Flowage is low - We need Rain
We're getting close to May now, and the level is about 3 feet below full pool. It's not coming up that fast either. We need rain bad!
You might be interested in this link of drought conditions over the whole country:
http://drought.unl.edu/DM/MONITOR.html
If you want a blowup of the WI area, click on WI.
Other than the West, we are indeed in a uniquely dry area.
Look on the bright side...
...at least it's better than it was last fall.
If we don't get some rain before opener, the silver lining is that all the people who only visit once or twice a year in spring or early summer will have a chance to see a lot of obstacles they were never aware of. I think it will surprise a lot of people when they see what they've been driving over and through in previous years, and that should inspire more caution on future outings. 3 feet down is actually my favorite water level - with so many of the stumps and rock piles visible, there are a lot more reference points to navigate by, and IF you know your way around, you can still get to just about anywhere you want to go without any real worries. At 5 feet down, things become much more difficult regardless of how well you know the Flowage - there are a lot of places where there just isn't enough water.
But I'm still hoping for rain.
A few more opening weekend pictures...
I also posted a few opening weekend photos - follow the link below and look in the TFF 2010 Opener album.
Not much fishing action to report.
I actually didn't fish much. The weather wasn't great, so I laid back and occupied myself with a few good books and public radio. When you can go any time, it's not worth beating yourself up if it's not likely to be productive. Just getting away from TV and the Internet for a couple days was a nice break. l spent most of my time on the water trying to get a feel for how the smallmouth were coming along so I could plan when to schedule the rest of my May outings. I caught a few fish both days, but most of the fish hadn't moved shallow yet and with the wind I really couldn't fish the finesse tactics it would have taken to put more in the boat. But I found out what I needed to know. I spent a lot of time trying out the new downimaging upgrade on my Humminbird and my new Lakemaster card. The smallies should start turning on with the warm weather that's coming in the next few days, and I guarantee the next batch will include some fish pictures.
You didn't like the old hat, and I thought this might help people who had trouble recognizing me on the water :rolleyes:... But I think it might also qualify as a visual distress signal!