Quillback

These folks think so. Why Flooding is Good for Fishing

Cool looking fish. More fish species I had no idea existed. 😀

Gilt darter - I have never heard of it until this post from AGFC: This spring, the Rivers and Streams program conducted a series of surveys on the Spring River in Northeast Arkansas. These surveys help us better understand fish communities and document species distribution. The Spring River is home to a very diverse fish community and houses some of the most beautiful fish species in the state. One of those spectacular species is the Gilt Darter (Percina evides). The Gilt Darter inhabits the White, Buffalo, Strawberry, Spring, Current, and Black Rivers. They like clean water, permanent flow, and rocky riffle habitat. Males in beautiful breeding colors were observed during our spring surveys. We captured them in shallow, rocky riffles, and they were presumed to be actively spawning. These stunning fish were safely released. Historically, stream degradation has reduced the range of the Gilt Darter. That's why stream monitoring is so crucial: it allows us to detect changes in water quality and habitat, identify threats to aquatic species like the Gilt Darter, and ultimately work to protect and restore these vital ecosystems so that incredible fish like these can continue to thrive.

Those are awesome pics, the time you put into it paid off.

Storm clouds over the prairie are always cool pics.

That hawk was just trying to help it cross the road. Two times this spring I have seen a people park their car, get out, grab a box turtle and get it across the road. I clipped a dillo on my way to the lake a few days ago, 2 of them sprinted from the left side of the road right into me, no time to react, thought I might get by them before they got under the truck, but got one of them with the back wheel. Don't mind having one less dillo in the world, but didn't want one bouncing off the truck or the boat.

Very nice, congrats!

I may have seen that same plane flying over Bella Vista this afternoon. Couldn't get a good look at it to tell what it was.

And it only weighed 16 pounds! Ancient Lake Trout Caught in Lake Michigan After Being Stocked 39 Years Ago

You could check the classifieds at the Texas Fishing Forum and Bass Boat Central. Every once in a while, I'll see some BFS stuff for sale there.

Out early again today. Lots of fog, but it was a warm fog. 😀 I looked for stripers early, little to no top water activity from them. Fished a couple of spots with no blow-ups so switched to bass fishing. There was a jig bite in places, fish were close to the bank. Had a 100 foot stretch of bank where they were busting minnows on top and caught a couple on the dog walker. Picked up a few on the c-rig later in the AM. Caught 10 bass, a few were chunky. WT 79-80 A jet flew over in the fog, fairly low, I could not see it in the fog, but it had that jet engine sort of whine noise. It set off a pack of coyotes. Howling and yipping for about 5 minutes.

I've had a couple of times where people fishing off a courtesy dock have gotten a little aggravated when I tied up to the dock.

Might come over and check out H someday - that's a haul for me.

Probably did, I think I recognize the background where you took your pic. I have a black and silver Phoenix.

When I came back to the ramp at Indian Creek on Beaver today, there was a folding chair, with a rod in a rod holder on each side of the chair - lines out right next to the ramp. Well one of the lines wrapped on my prop, didn't know it until I stopped about 50 yards from the ramp to tie down. Fortunately it was just around the prop, didn't get onto the shaft. Nobody in the chair or in the area, I looked around because I wanted to have a little chat with them. Unwrapped the line, cut it, and left. Must have been 50 lb. mono at least. Zoo season has started.

In the water by 0515 this morning. Cloudy with a bit of a breeze. Started out looking for stripers, not much top water activity, but did manage to catch a couple of 5 lbers. Both of them just went ballistic after being hooked, it was fun. Caught a couple of smallmouth on top and a few on a c-rig before I left about 10 AM. Campground was full, once the warm sunny weather starts, the rec boats will be out in force. WT 79 Look how dark this smallie was: Stripers:

Thanks for the report, I figure about September I'll be able to get my boat in the water at Big M. Water temp was 79 over on Beaver today.

That is one fat trout!

Just published in March 2025. I want to get a copy, but $35 for the paperback at Amazon is a bit steep IMO. I'll keep an eye on it looking for a sale. An account of the rise of sportsmen and conservation groups in Arkansas who made common cause to save the state’s wildlife resources So Great Was the Slaughter reveals the untold story of Arkansas conservation pioneers who saved the state’s game and fish populations. As Arkansas entered the twentieth century, the national demand for meat combined with the ability to ship millions of animals to hungry cities like New Orleans, Memphis, and Chicago had driven many species, including bison and passenger pigeons, to extinction in Arkansas. Many others, including deer, bear, turkey, quail, and fish, were in danger of disappearing. In response, an unlikely coalition of Arkansas sportsmen, hunters, and conservationists created a vision for conservation legislation, game laws, and the establishment of fish hatcheries and wildlife refuges. With support from influential outsiders like E. A. McIlhenny and the United States Biological Survey, they waged a long battle against entrenched political and commercial interests.

Congrats on your anniversary!

You can now hunt aoudad (some kind of sheep) in Texas from a chopper. An estimated 30,000 of them are on the loose. Never knew this was an issue or that there was that many of them running around. Texas Adds Aoudad to the List of Animals You Can Hunt from Helicopters

Launched early, a bit of a cloudy morning. Went looking for top water striper action, found a few blowing up, caught a couple, biggest was 7-8 lbs. They were really wanting that top water bait, big ol' aggressive blowups. Had one launch itself right over the top of my lure, maybe got three feet of air. Initial bite died off quickly, looked around at other places, could not find anything, then as I was on my way out of the creek, had some blow up right by the boat. Put the top water on them, had one hooked right away, but that fish took me into a tree, and I had to break it off. Caught a half dozen spots and smallmouth on top in that last spot, and about 8 AM things died down. I was on the trailer at 0900.

You'd think that once the female has the kittens that they would not travel far. Takes two to tango, so there has to be a couple of males around.

If those youngsters survive until adulthood, mom will kick them out and they'll have to find a home territory of their own.

That is a nice striper! I've been trying to figure out if the gates are open how it effects fishing. It seems to slow the striper bite down but not the black bass bite. Hard to say.