Quillback

I didn't see any three weeks ago when I was last up there. Back half on Indian creek was really stained, it may have cleared up since then, but hard to say after this latest big rain. I may drive over this weekend and take a look.

Good idea Snakem, I'm going to try that.

Funny to see that SM caught on a fluke, I caught one yesterday that spit up not one, but two white Zoom flukes. I caught him on a Shakeyhead - that was one dumb fish.

Congrats!

Yeah they showed some pop last night, hopefully it continues. Starting pitching has been decent also.

It hasn't come up as much as I thought it would, but maybe it's still got a ways to go.

Got out a little late this morning, wish I would have left earlier as there was a decent topwater bite early. I didn't catch any big fish on the topwater, but had a few blowups that looked to be good sized fish, for some reason the bigger fish were missing it or knocking it sideways and the smaller guys were finding the hooks. I was using a Yozuri Wack-o which is a 4" pencil popper that also has some walk the dog action. Sporadic topwater blowups would happen in the backs of coves and pockets and if you could lay a topwater on them, they would usually hit it. Caught a couple on the grub, a few on the shakey head, and a couple c-rigging the UV speed craw. Got about 20 total with a couple of keepers, mostly spots, couple of smallies and a few LM's. Water temps were 64-64.

OK, one more "final" thought, if the aim is to increase the number of quality bass, it might make sense to have a slot limit on spots, for example, release spots that are between 15-18 inches. Tournament guys might not like that however. Texas has quite a few lakes with slot limits and those lakes provide some quality fishing in spite of the heavy pressure. Of course Beaver isn't a Texas lake as far as habitat.

My final 2 cents is that based on my personal experience there are a lot of small spotted bass in Beaver, I'd rather catch 10 keeper sized fish in a day than 30 little spots. Make the regulation change and let's see what happens. If the consequences are bad for the overall fishery, then they can roll It back.

Wow, you guys got hammered, 1.5" here in Bella Vista.

I may be a little slow on the uptake, but one thing I've learned is that when Champ says things like a lure is "junk" or don't fish in a section of the lake as there are "no fish there", well go fish that spot and use the junk lure.

Meant to say 1122 and still rising.

Half a game behind the Tigers and playing the Yankees this weekend.

Looks like it's hitting 1123 and still rising.

Bill Babler has said that he's been told by the MO bios that spotted bass in Table Rock take 6-7 years to reach 15", which is what they're seeing in Beaver. Maybe in the rivers they grow faster?

Chief you should send your questions to Jon Stein, I get the feeling he's looking for feedback and would welcome it. They do the shocking every year so they're basing their decision on multi-year data.

Sounds like fun, thanks for the report!

Quite a bit more coming down this evening.

I think the current regs are 15" for LM's and 12" for spots, so you've already got to be able to tell the difference, if you plan on keeping black bass.

Received this from the lakes biologist today, posting it here for your reading enjoyment: A number of things are happening in the lake right now causing some aesthetic issues for sure. We just treated the shoreline areas of the lake with an unrestrictive, copper based algaecide to kill the substrate algae which is the slimy looking filamentous algae that grows from the lake bottom when the water is clear and also floats on the surface. That algae was really bad this year and has been getting worse each year since 2010. The lake is also currently experiencing a significant planktonic algae bloom, causing the water to turn very green as you’ve noticed today. This lake does this every spring and early summer and sometimes it is more dense of a bloom than this. The good thing is, as I point out every year, the planktonic algae causing the very green water limits sun-light penetration to the lake bed and therefore helps prevent further growth of the substrate algae that we really do not want. The timing of the plankton bloom along with our algaecide application couldn’t have worked out better to help eliminate the substrate algae that has been so prominent this spring. The plankton bloom is due to all the nutrient laden rainwater runoff into the lake over recent weeks following an extended period of drought along with rising water temperatures and the accumulation of massive amounts of pollen entering the water providing another nutrient input. To further complicate matters, the pollen is collecting on the surface of the water which tends to create surface scum in coves and areas that are wind-blown. This pollen input, along with plankton bloom and dying, floating substrate algae can make for some unpleasant looking water for a few days in some areas. Perhaps you’re cove was treated heavily with the algaecide and there is a little residual coloration in the water from that, which can be a little milky blueish colored in appearance, but I haven’t really noticed that before. Largemouth bass spawning is very, very delayed this year due to the unusually low water temperatures which are due to the unusual cold fronts that keep coming through. Bass are still holding eggs, but should be nesting and spawning now since we’ve seen water temps rise again for a few days in a row. But the green water will prevent us from seeing the nests except in the shallowest water. We have watched the water temps rise into the low sixties and then fall into the high fifties each week for four weeks now. This is confusing the fish and therefore the fish biologists also. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Black bass biologist said that bass are holding eggs all over the state and the spawn is delayed all over the state, also. I think you’ll find the water will start looking better over the next few weeks. I hope so. Thank you,

Might be all tuckered out from spawning, thus the lack of fight.

Once a year or so I'll keep a limit of small spots, they're pretty tasty.

That would be cool if one of you guys could put that info together.

John Stein, AGFC biologist sent me the following information and asked me to post it here. I will put the meeting info at the end of this information: I am a Fisheries Biologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and I wanted to let everyone on the Ozark Angler Forum know about a proposed spotted bass regulation change on Beaver Lake. We have been conducting research on the spotted bass population on Beaver Lake and have found some interesting results listed below. AGFC fisheries regulation changes go through a series of steps before a regulation can be changed. We collect a large amount of scientific data and determine if regulation changes are needed based on fisheries science. We then meet with other fisheries biologists in Arkansas to get feedback on our proposed regulation. The third step is to discuss the proposed regulation with anglers and the public, and we do this by talking with anglers groups and obtaining input via our AGFC website. Public input is taken into consideration and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission votes on the proposed regulation in July. The proposed spotted bass regulation will then take effect on January 1, 2014. Reasons for removing the 12 inch minimum length limit on Beaver Lake Spotted Bass. 1. Growth is slow—over 3 ½ years to get to 12” and 6-7 years to reach 15”. 2. Large portion of population is less than the 12” MLL---82% below 12” in 2012 electrofishing. 3. Removing 12” MLL will allow anglers to harvest some smaller spotted bass---hopefully increasing growth rates of spotted bass that are not harvested. 4. Removing smaller spotted bass may reduce competition on fish that grow bigger like smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. 5. We are beginning a stocking program for largemouth bass using the Beaver Lake Nursery Pond and hopefully, we can increase the number of largemouth bass in Beaver Lake with stocking. Harvesting of smaller spotted bass should reduce competition between spotted bass and largemouth bass in Beaver Lake. 6. Even if the regulation change does not improve the spotted bass population it will allow anglers the opportunity to catch and keep smaller spotted bass to eat. If anyone has any questions, please call or email me at our Office in Rogers. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Rogers Fisheries Office 2805 West Oak Street Rogers, AR 72758 877-631-6005 jestein@agfc.state.ar.us Date: May 23, 2013 Time: 7 p.m. Ozark Electric Cooperative Building 3641 West Weddington Drive Fayetteville, AR Jon Stein Fish Management Biologist E: jestein@agfc.state.ar.us P: (877)-631-6005 M: (479) 640-6422 Arkansas Game and Fish Commission 2805 West Oak Street Rogers, AR 72758 www.agfc.com

Yes thanks for the report Bill. Funny how the spots near the dam run bigger on average than the ones in the White. The spots in the White are fat healthy fish, you'd think there would be lots of bigger 2-3 lb. spots up there.