Greasy B

I think the original Wooly Worm is an Ozark creation. Old timers would fish it with a spinner.

Beautiful boat, the strip canoe wears it's scratches like badges of honor.

Yes, canoes and kayaks would be great. There's a shuttle service that works out Monticello. We ran into the fellow that runs it several times, nice guy.

Thanks for the comments. It is a very interesting area. The river itself is beautiful but the valley is basically suburban, a little like fishing in St Louis County. Another peculiar thing is just how focused the local anglers are on lake fishing. Even in the riverside town of Monticello every other driveway had a Lund boat parked in it. On the river you see River Pro, Blazer and Generation 3 boats, basically Missouri boats. Don't get me wrong the river does get pounded, just not by the crowds you would expect if such a stream were in the Ozarks.

On these trips my brother Dan and I always plan on maximizing our time on the river by leaving just after work Friday, driving all night, sleeping in the truck at the boat ramp so we’re on the water first thing in the morning. Lately we’ve been slipping a bit. I guess we’re not quite as energetic in our old age and stopped to get a room about half way through the 10 hour drive to Monticello Minnesota. By 2:00 Saturday afternoon we had our licenses, a cooler of beverages iced and we were launching the boat at Montissippi County Park just north of town for the first of a seven day Smallmouth trip on the special regulation stretch of the Mississippi between St Cloud and Anoka Minnesota. As was the case on a similar trip a couple of year’s back we brought some catfishing equipment with us to fill the voids that inevitably occur due to fatigue from long days of hurling hardware as well as double hauling dear hair bugs with our 8 weight fly rods. On this first run up the river the wind was howling with such force we started by wedging the boat against the lee shore and tossed night crawlers while we each got our bass rods rigged and our equipment organized. We never did get our bass rods rigged because every time we threw out a crawler we would catch a decent Red Horse sucker, after a dozen or so we had to tuck away the bait rods, rig up the others and just brave the wind. As it turned out the first evening gave us our best Smallie action of the trip with some very good numbers of some very good fish. Averaging about 16” all the Smallmouth had large football shaped bodies and small heads. The fish were holding is some pretty fast water and every cast behind a boulder would get a charging strike. If they missed the buzz baits and spinner baits we were tossing a quick follow up with an unweighted Senko would stick them for sure. What a start. The next 6 days were a mix of fantastic action, sometimes catching more and bigger Smallmouth in a few hours than I typically would in a weekend in the Ozarks and long slow periods that found us holed up under shade trees resting our bones, hiding from the wind and dunking night crawlers. Some highlights in no particular order. Four nights camping on the river. Each day getting on the water just after dawn, fishing till late morning then returning to camp for a huge breakfast of fried Red Horse suckers, catfish as well as the occasional Minnesota crappie (Walleye). A Northern Pike that followed Dan’s spinner bait to the boat, when the bait was at his rod tip he yelled holy crap and immediately slapped the bait back at the water. The Northern grabbed the lure, pulled about 15’ of line off the reel then tail walked like a Tarpon snapping the line. It all happened pretty quickly, but that fish looked to be about 4’ long. After that we caught numerous Northern Pike But all were less than 24”. We had a few calm evenings when we sight fished to big bass by casting Sneaky Pete’s to slight disturbances in current seams. I figured what we were seeing was bass feeding on minnows that were feeding on Mayflies. A well placed Sneaky Pete would disappear in a toilet bowl flush and the 8 weight would bend double as the fish repeatedly dived under the boat. Over the course of the week we fished most of the Mississippi River between St Cloud and Elk River, about 40 miles. Most of the time river is about 300’ wide and boulder filled. At 2500 cfs it was easily the most challenging jet boating I ever did. We both had to be 100% focused on finding passable water through the boulder fields and shoals. At times when the lighting wasn’t good or the wind was blowing it was nearly impossible not kiss the occasional rock. This smallmouth stream is so large even when we fished the same stretch twice we never really worked the same water over, heck we never time explored most of the back channels. A wonderful river and a great trip. I attached a few pictures.

Darn, I wish I had read this simple advise last week. I guess I would have racked up some higher totals this week. Oh well those who listen to only themselves have a fool for a master.

Sorry can't help you with that problem. Far too technical for me. I gave up on trailer hooks and just figure on loosing some fish.

How sad that this comment is so true. While we all anxiously await the results from this study the fate of our beloved Smallmouth fisheries depends on low water levels keeping low life poachers off the rivers.

Pellet fed fish is the only kind our fisheries can produce for mass harvest so that's what I cook. Granted they're not as good tasting as wild fish but they are far better than store bought Tilapia. They best tasting trout are cooked directly on a bed of coals on a gravel bar where they were caught. After just a couple of minutes on each side peel the skin off, squeeze a little lemon and grind some fresh pepper and enjoy. Hunger and atmosphere are the best sauce.

Too late for me. Too many bad experiences. if the bait casters weren't so nice I would abandon the whole brand.

All Hank needs to accurately spoof the fly fishing hucksters is another product to sell besides himself. Maybe "Hanks Bobber Fly" copyrighted, patent pending and guaranteed.

If your wise you don't mess with Gaven's boat. I understand he swings a pretty mean paddle. If that don't take you out you might get a Yakama rack up side the head.

It has been many years for me but I don't think you would find much more than a trickle of water this time of year. You'll probably do an awful lot of dragging. Most years April or May would have the best water. Dog Bluff HWY 17 would be as far upstream as I would go.

I find politics intertaining for the same reason some people find reality TV entertaining. They are both celebrations of disfunction.

Your darn right. My one concession to camo wear is my favorite hat. I got it from the Cooking from Scratch restaurant in Dolittle. I like it better than any of my Filson or Columbia hats and it has brought me plenty of luck. My only complaint is that a can't get it in a bright lime green or some other outrageous color.

I like your style. There are some that advocate blending in with you surroundings by wearing dull earth tones or even camo. Me, I would rather be the polar opposite as camo. If that cost me a fish or two so be it.

I think that's why the fishing in the rivers is so good.

Yeah, it's not much different than when they over sensationalize the snow forecast in the winter time. I don't know what more pathetic the weather guessers or the dumb asses that believe them. Hopefully will see at least a foot of rise by tomorrow.

It looks like the next wave of rain is making it's way up through Arkansas and the first wave is coming around through western Mo. It dosen't look bad now but we are going to see wave after wave. Really won't know till noon tomorrow at the best.

This obvious truth is what drives many of us insane with frustration over the sad state of angling ethics and the backward highest sustained yield regulations in our state.

Yeah, cool video and some fine fish. If I had to guess an Iowa, Ohio or even maybe an Illinios Stream. Couldn't possibly be in the Ozarks.

Looks like 1-2 inches already in some central Ozark watersheds. River gages are just bumping up slightly. I haven't given up on finding somewhere to go. If you were on the water this morning you might find a fishable rise.

Thanks for the report. We need more snake infested streams.

Norfork and Taney both get a huge nutient load from the their hatcheries. That alone can never be replicated on the Beaver tailwater unless a local town can divert it's waste water. Kind of gross to think about but sure enough true.

No Beer! Oh the horror. That's just too much of a chance to take, If the beer stays home so do I. I have some close calls with high water in the past and almost got swept away once long ago. Its not worth it if i can't relax.