rps

I'm sorry. By size, are you asking about the lake size or the average fish size? Lake size - Grand is 46,500 acres. TR is listed at 52,300, but with the water up it's probably much larger right now. Spavinaw has 20 miles of shoreline and 1673 acres. Eucha has 2860 acres. Fish size - The smaller lakes average smaller fish than Grand, which is comparable to TR. However, each year the small lakes give up a few brutes in the 9.5 to 10.5 range.

Eucha and Spavinaw are clear water lakes caused by impounding Spavinaw Creek. They serve as water supply lakes for Tulsa. Spavinaw Creek feeds into the Grand River near the middle of Lake Hudson. Hudson is one lake downstream of Grand. Both lakes were clear cut before impoundment. Both have strong and stable LMB populations. However, because of the lack of cover and the relative lack of depth (compared to TR) be prepared to dock fish, find sunken brush piles, or find the few stump fields near creek channels. If you fish Eucha, one of those exists on the flat next to the channel just before the lake narrows down to a creek. As you face upstream, that flat is on the right side of the channel. Water depth is 15 to 30 feet. I never fished it for bass in the Spring. I fished it for bass at night in the summer. If I was there in the Spring, I was in the creek above the lake catching whites. Good luck.

As I grew up, my mother raised dogs. Mostly setters, but some others, including English Springers and Brittanies. The spaniels were diggers. Heiress, a springer bitch, specialized in bomb shelters - 6 to 8 feet deep and large enough for people to lay in. Dogs need jobs. If they don't have one, they will invent one. Find or create an active job for the dog to do and the holes diminish. Good luck.

Buck Perry. There's a memory. I pored over his book, as well as Lunkers Love Nightcrawlers, in the 70's, and my fishing approach and techniques today are more based upon those two books than any other source. I can't imagine trying to fish TR without a working knowledge of fish holding structure and the importance of a spot on a spot. Speaking of which, if I could reach my boat and could go fishing for whites and walleyes, my first stop would be where Blue Sping flows into the White, just below Houseman. The channel brushes up against the area and it is a classic spot on a spot. Hope someone goes and takes advantage of it this week.

There are a number of posts saying what ramps are open at present. Ramps only say part of the equation. As I have written elsewhere, Holiday Island has a very serviceable ramp at present with plenty of parking. However, the marina is not open because the water is above the walkways highest reach. The next Marina downlake, Eagle Rock, was in the same situation as of Friday. Yet both will open if the water drops another 18 to 24 inches. That is only three days at current discharge rates, provided we don't get another 6 inches of rain in the next 4 days. As I wrote that paragraph, it started raining again. :-( Gear - look at the archived articles and focus on early spring. Jigs in crawdad colors, jerk baits in clown, white, and table rock shad, wiggle warts in brown and green. The weather and rising falling water levels have the fish confused, but when they start, and I think it will be soon, those are the baits they will bite. Don't cancel your trip, but prepare yourselves to put in and take out the boats every day so you can charge and fuel them. Expect that you won't want to run long distances on the water as I wouldn't run wide open right now - too many logs. On the other hand I would consider it safe to plane. With my boat in the marina I can't reach, I haven't been out so I can't tell you where the whites and walleye are, but I know they are between here and the 62 bridge and that is only six miles or so. Hope that little bit helps.

The rain last night and today was not hard up here at the upper end of the lake. It looked harder on the radar maps over on the north side of the lake and downstream toward the dam. Th water color up here is very fishable. As large as the lake is, some part is bound to be good when when you get here. If not, you can always fish Taney. Good luck.

When I was in London (2001 - 2002), some of the outdoor produce markets there had fresh morrels for sale. This is the only time I have ever seen them for sale. They cost $26 per pound. I confess. I bought some. If anyone in the Cassville, Holiday Island, Shell Knob area wanted to teach me how to hunt for them, I would promise to stay away from their locations, and I would show them what a trained Cordon Bleu chef can do with them.

A story well told is always a wonder and always welcome. Thank you.

The member who goes by "powerdive" works at bass pro. He won't be the one to ask, but you can ask him who to contact. My thoughts are with your friend and with you for what you are doing.

Eureka Springs area - ATT used to be my provider, but I couldn't get a signal at my house or in most of the town. Switched to Altel and have had zero problems.

Still need a boat to get to my boat so I didn't fish today. There was a sign posted at the Holiday Island marina that said ferry service would be available on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 10 - 11 and 2 - 3. It was 2:30 when I went by. No one was there. To be fair to Alan, the concessionaire, it was dark and damp, and the vast majority of the marina customers are fair weather boaters. Family pontoons and ski boats predominate the slips. In any event, the water is green with 2 to 3 feet visability in the marina cove, Leatherwood Creek. The mudline where that water meets the water flowing down from Beaver is no longer easy to see, but it does still exist. My water thermometer is on the boat, but the water feels marginally warmer to the hand than last week. That, of course, could be my wishful thinking. If anyone fished this end today, let me know how you did. I fear that with the rain forecast for the next week, it may be another week or two until the 6 inches per day makes it possible to walk to my boat. Until then I'm virtual fishing through your reports.

You are a good man. It escapes me why bad weather tries to spoil events like the one you scheduled.

Texoma stripers will probably be post spawn by then. If they are the best spring and early summer tip I can give is follow the gulls. If they haven't spawned by then (I haven't been following southern Oklahoma weather) go up the major creek arms with current. I used to fish the Platter Flats area and can't tell you much about the far upper end of the lake. BTW Texoma has become an excellent smallmouth factory. Good luck.

I wish I knew something about your area so I could help you. I wanted to reply anyway because I tubed for years when I was younger. The canvas sheaths for real tire tubes were far less sophisticated than the boats I see advertised now, but they were incredibily effective for small lake, pond, and stream fishing. The drawback to the old style was the weight after soaking for several hours. The hikes back to the car were sometimes a challenge. Good luck to you. If you reach Eureka Springs in NW Arkansas, pm me and I'll show you Lake Lucerne and Lake Leatherwood.

We are all glad you are here.

A 24 inch walleye is a good trip by itself. Welcome and enjoy the good group of people here.

The stripers in the White River below Beaver are from Beaver - over or through the dam - Table Rock doesn't have a striper population other than those. Once they are here they tend to stay upriver and eat trout. Jeff Fletcher caught a huge one near Spider Creek several years ago. It weighed 64 lb. 8 oz. and holds the Arkansas record.

I'm sorry you didn't find fish, but in a way I feel better. This morning I go back to work. Last week was the Spring Break for school. I had planned to fish all break. I got one trip before the deluge. Since last Monday I have needed a boat to reach my boat at Holiday Island marina. If you couldn't find fish, I know I would have had a very tough time. I can tell myself I really didn't miss anything. Hope things turn on later this week.

Come farther up lake. Most of the lake is much clearer here. The main channel is the former Beaver clear water. Some of the coves are muddy but not all. Leatherwood is a disaster but the coves fed by sidehill runoff and springs are fine. Yes, there is trash on and in the water but the kind of rise we've had does that. As far as where to put the fifth wheel - Eagle Rock? Beaver? Oh, be aware the one lane wooden bridge at Beaver is closed. The water is over the two ends but not the middle. Hope you find something that suits you.

Welcome. You got here just in time to read about brown water and busted lower units. Maybe your joining will be the catalyst (is that spelled right?) for a change for the better. Best of luck to you.

Fantastic. The Norfolk may be the very best of all.

Bill: We all feel your need. Bring the son. Bring the wife, too. Come soon, regardless of the water. One of the best trips I ever took, the snow started within 24 hours after the wife and I arrived at the lake for Spring Break. Two days later we were playing gin for high stakes. I did not catch any fish that trip, but I wouldn't trade it for others. Good luck.

Welcome to the group. You will find an extraordinarily large group of nice people willing to share what they know. The upper end of TR is starting to clear. The main channel flow from here at Holiday Island at least as far as Eagle Rock is merely dark, dingy instead of muddy. That is the water that lately was in Beaver. Leatherwood Creek and others are adding muddy water, but even that is beginning to clear at the backs of the creek. Right now the new water flow is the water that soaked in and oozed through rock before it made it to the creeks. Rain between now and your arrival could muddy the picture (pun intended), but if the rain isn't bad, at least a part of the lake will be in fishable shape and should be on its way to prespawn/spawn stage. Let's all keep our fingers crossed. Of course, right now, my problem is I need a boat to get out to my boat. If it's not one thing it's another. Good luck.

All good recipes. Over the years my wife and I have added many recipes to our own recipe bank from recipes supplied by the equipment makers. Her banana bread recipe is from Cuisineart. Enjoy.

This time of year, with these water temps, there will be little effect on the trout below Beaver. First, even with water over the flood gates at Beaver, we are getting cold water here in Table Rock. This time of year I have caught rainbows and browns on jerk baits while fishing for walleyes well below Houseman. Second, unlike below Bull Shoals, the flood stages will not flood huges acres of forests with high current. Remember, TR starts within 5 or 6 miles of the Beaver dam and there is a lot of cold water available right now. Last, the mud is at the top end of Beaver. What we are getting in TR right now from Beaver is actually clearer than whats coming in from the TR feeders. Of course, I've been wrong so often I stopped counting years ago.