What Happened To All Of The Fish?

[jdmidwest]

Arrived at 19 Access for a 2 day weekend on my favorite river, the Eleven Point. This is only the second time this year and my first trip on the upper trout area in some time. The weather was great and our band of 4 launched out. Things started out great with 6 fish to hand as we passed the first island. My first fish was about 14 with a scar on his right side, the second and third from the same spot, identical fish at 15". Then it died. The rest of the day was a goose egg. I did have several follow it up to the boat but no takers. We fished it pretty hard, getting out and working the runs, but no luck. We tossed cleo's, roostertails, rebel craw, shad raps, and various other crankbaits. We were fishing behind 3 guide boats all day, but that should not have affected us much. And we did not see them catch any either. There were several others on the river that day, most seemed to be on overnighter trips. One big camp at Little Hurricane Creek where I almost raised a piker.

Day 2, put in somewhere between Cane Bluff and McCormick Lake and floated the lower Old River. There was only 2 of us this time, river to ourselves, weather great. Only other humans we saw all day were on a bluff overlook riding horses. Again we tossed a variety of lures, plastics, craws, rapalas, rooster tails, and shad raps. I caught 3 bass and one chub, my buddy caught a goggle eye and a smallie. My largest bass was a largemouth of 11". No bluegill, no longears, and one of the once plentiful goggle eye that I loved to catch in this portion of the stream. And, with the river being low and clear, I did not see many fish of any species including suckers and trout. I can't see that humans have caught them out on this stretch, there was not many signs of humans on this stretch. The water was low and required 3 get out and pull overs below McCormick Lake area.

What has happened to this river? Have the otters cleaned it out? Have the floods done something?

Whatever the reason, it could not have been a more perfect October weekend weather wise.

[Brian Sloss]

There are a lot of people hitting the river lately and it is getting pressured harder than normal. That said we have been hitting fish pretty well lately. My trip today had plenty of fish and the one Sat caught a fair number of fish as well. Granted the catch was off a little, but we had a lot of first timers, including 3 under 12, so that was not the best barometer. Plus we also saw a few floatillas which we never see in Oct! Marabou jigs have been doing very well lately. Rubber legged stones, prince nymphs and crawdad patterns have done well also. Woolie buggers in olive did well today. It is definitely getting pressured more than normal for this time of year and that does have an effect. Caught someone stringing up an undersized trout today and had to get the guy to release it, which sucks. All that said, if you come back through the week or when it cools down keeping more people off the river, I bet you will get a different result.

[ColdWaterFshr]

I was there this past weekend with a slew of kids and ad-dults. Had a great time and you're right JD, it was a picture perfect weekend. We camped 2 nights at the gravel bar across from Little Hurricane. Fishing wasn't easy, but we caught a couple dozen without working too hard. And crazy thing -- the kids outfished the adults. My 7-yr old nephew G brought in a fat 16 incher near the put-in all on his own. Then my 11-year old boy pulled in a fish on his zebco, right behind where I was wading and whipping the water with my buggy whip. Later, he did it again at Little Mary Decker pulling in a 17 incher, the biggest out of everyone in our group. Mostly we lounged, ate, swam and collected lizards, sculpins, and frogs. I was busy looking after my brother-in-law and nephew who made the trip all the way from Green Bay. Had to ask some floaters on Saturday what happened in the Phillies-Cards game because we couldn't get a signal on the cell or even AM radio. Lots of people out this past weekend for sure. Saw 2 or 3 drift boats, several groups of day-floaters and campers floated by.

[jdmidwest]

I was there this past weekend with a slew of kids and ad-dults. Had a great time and you're right JD, it was a picture perfect weekend. We camped 2 nights at the gravel bar across from Little Hurricane. Fishing wasn't easy, but we caught a couple dozen without working too hard. And crazy thing -- the kids outfished the adults. My 7-yr old nephew G brought in a fat 16 incher near the put-in all on his own. Then my 11-year old boy pulled in a fish on his zebco, right behind where I was wading and whipping the water with my buggy whip. Later, he did it again at Little Mary Decker pulling in a 17 incher, the biggest out of everyone in our group. Mostly we lounged, ate, swam and collected lizards, sculpins, and frogs. I was busy looking after my brother-in-law and nephew who made the trip all the way from Green Bay. Had to ask some floaters on Saturday what happened in the Phillies-Cards game because we couldn't get a signal on the cell or even AM radio. Lots of people out this past weekend for sure. Saw 2 or 3 drift boats, several groups of day-floaters and campers floated by.

You did have a mess of kids having fun there when we passed. I am sure you remember me asking if supper was ready yet!

[jdmidwest]

There are a lot of people hitting the river lately and it is getting pressured harder than normal. That said we have been hitting fish pretty well lately. My trip today had plenty of fish and the one Sat caught a fair number of fish as well. Granted the catch was off a little, but we had a lot of first timers, including 3 under 12, so that was not the best barometer. Plus we also saw a few floatillas which we never see in Oct! Marabou jigs have been doing very well lately. Rubber legged stones, prince nymphs and crawdad patterns have done well also. Woolie buggers in olive did well today. It is definitely getting pressured more than normal for this time of year and that does have an effect. Caught someone stringing up an undersized trout today and had to get the guy to release it, which sucks. All that said, if you come back through the week or when it cools down keeping more people off the river, I bet you will get a different result.

I can see the crowds on the 19 to Turner part, but what has happened to the upper warmwater river. From the looks of the gravel bars and the access's, not too many people had been thru there. There must be something going on up there. The water is small enough and clear enough to do a visual survey and there were hardly any fish of any species.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Been a while since I fished above Greer. Only thing I could guess is that it was a BRIGHT weekend. Not a cloud in the sky that I remember seeing. Posted up a couple pictures in my last post. I do remember someone asking if dinner was ready. We ate like kings. Big bacon, egg, hash browns breakfast, big steak dinners w/ baked potatoes, fajitas, pudding, pineapple upside down cake in the dutch oven with a little Oban scotch, good beer, baileys and coffee. Kids were wound up tight on Mtn Dew. had to keep them from devolving into Lord of the Flies with all the rocks they were throwing around.

[Brian Sloss]

I honestly have not run the Cane Bluff run in a while since it is low. I had a few floaters fish it about 5-6 weeks ago with mixed results. I am amazed how tight they can get to cover though in low water. But like I said, I have not been up there lately.

[Gavin]

Fishing on the Current was slow too...no worries...the float was fun, and the company could not be beat..Blue bird & wind is usually tough....Day floating the 11pt with Granny Ruth next Friday & Saturday......I'm sure that we can pound up a couple..If anyone wants to hook up for a fast float & a shuttle from Greer to Turner on Friday, shoot me a PM...probably wont get there till 11am or so...think were staying at Brian's cabins on Friday & Saturday, and floating with the Ozark bunch on Saturday.

[gotmuddy]

I fished the narrows today for a few hours. I went up to morgan spring float camp. I coaxed 4 pickerel to the boat and that was it. I had one on and lost it that was 2ft and I had a 18"+ smallie chase my jerkbait but did not take it.

[Al Agnew]

What you're describing on the upper river is pretty typical of small, clear float streams in the fall. The fish just seem to disappear, especially on bright, sunshiny days. I honestly don't know how they can hide that well, but I've seen it again and again (or not seen it, as in not seeing hardly any fish!).

More and more, I'm convinced that they have places where they can get completely out of sight, and if there are fish in a pool where there isn't any place to get totally invisible, they move to a pool where there IS a hiding place in the fall. In the summer, I've seen huge bunches of smallies dart away from the canoe and watched them all retreat under a rock shelf or a big boulder that you'd swear there wasn't enough room under it to hide them all. I think in the fall on those bluebird days, they just go to places like that and don't come out. And in the winter on these smaller streams, they stay hidden all day nearly every day, in a state that's near hibernation.