Dropping a Line

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Happy Valentine’s Day to all, get the woman of your dreams a box of chocolates and a new fishing pole. If she catches more than you then you should at least cook her a Valentine’s Dinner of fish.

We are coming up on the spawn for many of our fish now so I figured this would be a good time to give you the spawning temps. Water temp on Beaver Lake and here at the Island are both running from 42° – 45° now and the walleye are already moving upstream in both the creeks and rivers.

White bass will be doing the same right behind them starting in March and going into April. Both these species lay their eggs in the current upstream, along with the big old paddlefish that can weigh more than 100 pounds. Paddlefish are legal to snag from the dam to the first boat launch on the tailwaters starting April 15, so make sure you have a trout stamp and read the regulation book if you want a real workout.

Stripers also go upstream about the same temp as the white bass. When that’s in mid-swing, crappie will be moving closer to the shoreline brush to lay their eggs, then the bass move in on the gravel to lay their eggs close to the shoreline, also.

Then about when it’s warm enough to swim, June into July, it’s catfish time.

A lot of crappie are being caught now 4 – 5 ft. deep in water as shallow as 7 feet. They don’t seem to mind the cold much. Slow moving minnows are working best.

Roaring River State Park between us and Cassville on the Missouri side opens up the official start of fishing season in these parts March 1. Which is also the day our discounted trips end for whatever day you choose in 2018. Just need to have your date in the books before then to save $40 on our Striper trips or $20 on our lighter tackle trips out of Holiday Island and Lake Leatherwood. 

Well that’s it for this week. Warm days are coming fast. Don’t forget to take her fishing. Hope all have a loving Valentine’s Day.