A buddy called me yesterday before noon, to say the fish were biting in the local reservoir, which has risen to 27.5’ above normal in the past 7-8 days and continues to rise.
I headed out there during my lunch hour. With the drive/walking involved, I had about 20 minutes to fish. I used a 12’ 5wt switch rod.
Fish were splashing on the surface while chasing the abundant schools of young-of-the-year fish, and also making the Cicadas that would land on the water disappear.
I started out using the shad-imitating streamer I’d caught the catfish on the previous week, but didn’t get any strikes (and it was pretty beat up). I switched to a chartreuse-over-white Clouser Deep Minnow, and also didn’t get any strikes. I then tried a variant of the F-C Pearl Shiner (this one tied on a 90-degree jig hook with lead barbell eyes). I let it sink, and started getting strikes. I missed a number of strikes, but landed 3 small Wipers (@10" each), and a 16" White Bass.
Wish I could have stayed longer!
Ha! I was hoping that wouldn’t get noticed… THANKS Uncle Jesse!!
Its an Iowa Cubs (farm club) shirt…and I was wearing it under a much nicer shirt. But I didn’t want to get the nicer shirt dirty/sweaty while fishing, so I left it in the car during lunch.
Your reservoirs are managed differently from ours. Most of ours don’t have 27.5 feet of surplus capacity over the normal pool levels.
Great fish for you.
Normal pool water elevation at this reservoir is is 836’…the all-time record water elevation is 892’…2’ above the emergency spillway!
56’ of water above “normal”…is a LOT OF WATER. I’m sure there are plenty of reservoirs across the U.S. that can hold back even more than that. The reservoir designs are probably more a feature of the river valley’s geography/topography than anything else. As far as how they are managed…This reservoir isn’t currently used for power generation, its strictly floodwater management. If anywhere in the Mississippi or Missouri River watersheds get a lot of rain, they will hold back water in the Des Moines river system to alleviate flooding downstream.
