The rising water is indeed the storyline of the week, thus far, and now a related condition is coming into play. Rising water directly affects water clarity.
We are on the Mississippi River, and it has a reputation for much of its 2,230 miles. The upper river is different. it flows much clearer due to the geology and filtration effects of myriad backwaters laced with aquatic vegetation. There is a catch that is best explained by Casey Ashley, who caught 16 pounds, 7 ounces, to take sixth place on Thursday.
“When you get local rain in an area like where we are fishing, the water muddies up. When the runoff comes from up north, in Minnesota, it gets filtered and runs clear by the time it reaches here. There is so much current ripping through here that I could also clear back up again, sooner.”
This morning Wesley Strader added another dynamic to the water clarity factor now in play.
“As the water rises in some areas it brings in muddy water, and in some areas the clear water gets trapped inside backwaters,” he said. “It’s something to see it here, because it really makes a difference when you are needing to find clearer water.”