Goggle-Eyed

That's crazy. I used to always catch a few right below Blue Spring but never any below the "now" start of Conservation property. I have caught 10-15 between Blue Spring and the Cabins (on the Eldridge side) this year. I have only caught a couple below the cabins... I am not sure if their range is different or if it is because I am throwing the white jerk bait more... either way they are fun to catch!!!!

Fishing LOZ always provides some entertainment. If you ever fish near Tan Tar A I am sure you have witnessed the pontoon with the rainbow flag and naked guy. If you fish the NIangua from Bennett to Prosperine I know you have seen stuff!!! As for funny nature it still has to be a squirrel falling out of a tree and hitting the water. Squirrels can get the same "shocked" look as humans... only seen it happen once but it was funny.

I have learned to love the Jerk Bait's. The biggest fish of my labor day trip came from a white LC78 (i think 78). I can't seem to fish a fluke to save my life so the jerk bait is my savior... The second biggest fish came off a 5" Senko Trigged with 1/4oz. I am trying to start fishing faster and focus on feeding fish but man I love the soft plastic bite... My goal for this fall is 20"+ off the Niangua, now I just need more time on the water!!!!

The float went great, we stayed ahead of the canoe traffic until about 1.5 miles below prosperine and then had a decent stream of canoes and rafts coming through, we passed Old Hams about 2pm and then had the river to ourselves the rest of the trip. The fishing was great on Saturday and good on Sunday. Saturday was a numbers day with a couple of 16-18", Sunday we had numerous fish over 15" and a couple of 16" and one 18"+. Still surprised at the number of trout within a mile or two of Lead Mine, seems like more and more each year. Joe

Doing something a little crazy tomorrow! Going to put in at Barclay at 8am and do my annual overnighter on the Niangua. This will be the first time we put in this far up... Have fished this area many times but we normally just do Prosperine to Lead Mine for the overnight trip. I am sure we will battle some conoes until we get down below Prosperine but hoping we are ahead of most of them... I will post up a report once I get home. Hoping for a great topwater bite based on the high temps and a great west wind!!! Joe

Yep, I will be ordering one tomorrow. That will make the motor tolerable in the current and wind. It is really bad with a jet out drive since there is nothing to help the boat track straight....

Great Idea, I am going to add one to mine. I have also found that the "key fob remote" is much easier to use than the foot control one.

I agree Wayne. Vandelay, Keep an eye on the Windyville Gauge and you should get a pretty good idea, I can tell you that it got a good flush and the lake is still got a ton of debris around the Niangua Bridge. I am not going to be able to get back on the river for about three weeks but can't wait to see the changes and impacts from the flooding.... I am still betting the little "island" (pretty much just had one big sycamore holding it) right at Blue Springs collapsed. If it did I also have a bet that it plugged that channel and forced everything back to the "right hand" bank like it flowed back in the 90's and early 2000.... Will be very interesting to get up there and see. Joe

My point, it is a COE problem not Ameren as your post inferred. Ameren receives and releases water based on the COE.

I thought the COE still dictated when and how much the flood gates were open? I know Ameren owns the Dam but I thought COE still had control over the flood gate operation... Joe

Highest they have been since April 2011. Leadmine gauge showing over 16,500 CFS. Oops 21:00 reading now has it over 18,700CFS... Gauge height looks to be dropping so a crest is close... bigger than 2011 but not as big as 2008 it was over 32K at Tunnel Dam that year... That was the year There was a debris mat from the Niangua Bridge all the way around the corner towards Ha Ha Tonka... I would say the river will be changed drastically in a couple of places after this event, it has been a couple of years since we have been this high... Joe

Heck, count me in for a couple. I just want the access at the top of the property, and exclusive rights to the spring in January ever heard the term "fish in a barrel"!!!!!

Put in at the lake and ran up to Lead Mine. Started fishing around 9am and it was ON. Caught fish on top and on just about anything thrown from 9 to 11, that was with blue bird skies. Then about 11:30 the front pushed in with clouds, wind switched and was coming out of the North. The catching immediately stopped. The rest of the day was SLOW. Caught a few on Cranks, a few on Soft plastic fished very slow and "in there face". Biggest fish of the day was about 15". Joe

This year, I have fished that area, from about two miles above the spring and a mile below and caught a bunch of trout (all while smallie fishing) mostly on white jerk baits. Typically they are "gone" by June, I assume move back up to cooler water. There used to be a nice bunch of big brown's that hung out around the spring but then a couple of guys from KC came down and literally cleaned them out... That was about 15 years ago and I haven't caught a brown in that area since. I really haven't caught any trout right in the area of the spring. Anyway, good luck, are your buddies initials MH? Joe

It's horrible!!! don't bother fishing it or trying to float it... The accesses are bad and there are NO fish in that area!!!! If you have access/permission to put in there, PM me and I will give you plenty of details on that section of river. I have permission to put in across the river but not at Blue Spring, I grew up floating and working there (when the Reagan's owned it) and now I can't.... I get it (now private), and would love to help, if that will get me access!!!! Joe

Please let us know how the fishing was! I recently "discovered" Crooked Creek and I am very jealous that this fishery is a 3 hour drive and a "state" away from me. I fished way up where it is only feasible to wade but it was GREAT!!!! Joe

Wayne, the flow wasn't bad. I did have two "gravel" shoals that I bumped the jet foot on, both going up and coming down. Greasy, there is a public ramp on the "Macks Creek" Side of the lake. It is right by the darn and a long slow run to get to the river. There are a ton of stumps in the lake and you really need to know where the channel is if your going to run much above a no wake speed.

Put in at Lake Niangua and ran up to about a mile below the lower Lead Mine access yesterday. Fishing was "okay" but not what I would call great. On about my third cast I had a fat 15" LM blow up my Sammy and thought, holy crap it's gonna be a great day! Well that was my first and last topwater fish for the day. The bite was very slow all day but did manage to catch about 15-20 smallies and what could have been a mess of keeper goggle-eye. I would throw reaction type baits and if didn't get any takers would then throw soft plastics back in and usually pull out at least one fish from likely spots. I have really been trying to fish "faster" this year but this trip they just wanted it slow. Joe

My thoughts exactly...

I too think you would be fine on that section. it is cedar camp www.cedarcamp.net Great float and great fishing, I haven't floated in a couple of years but always caught lots of "fish" a wide variety and rarely "big" fish but lots of decent fish. Joe

Glad you caught a few fish! This year, I have caught more trout on the lower section than any year in the past. Probably more this year than the past 10 combined... Did you bike from Lead Mine back to Barclay??? If yea, Holy Crap!!!! Joe

I have only seen the ONE in all the years I have fished it. I have seen a few copperheaded-rattlemocasins but only one that I BELIEVE was really a water moccasin. Joe

I thought there had been a few confirmed up the Little Niangua River? Maybe not, but an old retired Conservation agent told me that about 30 years ago, he was already retired at that point but I believed him and would have assumed if they were in the river they could also survive in the Lake... Not an expert but last summer I did see a "very dark and fat" snake swimming with 90% of his body out of the water while was fishing the big niangua river... Didn't get close enough to ID it other than I have never seen any other snake swim that far "on top" of the water. Again would have assumed if they could survive above Tunnel Dam they could be in the lake as well.....

Curtisce, what type of boat and what are you trying to do. Both acceses offer good stuff but some is more pressured than others. If you let me know what your planning I can make a few suggestions as to which launch I would use... Joe

so how much debate about flicker shads versus A-rigs, Should this bait be outlawed n tournaments?!?!?! Not asking from a "state law" persepective, only if the A-rig was going to demolish sport fishing, is this bait is so effective shouldn't it get the same attention... Funny thing is I watch guys pitch, flip and throw the A-rig thinking they are pros and never catch a fish then watch a guy pull in and actually target fish on the same point with success.... (My home overlooks a point on the Niangua Arm of LOZ and any summer morning I watch at leat 3 boats fish it)... I can honestly say I have only "bass" fished it once, topography wise it doesn't look that good but it is bridge area so people think it is "perfect" I guess I am rambling that, there are NO sure things when your fishing and you have to experiment and gain "CONFIDENCE" in your own method.... from my experience Confidence in a bait is most important, fish are fish, humans are humans..... Joe