KrookedKreekKing

I don't know where you live, but there is a tackle shop in Harrison next to FedEx on Rock Springs Rd. They got em', but if you want to use small tubes, I don't know if these will work. I have the 1/4 ounce size, and it looks like its got a 3/0 or maybe 4/0 hook. Perfect for a 3.5 or 4 inch tube. Some guys aren't cool with the heavier weight but I like covering water. Also the ones they got have red hooks. Hope this helps.

How's the fishing in February down there? I live right by Pruit, and I've never fished the lower part. Is there a drag at all in the winter?

That's a plausable assumption. Yes, muscle weighs more than fat, but you have to consider the fact that river fish consist of lean muscle mass, that in no way compares to the overall amount of fat that lake fish can have. Its not like you see river fish with huge, bulging muscles. That's like comparing a man from Ethiopia to an overweight American. Yeah the Ethiopian is all muscle, but it's not enough to compare to the weight of the fat American. I guess if you compare one fish from a lake and one from a creek with the same length and girth, the one from the creek would probably weigh more, but if you find a lake fish that looks like your run of the mill creek fish, he probably isn't very healthy, and the lake fish of the same size would also probably be younger. Lake fish have shad and other larger forage to feed on. Shad can REALLY put some weight on black bass. Also, shad and other larger forage are very rich in protein, so they will still gain some muscle as well. Crayfish is a favorite of black bass, but it doesn't fatten them up like shad, giving the lake fish the biological upper hand when it comes to potential or average size.

HA! Good stuff.

I don't understand why everyone's talking about smallmouths spawning in April. At the lake this is true, but they spawn later in the creeks. I've caught smallmouths full of eggs at the end of June numerous times. Not saying that they absolutely cannot spawn in April but it's not as common as mid may or early june. As for the flood ruining the eggs, it has been proven that bass won't lay all of their eggs at once. Bass can sense dramatic weather changes so for the early bedders there could have been a chance for a partly successful spawn. In any case, the flood in my opinion could have been a good thing by weeding out a lot of smaller, weaker fish. I read that bass growing to large sizes has a lot to do with genetics; not just the forage. By weeding out a lot of smaller, weaker fish, it gives the larger fish, with the genetics and survival instincts to grow that large, the chance to grow even larger and lay their eggs with their same genetics. In my opinion, keeping the 14's and 15's every now and again and letting the 17's and 18's go would prove a real increase in the quality of bass caught on the creek. I guess what I'm really trying to say is a slot limit of 12 to 16 inches should be the keeping limit and everything else should be let go for a good while.

Are you sure you guys aren't just seeing banded watersnakes which are pretty much harmless and very abundant in ozark streams? I float crooked creek and the buffalo all of the time and I rarely see an actuall cottonmouth during the daytime. I'm not trying to say anybody's wrong. I'm just curious because I go with people a lot who see these water snakes, and they always get a little frightened because they think they are cottonmouths. If you're truly educated on this matter and see them quite frequently, feel free to tell me, although there is no reason I would miss them because cottonmouths are easy to spot because they can't swim as well as these watersnakes, and in my experience, aren't too weary of humans either. For those of you who are unsure, look it up, and you'll have much less worry about what's slithering ahead of you.

A 22 inch fish at the lake might get to 6 or 7 lbs due to feeding on shad and not fighting strong current. In the river they fight current their whole lives and feed primarily on crayfish and small forage; resulting in a slimmer body. And quite honestly largemouths fit that scale better. They're just heavier than smallmouths.

You're probably right on that one. I have generations of families that have fished crooked creek and the buffalo hard and have never seen one in person or picture that was that long. But also, you gotta think maybe it is possible because a bass' life is finite. Those state to state records are caught out of lakes and I've seen smallmouths out of bull shoals that are about 4 lbs and only 18 inches long. I myself have caught a smallmouth out of the little buffalo that was 20 1/2 inches and only weighed 3 lbs, and one out of crooked creek that was almost 20 inches and weighed just about 4. But yet, 24 inches seems a little far fetched. Not trying to down anybody's statements but thats why I take a camera, scales, and something to measure them with.

Has anybody had the gall to fish Crooked Creek in the cold months and come out successful? If so I'd appreciate some tips. I went out this last december around christmas and didn't even see a fish much less get one to bite. Any input would be great. I'd much rather go out and catch one fish on a float than sit in the house all winter with cabin fever.

Mizmo makes a sweet tube rig like the one you were describing but more efficient. I used to rig tubes like that until I used these.

Well today was close to that monster I've been looking for... He was almost 20 inches and I'm gonna have to say he was probably 3 1/2 to 4 lbs. Probably closer to the 3 1/2. Quick tip for those interested; the flood has stacked lots of debri in likely fish holding areas, and it's hard to get in the thickest part of it without hanging up or breaking off while trying to pull one out. I went out on a limb and got some pretty heavy duty braided line (60 lb) along with a spro bronzeye frog in midnight black. To say the least, it payed off, and I have to say it is some of the most exciting fishing I've ever done. I caught a lot of my fish today with it and my biggest was on the frog as well. However, you will miss some blow ups but just bend the hooks upward a little and you won't miss as many. Braided line is essential for walking the frog, setting the hook, and pulling them out with little worry, and they don't seem to mind its visibility.

I've been catching a lot of quality smallmouths around the 16 to 19 inch range, but I'm still lookin for that 4 - 5 pounder. Anybody caught any giants as of this year?