Bono lake project

Here are a couple of before pics. of the so far unfinished Bono lake.Attachment 62586Attachment 62587

pete, i've been trying to get in there to take pictures. will they let you in now?

I went in last year, maybe longer than that, and walked the lake over. I took my GPS and walked the creek channels, drop-off and anything else I could find.
didnt ask, didnt tell............
Tom

How many acres will it be? AGFC?

They just started back a few days ago working on the dam. Thats been the hold up. People down stream were asking for some additional studies on the dam construction. Will be roughly 100 surface acres, 300 total park acres. We passed a county tax to cover a large part of the cost.

Not sure oldduckhunter if you can get in there now or not. Since they started back to work prolly not.

FYI the second pic. is from the base of the dam.

It looks like it's gonna be an "add-your-own-structure-at-night" lake.:o

Petercreek,
When I was out there they had very large brush piles mounded up and I marked those as I didnt know if they would remove them or not. Were they out there when you took those pics?

Tom

Maybe two hours or so with side imaging and a hand can have every brushpile marked on his GPS.

Tommyboyrn

I could see 4 or 5 big piles of trees and stumps in two of the coves. At the time of the photos nothing where they are building the dam. But I did notice a nice series of ditches leading to the flat.

Yeah, when they were clearing all of it they had it piled up, so I walked around them in a circle marking spots as well as the steep drop-off towards the eastern side of would-be lake. Didn't know if they would have removed those. At one time you could call you had to do was call the couinty judges office or bono mayors office and ask to ride around/walk around but don't know since they are working again if that's possible

They sure did fork up a nice place to make another lake they'll let end up like the rest! I like fishing and all but this is a cluster ..... if you ask me.

Hope it's clearer than Frierson. The dirt sure looks the same. Maybe it will be at least as clear as Craighead Forest Lake.

All,

So far this is a county owned lake and a county situation. Once the lake is completed and it is shown to hold water, then it might be turned over to the AGFC. Once the dam is completed, we are going to be allowed to place habitat where we would like and have then make structure in the lake.

Will it be like Craighead Forest Park?

Where is the lake (or lakebed )from Bono? I was looking on Google earth, and everything looks like farmland.

I think it's northeast of Bono.

I thought we were gonna be able to fish this place a year and a half ago? Whats the friggin hold up? The crappie could've been a pound by now.

Consider this a drawdown to improve fishing................on the credit. Stake beds anyone?

Just think. 100 acre lake near Jonesboro. BillyE and Tommy in Jonesboro and on the other side Dblevens. One good weekend, all the crappie will be gone. Nothing left but nasty ole bass.:D

I have access to an enormous amount of cane. Like you said RCC, one good day and we could have some nice structures placed. If we could get in there just before the water goes in, we could use ATV's to move and transport and handheld GPS to mark........we will see.
Tom

You all keep talking like that and I'll have to come up and see my buddy in Bono.

i live a just a couple miles from where it is it will get some condos in it

I am gonna make some calls next week to see if we can add some structure before water goes in. If so maybe we can meet one day when convienient for everyone and build a bunch os boo piles/ condos and make some nice additions to the lake
What do yall think?

Mojorig,
What would the AGFC say bout this?

tb, won't you need to know pretty close to what the normal lake level will be as to where to place them? but too, i don't know what the deepest part of the lake will be. if it's only 20 ft it won't matter.

Yeah, hopefully will get some good info when I call those places. They have a boat ramp in, could yopu gauge level from that?

probably if you are on the level.

I'm in if it can be done. In the water or not is all good. The ones out of the water will make good rabbit tromping up places AKA rabbit condos.

I would be in to help build some condos if yall didn't care. Im in Jonesboro

I think the more the merry'r. We could write the waypoints down when we place them to make it easier. The more help the easier for everyone.
Im gonna make those calls next week and see what kind of progress we can make.
I will get back with yall as soon as I know something.
Tom

I admire what you guys are trying to do right off the bat, but you need to think about bait fish and how to keep them fertile first. I would transplat some lillys and/or good aquatic grass around the edges of key locations first. Bono Lake is basically gonna be a lake Frierson/Walcott. Its a retension lake. That means it will help control water runoff to cache river basin etc,..Its gonna catch and be silted with Crowley's Ridge runoff which we know mostly is Red Clay and Silt. Not fertile setiments like river oxbow water etc..Thats where these lakes have went wrong in the past in my opinon! You have to have a lake that can keep and hold bait fish. If that means lillys and grass then plant it. I know its hard to fish, but you know the fish are getting bait when you arent there and in return growing and reproducing better........ Do the bait fish right and the fishing will be there for you guys years to come..

Don't forget to stock in some jumpin' carp and a few snakeheads. Anybody got a tournament schedule worked out for it yet. Sounds like it could be a nice place for some jet ski action if we can get them to allow it

lets get it done

gomer has promised to furnish the food for the work day.

From the info we have gathered from the county, there is still plenty of dirt work left. So there will still be heavy equipment throughout the lake. First, they got to see if the lake is going to hold water!! We really don’t see the problem of placing structure in the lake once it is completed and beginning to fill. This will likely be a long process. However, the county will have to give permission first.

Man we have missed a heck of a wet season to catch water. Watch, as soon as they get everything complete, Mother Nature will throw a dry spell on us.

Ok everyone,
I called the county judges office and he returned my call:)
I informed him of our 'group" of individiuals and that we crappie fisherman like to place structure/wood/boo/cane etc. for us to fish and attract fish and he said he understood. I also asked him if we could do this BEFORE the water is put in and that I didnt know who to contact or get permission from.
and this is what he said........" they are beginning a lot of work out there on the dam and such, and let me get with the AGFC to get their input on this. Give me a couple to 3 months to work on this and then get back to me."
So I said thank you for looking into this on our behalf, hung up and then called the AGFC. Spoke to MOJORIG who is fisheries biologist up here. He said he doesnt see a problem with it. He did say that there are trees out there and the county will contact them to get the AGFC input as to whrer to place them. He said that when he gets the call to be able to manipulate structure and trees etc, he would post something on CRAPPIE.COM to inform us that the placement of such "stuff" is permissable and we can then organize a joined effort like they have at conway and nimrod.
So as of now its a waiting game. I will call again in a few months unless we see or hear anything from MOJORIG or the AGFC

Tom

Tom, get off the danged phone and go fishing. You're supposed to be trying out those jigs. We ain't never gonna get to fish this lake anyhow.

I saw an article from the Democrat on the internet that said they were way over budget.