bfishn

Got to the launch early, foggier than heck when I got there.  Didn't have much choice but to idle over to a nearby point and start fishing, started out swimming a Keitech with the idea of catching smallmouth, but wasn't out to long before I started seeing a blow up to out in the deep water.  There wasn't a lot of top water striper activity, but it got to be enough that I couldn't take it any longer and had to give them a shot.
Had one blow up about 100 yards away, stood on the TM, got within casting distance, tossed the walking bait at the spot where the blow up occurred, gave it a twitch and man I tell you a stinking HUGE striper blew up on it, but missed, started walking the dog and it was like a pack of hungry piranhas were after that thing, had three quick explosions and misses and BOOM finally got one to grab it.  Went through the usual  tug of war and boated one that was in the 13-15. lb range.  Wrecked the front treble on my lure, so tied on another one, and when I tied it on I noticed my hands were shaking.  Many years of fishing but I guess I can still get excited at times.
Anyway, caught another one that was in the low teen range and a couple of 3 pounders to boot, all on the top water.  Also caught an 18" smallie that was near to the bank.  That dude grabbed about 4 feet of air a couple of times which was pretty neat to see.
For burned off, stripers went to parts unknown so I did some bass fishing, caught 10 bass, mostly smallies with a couple of spotted bass.  3 of the smallies were keeper sized.  Had the best bite on the c-rig with a UV Speed craw as bait.  Had quite a few bites, but they were just not eating it right - I think they have spawned, and are guarding nests or fry and are just messing with the baits.
Surface WT 66, water has a bit of a stain to it.

 

 

 
 

So CajunAngler and I headed North for our annual Spring Fishing Trip. This was a terrible year to decide to try a lake further north, but that’s how it goes.
I was pushing to go back to Oklahoma, but he bamboozled me with talknof catching a Musky. Pomme here we come. 
Sunday AM I’m driving thru snowy sub freezing temps with heavy clouds and a pretty stiff wind from NW. Things didn’t look so Great, but we’re hard headed and reasoned that the weather would steadily improve as the week wore on.
We stowed our gear inthe rental place and launched at an unimproved ramp in Decker Creek. Water temp was 51 or so. Water had a Lot of stain, but wasn’t muddy. Wind was brutal, but we bundled up. 
First freaking cast of the trip, Johnny catches a 4 plus LMB on an A rig. As it turns out, That was the only A rig fish on the week, but still. Fish was holding in 15 FOW on downside of wind blown point. 
We move inside the pocket a little bit and first freaking cast with a Wart he catches a 6 lb 9 oz Largemouth. I’m freaking out over the fast start and the quality of the fish he caught. Before too long, I got a > 3 lb Largie on a crank. 
Warts, RK’s, and the like would occasionally catch a fish the rest of the day. It was a grind, but quality of the fish was Excellent and we were Happy to be getting bit at all. We almost didn’t fish and assumed we might zero. We planned.on quitting a little early, but stayed to almost dark. 
Monday was colder and almost as windy, but no snow and no clouds. It felt a little warmer, but water temp was slow to respond. Fish were slow. Crankbait fish were not biting. Johnny got a Goo on a jerkbait to get us started. I got a non keeper on a Ned.
We headed into Quarry area to get out of wind. Johnny got a couple little guys on Ned. I was trying a GYCB 4 inch Twin Tail Hula Grub in 236. Throwing tight to rock wall and hopping it down the ledges. No much happening, but I stuck with it. So, I lifted it up after a cast and it felt heavy. A sharp lift up for the hookset and there was no response just got heavier and heavier. Johnny asked what was up and I honestly did not know. Finally, I got some slow kicks deeer and deeper under the boat so I knew I had something heavy. Eventually, I worked it up to the surface and we got a big flash of color as it drove down again and Johnny asked if that was a Musky. I realized it was a Musky. Holy Crap! I’ve got a Musky hooked up. 
Johnny got a big net out and helped me get the beast in the net. It had been caught before and didn’t look pristine. The fight was fairly subdued for a fish just under 38 inches which was good since I had 8 lbs line. Woot Woot! My day was made andda new fish added to Lifetime list. 
Monday afternoon we continued to search around and caught a few more fish primarily on Ned rigs. No more crankbait fish. Saw water temps approaching 56, but most places cooler. 
Tuesday Morning was warmer with fun temps forecast for afternoon. We packed shorts in the boat. We launched in Pittsburgh Public Use area. That ramp is fairly far up Lindley Creek. That ramp is long and steep with a poorly designed and executed turn around area. All parking on top of hill so there is a long walk back to boat. 
Another windy day, but out of south. It warmed nicely. The fish did not care. It was still a grind. 
Ran around lots of places, but finally Johnny said let’s go back to dirty water up river. We found warmer water and a few fish in some wood cover. I got a 4 lb ad a 3 lb LMB pitching Baby Brush Hogs, Johnny got a few chunky bass as well. We got to wear shorts. Life was Good. 
Wednesday the forecast was for even heavier winds from NW again with falling temps. We opted for lauching at Boliver and going as far up Pomme De Terre river as we dared.
we got a couple of nice fish in shallow dirty water off river channel. We kept heading up looking for a wind break and exploring the river. We went far enough that the water got clear and the river bottom got rocky. Johnny said no more when electronics said 2 FZoW under keel. We expected smallies, but caught everything else except smallies. Using a variety of baits we caught LMB, Drum, White Bass (Small), crappie, and a little walleye. It’s beautiful up there and we caught fish, but quality was gone. We talked it over during the day and decided to head in a little early and load up. We fished BSL Thursday and caught almost 30 bass with a lot of keepers including some smallies. 
All in all a good trip. Fishing was slow because of water temp, but quality was excellent. I know they must have good numbers of fish, but you would know it by the numbers we caught.
I was surprised at how small all the White Bass were. What’s the deal with that. 
I was stunned by the amount of used fishing line we caught with our lures. At least 11 times we got tangled in lost or discarded fishing line. 
Id love to go back to Pomme De Terre in early Summer or Fall.

Recently, as part of the National Association for Interpretation conference in Springfield, MO, I was able to tour the Neosho National Fish Hatchery, the oldest hatchery in operation in the United States.
Since 1888, the Neosho National Fish Hatchery has been using local spring water to raise many different species of fish including bass, bluegill, catfish and rainbow trout  — and even freshwater mussels like the endangered fatmucket mussel. Rainbow trout continue to be its most plentiful fish species, with about 250,000 stocked into our own Lake Taneycomo each year. The cool, spring water is perfect for raising trout. But perhaps the most interesting species of fish currently being raised at Neosho are two native, endangered species; the Topeka shiner and the pallid sturgeon. Restoration efforts are underway for both species.
Topeka shiners are a small minnow found in cold, clear streams. Their populations have declined due to habitat loss and pollution, and they have been on the endangered species list since 1998. The Neosho National Fish Hatchery now uses the raceways once designated for brown trout to raise Topeka shiners, which have successfully reproduced in the hatchery. In December, 2,200 young shiners were released into two prairie streams in Missouri.
Pallid sturgeon are an ancient, big river fish that thrive on bottom-feeding. Adults are collected each year and used at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery for spawning. Newly hatched pallid sturgeon are then kept at the hatchery for two years before being released into lower sections of the Missouri River, where they are native. Pallid sturgeon numbers have been declining mostly due to the manipulation of waterways through channelization and dams. More than 15,000 pallid sturgeon are raised each year at Neosho.
If you’re ever in Neosho — just an-hour-and-47-minute drive from Branson, you should stop at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery and learn more at the recently built visitor center. During our tour I was reminded of how fortunate we are to have such an incredible resource at our fingertips and of how fragile these species can be. Fishing is truly a privilege. With the continued help of our state and federal governments, Missourians will be able to enjoy seeing and fishing for a wide variety of species for years to come.

By Marideth Sisco
originally published in the West Plains Daily Quill, August 1989
There is a village In the river hollows east of West Plains that once was the center of civillzation on a wild American frontier. Now, most of the world has passed by the tiny hamlet of Thomasvllle. The casual passerby would quickly note that only the oldtlmers and memories remain. Or so it appears.
But in truth, life and memories continue side by side comfortably today in Thomasville -- the life enjoyed richly and the memories running deep for those whose names, and faces, are the same as first settled here in the long fertile valley of the Eleven Point River.
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