08-26-2008, 06:51 PM
[cool][#0000ff]The lower the water level, the more muddy shoreline is exposed. When the winds blow...like during the summer "monsoon season", wave action stirs up the mud into the water and it takes several days of calm weather to get it to settle out enough for best fishing clarity.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yes, the water was muddy for long periods during the late summer last year. And, even though there were occasional boils last year, there was nothing comparable to what we see during high water years when the wipers herd the baby shad up into the rocks...in cleaner water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The fishing is different, during the low water conditions, but there is fishing to be enjoyed by those who find a way around the muddy water. And, the wipers are not starving. The fish I have caught have all been healthy...even though I have not caught any with identifiable food in their stomachs. Two years ago, during the last high water year, we were catching grundles of boiling wipers and they all had multiple shadlets in their guts. Last year was like this year. The fish are sustaining life but not really putting on a lot of weight. Too tough to make a good living in muddy water. Sight feeding fish like wipers need to be able to herd their prey and to wolf pack it. Grubbing on the bottom, like catfish, is not the norm for wipers but they will do it to stay alive. That's why so many bank tanglers are catching so many wipers on worms right now.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Yes, the water was muddy for long periods during the late summer last year. And, even though there were occasional boils last year, there was nothing comparable to what we see during high water years when the wipers herd the baby shad up into the rocks...in cleaner water.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The fishing is different, during the low water conditions, but there is fishing to be enjoyed by those who find a way around the muddy water. And, the wipers are not starving. The fish I have caught have all been healthy...even though I have not caught any with identifiable food in their stomachs. Two years ago, during the last high water year, we were catching grundles of boiling wipers and they all had multiple shadlets in their guts. Last year was like this year. The fish are sustaining life but not really putting on a lot of weight. Too tough to make a good living in muddy water. Sight feeding fish like wipers need to be able to herd their prey and to wolf pack it. Grubbing on the bottom, like catfish, is not the norm for wipers but they will do it to stay alive. That's why so many bank tanglers are catching so many wipers on worms right now.[/#0000ff]
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