It's Been a Summer
As I sit here typing, the sun is shining (finally) and it is a strangely cool 74 degrees. Some of the weirdest August weather seen in the Ozarks in some time, but the fish don't seem to care. With rain practically every day in August this year, the lakes are filling up well into their flood pools, looking to be a great fall with plenty of water to keep the fish happy and the anglers even happier. It has been a minute since I have written a report, but time on the river keeps me away from the interwebs. Anyways, here it goes...
White River: I'm speculating, but with reports of hopper populations way down out west, it sounds like the best terrestrial fishing in the country might possibly be smack dab in the good ol' Natural State. There have been strange conditions, and obviously all the rain has played a role. With over 10" of the stuff over the past couple of weeks, there is quite a bit of run off from the Buffalo and Crooked Creek downstream, which has pushed everyone on the river into the top 20 miles or so. It has been hard to pinpoint an "ideal" condition, as the big fish have been caught in rain, heavy fog, sun, clouds, mornings, afternoons, and evenings. We will take it how we get it I suppose.
Flows have been pretty minimal, with several days thrown in the mix with heavy generation, but for the most part, 2-3 units max. Table Rock Dam has been having some heavy releases lately, since they received the most rain of all the lakes in the White River System, so it is only a matter of time until Bull Shoals Dam starts dumping. But, if history repeats itself, it can get downright silly fishing hoppers in the really high water. The big fish push up right against the banks, and look for easy meals.
This hopper fishing should stay strong, and get stronger as we get through the end of August and all the way through September. Heck, these fish keep looking up all the way through November... I've got some really good dates this month still available, and quite a few in September as well. Give me a shout at (903)-746-7836 if you have any questions about it, or are interested in getting a couple of dates tacked down. This is my personal favorite fishing of the year, hands down, so get in and experience the excitement!