice brown that day, on a crawdad. The fish never left the water and I only netted him so I could get the hook out or cut the leader. He had a distinctive healed wound on his back, probably from a heron, and I caught him again a year later from the same hole. Released him then, too. (These are anecdotal examples) 3. Bait fishing is probably a bit harder to successfully CR since there will be a greater number of stomach and/or gill hook ups than with artificials. Again, no empirical study normalized with proper handling exists to show the comparison. The irony is how many fly fishermen use san juan worms and salmon egg patterns. My experience with these, and with small jigs fished in current, is that a certain number of fish take these deep. Could be my reflexes aren't that good though. 4. We must all recognize that many people catch fish to eat them. And for many of these people, bait is the most effective way to do that. 5. No one has the right to say all others must do things just like they do. Only the public as a whole, through the political agencies, may say what is and is not allowed. 6. Fish and game agencies in every state are political agencies charged with the duty to balance science with politics. 7. They way I see it, groups began to lobby the fish and game folks for catch and release, artificials only as a conservation measure. Probably after seeing some doofus and dumbnuts pair in action. That is great. I agree some waters should be designated catch and release, artificials only. Being only normal human beings, the groups always demanded the very best waters (on the White they wanted and got the dam and Rim Shoals). Ok, that's fine too. Trophy areas are good things and should be in good waters. But then they went too far. Without science, they demanded the regulations require single barbless hook only. In some cases they lobbied for and got rules even more restrictive. In other words they demanded the fish and game people create a private park for fly fisherman only. Because the groups had become powerful politically (think about it - as a group, fly fishermen are the classic political power demographics: better educated, economically better off, more inclined to vote, willing to give money to lobbying) the fish and game people said yes. 8. The far larger number of fishing license buyers reacted. Guide organizations, public hearing attendees, and others demanded their right to fish their way be recognized. Fish and game responded to this political pressure as well. 9. The results are silly regulations such as the bait only and no rubber legs on flies rules and my personal favorite - in the CR section below Bull Shoal dam a single treble may be used but in the Rim Shoals CR only single barbless hooks are allowed. 10. Both groups are made up of normal people and normal people are inclined to think their group is best and that people who are not members of their group are idiots. Thus, when I float my boat through Rim Shoals, and I have to ask the fellow who looks like an Orvis ad to step out of the only channel so I can get through, he glares at my spinning rod in obvious contempt. 11. I propose that all who visit this discussion reflect upon the extent to which us versus them has interfered with fish and game regulations. And with true conservation. Now before the responses start, I want to make a few things clear. I fish for big trout, bass, and walleye using bait, artificials with trebles, and flyrod. I CR everything except a few legal walleyes that I eat with great pleasure. In the past I belonged to fishing groups such as BASS and TU. Also, I never look like an Orvis ad, and I never stand in the channel.

Welcome. Perhaps what I have been forced to learn since moving here from Oklahoma in 2002 will help you: 1. None of my rods strings are larger than 14#; most are 10# or less. 2. Do a search in the site archives for jerk baits, fish doctor, and drop shot techniques. Experts who frequent this site have fully described these very effective methods in the last year. 3. Learn to love watermelon seed/red flake, PBJ, green pumpkin, and junebug for jigs and plastics. 4. Number 37 and 38 warts or comparable color bandits. 5. Clear water highland resevoirs are examples of the best and worst of fishing. They are more weather sensitive than flatland lakes, the fish spend more time deeper, and fewer fish hang out in classic shoreline ambushes. On the other hand, when you do find them, you are far more likely to find a solid pattern and/or large schools of quality fish. You probably already knew all of the above, but I wish someone had told me these things when I first started fishing Tablerock. Good luck.

As a Table Rock addict that wound up moving to its shores, allow me to say hello and welcome. The Rock is an equal opportunity beast, ready and willing to confound one day and reward the next, all without regard to origin of the angler. Right now she is tough, but in a week, or maybe two, it will be magic time. Hope your next trip is soon.

My Spring Break holiday started Saturday; that explains Friday night's cold front and Saturday's yucky weather. Went out today just before noon and stayed out until 4:30. Fished Haddock Creek up to Houseman. Water temp in Haddock Creek was 49.5. At Houseman the temp was 45.4 and there was current. They must have been discharging from Beaver. Water color was dingy but not muddy. Fewer stumps and logs than last time out, but you still had to watch where you were going. I jerked a clown, I slow rolled a black twin spin, I fished green pumpkin plastic craws on jig heads, I swam a horse head fluke, and I slow retrieved a number 37 original wart with stops and starts. No walleyes and no white bass. Wish I could say otherwise. Hooked three bass. Two on the wart. Landed one (16 inches) and the shorty jumped off. The third was on the plastic craw jig and broke off. Didn't feel that large, but the line broke at the knot. Actually, although this is a meager report, at least I wasn't skunked and got to file a fishing report instead of a water condition report.

What you are seeing was up the Kings River or up here at Holiday Island last week. As they generate the mud gets sucked down to you. We are well on our way to clearing up here.

Nothing in Eureka Springs.

I could post this just as logically in the trout recipe request thread. The marinade works for salmon and trout. The neat thing is that it's dead easy. Mix a marinade that is 1/3 orange juice, 1/3 soy sauce, and 1/3 dry white wine. I use dry vermouth for the white wine. With salmon, depending on the thickness, I marinate for 5 to 20 minutes. For trout, I brush the marinade on the flesh side of fillets, let it sit a few minutes and brush a little more on. Bake or broil to desired doneness. WATCHOUT: the sugars in the orange juice and wine will blacken quickly in high heat. If I am going to broil, I leave the fish near the burner only until they are the color I want and then I move the fish to a lower rack and turn off the oven. I close the door and in a few minutes the residual heat will finish the fish. Side note: the marinade is equally outstanding for chicken,but they must marinate longer.

gabe: I was raised in Tulsa and raised my girls there. In 2000 I took a sabbatical from the first career (law) that turned into a career change. The lovely wife was also very tired of her first career (telecommunications). In 2002 we moved here. I teach English at Eureka Springs and the lovely wife teaches math at Green Forest. Yes, I know I am lucky to live on a fantastic lake and to have a job that lets me fish many days. I was just very tired of bad weather yesterday. By the way, Skiatook Lake, just on the other side of Barnsdall from Tulsa, tended to be a clearer than average Oklahoma lake. You also might want to check out the water suppply lake for Claremore.

915 is the normal power pool elevation. The lake level permanent topic at the head of the forum page will show you the current reading and several days of history. Right now the lake level is headed toward 917 even though the corps is generating nearly continuously.

I am home today, again, because of the snow. The school buses don't run here if it's at all slick. Too many mountains to fall off. This is the third snow day over and above the snow days the district allotted. That means I'll still be teaching the first week of June. This displeases me greatly. On top of that, every time it has thought of warming this year, another front has dumped cold rain or snow melt in my lake. By Sunday, water was beginning to clear and the temp was near 50, the magic number. This morning I am sure it is back down close to 40 and I imagine the milk chocolate is back. If I wanted that kind of fishing I could have stayed in Tulsa and fished Oologah. Cold muddy lakes displease me greatly. My lovely wife tells me I should stop being grumpy. I am finding that more difficult each week that Spring delays. I am sure many of you feel similarly. I just thought I would write it down in case some transplanted Northerner was out there rejoicing that the weather reminded him of home. :-(

With the water at or near 915, there are no real tricky spots other than logs that have fallen in the river and partially sunk. The current moves these from time to time so you have to keep an eye open. Upstream you can motor around the bend almost to the 65 bridge. To go above that you need a river/trout boat or full flow from the dam. Once you get past the bridge you can usually reach Spider Creek. At 910 you have a whole different story with several hazards between Holiday Island and Beaver and a large rocky shoal not far downstream from Houseman. Hope this helps.

Launched at Holiday Island about 9:00 AM this morning. Water temp was 45 and water clarity was about 2 feet. Much trash on the water. Went up river as far as Houseman. Much clearer up there, maybe 5 feet. Fished both TR Shad and clown jerkbaits as well as roadrunners looking for walleye and white bass. No joy. Came in around 1:30 when I got tired of fighting the wind. By then surface temp was nearly 47. I remain hopeful the fish will move shallow and upriver soon. When they do, I'll file a fishing report.