river angler man

It's been a while since I've fished lake Springfield, but from what I understand since they decommissioned the power plant and thusly the warm water outlet, the fishing is dead at the fishing jetty. Does anyone know if that is true? Or maybe you just have to strategize differently to make the fishing worthwhile? I only ever fished for catfish at that was always a good catfish spot, but maybe now other fish are better to fish for there.

9 years from the grave, having left the site completely and randomly remembering it and trying my old login...I'M BACK BABY!!!

I went out again this morning and it was spectacular, I caught 4 keeper size channels, been good times on the james for me lately

it may be worth your while to try up stream in the James, it's been going much better for me than the lake, at least since last time I was out

I fished lake springfield this week and it had gotten quite slow for me. I had a theory that maybe try the conditions that made it so slow on the lake have helped things on the river. We were out there for about 2 hours and we each caught a catfish, the one the guy I was with caught was the largest I'd ever seen caught on james this far up stream, good morning.

Yeah it was real slow this week out there, probably as slow as it's been in months

should have a very good population from what I understand. There's lots in lake Springfield (though you wouldn't be allowed to bow fish in the lake) but they're not stocked in the lake so clearly they just swim in from the river. I've seen people catch over a dozen carp next to the plant where the warm water comes out, some were 10+ pounds and larger. I snagged one once accidentally below the dam in the river, that may be a place to try.

I've been going out consistently since then and still not doing too bad out there. All the females are just full of eggs at this point, spawn becoming imminent.

I gotta go find that Kyle guy's spot and fish there!

the largest one was about 2.5 pounds, the rest were smaller, good eating size.

I went to Springfield today by the power plant. I've been trying right where the water comes out of the plant but I haven't had any luck there this week. Then afterward I've been walking to the end and cast into the cove and Each time I've caught one or two channels but then after you catch them it goes completely dead. Today I caught 2 and within 30 minutes but again it went completely dead for hours after that. Then eventually I got bored and decided to just screw around for fun. I decided to put a bobber on my line about 5' up the line and just let it drift out. My plan was to let it go to the dam and maybe even fall down it, I was really bored and just screwing around. It got way out there and was leaving the cove and I looked away for a second and when I turned around and turned back I realized I couldn't see my bobber anymore. I thought surely there's no way that actually worked but amazingly it actually did. Then I decided to do it again saying to myself there's no way something that stupid works twice but it totally did, as it was leaving the cove in the same spot. since that was my limit of 4 I called it a day after that. I caught them all on liver except one I caught on shrimp. Another guy there caught what was easily a 30lb Flathead there yesterday on shrimp right where the water comes out of the plant. He was there today and had pictures and everything, it was not unimpressive.

This August I'm planning on fishing on Stockton for a few days. I only fish for catfish and I'm sure I'll only be fishing for Channels specifically. What do you think the best spot if I'm stuck to fishing from the bank will be? I'm planning it out early and anywhere around the lake will be fair game, and really I'm looking more for just action and numbers not necessarily catching the big one, this is my only vacation I've gotten in 6 years and I just don't wanna be skunked. If you could try and be fairly specific that on where exactly that would be amazing as I've never even been in the area before, but any input or advice would be tremendously appreciated (I've actually had bad dreams about just having a miserable time because I can't land any fish, so I'm just a little on edge about it!)

I was working today and I went out fishing at Creighton Access on the James, that is correct I was paid to go fishing for three hours in fact! Anyway I caught a couple small channel cats then near the end of my trip I caught, on chicken liver, this very different fish. I had accidentally snagged what I think was another one moments earlier that was no more than a minnow, but I have no idea what it is. I tried looking it up on my own but there's way too many fish to look through. It had these weird spots on its head. Anyway I've got nothing but I only ever fish for catfish so I don't go outside my comfort zone much.

I have a small pontoon boat I bought in September. I've only used it twice, it's a decent boat, but I have no idea what I was thinking when I got it, it's completely impractical for me. I was living in a 2br apartment when I bought it and could put it in my giant closet, but now I live in a studio and it takes up way too much space.I paid $600 for it(I also bought it with the trolling motor battery box, anchor kit, and some storage). I would gladly sell it for $200 just to get rid of the thing. I live in the Springfield area and could let you test it out if you desired before you buy. Here's a description of the product http://www.cabelas.com/product/Boating/Canoes-Kayaks-Small-Boats/Pontoons|/pc/104794380/c/104710680/sc/104508180/Venture-Outdoors-6T-Pontoon-Boat/1314513.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fboating-canoes-kayaks-small-boats-pontoons%2F_%2FN-1100576&WTz_l=DirectLoad%3Bcat104508180

I went out this morning. It has picked up some. I caught 2 catfish(one channel and one flathead) each around 18" or a little under. I caught another channel around 14" and several tiny ones. I was out there from around 5:45a to 10a and nobody else came out during that entire time! It wasn't even 80 degrees when I left just perfect fishing weather I can't believe no one else came out( I was by the plant). In general it is still a little slow, although it has picked up, it's not as active as it was during the spring but I don't think it ever is this time of year.

So if somebody asked me what my dream life would be, I would definitely include a big private lake. Well I was on google maps the other day just looking around the area I grew up and I found this giant lake only about a mile from where I spent my entire childhood growing up. I tried my best to figure out what it was, but it is not a public lake at all, it's completely private. I did my best to figure out its size and it's at least 30 acres, it's almost a mile long! I never had any idea it was there, it's so well hidden. This dude has it all including a private boat dock on the lake next to his giant house that overlooks the lake! here's an approximate address if you want to google it County Road 483 Holts Summit, MO 65043 If you google it you have to be looking at the satellite view because while all the little farm ponds show up on the white background map, this lake has been removed from it, it just shows up as an abyss with nothing there.....which I found interesting-I guess if you're wealthy you can do anything you want. If I had a lake like that I would just do so much experimenting on various species of fish. I'd of course stock it traditionally but definitely put flatheads in it, maybe walleye or some off forms of bass or perch. What would you do if your life was this amazing. Also if are familiar with area and can shed any detail about this area that would be just amazing, I can't believe I lived so close to this yet never knew it was there, maybe I can trespass sometime and fish by the power lines where it's been cleared(JK!).

I went to Lake Springfield today since we got some pretty decent rain over the weekend and a cold front. I got there and saw the lake was about as low as it was last time I went out 2 weeks ago. The fishing was a little better than it was 2 weeks ago but still fairly slow. I caught a few decent size channel cats and quite a few tiny ones. I'm just amazed though the the water level really hasn't changed, not even the flow in the James, was the soil so dry it just absorbed it all and didn't run off into the waterways? Anyway okay day, nothing great.

when I was a kid I would use bacon sometimes and try and smear it with cheese, I did this mostly because I didn't have to buy it the ingredients though. It worked pretty well. I never fried it up at all but he may have something there.

no I still have it.

Yeah just my last time out I heard about people doing that. the people I heard doing it were keeping everything they caught no matter how small as well as crowding other people out even though there were plenty of spots. I'll usually keep channel cats if they're at least 15", so I let a lot of squeakers go.

I don't think I'd be willing to sell the anchor kit. Besides it's little more than a rope with a bag you put a rock in. I've taken it out on the James River and it did fine, it's actually a lot of fun to paddle around on.

I hit Lake Springfield at the power plant today around 5:30a. I was real slow for a few hours catching only 2 squeaker catfish. I did have a thought on that. Many times when I get those tiny little channel cats I hook them through the mouth but also will sometimes get through an eye or through the gills. I know Channel Cats can survive with only one eye as growing up we had a farm pond and caught a one eyed channel cat for years, but the gills is particularly concerning. I let all those squeakers go but I don't want them to die once they get back or be permanently disfigured, any tips on avoiding this? Anyway back to the report finally around 7a I get a larger fish(I was using shrimp). When I get it close I realize it wasn't colored like a channel cat. At first I thought it was a large bullhead, but once I got it in all the way I saw that protruding lower jaw and see it's a Flathead. Now I've heard 1 or 2 people here say they've caught Flatheads in the lake, but I always assumed they were mistaken that they were actually large bullheads. I know Flatheads are on the species list for the James but I'd never caught one this far north and thought they were only in the southern portion of the river, but clearly I was mistaken. Now the question I ask is how often do other people catch Flatheads in the Lake? Flatheads grow much larger than Channel cats and while they are never going to reach anywhere near full size in a lake that gets fished as much as lake Springfield does, I saw someone caught a 10 pounder next to the dam and was wondering has anyone else caught anything similar? I would never bother to try and target them since clearly they have nowhere near the numbers Channels have established with stocking and am purely curious. Anyway the one I caught was only about 15" and unfortunately I didn't think about how rare they probably are and decided to keep it,wish I hadn't but it died pretty quickly before this realization hit me, oh well good eats(maybe? actually not sure).

I have a small pontoon boat I bought in September. I've only used it twice, it's a decent boat, but I have no idea what I was thinking when I got it, it's completely impractical for me. I was living in a 2br apartment when I bought it and could put it in my giant closet, but now I live in a studio and it takes up way too much space.I paid $600 for it(I also bought it with the trolling motor battery box, anchor kit, and some storage). I would gladly sell it for $200 just to get rid of the thing. I live in the Springfield area and could let you test it out if you desired before you buy. Here's a description of the product http://www.cabelas.c...ch-All Products

Nope, not in Lake Springfield, aparently spotted bass are present in some quantity but I've never caught one. Fellows lake keeps a population of whites in it, but I'm not sure about the quality of fishing they provide or best angling methods.

you know it use to say under the conservation page that while the HP limit is 6, you could have larger ones if you used them at "trolling no-wake speeds" is how they put it. But it looks like now they got rid of that and just say 6hp limit.