March 2007 report

[Forsythian]

I took a long hike this last Sunday (11th), scouting several pools which are maybe 3 miles (and atleast 5 riffles) above Bull Shoals. There is decent flow, and the water is crystal clear. The transition of this stretch from deep pools to a gravel-choked losing stream continues unabated, and it is depressing to say the least.

Anyways, it's home and there remains enough water to consider, so off I went.

It was a weird day... I did not see a fish except for a few minnows. Now, I am not the sneakiest/quietest person you'll ever meet, and I'm sure not the most skilled fisherman, but I couldn't even raise a green sunfish.

No suckers for grabbing either. The water did not feel that cold... well into the 50s I'd guess. Puzzling.

[Phil Lilley]

Do you think fish just don't like gin clear water? I see the same thing in stream like Swan- and esp Swan. It seems to always be gin clear- more clear than most streams around.

Is this your observation?

[Forsythian]

This was about as early as I've ever gone to this particular area, so I'm not sure whether it's a migration thing or what. The water is always gin clear in Swan, even in the summer.

It is true that I've looked at a hole in the summer and swore there wasn't a fish in it, but come evening you could catch a smally or two out of it, but always there were the panfish you could play with until then. Also there are always atleast a few buffalo or suckers cruising around.

I saw no signs of fish kill or otter, so I'm guessing I'll go back in a month or two and the fish will be there.

[Tightline]

For years if I was fishing at the Pothole or Swan before daylight or after dark I will take my spot light and look off the concrete bridge at Swan.Usually by the middle of March you will see those marble eyes glowing with a few Whites mixed in.Saturday mourning I thought I'd check and see if any were on their way back out before daylight,nothing,not one Walleye or White.

Of course when the fish get to Swan they run into a wall of gravel.There isn't very much channel left.But that still doesn't explain why theres not more up at the Pothole.Maybe we are just rushing things,it may all bust loose in the next week or so.

TL

[catman70]

A buddy of mine and I fished it late yesterday afternoon and last night. Saw some good sized black bass, but could get them to take anything. Caught two chunky trout on a small jerk bait. No whites or walleye to be had or seen though.

[wildminnow]

Well i know from past experience that the gin clear water in swan will turn up a bunch of suckers by day, and by night you can haul in some major numbers of white bass, this was back 10-15 years ago though when I still caught white bass in large numbers. The last time I really hooked into them was the year the lake was very low, wade fishing in the middle of the lake channell

[Wayne SW/MO]

I don't know this to be fact, but fish tend to return to the water they we're spawned in, and I'm afraid there aren't a lot of fish to return. I don't think Swan has had a viable spring spawn in 5 years, and it just may be that there aren't any adults that graduated from the creek.

[Dutch]

Yes, sad as it is upper Bull Shoals has suffered some kind of drastic fish kill. Where there were literally thousands of fish a few years ago there are less than dozens now. Some of us may not see the return in our lifetimes.