Craig C

HAvnt fished any this year but still drive by most weekends. Dont remember if it was last weekend or the one before but some folks were parked up on the road and had hiked down the bank and were fishing on the west bank. Saw what looked like a farmer with a ford flatbed who had driven down and judging by his body language was giving them an earfull.

Looks like they need to update that map as there is a parking lot just northeast of the work barns as well.

That is good info to have. Thanks for passing it along. That is interesting. In that little parking area isnt there an mdc sign there? I dont remember exactly what it is. I was there Wednesday as well. Just taking a walk. Parked in the south lot before the curve that heads south. Took my daughter and walked down to look at a few holes and saw lots of Cardinals.

Nice !

Glad you guys had a good time. WIsh I coulda made it but was sick as a dog. Havnt been down there for a while. Ive not done as well the last few times as I have been focused, make that obsessed, with catch a certain brownie I see under the old bridge and nothin I seem to do will even taunt that one in the least. but it shall be mine. I call this one "catfish hunter" in honor of the movie grumpier old men

Sounds like a hoot. I am there doing something just about every Sunday anyways. Will look ya up. I drive a white silverado "chootem" sign in the back window

Im hoping it wont be too crowded during the rifle season. Gonna take my muzzleloader there. Moved to Monett back in August and go to the CA about once a week usually with my year old boy. Caught his first rainbow last week. I saw dove hunters one day, some squirrel hunters one other day. Only seen one bow hunter. Talked to him in the south parking lot one evening.

apparently the best way to make sure I dont go fishing is to say I am going fishing. Both kids were sick all weekend. Gonna give it another try sunday morning if its not raining. Looks to be a bit chilly but who cares.

Gonna head to Capps tomorrow. Cant wait. Havnt fished all winter. Would like one keeper for lunch but would be happy just to feel a tug on the line. Ive missed it all winter.

Im gonna give it a go next tuesday weather permitting. Got 4 hours to kill between appointments in monett. Gonna bring my light spinning outfit u think. Sent from my PantechP9070 using Tapatalk 2

last I heard you couldnt stretch your arms out to the sides without hitting a drunk on a tube. super crowded on saturdays.

Living just minutes away from Crane Creek and hiking there very often, fishing only a little, I cant remember seeing anyone ever keep a fish since they changed the reg to allow a keeper. Certainly that doesnt mean it doesnt happen but I tend to think that currently there are not enough fish being legally taken for another reg change to have an affect. Poaching on the other hand has had a huge affect. I have turned in more than one car license to operation game thief and like others have said see signs of bait use constantly.

Nice !!

the private land excuse should only hold water if the bullets stay on that private land which they are not. sounds like l.e.o. need to relook at this one.

Good eaters

While I do mostly use the rebel craw now, for years I tryed just about everything I could throw at em. the crankbait was what happened to work for me. I would say it after thinking about it I am probably just lucky in that I use that lure in a way thats more enticing and while I have used others I was not as skillled with them. if that makes sense.

I would say 98% of the smallies I have caught have been on a rebel crawdad crankbait. I keep various sizes and colors and experiment. I keep a few rooster tails n small tube baits in my pack but they the rebel craws have produced the most.

many thanks for the info.

Its been about 15 years since I floated this in a canoe so I dont remember how the river is and of course I am sure its changed a lot. Could a person get through ok in a small jon boat with no motor?

Anybody fish much downstream of the MDC? I know the water gets deeper towards the end of the mdc land and didnt look last time I was there like you could wade the creek to go downsteam without coming out and trespassing. Was playing around on google earth and found this wide spot. Wondered if anyone had fished it as well.

Just up stream from that bridge in that wide area used to be full of big fish. besides the trout there were also smallmouth and gar. I dont remember exactly when they built the bridge but I think the current bridge is the second attempt. Originally it was a low water bridge that often if not always had water flowing over the top. I think they then put in big culverts but I believe they got washed out. I know in the floods of 93 the creek was up all the way down past the raildroad bridge.

I really enjoyed reading that. Ive been stompin those grounds since the late 80s and have seen many changes over the years. I have very fond memories of how it was in the early 90s. Sadly there are fishing holes that will likely not be good again for who knows how long. Fishing used to be great on that upper end all the way to town. I know it wasnt the cause of anything but when they pulled out the low water bridge that used to be there and started building up to make that higher bridge stuff aent been the same.

Nice ! If ya see a white ext cab ranger w/ white camper shell around thats me.

Hi there. I fished Capps Creek for the first time today. Just using light spinning tackle. Been out of the flyfishing game for some years now but starting to get re-interested. Didnt know anything about the area. Just saw a pic in the Missouri Conservationist so drove over to check it out. Didnt get there till about 11. I had been to Jolly Mill before and never realized there was an MDC area there. Guess I should have paid more attention. I parked at the north parking lot just past the bridge and walked through a field parallel to a small plot of private land and just fished an area maybe 100 yards long. I got a could small rainbows to hit but never got a hook in em. Only thing I got in today was a sunfish. Had things to do this afternoon at home so could only fish a little more than an hour. Good scouting trip though. Will try to get back there soon.

I have an 8 foot jon boat that I currently just row around the ponds and small lakes. I have a trolling motor I could mount. I tryed to figure out from the DMV site. It says motorized boats need a license but not sure if its the same if its just a trolling motor. Anyone know?