23 November 2024 “No fish stocked this week ☹️☹️”

[HEN]

I had hoped the AGFC would hold to the stocking schedule of every 2 weeks for stocking on the Lil' Mo', but they didn't!!😤. Guess (or hope) they are waiting for thanksgiving week??  It would have been a perfect week to stock. Water is cold and very clear, even tho the river bed is covered in silt. It gets better (less silt) the further you go down river. Also they could have stocked on low water, giving the fish time to acclimate to the river. Last stocking was 7 November on high water, scattering the fish all over the river.

The lake is currently at 538.37 so unless we get a flooding rain I do not expect the Corp to start bungering anytime soon, UNLESS they decide to do a pull down for dam repairs. They stopped bungering on 14 November so the fish have had time to settle in to the "no flow river".

About the fishing, here's my opinion and synopsis 🤔:  the fish are really scattered. I have been unable to catch fish at the park or in the meat hole!!  Don't know what happened to them. Did they die, did they move down river??? I haven't seen any signs of dead fish and the ones I'm catching down river are strong and healthy. The Riverside park area is hardest hit by the silt, or whatever it is, coming from the bunger valves, the river bed is covered and the rocks are red. However, I'm able to catch fish at Sycamore run, only 3/4 mile down river from there. I caught 17 in that little hole one trip. I caught 36 one day in the couch hole at River Ridge, I caught 40 one day at Hinds Bluff, fishing the access hole and around the bend down river. I've caught fish at Old Factory site and at Low water bridge, you just have to find them, but when you do they are strong and health. A normal trips catch for me has been 15 to 20 fish, but remember , I only fish about 2 to 3 hours and only in the mornings.  In short, I've caught fish all over the river EXCEPT at Riverside park!!!  It is definitely fishing and not just "stand and catch", if I don't get a bite in a few minutes, I move!  I believe the first rule of trout fishing is be where the fish are!  A good low water stocking will fix that. I can't explain the Riverside park problem but I think a good low water stocking will solve it also, now that all the silt has settled out and the water itself is clear as glass.

To sum up, water cold and clear as a bell, river bed has a lot of red silt, fishing down river is fair but don't waste your time at the park until they stock again, hopefully before thanksgiving. Oh yes, and always remember, if you will all take out one more piece of trash than you bring in, we will never have a trashy river!!