Shad kill?

[hankinsfly]

Does the Lower Mtn Fork have a shad kill in late winter as the bull shoals and norfork tailwaters do? I'm heading over to AR soon, maybe in Feb. It's quite a killer experience to fish. Anybody noticed this here? Thanks

[dainw]

Yes and no. The main problem is that most of the water people fish is above the power house. Shad do get sucked through the turbines, but all of the water from powerhouse to the old park dam is off limits. It used to be that you could go wade out onto a ledge that was parallel with the powerhouse and throw clousers downstream and catch anything that swIms in the river, walleyed, sand bass, smallmouth, trout etc. Now they have that roped off too. You can sometimes have success throwing white woollies and streamers in zone II right after generation as well but it's nothing like what happens on the white river. Lower Illinois actually has a better shad kill than LMF. If it gets really cold for a couple weeks and they run water consistently from tenkiller, white woollies will catch something on every cast.

[hankinsfly]

Caught some very nice browns a couple winters ago on white micro jigs on the Norfork. The big shad kill wasn't on but they were big on shad-type patterns. Looking forward to some of that again.

[jonbo]

Let us know how you do Hankinsfly. I'll be interested. I plan to be there in November, Lord willing. I caught a really nice rainbow up by the dam 4 years ago and can't wait to return.

[kingnothing]

Dec 30, 2016 19:38:46 GMT -6 dainw said:

Yes and no. The main problem is that most of the water people fish is above the power house. Shad do get sucked through the turbines, but all of the water from powerhouse to the old park dam is off limits. It used to be that you could go wade out onto a ledge that was parallel with the powerhouse and throw clousers downstream and catch anything that swIms in the river, walleyed, sand bass, smallmouth, trout etc. Now they have that roped off too. You can sometimes have success throwing white woollies and streamers in zone II right after generation as well but it's nothing like what happens on the white river. Lower Illinois actually has a better shad kill than LMF. If it gets really cold for a couple weeks and they run water consistently from tenkiller, white woollies will catch something on every cast.

So there is no fishing allowed anywhere from the powerhouse down to Z2? I know the water is pretty deep through there, so wading is not an option, but are you saying that you are not even allowed to fish from the bank?

[dainw]

I couldn't answer that for sure one way or the other. Possible that you are allowed to fish from the shore but no idea. I know there's no wading allowed.

[captwoody]

Fishing is allowed from shore, but no wading. There is all concrete pier behind the park store and a gravel board where the creek enters there. At low water you can walk out on it from Buckeye campground.

[tsfarling]

About 300 yards down from that pier is a tributary that is pouring spring fed water into the area. You can access it by hiking quite a ways from the parking lot above the powerhouse down a forest service road. I say you can access it but I am used to being allowed to go past those areas. That is my disclaimer. Please read any signs posted on fence before you go down there. I think that would be a great way to fish the opposite side but the Bluffs may pose a big problem for most of that run.

[captwoody]

That is interesting to think about. Is that tributary opposite the Buckeye campground? All that I can picture in my mind is huge bluffs.

[captwoody]

Looking on Google Earth I see a creek coming in a bit downstream of the old park dam, accessible from the Rock Pile Trail. Is this a trail open to the public? I'm not familiar with it.

[tsfarling]

Here is where it is. If you catch anything near there, please do tell me about it.

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