Jimbo
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Don’t worry about them dropping the flows. Even if they shut off the releases, like they do for dam inspections, the water will drop at a slower rate as the waters from the upper sections of the river drain. The further you are from the dam the slower the drop. Even when there are zero releases, because of inspections (or severe downstream flooding), you will see the river flowing downriver, starting around Horseshoe Falls, for a minimum of 24 hours and inspections only last 10-12 hours or so.
GBRA must release water from the dam, on all other occasions, that is at least that of the inflows into the lake or a minimum of 90cfs, unless a drought is declared by certain pre-conditions being met and even then must releases 55cfs. You can watch those inflows on many different sites like: USGS, WORD, or GBRA. Right now those inflows are about 379cfs. If they dropped the flows on Monday, or later in the week, to those inflows, you won’t see any strandings. Stranding are extremely rare actually. I have only seen a few strandings, during dam inspections, and only in the uppermost sections right next to the dam. Elsewhere the water drops so slowly these fish find their ways to deeper water to holdover till the flows once again resume. I have never seen stranding where the releases were dropped to the 55-100cfs so there is really nothing to worry about.
Jimbo
First let me talk about why we stock the river the way we do. First we must consult with TPWD with any plans to stock our Trout. The hatcheries must be approved, the particular species must be approved, the pounds of Trout must be approved, and the locations we going to stock must also be within the plans for the fishery and then a stocking permit is issued for that stocking.
The places on the river we stocked the Browns this time reflect the overall strategy of putting them in the upper section of the river where they have the best chance to holdover to the next season. These areas are also protected by the TPWD regulations and since most of these fish are 13-18″ they will have to be returned to the river when they are caught by law. We also stock areas that are not directly accessible even from the many LAP sites we do have. Some of these places you’ll have to wade a considerable distance to reach but they were placed in areas that have excellent habitat which is also a big consideration when we place the fish in the river where we do.
Now all that being said, these are the locations we stocked: Maricopa, JDL (accessible from Whitewater camping), Kanz (accessible from Rio or when flows drop from Whitewater Camping), Rio, #5, S Turn Rapids (accessible from #5 or Pott’s), and Pott’s. We stocked 2000lbs of Browns averaging about 15″.
I would also ask that to handle these fish with the utmost care. Fish barbless, use a net with rubber mesh, keep them wet while removing the hook, always wet you hands before handling them, never let their skin touch something dry, if you’re going to take a picture keep the time they are out of the water to less than 10 seconds, before you try and lift the fish get the camera turned on and ready for a quick shot, when handling them if they struggle and you can not control them with only light touching put them back in the water till they settle down, there is an art to holding these fish for a picture, lightly hold the fish just ahead of the tail fin, use your other hand to support the fish below their chin, you don’t have to squeeze the fish here, just support it’s weight with an open hand, the less pressure the fish feels the less it will struggle against holding it out of the water, then lift the fish out of the water quickly, take your picture quickly and then gently lower the fish back into the water, make sure they can maintain an upright swimming position before releasing them. I recommend putting them back in the net and see if they are swimming upright. When they are, drop the lip deeper in the water, and let them swim out on their own. If they are disoriented and flip belly up on their own in the water, again hold the fish by the tail and use your other hand to support them under their chin while submerged in the river, point them into any current, you do not need to work them back and forth and that motion can actually harm their gills, they will start to kick in you hands, when they do see if they can maintain an upright position on their own, if they can they are ready to go back and thrill other anglers. By doing all of this you demonstrate your concern of the fishery, exhibiting all the virtues of true sportsmanship and conservation for everyone else to aspire.
Jimbo
Photos and videos are certainly allowed. You can post these on our Lease forum and you can name locations. Just don’t name locations on open forums or networks. We don’t want the general public to have this information. They will figure it out soon enough by fishing the river.
Jimbo
There is no requirement about staying the entire time. You can come and go as you need. See everybody tomorrow.
Jimbo
I was hoping they would begin holding water for the recreational pool by now (910′) and cutting releases to inflows. GBRA even talked about holding water when they came to speak before WORD. So I guess I really don’t know what’s in their minds. I do know they have to lower releases to match inflows when the lake hits conservation pool of 909′.
Jimbo
wesohyper
Yes we will be stocking at the current releases which are about 760cfs now.
Jimbo
I don’t think any of the temp logging stations are on-line. I’ve recorded temps closer to 60 most places I’ve fished so far. I’ll talk to the board and see if we can get them reporting to our website. Right now temps are not anywhere near critical. But later in the spring and summer you will want to know water temps as things start to warm up.
Jimbo
Fabulous !
Jimbo
Flows dropped again to 360cfs and the river is really opening up to wading. That being said the easiest places to wade are: Pott’s, Little Ponderosa, Rocky Beach once you’ve crossed, Lower Rio and Bezdek’s.
Jimbo
Did you call Rio Raft to see if they have been turned in to the office?
830-964-3613
Jimbo
There are 2 more stockings coming. Stand by for the coming announcements.
Jimbo
The second stocking went very well. Thank you to all those that volunteered to get these fish into the river. The fish were smaller than expected with this load averaging about 13″. But since they were smaller the numbers we stocked in the river were much higher, 4160 this time. Here are the locations that we stocked: Maricopa, Rio, #5, S Turn (not a lease site, it can be accessed going down river from #5), Pott’s. Little Ponderosa, L&L Office, Devil’s Playground, Rocky Beach, CVC, River Bank, River Bluff, Bezdek’s.
Jimbo
Dana
We’ll probably be somewhere south of Pott’s. So start there and drive dron River Rd till you see the Hatchery Truck.
Jimbo
I encourage that once there everyone double up so as to limit the traffic jam and parking along the way that is our stocking efforts. Plus you’ll get to talk to new anglers and discuss fishing the river. You’d be surprised what you can learn from another’s experiences.
Jimbo
