Ham

I don't throw the real expensive stuff in the creeks. I will throw Lucky Craft 78's though. I think their Nishiki, Ghost Minnow, and Chartreuse Shad. I also like some of the Bass Pro jerkbaits. On Creeks, I fish jerkbaits on a Browning Medallion 6 ft short grip baitxaster with 12 pound mono. It's a compromise all around rod meant to fish crankbaits, jerkbaits, Topwater, and buzzbaits. On lakes, I'm using Berkley 100% Fluro in 10 lb on a St Croix Avid 6'8" Medium XF baitxaster. It's the combo I'm most comfortable with at this point, but it wouldn't hurt my feelings to find a better setup. I use McStiks, LC Pointers, and Megabass 110's. I'll also throw 110 + 1's ,McRips, or LC 78 DD's if I feel like I need to be deeper. Soon I hope.

I'm sorry for your loss. He sounds like a fine man and that you had a wonderful relationship with him. It is the natural order of things, but I hate that we soon to have lost all of our greatest generation.

I've NEVEr been up that high on the river. I've only been on the Current from the confluence with JF to Van Buren. There's plenty of flow down there, but no knowledge of upper river at all.

I wouldn't go without 3/8 and 1/2 oz spinnerbaits. Chatter baits too. Most of the rattletrap stuff may be over. I'd have flukes and lizards for sure. Topwaters like spooks and pop r's. Senkos Don't overlook jerkbaits. Spro style frogs on braid. Skirted jigs. I'll be at Toledo Bend starting two weeks from Saturday with Cajunangler. Maybe you'll be able to give us some intell. Good Luck, Ham

With the flow the Current has, I'd target 12 plus miles a day, but we get started earlier and fish later than most. Besides, I'm fishing for smallies in the fall. DRAG your feet you can easily make up 4 miles an hour if need be.

That sounds like a plan.

Should be great fishing.

I really think you need a light or a non buggy whip UL. You need to be able to throw the jigs and fight the fish in a way that is enjoyable. I use a Crossfire 6'8" UL that Richard Cross sells thru his White River Zig Jig website. It has as much rod above the handle as some 7' rods I own. I also use the Dorber Ozark Mountain Traditions 7 foot UL rod (OMT84). You can buy them direct them thru Dorber in Flippin. Both of these rods will throw the Zig Jigs well , detect strikes, set the hook well , and wear the fish down while protecting the light line 4 and 6 lb needed to fish the jigs properly. I'm sure there are lots of rods that will work, but I know these two do.

Minimum flow shouldn't scare a jig fisherman. You have to fish differently, but you can still light them up.

Making it look easy Phil.

Great trip! Happy for you and proud of your results. I hope no one calls you a liar. I mean really, HOW could anyone catch 100 fish in a day?

Hiring a guide would be a great way to put yourself further along the learning curve. I would strongly suggest that you discuss what you want for the day before hand with the guide BEFORE you hire them. If you want to learn about live and natural baits, there are guides that are very good at that. If you want to learn about high water fly fishing, there are guides good at that. I know there are guides that specialize in jigs and hard baits. A trip with a guide would be great, but then time on the water by on your own will be key.

Jets struggle with grass and leaves in fall are miserable as well. The jet struggles to pull a boat off the trailer and you MUST be under power to have steerage. you have to hit the trailer running to be able to steer which was hard for me to get used to. BUT you CAN run a jet where prop motors simply CAN NOT go. The jet does better with lower flows and the props shine when they are running plenty of water. I've never been on The Little Red so I can't speak to that. I can tell you that I can run on plane in 6 inches or so of water. I'm a lot more comfortable doing that over gravel that large rocks. 10 or 20 HP is plenty for a prop and. 40/25 would be awesome in a jet. I'm running a little 20/14 HP on my 42 inch hull.

Do you have the Metalogic spider seats? Don't leave those in the boat. They will fly out eventually. Move them inside the vehicle or strap them down. I use a bungee strap stretched from grab rail to grab rail with both chairs side by side under it. No issues so far.

nasty nasty nasty weather, but so far we still have power in Mtn Home and the roads are passable. I'm so Thankful that we didn't lose power.

Lol

I only saw about 30 colors I would want. I'd need them in 5-7-9 and I'd need at least two until I caught a fish on them and then I'd want 4 or so of each so conservatively I'd end up with 200 plus Flicker Shads in short order.

I have a have a 42 inch boat. IF I ever wear it out, my next boat will be a 48 inch boat. So, good on you for having the 48 inch boat. On my drag chain setup, I have a bicycle inner tube with a loop to loop connection to the rope. A section of pool noodle is over the inner tube. I have a spring clip on the innertube to attach to the bow eye. Make sure that your inner tube, rope, and chain all together ARE NOT long enough to reach the prop. I attach the drag chain to the bow eye when I pull away from the launch and leave it deployed the entire trip UNLESS I'm on the Norfork of course. Chains will hang, but the inner tube has some give so you aren't snatched off your feet. I've never lost a chain. I use the drag chain only to keep the boat parallel to the current NOT to slow the boat down. I carry a heavier anchor to throw up on dry ground if I beach the boat and want to go for a walk about to keep my boat from wandering off while I'm gone. I never anchor in current. You'll be safest IF you go out a few times with moderate generation so that grinding your prop isn't a sure thing. I've always run a jet, but I would want my prop motor free to kick up rather than LOCKED in a down position. You need to spend time at the tiller and get a feel for it AND it is vital that you have a motor that starts every time you need it and the quicker you can do so the better. Always watch down current for upcoming troubles BUT be able to fire that motor up quickly when needed. I have a buddy that swears you should NEVER use it in reverse gear while on a river like the White. He insists that only bad things happen in reverse. At a minimum, back up sparingly and only when you know everything that is behind you. I added some rubber with a grid pattern to the decks to make some non slip areas. I added the 3M sandpaper grippy tape to the trailer so that I can walk on it w/o falling to launch the boat in low water. Carry a sponge in the live well to get up water and dirt from inside the boat during the trip. Carry a laundry detergent jug with a generous cut out in the top to act as a hand held port - a - potty. Leave the handle attached. Dump and rinse after discrete use. Figure out how far you need to back your boat in before your boat motor can pull it off the trailer. Make a mental note of this. Figure out how far you need to back the trailer in to optimally put the boat on the trailer. Make a mental note of this. Angle your trailer down current went you back the trailer in ESPECIALLY when putting the boat back on the trailer. Get the nose of the boat just past the down current corner and turn in sharply to load the boat. Putting a boat on the trailer with a jet is harder than with a prop. Trust me on this.

Oh My! I need to stay way away from getting started on Flicker Shads.

It looks like you had one Black Crappie in the bunch. There is a color varient of Black Crappie that have a solid black strike down the front of them from near the dorsal fin down thru their mouth. I call them Alabama crappie. Alabama bred that color variation up and stocked them and went back later and sampled using them as an indicator of stocking siccess. Or so I read. That might be what Dutch is asking about.

Current River

I wish I liked the way trout taste. I keep hearing there are ways to prepare them that make all the difference in the world.