Goggle-Eyed

I wouldn'nt waste my time fishing anywhere from about six miles above Lead Mine down to Lake Niangua. This part of the river is terrible and there really aren't any fish there. I would only fish from Bennett down to Oldham's take out. Anything further down is a true waste of time! Most everything was in "deeper" water and heavily dependant on having current near by. I only threw t-rigged plastic's or crankbaits. I did peg the sinker and did okay like that as well. While we were fishing around Berry Bluff there were 3 boat loads of guys floating through. I asked where they put in and they said "shoestring" (not sure where that is?) and they asked me how much further to Mill Creek. I told them I hadn't been on this stretch of river since the late 90's but I was pretty sure that it was above Berry Bluff (which is where I was talking to the guys at). The ring leader of the group got a little perturbed that I was pretty positive they had floated past their take out and assured the other two boat loads that HE knew where the h@ll they were at. They then paddled on down stream. We continued discussing where we thought we were and where we thought Mill Creek was and kept looking for a take out or for where Mill Creek came in... We finally decided to call it a day and head back to the launch ramp around 5pm and noticed the three boats sitting at "camp cherry mountain's" take out (which happens to be the last riffle before Lake Niangua. Two guys were sitting there in lawn chairs and the others int he group had climbed to the top of the hill to call and have someone bring them their truck. The obnoxious guy wasn't there (he was walking), while I felt sorry for them I couldn't help but think how little preperation they must have done for a trip like that. Joe

Actually I don't run the jet more than about a mile above Blue Springs so you probably won't see me on the Niangua. It is just to crowded and "thin" for me to run much above there. I have been up to Mountain Creek during the week in the spring but it was before the canoe hatch. If you see me from Moonvalley down to Mountain Creek it will be in a 17' paddle jon. good fishing! Joe

Personally I think Jet Boats are perfect for the river.

The fishing was okay today. I ran up to about a mile below lead mine and then started fishing. We caught several smallies and a few goggle-eyes. The fishing shut off about 2:30pm and picked back up around 4:30. We caught most everything on soft plastics and a few on crank baits. biggest fish was 12-13". I was a little dissapointed in the day. Joe

I am headed to Lake Niangua around lunch today. Gonna put the Jet in and run up to Bird Island or LeadMine and fish my way back down. Report will be posted tonight or tomorrow. Hopefully the Smallies will be tearing it up!!! Joe

Just curious what the floating was like. I have a 17' lowe paddle jon and I am thinking of doing the float this weekend. My boat floats about like a canoe so just curious if they have kept the "blockages" cleared or if you had to portage around any obtructions. This is one of my favorite floats but I haven't done it in two years and have never done it this late in the year. Thanks, Joe

We (me and buddy) put in at Prosperine at 7:30am Saturday morning. River had quite a bit of color but not "murky". We decided to rely on our expert fishing prowess to provide our dinner so we started out by running up to a good goggle-eye hole right above the launch area. We managed to put a few in the live well and started heading down the river. We were fishing everything from Crank-Baits to Soft Plastic. The goggle-eye's were biting good all morning and we managed to catch enough for dinner and lunch the next day! The Smallie bite was rather slow in my opinion. I never could really get them on a steady pattern. We ended day one right below Blue Spring. It was almost 8pm by the time we got there so I was frying fish in the dark but they were good just the same, nothing quite like fresh caught Goggle-Eye on the river bank! It did rain a little about 3:00am but not much, lots of lightning... Day Two started out about 8:00 and the Smallie's had turned on. Above the riffles they were hitting top water like crazy, below the riffles slow and low, typically on soft plastic. all in all it was a decent trip, I have had better/worse. We caught about 20-25 Goggle-eyes and 30-35 Smallies Day one. Day two we caught about 35-40 Smallies and 15-20 Goggle-Eyes. We ended up taking out at "upper" Lead Mine around 6:45.

There is most likely not enough water to run a jet right now. (I would say NO way you could run it but alot depends on your driving style!!!) I have a "light weight" 16' with a tiller steer 50/35 and I wouldn't try it up there. I run the lower section quite a bit from Lead Mine up or from Mountain Creek up. I just floated the Mountain Creek to Lead Mine stretch and had to drag quite a few times in a 17' paddle jon. Joe

Will be doing an overnight from Prosperine to Lead Mine tomorrow. Will post trip report on Monday-Tuesday, hopefully the weather won't be us up to bad!!! Planning on camping right below the "no trespassing" sign of the Niangua River Land and Cattle Company. There is a perfect little Island that I like to stay on!!!! Hopefully the Smallie Gods will be good to us!!! Joe

Thanks for all the information. I will dedicate some time to the flukes next weekend. I run 4/15 on my soft platic rod so i should be good to go. Just need to gain a little confidence in the bait... thanks again, Joe

I am planning a float from Prosperine to Lead Mine (lower access) next weekend. Just wondering if anyone has made this float recently. I have floated from a little above Blue Springs to upper Lead Mine access and the river was slightly choked in a few areas. I am wondering what it is like from Prosperine to Blue Springs and what it is like from the lead mine upper to lead mine lower access if anyone has floated those stretches recently. I will be in a 17 Lowe Paddle jon. Gonna be camping on the river so I will have a boat full of gear! I am also intersted in "fluke" fishing on the river. I have tried a few times and had very little luck. What size and colors are you guys using? Are you twitching them back at the top of the water column or are you letting them sink and working them slowly? Thanks for any and all information

I fished from about a mile above Blue Springs down to Lead Mine yesterday. Had a decent day river was up an inch or two from recent rain. It was "less than clear", not really murky just not clear... Anyway, we fished from about 10:30am to 6:30pm. Not a great numbers day we caught between 20 - 25 fish between two of us. The highlight of the trip was a 19" smallie caught on a firetiger wiggle wart. I am a soft plastics guy and finally gave up and started throwing a crank bait after my partner caught that one... Caught a few goggle eyes also. Most all smallies came out of deeper water near the riffles. The big one was caught at 2pm at the bottom of a riffle about 6-8' of water. Next biggest fish was mine at 15"... Other than those two a few 12-13.5" and the rest were 10-12" fish. Joe

I fished from about a mile above Blue Springs down to Lead Mine yesterday. Had a decent day river was up an inch or two from recent rain. It was "less than clear", not really murky just not clear... Anyway, we fished from about 10:30am to 6:30pm. Not a great numbers day we caught between 20 - 25 fish between two of us. The highlight of the trip was a 19" smallie caught on a firetiger wiggle wart. I am a soft plastics guy and finally gave up and started throwing a crank bait after my partner caught that one... Caught a few goggle eyes also. Most all smallies came out of deeper water near the riffles. The big one was caught at 2pm at the bottom of a riffle about 6-8' of water. Next biggest fish was mine at 15"... Other than those two a few 12-13.5" and the rest were 10-12" fish. Joe

Well did you make a float, if yes what area and did it go well? I am going to try and fish Lead Mine and above this weekend just curious how it was!

The Baby brush hogs are perfect. I am guessing the brown/pink worms will do well. I have never used that color combination on the niangua. I usually just stick to "green Pumpkin" or Watermelon Seed and do okay. I use a lot of crawdad soft plastics and always dye the the pinchers chartruese... I have never had alot of luck on topwater on the niangua, nothing like the gasconade anyway. Joe

Yep what he said except I throw the worms starting right after dinner. Dark Blue, Black or June Bug... You can also flip jigs around docks and have success.

Ya, the spring was owned by the TWA pilot but the resort was actually owned by Don Reagan. Once Don passed away his brother John came in and continued operating it for many years. Don was really a neat guy if you could get past his eccentric ways. I remember when he took Sam Walton on a guided float trip back in the mid 70's, I was just a small kid but I always thought I wanted to be a river guide someday. I really miss the days of floating camping and listening to the "Reagan's" stories. I worked side x side with John many many weekends packing canoes, BBQ'ng and such, really a neat guy. A shame he ended up having to sell out. I always remember sitting there when a group would come off the river and talk about the "big one" that they hooked but got away in the eddie right at the resort, ol' Don would just look at em and say "yep thats the same one everyone let's get away" then just laugh and walk away!!! Joe

A guy (Niangua River Land & Cattle)from out of state bought all the land from Ed Dampier's old place all the way down to Blue Springs (both sides of the river). He is not cordial nor are any of his caretakers. They have attemepted to run me off of the gravel island right below Ed's old place. I suggested they not come over without the law, they made some idle threats, then I informed them I wasnt going anywhere. They finally gave up since they can't own any islands. As for Bird Island it is the old Moore's campground and the area that the former owner of Blue Springs used to take boats out at. The guy allows camping and take outs (he lives in the trailer). I havent been there in couple of years but the last time I was there I met a couple of OAF guys that were camping there. They actually used him to shuttle them all the way around to Lead Mine and then just floated back into camp. I really miss Blue Springs, I spent many summer nights down there working, either packing canoes or running the BBQ cooker. If you do the Prosperine to Lead Mine or Prosp to Bird Island it takes me TWO days minimum to float it. I fish pretty slow and make several runs back up the eddy's if I am catching fish. I usually like to make it a two night float and I get out of the water around 4pm on day three. I haven't floated it yet this year so can't offer any obstruction information. I know at the end of last year it was pretty choked up about a two miles above the upper lead mine access. Joe

It looked like the river crested about 5' high around/above Bird Island. It is dropping right now but they are still forecasting rain today and tomorrow in the watershed that feeds the Niangua... I am also not sure if all of the "water" from yesterdays rain around philipsburg has made it down there yet...

Bass are post spawn, secondary points, Catfish seem to be getting ready to head to shallower water. Bluegill not sure about. Joe

Been fishin several times this week. Fishing has been good to great... Wednesday onward most all fish came from under 10' of water (fishing the shore side of docks). Big males in very shallow and some bigger females hangin out in 6-8' of water. everything coming on some type of "pearl" or white plastic... I decided this year I wanted to have a 5 crappie driftwood mount made. My rules are all fish must be over 16" and must come off Lake of the Ozarks... I wish I would have said 15" fish because I have caught 4 over 15" in the last two weeks, none over 16". Joe

I was looking at Rollanet for an outboard and stumbled across this and thought someone here might be interested. http://shopping.rollanet.org/index/listings/page430494.htm Joe

I fished upper Niangua (Bridal Cave area) yesterday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. 1 keeper from 1:00 to 4. they picked up and I caught over 40 fish between 4 and 5:30pm. ended with 11 very nice fish and four @ 9.25". four females that were semi-full of eggs. All big keepers came in less than 4' water several fish caught in 8-10' that were 9 or barely over, all fish caught on Red/chart pony head jig. Going again in about 30 minutes will let you know what today brings... Joe

Dropped by Bennett after lunch just to check out the masses... It was surprisingly slow. There were even a few open campsites. Lots of people but "seemed" to be off, I am curious of how the actual numbers turn out. Joe

Jason, several hybrids are being caught at Ha Ha Tonka. The crappie fishing has been okay for me and good for others... There is an FLW tournament going on today and I have seen several boats headed toward Tonka. With the snow, wind and cold I am glad i just fish for fun!!! Sitting in my condo watching them go by... Joe