Upper White

[SKMO]

Fished some Sun afternoon, putting in at Big Indian (Baxter area). Water temp was 49-50 in the coves and 48ish out on the main lake. Caught 3 w/ one SM about 3#, one 14' SM and one short KY. Both SM on a grub and KY on jig. Threw a stick some but no takers, only fished about 3 hrs total.

Now for 2nd hand info.. Talked w/2 gents at the boat ramp as we both loaded up and they did better, had 5 fish with 2 between 4-5# all LM I believe and they were throwing sticks on gravel. They said this past week they had done well on spinnerbaits in the backs of coves and secondary points.

Heard of some decent action up the White between SK and Eagle Rock. A couple guys fished Thur, Fri and Sat and had one excellent day (20+) on a spinnerbait, caught good fish with decent numbers on stick and wart other two days.

Heard of some whites being caught in upper Roaring River arm near and after sunset but not real big ones. Also a few walleye being taken up from Eagle Rock. One fellow I know from Cassville took numerous crappie last week between Eagle Rock and Big M, had limits a couple days. He's hands down the best crappie guy I know, and is able to catch them well when most people are struggling.

Also heard of some whites and crappie caught way up the kings in the Blue Hole to Dollar hole areas.

Upper Kings is starting to clear but most of the arm is bad muddy, with the mud trailing down the White to Campbell point. Clears up pretty quick past Campbell Point. This monster rain we are getting is certainly going to factor into the water conditions and fishing the next several days.

[Phil Lilley]

Thanks JL for reporting... glad you're feeling better!

[skeeter]

Hey SKMO, good to hear from you again. Did they fix the courtesy dock at the Baxter launch ramp yet ?

My daughter is bugging the heck out of me to take her fishing and I'm wondering if the rain you're getting in the area is a warm or a cold rain ? This time of year after a cold winter a warmer vs. a cold run-off can make all the difference ( maybe ).

Anybody else local care to chime in I'd appreciate it. Thanks much.

[Phil Lilley]

It's 57 here so I'd say the rain is warming up the lake.

[skeeter]

Thanks for your reply.

Not sure this rain is going to help all THAT much but I experienced kinda' the same situation after the much colder Winter of '77-'78 when most of the lakes along the AR-MO border froze almost bank to bank except on the main channel and then it got close in places. Had a huge threadfin shad die off and then a 3-4 " rainfall at 65-70 degrees the last weekend in March '78 when a large warmfront blew in. When the warm water runoff hit the area lakes all the crawdads came out and everything in the lake was up on the banks eating them as there wasn't much else left. This year's situation isn't as extreme as that Winter but somewhat similar and should make some difference...... Maybe ! Guess we're all going to find out since once the rain is gone the weather forecast looks pretty decent.

[SKMO]

I don't actually launch at Baxter, I put in at the old Big Indian campground across the cove just south of the swim beach (at the end of H Hwy off 39 south of SK). One of the better ramps on the lake in my opinon, never too busy, good pitch to the ramp no matter what level, and great dock. So I don't know condition of Baxter dock.

Rain started warm but is turning cold. I am going to hit it tomorrow in the Kings on two patterns: fish runoff water big and small, and fish leeward side of points. I have had some relly great trips this time of year when the lake jumps up. They will congregate in the runoff in the backs of coves, cuts and notches and gobble food washing in. This works better if the runoff was a bit warmer but there should be a few around. I have also done well on the leeward side of points.... my theory is they (95% LM) prefer not to fight any current and hug the eddies behind the points and wait for stuff to wash by.

I expect water to be extremely muddy with a noticible current down the channel, and I'll throw cranks, colorado blades, and jigs. From past experience it will be really good or really bad. Don't expect a lot of bites but the possibility of quality fish is there.

Thats the game plan anyway, I'll lt you know what shakes out.

SKMO

Hey SKMO, good to hear from you again. Did they fix the courtesy dock at the Baxter launch ramp yet ?

My daughter is bugging the heck out of me to take her fishing and I'm wondering if the rain you're getting in the area is a warm or a cold rain ? This time of year after a cold winter a warmer vs. a cold run-off can make all the difference ( maybe ).

Anybody else local care to chime in I'd appreciate it. Thanks much.

[Crappie5]

SKMO, has the mud hit Kings river yet from all the rain? I have heard of 8-9" of rain fall in various places. I seen flat creek on 39 hwy up to the bridge yesterday and it is heading your way.

[skeeter]

SKMO. Gotchya' on which side of "H" you launch on. If what Phil is reporting about 10 flood gates being open at the dam, there ought to be a VERY noticeable current for your lee side of the points stategy. That's an excellent strategy. With all the visible and sub surface debris coming in it ought to be hard to get the boat on plane for safety's sake. 921.76 and rising is the latest this A.M. Might run across you if you're out tomorrow. Same boat ( a little older ) as yours if you recall the morning of the foggy Ranger tournament off the campground point.

[SKMO]

The mud never left from the last rain event in late March. I live about 2 miles up the Kings from the island and it has been bad muddy all month. Just took some pics and will post on new thread.

SKMO, has the mud hit Kings river yet from all the rain? I have heard of 8-9" of rain fall in various places. I seen flat creek on 39 hwy up to the bridge yesterday and it is heading your way.

[SKMO]

Skeeter - Was in the Baxter area yesterday and everything looked normal to me dock-wise.

Caught a keeper LM over the top of a cedar tree grove and short LM on a jig and that was it. This was out on the main lake. Back in the coves at Baxter it took me two hours to remember all the reasons why I do not like to fish the bushes when the lake gets this high. I can do OK when the bushes are in 2-4' of water but most were already long submerged and not visable.

Even on the main lake where the water was relatively clear there was a lot of floating leaves and stuff that made throwing anything with a treble hook pretty much out of the question.