River gauge readings - what's ideal?
I'm curious what ya'll like to see in terms of flow for best fishing conditions on our local rivers.
I know on the Buffalo I read the gauge in Lobelville and love to fish it in the low-two hundreds (CFS). It hasn't been below 350 yet this spring and the rain yesterday blew it out again likely for a few weeks. The Buffalo seems to dissipate slower than a lot of other rivers?....
As for the Duck I have no idea?! I often read the gauge in Milltown but can't quite pinpoint what is the norm. The Duck seems very volatile when we see even a little rain.
I know the Caney is a completely different ballgame being a tailwater and the discharge dictates almost everything. Still, Smith Fork Creek can sure muddy the mid section quickly after a rain. I've been chasing big brown trout and clearly haven't figured it out. Low water is easy to fish but I'm pretty sure they hide and laugh as they watch me drift by without seeing them! High water is headache when it comes to trying free a snag while seemingly there's no (visible) cover to throw at. Is it just an issue of covering water when they're generating? Fishing at night in low water is difficult enough. No way in hell I'm fishing high water at night! What gives?!
I love fishing the Cumberland for bass in Nashville when they're not pulling too much water. Is there an "ideal" discharge for fishing right below the dam for schooling stripers? Catfish?
Fishing rivers is my favorite but it's a lot of work. I should probably just take up crappie fishing on reservoirs and work on my beer gut!
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