Zack Hoyt

Got with Russ last weekend to do some of the Elk while the water was high and temps were still warm. Got loaded, shuttled and launched.....and then came the rain. Not a nice mist.....a friggin downpour. Stupid rain. We tried to regroup and change take outs, but the rain never let up. Opted to jsut walking into a spot and hooking up with some largemouth and a crappie. I am afraid the water is cold enough now the bass will be bedding down. Still fishable....just much slower action. Stupid rain. Wil get with you next time Russ.

I sure hope they can keep up....Beaver was just starting to get good wading level. Here's to hoping we dont get a ton of rain.

News Release For release: Nov 17, 2009 Contact: Aaron Sadler / 501.682.2287 / sadlera@adeq.state.ar.us ADEQ TO HOST MEETING TO DISCUSS DISSOLVED OXYGEN The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality will host an informational meeting Wednesday, Dec. 2, in Mountain Home to discuss issues related to seasonal low dissolved oxygen levels in the tailwaters below Norfork and Bull Shoals reservoirs. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. at McMillan Hall on the campus of Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. The public is invited. Both the White River below Bull Shoals Dam and North Fork River below Norfork Dam are on the state's list of impaired waterbodies because of seasonal low dissolved oxygen. The Dec. 2 meeting will focus on options for improving water quality in those streams. Low dissolved oxygen concentrations can be harmful to aquatic life. Federal, state and local officials will be at the meeting to discuss several alternatives for addressing the dissolved oxygen problems. Representatives from ADEQ, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Southwest Power Pool, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other government officials are expected to attend.

Looks like per the COE article in the Baxter Bulletin......the lake draw down has begun. Beaver is the first in the White River Chain of lakes, so obviously they start first. Generation of 7000cfs+ has been going for the last few days. 2000cfs is about the highest I will wade, so gens this high are useless to try. This is bringing down the lake fairly quickly, so hopefully this will cause the Taiwlaters to ahve some good wading this winter. This water is flowing right into Table Rock, so Taneycomo will be hitting heavy generation pretty soon to keep up.

Saw an article that the SWEPCO powerplant will be down for maintenance till the first part of January. This means no warm water releases from the plant. Water will still be running through, but will not be the normal 90+ degrees pouring out. They said it may be as late as February to get the plant up and running. I assume the strain of bass that tehy stock in the lake will just slow down for the winter.

Hoping to make this one with drift boat in tow.

Thanks for the link Dan.

Very well said Cricket. Most have covered my thoughts.....but to add. A forum is a unique entity. You can never add anything to it, but learn much. The truth though, is you get as much as you put in. This goes far beyond posting. This is meeting fishing buddies, swapping fly/lure tricks, etc, etc. This is a great place and much, much can be learned. I learn new things everyday.

It is about 3.5 now. Very good floating. Anything below three is a good bit of dragging, but closer to the high 2's is floatable.

The White is no doubt one of m favorite places to fish. It is a bit of a haul though. You have the Beaver Tailwaters around Eureka Springs in Nw Arkansas. Roaring River north of Eureka in Missouri(this is a trout park). There are one or two trout waters in East OK, but I am not super familiar with them. There are alot of guides who post here on OAF. Check some of the threads about areas you want to fish and more than likely a local guide will be posting info there. Best of luck, and congrats on getting back in the hobby.

Have you fished the trout waters in OK or the Tailwaters below Beaver Lake? There is also a ton of smallie streams. Just a few thoughts.

From Steve Dally, Mtn River Newsletter So I emailed AGFC Trout Biologist Jeff Williams to get the lowdown. In order to make up for a shortage of trout resulting from this and last year’s high water, some rainbow trout were purchased form a private hatchery in Missouri. Mixed in with the normally colored rainbow trout were some of the golden color variation. These fish have been stocked on the White River so far between Bull Shoals Dam and Buffalo City. A small number have also been stocked in the Little Missouri River below Narrows Dam. All told there were probably less than 1,000 of these golden rainbow trout. I have already received some calls regarding these fish so I wanted to get more information out to you. These golden rainbow trout are rainbow trout and are not a different species…just a color variation. Their flesh is similar in appearance to that of a normally colored rainbow trout and is safe to eat. They are not albinos nor should they be confused with the golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) native to a few drainages in California. Some folks refer to them as palomino trout, although this is not completely accurate. As far as regulations are concerned, since they are truly rainbow trout they will fall within the regulations for that species. Jeff

Definately interested in the long boats. They sound like a neat idea.

There is still a bit of water to be let out from Beaver.......so it just dominoes on down the White from there.

Looks like we are down under 916. Wading should be doable at most places, except at the turnaround. It is still pretty deep there. Generation has been erratic, and they have not held overly close to the schedule. That stuff being said......it is fishable. Most of the fish I have seen have been pretty fat and colored up nicely. I love stripping streamers during higher water. The bank across from the ramp tends to hold fish in higher water. It can be difficult casting all the way over there.....but is doable. Also alot of fish being taken out near the Bathouse Access and Parker Bottoms. One thing during high water......if you dont catch fish after two or three casts......move. The fish tend to school a bit since they are in more of a giant pool than a moving water situation. Best of luck. Let us know how you did. I am thinking about heading out there Sunday.

Do they fall under the same limit as bows or are they a "special" regulation? It would be great to have them as C&R only. They are a gorgeous fish.

We have a meeting this Monday evening. If you are interested in coming or have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

PM Sent tx.

Thanks guys. She feel svery light to row and extremely maneuverable. Wayne, I have taken drift boats down alot of our rivers. Definately not a year round thing, and very rain dependent. You do tend to get some odd looks rowing a drift boat down the Elk......lol. This one weighs about 175 unloaded. It doesnt set very low in the water and has a fiberglas/graphite and epoxy bottom.

Here are a few pictures. Purchased this a few days ago and snuck out for a few hours of rowing. It isnt brand new.......but it has character. I think she will do just fine.......

As I understand it, the gates ARE shut as of this morning.

Premiere Ozarks smallmouth bass stream to flow freely after part of Kelly’s Slab is removed YELLVILLE - Kelly’s Slab is coming down. The concrete low-water bridge that crosses Crooked Creek in the Ozark Mountains is widely known among anglers as a premiere spot to fish for smallmouth bass. One website describes it as "the blue-ribbon smallmouth bass fishing stream of the state.” But the well known slab also is hurting the very fish population that attracts anglers. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission plans to remove a big chunk of the slab to allow Crooked Creek to flow the way nature intended, to the benefit of both fish and anglers. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has awarded a $250,000 contract to the Commission to remove the middle part of the slab, convert parts of the remaining structure to handicapped accessible fishing spots, rehabilitate the eroding steam banks and build a new bridge upstream from the current slab. The new upstream bridge also will make it much safer and more reliable for school buses to be able to take students to the Fred Berry education center. “Our own electrofishing and angler fishing surveys show that Crooked Creek is one of the best smallmouth bass streams in the country,” said Steve Filipek, assistant chief of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Fisheries Division. “The problem with low-water bridges like this is that it is basically a dam with a few pipes through it,” he said. “Crooked Creek is a 150-foot-wide stream being diverted through two culverts that are just a few feet across, and the water flows through those pipes super-fast when the creek is high. Many fish can’t handle it. So for the fish to be able to move up and down Crooked Creek freely, part of Kelly’s Slab has to come out,” Filipek explained. Although Crooked Creek is renowned mainly for its smallmouth bass, it’s also home to an amazing 66 species of fish, several of which serve as food for the bass and are listed by Arkansas as Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Being on this list means that the fish are in danger of becoming threatened or endangered if they are not protected or managed correctly. The AGFC will remove the center section of the slab, about 60 feet across, which will allow Crooked Creek to flow freely. The remaining slab sections on each bank will be converted to fishing spots that will be open to the public and will also meet Americans With Disabilities Act requirements. The Commission will repair parts of the creek banks that have eroded and build a new elevated span upstream from the current slab that will allow the public to cross, but will not interfere with the creek. The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership are partners on the project. The Recovery Act provides $280 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - which includes $115 million for construction, repair and energy efficiency retrofit projects at Service facilities, and $165 million for habitat restoration, deferred maintenance and capital improvement projects. Projects will help create local jobs in the communities where they are located and around the United States, while stimulating long-term employment and economic opportunities for the American public. Recovery Act projects address long-standing priority needs identified by the Service through its capital planning process. The agency worked through a rigorous merit-based process to identify and prioritize investments meeting the criteria put forth in the Recovery Act: namely, that a project addresses the Department’s highest priority mission needs; generates the largest number of jobs in the shortest period of time; and creates lasting value for the American public. For a full list of funded projects nationwide, go to the Department’s Recovery web site at http://recovery.doi.gov/. For a list of Service projects, click on the Service’s logo at the bottom of the page or visit http://recovery.doi.gov/press/bureaus/us-f...ildlife-service. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on the recovery web site, which includes an interactive map that allows the public to track where and how the Department’s recovery dollars are being spent. In addition, the public can submit questions, comments or concerns at recoveryact@fws.gov.

Congratulations Amigo. It wont be the same without you "not being present" at the shop.....but I am sure the new owners will do well. Best of luck to you and the family. Look forward to seeing you guys on the river.

Water is very deep. Very few wading ooportunities. TR releases are helping, but it is slow going. We ahve been fly fishing about 8ft under an indicator. Fish are moving around heavily in the deeper water, so it is hit or miss. Spin wise, I always use a smaller rainbow or brown colored rapala. I have also heard the worms and such under a bobber are a good bet. Anything of smaller size with good movement will catch fish. Remember if you are fishing between the bathouse and Parker Bottoms, it is not treble, scented, or live bait.

ROGERS — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is putting “teeth” into new restrictions at Beaver Lake and other corps impoundments. The corps’ Little Rock District will begin enforcing a commercial zone policy around marinas at district lakes as soon as warning signs can be put in place, according to a news release. Other lakesa◊ected include Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Norfork, Clear Water, Greers Ferry, Dardanelle and Millwood. Fishing, swimming, diving, jumping or wading is not allowed within 50 feet of a marina. Signs are to be installed announcing the prohibition. Rangers will be able to write citations and violators will be required to pay fi nes, said Alan Bland, a corps ranger with the Beaver Lake District. Signs announcing the prohibition have been in place in some locations for years, but there was no way to enforce the restriction, Bland said. Marina owners or managers could enforce the rule, but that wasn’t always e◊ective, he said. Joe Craig, who deals with real estate and leases for the corps, said Tuesday marina owners and operators have until March 1 to get the signs in place. “Most of the marinas in the district have had ‘No Fishing’ signs up for years but not all marinas. When it comes time for a marina owner to renew a lease, it will be a requirement to have the signs in place, or we won’t renew the lease,” Craig said. Shirley Davis, manager of Prairie Creek Marina east of Rogers, said she supports the new enforcement e◊ort. “We’ve had the signs up here for years about fishing and swimming near the marina, and I have always enforced it,” Davis said. People fishing and swimming around the marina create a liability issue, Davis said. “We don’t want anybody hurt,” she said. Kevin Callaghan, owner of Horseshoe Bend Marina has ‘No Fishing’ signs posted but doesn’t have the other regulations posted. “We’ll get it done by the March 1 deadline. Up until now it was voluntary, but now it’s mandatory. It’s agood rule, and we strongly support it,” Callaghan said. Safety is just one reason the corps implemented the commercial zone enforcement measures. There are underwater structures that could be dangerous to swimmers or divers, but there are other reasons as well. “We haven’t had the number of problems on Beaver the other lakes have had, but we’ve had some,” Bland said. When casting, fi shermen hoping to land a bass lurking near the docks can hang fishing lures on electric lines, boats, traps, phone lines and other personal property of boat owners The damage can cause some heated situations between marina operators and fishermen, Bland said. Some marina operators on Beaver Lake said they thought the new restrictions and enforcement would still be voluntary. “They aren’t,” Bland said “I guess I’m going to have to revisit some folks around the lake; somewhere they got the wrong impression We will enforce the policy today if the signs are up.”