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His Place Newsletter - January 2005 Hello! Wow! 2004 really flew by, didn't it? We hope that you and yours had a wonderful holiday season, and that 2005 will be the best year ever for you! :-) Winter is really a great time to come visit the White River... No crowds, plenty of peace and quiet, and greatly reduced fishing pressure on the river all combine to make this a great time to fish, and just get away from it all. And you know what? The weather is not always so bad, either! I'm sitting here on 12/29 and it's sunny and 66 degrees! You know, I've come to discover that what is "cold" to people is a very relative thing... :-) If you're more of a "fair weather outdoors" type, just keep a watch on the 10 day forecast by visiting www.weather.com and using the zip code 72626. Then just give us a call when you can get away! So, we invite you to come visit us soon! Remember, too, that our off - season specials run all the way through the end of February.
Winter Fishing is good! :-) Here's a picture of Big John & Bob Arthur, and of course the star of the show was that nice Brown! January What the fish are biting on…
Fly Fishing - Pink trout jigs, San Juan worms and basic egg patterns in various colors, and large scuds have been working really well lately. Bait - Powerbait in yellow and Belgian redworms are working right now. Artificials - Countdowns & Rogues - silver/black, and brown trout patterns are working well. Gold / Copper and Gold / Silver spoons are getting them too. Fishing the Shad Kill I don't know if you've heard of the "shad kill", but if you haven't, let me tell you a little bit about it, and why it's the favorite time of year for many to come fishing on the White! What is the "Shad Kill?" Over the winter as water temperatures drop in Bull Shoals Lake, threadfin shad move by the millions in search of warmer waters. Threadfin shad are not a native species to Bull Shoals Lake, like the gizzard shad, and therefore can not survive when the water temperature reaches about 40 degrees. (Have you ever wondered... If heat rises, why do the shad go deeper for warm water? Water is the heaviest around 39 degrees or so, (which is also the reason ice forms on the top of water) so they have to go down to it. This same phenomenon is what causes the lake to "turn over" in the spring.) They tend to congregate in the deeper waters near the dam, but even this water eventually becomes too cold for them, and they become weaker and more lethargic as the season wears on. Finally, without enough strength to withstand the suction generated by the turbines, they are literally sucked through and find themselves on the wrong side of the dam. Some are killed, many are only stunned, but either way - the trout know the dinner bell's ringing! As the shad float downstream, the trout get the message and tend to move far enough up river to get their fair share. This over - abundance of food will set the trout on a feeding frenzy unlike any other time of the year. The water will literally be teeming with voracious trout gorging themselves on the shad until they nearly burst! There are so many shad, that we've actually had them lining the banks here at the resort, and we're nearly 15 miles down! The trout will feed voraciously during this period, and whether you spin fish or fly fish, you have a better than average chance of catching some really big fish. When is the "Shad Kill?" That depends a lot on the weather. We need some cold weather to get those lake temperatures to drop and force the shad down. Typically, it occurs between mid - late January through the end of February. The success of the shad kill is pretty much dependent on the weather. For example, if the winter is mild enough, there will be little or no shad kill. If it's a cold winter, the shad kill will be bigger, earlier in the season, and longer in duration. 2004 had an excellent shad kill for example, far better than 2002 or 2003. How will I know when it's occurring? We'll put a notice on the front page of the website when we start seeing the shad! What is recommended for fishing the "Shad Kill?" That's about the only time of year when it's pretty easy to predict what the fish want! For fly fishing, various minnow and shad patterns with the standard white, black, silvery/flash colors... Oh yeah, and make them BIG, like on an 8 or 10 hook, or even bigger. Lures? Zebra rooster tails & Rapalas in Silver / Black. Bait Fishing? Well, Shad, of course... :-) Or white powerbait on a river rig with any kind of dark plastic worm.
New Cotter Big Spring Park Catch & Release Area
If you haven't been to the Big Spring Park, you really should go! You can take the Nature Trail that starts right here at the resort and walk along the river until you get there, or you can just hop in the car, cross the highway and you'll be there in 2 minutes. Well, it was over a year ago that we first heard tell of the proposal for turning the Big Spring into a Catch & Release area for kids & handicapped persons. We immediately thought it was a great idea! The Big Spring was once thought to be an area where heavy spawning took place, which was why it was turned into a sanctuary about 40 years ago. But this never proved to be true. Now, after several years of monitoring, and nearly a year of discussing the issue with the public and working out the details, AGFC has given their blessing for this project. This is the first real management plan to be implemented under the guidelines of the recently adopted Trout Management Plan. To give you an idea of what this plan will entail, I have a copy of the AGFC rough draft from last year giving the particulars. There is probably a newer copy of this document, but I haven't been able to put my hands on it so far... You'll notice they have two management options in this proposal. Management option 2 will involve getting $$$ to re-route some water to keep the spring cold year round, so they will most likely start with something very close to Option 1, and then work into the second option. One thing that is really interesting to me about this document is how it is structured, and how the issue is being addressed. First and foremost in my mind, the fact that they treat each body of water individually is a big change from management techniques in the past, and is a direct result of the recently adopted Trout Management Plan. From there, it goes on to give a history, current status, and clearly define the management objective. Why is this so great??? If an idea for some improvement in the future does not line up with the current management objective, it will be rejected. Success or failure of current actions will be weighed against something tangible. The whole process makes for a much more deliberate, effective and clearly understood course of action. It will prevent future programs that have conflicting objectives. How many times have you wondered, "What did they do that for?" Well, now you'll know, because you'll be able to access this information. Call it a sanity test, if you will. And success or failure of the current program will be measured against the management objective. We think you'll agree that AGFC is on the right track with their new management plan! ******************************************************************************** DRAFT ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH COMMISSION FISHERIES DIVISION TROUT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TROUT AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN Water body: Big Spring (Cotter Spring) Type of water: spring creek Length: 2,382 feet (726 meters) (0.45 miles) Mean Width: 46 feet (14meters) Area: 2.52 acres (1.02 hectares) County: Baxter Plan Year: 2004 Plan authors: Darrell Bowman Trout Biologist Mark Oliver District Fisheries Biologist History and Current Status: Big Spring emerges in the City of Cotter adjacent to the White River in the Cotter Access area. In the early years of trout stocking and management in the White River, after the completion of Bull Shoals Dam in ? , large numbers of "large trout" were reported to move into big spring to spawn at times. An effort began around 1956 to increase trout spawning in Big Spring and manage it as a "trout sanctuary". In order to do this, a manmade, longer channel was dug and the spring re-routed to the White River. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission approved a protective regulation and signs were put up designating Big Spring as a trout sanctuary, and no fishing was allowed. Cotter has developed a city park adjacent to the Cotter Access area and AGFC has helped with access to Big Spring. As a result of these cooperative efforts, Big Spring is accessible throughout most of its length via mowed stream banks, walking trails, and a footbridge. Currently, Big Spring is still managed as a "trout sanctuary" and no fishing is allowed. However, in recent years the community and AGFC have allowed fishing derbies in Big Spring for special events such as town festivals, etc. Trout have also been stocked directly in Big Spring for these fishing derbies. No records exist in AGFC files that indicate that any follow-up evaluations were done on the success of the "trout sanctuary", and presently, large trout are not seen spawning in Big Spring. The Big Spring fish population was sampled on August 5, 1998 by AGFC biologists using a backpack electrofisher. This sample was never reported, and no notes exist to compliment the sample data, but the sample was apparently conducted to assess summer water temperature effects on species assemblage and relative abundance of trout in summer time. The sample was apparently for larger predators, or sportfish since no small, non-game fish such as minnows, darters, or sculpins were collected. Water temperature was monitored for some time that summer, but at this time, the data has been lost. However, Stan Todd remembers recording some fairly high summer water temperatures in Big Spring. The collected fish population consisted of an assemblage of typical native species found in cool-water creeks in northern Arkansas. A total of 19 trout representing three species made up only 21% of the sampled fishes (Figure 1.) The trout sampled were fingerling and stock size with the exception of one 15 + inch cutthroat trout (Figure 2). Current Management Objectives: In the early days of the Bull Shoals tailwater trout fishery, large trout moved into the original Big Spring to spawn, apparently with some success. However, at this point in time, Big Spring is not noted for large trout, spawning runs, or even for housing many trout at any time. Therefore, management as a trout spawning sanctuary is no longer a wise use of this resource. In recent years, AGFC and City of Cotter have relaxed the regulation of Big Spring, and allowed youth fishing during trout fishing derbies held in conjunction with festivals in Cotter. Trout were stocked in an area closed off with block-nets, and youth were allowed to fish and harvest trout. Currently, fishing pressure is high on trout tailwater fisheries in the local area, and few small stream or spring creek trout fisheries exist in Arkansas. Bull Shoals Tailwater bank and wade fishing for trout is often limited due to the fluctuating water levels associated with hydropower generation when the tailwater. Wade fishing and put and grow style trout management are becoming more popular. Less people are harvesting trout. Youth have few places to fish without crowding from adults. Expansion of more diverse trout angling opportunities is needed and desired in Arkansas and any additional trout opportunities would be of great benefit. For all these reasons, development of Big Spring as a trout fishing area instead of a trout sanctuary would be much more beneficial. The following "Management Plan " section pursues options for this change in management of Big Spring in Cotter. Management Plan Goal statement: Convert Big Spring to a youth oriented "fishery", instead of a "trout sanctuary". This plan addresses the current needs to convert management of this resource. The Bull Shoals Tailwater (White River) runs through Cotter and therefore allows unlimited opportunity for harvest of trout and trophy trout fishing, under current regulation and management. Current Bull Shoals Tailwater management in Cotter is consistent with most trout water in Arkansas with a mixture of put-and-take, and put-grow-and-take management. Big Spring in Cotter offers a chance for more diverse trout angling opportunities in the Cotter area, and therefore should not be managed similar to the Bull Shoals Tailwater. Therefore, the partners in this effort wish to manage Big Spring as a place for youth to enjoy trout fishing, with a focus on catch-and-release oriented management. However, the partners also would like to have harvest oriented fishing derbies in Cotter Spring during special events and for special youth groups. Based on local knowledge, and limited AGFC data, Big Spring water originates from Crooked Creek, and is relatively warmer than true ground water spring creeks, during summer. Therefore, fisheries management must work around the existing conditions for providing trout fishing. The catch-and-release aspect will be seasonal during late fall, winter, and early spring, but then harvest-oriented fishing and trout derbies will be allowed during the warmer months, with hot, summer-time fishing for the warm-water fishes in Big Spring. How about a few catfish? The Big Spring channel is man-made and lacks good velocity shelter for fishes. Therefore physical habitat should be improved to help "hold" trout and other fishes in higher numbers to support good fishing. Also, the partners wish to investigate potential for year-round, catch-and-release trout fishing similar to Dry Run Creek. This will be done by exploring engineering possibilities and requirement to bring cold-water flow from White River to the upper end of Big Spring. If this happens, management will convert to year-round, catch-and-release for trout, and alternatives for fishing derbies will be used. Tasks and Timeline ¨ Identify and work with "partners" to carryout project. Potential aside from AGFC include City of Cotter, City of Cotter Chamber of Commerce, Cotter High School Stream Team, Mid-South Fly-Fishers, North Arkansas Fly-Fishers, White and Norfork River Outfitters Association, and local residents. Begin this process February 2004. ¨ Identify actions to be taken, timeline, and funding in an attempt to work into AGFC fiscal year 04-05 budget February 2004. ¨ Conduct stream physical habitat inventory and develop habitat improvement plan for Big Spring Spring 2004. ¨ Monitor Big Spring water temperature and water quality during hot summer months to determine if cold-water trout habitat exists and to what degree Spring and Summer 2004 ¨ Pursue funding for Big Spring habitat improvement from other sources of grant or partnership cost-share programs such as COE 1135 or 206; Trout Unlimited "embrace a Stream" grants, etc., - 2004. ¨ Conduct Big Spring habitat improvement project ASAP. Involve community and volunteers as much as possible. Potential volunteer labor includes Cotter Schools Stream Team and Mid-South Fly-Fishers. ¨ Sample the Big Spring fish population in spring and / or Summer 2004. Conduct comparative, before-and-after, fish population samples to evaluate effects of physical habitat. ¨ Establish routine monitoring protocol for Big Spring fish population, including reproductive success. ¨ Monitor fishing effort and success with standardized creel survey protocol. The creel technician already working the Bull Shoals Tailwater using standardized protocols could do this easily. Volunteers from Cotter Stream Team and / or local residents could supplement creel data as available. ¨ Present consensus regulation change to Fisheries Division at March staff meeting in Eureka Springs for implementation January 1, 2005. Management Option #1. Manage as a delayed harvest, catch-and-release trout fishery for youths. This option will be pursued due to summer survival of trout being too low to support a viable trout fishery. This alternative provides for good trout fishing during cooler months while teaching the catch-and-release ethic, but also provides harvest opportunities in spring and summer seasons when trout survival decreases. ¨ Remove all existing "trout sanctuary signs" and replace with appropriate new regulations. E.g. Catch-and Release fishing only for youth under 16 years of age, from November 1 through April 30, barbless artificial lures only. From May 1 through October 31, regulations are the same as White River. ¨ Catchable, 11-inch rainbow trout will be stocked in the first week of November, and again in first week of February. ¨ Stock ample 11-inch rainbow trout prior to scheduled fishing derbies. Management Option #2. Manage as a youth oriented catch-and-release fishery. This management option will be pursued if and when Big Spring can provide coldwater trout habitat year-round. To do this, as mentioned above, engineering will be explored to bring cold water from The White River to the upper end of Big Spring via a gravity-fed pipe, culvert, or ditch. This alternative provides a different ethic and management approach for youth to learn that harvest does not have to be the goal for fishing. This alternative would follow similar management of streams like Dry Run Creek and Collins Creek. ¨ Remove all existing trout regulation signs and replace with appropriate new regulations: E.g. Catch-and Release fishing only for youth under 16 years of age. Barbless artificial lures only. ¨ Stock catchable, 11-inch rainbow trout initially, or as needed based on creel and/or electrofishing data. ¨ Experimentally stock marked rainbow trout fingerlings to evaluate effectiveness of fingerling stocking.
Fish Story of the Month A Real Fisher of Men, and Trout too...
I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you about someone that is very dear to Steve & I. His name is Walt Hipsher. If you've followed our newsletters in the past, you've already heard of him, because I've written stories about him twice. He's been coming here for the last 3 years since Steve & I got the place. I can't tell you exactly Walt's proper job title, but it's something like "nuclear physicist". It often seemed like he couldn't tell us just what he was really doing, if you get my drift... :-) To know him was to have no doubt of his amazing intellect. Walt almost always came to visit with his friend, Reverend Judd Shaw. These two were like the Odd Couple of the White River. Think about it for a minute - a Reverend and a nuclear physicist - what a riot! Walt came by himself to fish with us Dec. 2 - 4. He told me that he was spending more time fishing and less time working. He was like a little kid describing a recent fishing trip... :-) After arriving home Sunday night, he left the next morning to teach a 3 day class. On the last day of class, Wednesday, December 8th, Walt passed away during his lecture. Walt was 53, and is survived by his wife Sandra, and their two children, Heather & John. The next day, on December 9th, (my 40th birthday) I received a package from Walt. I have no idea when he had time to do this, sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning when he left to teach his class. Anyway, he'd sent us 2 beautiful stained glass Christmas ornaments he'd made himself, another present, his family Christmas letter, and a note to me. Needless to say, this was by far the best birthday present I've ever received. You know, we all complain about not having enough time... Not enough time for our family, friends, or whatever. Walt had a very busy life with the responsibilities of his job, the travel it involved, and of course his family. Walt was also very active in his church, and spent a lot of time working with a youth ministry there. The point is that Walt was the type of person to FIND the time. Some would just call that "outstanding time management". Personally, Walt lived what I'd refer to as a "purpose driven life". There have been some great teachings on this subject, but I personally think Walt would have been the ideal instructor on this topic, as he was certainly the ideal role model. Come to think of it, I guess he was the ideal instructor, as he taught us by the example of his life. So, Walt, here's to you, buddy! We miss you. Our lives are better for having known you. Good Fishing, my friend! Julie & Steve *********************************************************
Until next time - Good Fishing to you all! Julie NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES Nov / Dec 2004 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) April / May 2004 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) Feb / March 2004 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) Nov / Dec 2003 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) September 2003 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) July/August 2003 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) May/June 2003 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) March/April 2003 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) Jan/Feb 2003 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) Dec 2002 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) Nov 2002 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) Oct 2002 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) Sept 2002 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) Aug 2002 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) July 2002 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE) June 2002 - Newsletter (Use your Browser's BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE |
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