jtram

Does anybody know of any access points on jenkins creek, or if there are any holdovers from jenkins creek resort before it shut down? Curious as to whether anybody ever fishes it or has in the past. Just thought it might hold a few 'bows. Thanks

Okay! Well the picture showed a set of poultry houses I am familiar with...old school family farm most likely their own litter because commercial fertilizer is not affordable... and one of the nicest families you could meet. Chicken litter always contains parts of dead birds not a lot and its not supposed to but impossible to get it 100% clean blame the process not the farmer. On the other hand, ollie, I hit capps late this evening and saw a dozen or so eagles in the same field on my way there... only 2 brown ones but pretty cool. Chunked streamers into some deeper runs against cover for a couple hours and didn't draw a strike. Made it my new years resolution to hang a pig at capps this year!!!!!

Those are awesome pics ollie!! I dont think I have ever seen more than a half dozen eagles at one time would have been something to see. Just curious wily... ever ate vegetables or chicken? Trust me D.N.R. keeps a tight grip on distribution of litter and everyone has to make a living.

I was curious as to whether anyone had heard a decent reason as to why Capps Creek has not been turned into a blue ribbon trout stream. I have fished Capps for quite a while and regularly catch 4 to 8 inch par marked rainbows and even a couple baby browns well after stockings. I think the creek could become an even better fishery if regulations were changed to keep the fish from getting raped by the catch and keep fishermen. I have no problem with keeping a limit when it is allowed but it still makes me sick to see limit after limit of fish pulled within hours of the truck leaving. Just my small rant of frustration.

Got to run up to Talbot Friday afternoon and somehow timed it just right as far as weather, left after the rain ended at home and got there as it ended at the c.a. Didn't fish much just drove lot to lot and walked to every pond i could with my 6wt got a few perch including a real nice red ear out of one smaller pond, but like i said, more of a recon trip. I do think if you had the time to spend a day or possibly even a weekend there you could get into some pretty killer fishing but thats what it will take, time. One thing for sure I'll be back when I have more time!

I would say your best bet for wading shoal creek would be above Granby or even above Ritchey. From Granby down the water gets a little bigger and deeper, there are parts you can wade but few and far between. If you want to wade a longer stretch try hitting Elk River, Sugar, or Indian, all clear water (fairly) easy wading and lots and lots of smallmouth, just about as close to Joplin as wadeable portions of Shoal. Just my opinion though.

Thanks Chief, I had never thought of Shawnee Trail, sounds like a pretty decent place not too far. I have heard the same things about Kellogg, which sucks, since its the closest. Whichever I choose, I'll be sure to put a report in.

Has anyone fished at Talbot recently? I never have but am wanting to get into some bass/perch/crappie without having to float since i will likely (hopefully) be alone. I have a four day weekend and am also game to hit Shell-Osage, Lamar Lake, or Kellogg, but haven't fished any of them. I will be in a canoe most likely because loading a 14ft flat bottom blows by yourself, and would like someones opinion on best shot. Probably be tomorrow and/or Monday so crowds aren't much of a factor. Any tips or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Don't forget about the all the floats on above cherry corners. Capps to Smack Out, Smack Out to Ritchey, Ritchey to Wagon Bridge, Wagon down to Cherry Corner. A little rougher, lots of logs usually but in my opinion better fishing and nobody else(not that thats usually an issue on Shoal) Not much for the times too many variables but all good day floats with a couple being shorter

O ya, North Fork??? Of the Spring River?

You make an excellent point about the drive... got a buddy thats begging me to take the fly rods to OK for some white bass and i dont really have a reason to hate it, just do? I guess i have just been stuck on mac county smallmouth, shoal creek, and capps too much to ever give the joplin/sarcoxie/lamar area a shot guess i need to get myself out from under a rock! Thanks Chief

Maybe I am an idiot but you can alway find someone who regularly catches catfish out of shoal creek they say any ways, but I have always enjoyed fruitless days and nights usually with non-fish related "incidents". Can anyone steer me in the right direction????? I really enjoy catfishing but hate OK, and dont wanna drive up by Nevada to get to them any sw mo creek, stream/info would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks

Probably about a mile and a half down stream of the old metal bridge but there is another bridge downstream just go west out of the park and follow the road. Cant miss it you will go over it just after you turn south (cant remember the road name but grab a map at one of the conservation dept. parking lots) but the bend is maybe a quarter mile upstream from the bridge and it forms the deep pool. Plenty of trout there to be caught but they can be a little tricky at times so keep going once you get into them you will have it figured out (at least by my experience which is questionable at best) good luck and I hope this helps

Ya the wind was wicked trying to fish in but once you got around the big bend and the deep pool the wind was blocked pretty well by the bank and trees...I'm definately not done with capps for the summer, but the smallies is what the 6wt was for. should be perfect for Sugar and Indian, Still looking for that 20" smallmouth to get a replica of on my wall!!!!

Finally got out yesterday to try out my new 6wt yesterday afternoon with plans to fish several hours. I started at the lower bridge and worked up, saw a bait fisherman just below the log jam just up from the bridge who hadn't caught anything and started fishing the run just above him. The water was still running pretty high and hard so I started with a heavy hares ear and after a few drifts hooked a "flying fish" (3 in or so chub) and as i was about to pick him up out of the water had a really nice brown come after him several times before seeing me and high tailing it out of there. I continued working up and switched over to a bh san juan worm and immediately miseed a couple fish before finally landing a healthy 16 incher who fought hard and looked as if he had been there a while. Quickly after I landed a nice little stocker on the same fly and then unfortunately had to leave to take care of a couple things much sooner than I wanted to. Only got to fish for 45 minutes or so and fished a little to quickly to be very effective but I did get to catch a couple fish on my overpowered 6wt!! Hopefully the rain wont bring the creek up too much more so the creek is fishable again soon.

You will probably not be any better off going down between the access points, although there are plenty of fish just walk past dead water and concentrate on current. If I were you I would probably start at the low water bridge and wade up working the current hard but not completely ignoring the slower water. You can fish hard and cover the bridge up to the helicopter in a couple of hours. As for flies, buggers, pheasant tails, hare's ears, scuds, zug bugs, basically your standard nymphs size 12ish should work just walk softly and keep a low profile, they may be stockers but they aren't stupid after a couple weeks of being fished for continually. (or maybe i just suck and have to tell myself that), but be stealthy and put 'em back quick, would like to see a few more decent fish next year!!! Good Luck

you could be right troutfiend, but im with buzz the one i caught last week def didnt look like a small one that got in with the stockers, but im definately not an architect so my opinion isnt worth a lot of weight.

i was just below the park sunday as i planned and i guess my good luck ran out i couldn't keep my fly clean, couldn't cast, and certainly couldn't catch fish but what the heck the good days wouldn't be nearly as fun without the bad ones...well as bad as it can get when you have a fly rod in your hand at least i got to fish even if it was for trees, moss, and moss lol glad to hear everyone in your group caught fish ollie!!! sometimes thats tough with more than one or two guys on such a small stream

Got out to Capps yesterday afternoon and fished the lower bridge on up. Ran into a couple other guys fishing just upstream so i skirted them so as not to crowd them out and they said they had only caught one. started fishing the little run just past the big pool where the creek bends and saw a little brown sipping something i couldn't see off the surface. Missed one strike there but that was all i could manage to provoke in about 15 minutes of fishing. Continued up a little ways until i hooked fought and lost at my hands an honest 20" 'bow That one hurt but the fight was still cool on a 6'6" 3wt. Kept working up and finally managed to land 4 or 5 stocker sized fish. on my way out i stopped to fish an undercut bank just up from where i had lost the hog and got a solid 16 incher to succomb to me high sticking a pheasant tail and i called it a day with that. Guess that makes two solid days in a row of fly flinging, guess ill have to sneak away from the wife and try it again this afternoon!

I will have to check that book out been wanting to read it anyways might have to break down and buy it. But if there is natural reproduction in that creek i hope idiots will stay off the beds but thats unlikely

Decided to fish Hickory this morning it had been a couple weeks since I've fished there. Had a fun start by slipping on a rock while trying to get a fly out of a limb and getting my coat sleeves soaked...guess im lucky it was shallow enough to stay out of my waders Things picked up right away though and i caught a nice little 'bow on an olive pheasant tail a few minutes after getting wet which is lucky i was about to say screw it. Kept working up through the park and missed several good hits before i got on a roll and caught 3 on zug bugs within 10 minutes one of which was close to 15 inches and all of which were flyers!!!! Got slow again for about half an hour before I caught one that was maybe 8 or 9 inches with par marks??? (awful small for a stocker) Ended up fishing up just past the bridge by the helicopter where i broke off on a solid fish and decided i would like to gain some feeling in my fingers shortly and headed back down to the truck. All and all a great morning spent a couple hours and caught a few fish with nobody else on the water.

I have always found it tough in the summer but you can definately catch some fish. Just keep in the deeper current and stay away from slow pools. Lots of snakes but the fishing is worth it.

Fished Capps the last two days for a couple of hours and done fair, although thats nothing to brag about considering over half the fish i caught were definately stockers. Friday went out for a mid morning quickie and caught 6 all on an olive wooly bugger swinging it through the current, tryed a couple deep, slower pools with an olive bh scud with nothing to show. Fish were definately all loving the fast, fairly shallow water (1.5-2ft) Saturday went out again and started at the park with a glo-ball hoping for some easy stockers while waiting for my buddy without so much as a bite. Switched to an olive bugger again and hooked up with a decent little brown that fought like browns are supposed to. When my buddy got there for his first fly rod trout fishing trip we worked down the creek aways getting a few hits now and then but only pulling in a few chub. finally got into the rainbows not too far above the lower access bridge with me catching numerous stockers and one probably 16 inches or so that had been around a while. My buddy caught his first fly rod trout in the same stretch of water after missing/losing several. After he caught the first one, though, he figured it out pretty quick catching 4 or 5 more before we had to walk all the way back back to the park bad call should have parked a truck at both ends, oh well had a blast both days

Hit Hickory last two days after work, both days in and around Morse Park. Caught two nice rainbows wednesday one on olive wooly bugger, on on small olive nymph i tie. Also lost one that would have gone an easy 16" and missed several smaller ones. Today I fished between the helicopter and the pedestrian bridge and caught three beautiful fish, all on a size 14 bh olive scud. Had a huge blow up on my indicator that was pretty cool, maybe six inches of water and nothing deeper even remotely close as i was walking between holes dragging my line, pretty cool.