WEDNESDAY IS OPENING DAY BY JOHN BERRY

As many of you know, the Catch and Release Section below Bull Shoals Dam on the White River has been closed to all fishing from November 1, 2016 until January 31, 2017 to protect the brown trout spawn. On February 1, 2017 this section will be open to fishing again.

This section normally holds a large population of large fish (particularly rainbows) but during the spawn that population is augmented by a large number of mature browns that have traveled up to twenty miles upriver to spawn there. During this time, the browns have been spawning and they do not eat. Let’s think about this. We have a large population of big trout that have not been fished over in three months and the big browns have not eaten during the spawn.

This sounds like the kind of place that I would like to fish. The problem is that this situation appeals to a lot of anglers. This is the best opportunity to land a big brown or a rainbow, for that matter, and a lot of anglers know it. If you fish there on opening day, you will have company and a lot of it. It doesn’t matter whether there is low or high water. They will come.

I have fished it several times and have caught some nice trout doing so. I remember one year, when the water was low, I arrived at the dam an hour before sunrise in order to claim a prime hole only to discover a half dozen anglers fishing the spot I wanted to fish. I managed to fish around them and land a couple of nice trout. I later learned that it was a group of guides from North Carolina that basically fished from that gravel bar for a week. They arrived at midnight and only left the water to use the bathroom. I think they slept in their waders. The rest of the Catch and Release Section was covered with anglers for several days.

Low water is not the only condition that draws lots of anglers to opening day. High water also brings out the crowds. I call it an anything that floats day. I have seen just about every watercraft known to man fishing at the Catch and Release Section on opening day. I have noticed the usual White River Jon boats, drift boats, kick boats, and canoes. I have seen more than a couple of bass boats and at least one Boston Whaler. The bigger boats, particularly the bass boats can throw up quite a wake.

My wife, Lori, and I fished it, on high water, a few years ago, we arrived at mid-morning. I asked one of my guide buddies how it was going. He said that he had been fishing the Baxter County side and catching some nice browns. I looked and noted that most if not all boats were fishing the Baxter County side of the river. I decided to fish the other side because I figured that those fish had not been messed with as much. My intuition paid off and we boated several nice browns without having to deal with as many other anglers.

If you are going to fish on opening day, there are a few things to consider. One, be patient. Many of the people that are fishing there will be from out of town and they do not know what to do. They may be in your way and just not know any better. Sometimes a gentle suggestion on proper behavior will go a long way on fixing the situation. Do not over react!

Next, be polite yourself. If you are wading give other anglers plenty of room. Don’t crowd them. Do not wade through their water unless your personal safety is in jeopardy and inform them when you are doing so. If you are in a boat, pass other boats, on the opposite side, of the boat, from which they are fishing. Pass slowly so as not to put a wake on them. Remember that the downstream boat has the right of way.

Finally, if another angler has a good fish on, let them play through whether you are wading or in a boat. Pull your line from the water if needed. Remember the next big fish hooked may be yours.

I hope to see you there.