budman

It has been a couple months since I fished the Lower Illinois because of the high water and increased releases. Was thinking about giving it a try with the cooler mornings this week. The last I heard the water was still really muddy. Has anyone fished there lately. Oklahoma fishing doesn't give much other than fishing with power bait just below the dam.

Anyone tied or fished any of these on the White or Norfork. What size jig head and did you add more weight. How do you fish it, on the bottom or strip it on the fall. Is one color better any other. Found several different colors at Walmart and auto part stores, they are car wash mitts or dusters.

We were there in early Feb. and took our kayaks. We could paddle up to Redbud Shoals easily. Caught lots of fish while wade fishing. Fished mainly with small olive sow bugs and scuds, but caught lots on other stuff. There was a guy parked in the middle of the river just up stream and spin fishing with a 100th oz olive jig under an small bobber and caught 2 to our 1 all day. Caught more fish at Redbud Shoal than down stream at Rim Shoals. Took a day to go below Norfork and floated to the White and it was a good day. Caught mostly rainbows but caught a few browns along the way.

What size jig heads were they using. I will be there starting May 8th for a few days. Plan on floating from the parking lot in the park to the White, with our kayaks. Will be carrying my normal stuff but after seeing this will have to make up a few of these worms. Don't think I have a single trout fly in white.

Have been out 7 time so far this year. Got shut out the first 4 trips. We finally got a couple of good rains and they are starting to pop up. Found 17 Monday, 20 on Tuesday and 50 today. They say we are going to get more rain here in NE Oklahoma and I hope it only gets better.

I totally agree with Terrierman. The Simms boots are showing no wear after four years and the toe box give you some wiggle room which will help keep your toes warmer.

I have the Sims Freestone and like them, but when I need to replace them I will buy Basspro White River Osprey. Have bought two pair for family members and they have been using them for two years with no problems. In their latest Ad, they are marked down $50 to $89.97. Might buy a pair just to have a good back-up.

Took a deer tender loin and browned it and added a large onion cut in one inch chunks, then poured in two bottle of Guiness Extra Stout and cooked in oven for two hours at 350 degrees. Then added whole green beans, red potatoes, sliced mushrooms, and half head of cabbage and enough water to just cover and cooked until potatoes are tender. With about 15 minutes until done I uncovered and made sure the meat was on top uncovered. Don't thicken, just dish into a bowl and enjoy. Think I found my new favorite meal.

Glad you had a good day. Some nice looking fish. I plan on being there 30th - 1st. Did any color Zig Jig work better than others. Have only fish there a couple times and only just below the parking lot. Any other places I should try and fly or lure choices I should try. Will bring both fly rod and spinning.

After they sounded the horn we went down stream to about 1/2 mile above Gore Landing. The water was a lot clearer but we caught no fish. So I think the water being released is really brown. Because the it seemed a lot of the dirt settled out by the time the water got down that far.

Went to the river yesterday and found the water brown with very little to no visibility. First time I have been there since early spring. The river has changed a lot. Went to the gravel parking lot and fished the back side of the island and downstream . The only thing I could get anything to bit on was a green san juan worm. Out of the 16 fish caught, half were trout and half were channel cats. They ranged from 6 inches to 15 inches. Was a little surprised when I caught the first one but after a couple you could tell right off if it was going to be a trout or catfish. First time I have caught any catfish there, did ODWC get a mixed lot of fish this last week. Has anyone else been there lately and had the same experience?

We are leaving for the area around Monarch this Sunday. Plan on stay for a week and camp and fish several of the small lakes and stream in the area. Will carry both my fly rod and ultra light spinning rod. Tied my first bunch of dry flies to try and my usual streamers and midges and several different rooster tail for my spinning rod. Do you have any advice for us.

Had to look up the meaning of what a sybarite was to make sure you weren't dissing me, you weren't. We pack lots, cold beer, good bourbon, chairs, cots to sleep on, good eats and way more stuff than I would ever try to carry on a backpacking trip. About 1/3 of the things we bring never get used but we usually pack them on the next trip. As you can see we don't carry as big of a tent or the extra large cots, a rick of fire wood, or eat steaks over a pound a couple nights but it is a good trip with lots of comforts. Maybe not a trip self indulgent to the point of sensuous luxury but it is a good trip. We also only see a few other people and get to fish waters that others don't fish or float. Try it you will enjoy it.

I have done a couple three day kayak trips on the lower Buffalo. I have a Wilderness Ride 115 and it will carry a lot more than you think. We do eat backpack meals, just boil water and add to pack and wait a few minutes. Usually get one called skillet breakfast and some flour tortillas for the morning and a meal for two usually works for dinner. I do have a jet boil stove but you could use any small one burner to boil water. Lunch is always small summer sausage, cheese and crackers and some trail mix. We carry a water filter so we don't have to carry a lot of extra water. You can get the small packs of Gatorade to mix with you water to add flavor and better hydroate. I do use a small tent and a backpack type sleeping bag, but I also have a small cot, Basspro for $40, so I don't have to sleep on the rocks. I store all my stuff either in the front dry compartment or in dry bags in the back hold along with a small tarp in case of rain. I always carry my fly rod and one spinning rod and a small amount to tackle. I can remove the seat from my kayak so I don't bring a chair but the other guys do. I also carry a lunch size ice chest for a six pack, cans, and the cheese for lunch. You can also carry a small flask if you want something stronger. I always pack some small fire starter logs, first aid kit, meds, flashlight and cell phone. These trips are not as fancy a base camp trips with steaks and other big meals but they are a great time. You will be surprised how much you can pack on a kayak and you can pack more than you will need. Attached two picture of what I packed the first year and what it looked like loaded. Packed less the next year. Hope you give it a try.

Planning on camping at Buffalo Point May 9-13 and look like we will float 3 days, Maumee to Buffalo Point, Buffalo Point to Rush and talking about floating Crooked Creek, Pyatt to Snow. We have floated all these sections before but it has been several years. Has anyone floated or fished this area recently and how is the water. Looks a little low for this time of year with lack of rain. Is the water real clear and since it has been warmer this spring, have the fish spawned or is it going on now.

I sometimes carry a spinning rod along with my fly rod. I usually just stuff the handle of the spinning rod down the back of my pants and tilt it to the left, since I cast right handed. Then tuck the fly rod under my left arm when using the spinning rod. When I get to a hole I want to work a while I just sit one rod against something. It works but my look into that rod holder you can hang from you belt.

Instead of putting in at Marvel you can float from Watts to Gore Landing. The guy at the Blue Door Motel shuttled our shuttled us for $25. Nice float and we trout fished upper end and threw big stuff for stripers on the lower end. But haven't been since the high water.

Will be staying in Morgantown. Says it is about 14 miles west of HWY 59 and 5 miles east of the Fort. Are you fishing the same for both the Gulf and the Bay or the totally different?

I am going to be in the Gulf Shores area, Fort Morgan, at the end of April and thinking of taking my 8 weight and looking for a place to use it. I am going to be on a family vacation so I won't have all day to fish but will take a little out to fish a new area. Any idea on where to try and what to throw.

I should have used what flies does anyone recommend because we will only be taking fly rods. We plan on getting some advice from a fly shop there when we get our WY fishing but thought I might get a little early advice.

We are planning a trip to the Wind River Range in middle to late August. The plan is to backpack into some lakes to do some trout fishing. Planning on a five day trip. Looking for any help I can get on trails, lakes and baits.

AustinAngler, did you make your trip and how was the fishing and what did you float.

Just came back from floating the lower end of the Buffalo, Rush to Shipps. Used both fly rod and medium spinning. The water is very clear and this made the fish real spooky to our kayaks or any movement in the water. We fish with big wooly buggers and crawfish patterns and leach looking flies in olive mostly. We tried a little of everything else but those seemed to work the best, but nothing was really killer. As for spinning gear, a small craw with a 1/8 to 1/4 jighead worked good and a 3 inch tube worked good also, again in olive or green pumpkin seed. Craw on the bottom and the tube worked slow near structure. Tried the ned rig and caught a couple, but first time to try it so I know I need some practice using it. On your second day if you float past Rush you will have a long float to Shipps or you will have to fight your way back up stream. Rush is the last stop before the wilderness area. Good luck and enjoy the area and the weather.

I just fish Baron Fork for the first time today. Was at the Salvation Army camp and waded up stream from there and caught several nice smallmouth and some blue gill and one largemouth. Good day with my flyrod. There wasn't any fly that worked better than the other. Used a minnow pattern in the holes just below the shoals, a wooly bugger or pistol pete in the eddies and a brown and tan craw in the really deep holes. Baron Fork reminded me alot of the upper part of Crooked Creek, good wading area and it looks like I could float it in my kayak. DainW can you give hints of this great looking creek.

it is just west of Yellville where the Old Kelly Slab used to be. It has been replaced by a nice new high bridge. Google map it and look for Road 402 just west of yellville and it will lead you to the Fred Berry Center and what is known as kellys slab. You may be able to drive half way back and park just below the center and walk the rest of the way on a dirt road/trail. Once you hit the river you can wade up stream a while and fish your way back down stream. There are several shoals and some deep holes to work. Several year ago I was fishing the area in the back of the property and caught 15 smallmouth and a 14 inch rainbow with my first fly rod. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Yellville,+AR+72687/@36.2447549,-92.7157809,263m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x87ce161cb7b0e7b1:0xf0bc5db704a10ddc This is a link to google map of the area. Hope the map works for you.