LittleRedFisherman

Smalliebigs, man that's torture to see, I just got in from my 3rd 15 hour day. I'm ready for some "aquatherapy" for sure. Maybe next time...Glad you had fun.

Good deal, glad you catch some fish, 18 inches is a dandy rainbow. Yeah, JFK was a good chioce, you can get away from the muddy water there usually. I put in there for the first time myself this winter and drifted all the way down to Lindseys, there some good water down there.

I'm interested in a small boat, that I could float in, or possibly a canoe. It would be nice if it was big enough for 2 people, but I don't want it to be to big. I'd like to be able to throw it in the back of a pickup. Around here, there's a couple small "ditches" that have alot of bass in them that are fun to float. As a kid, I had a small jon boat, and that would work. I just wondered what is out there that some of you have used, and what opinions you might have. A small two man boat like a bass buddy would be great for floating the Mayo Ditch here on the farm, but don't know about floating a river like the Eleven Point? Thanks for any suggestions, Bret.

This is true, I've never seen a bad Ozark stream yet!! Talking about water clarity reminds me of a lake we have a small place on near Hardy Arkansas, Lake Mirandy. It was once one of the clearest lakes in that area, including the Cherokee Village lakes. However, it was full of hydrilla, which you had to clean out around the dock all summer for swimming, but the fishing was fabulous in that lake. As a young kid, i could catch a mess of crappie, and 4 pound bass all day long, and blugill bigger than you hand. Mirandy had limited cover, but all the weeds made great fish cover, the POA decided to stock grass carp to get rid of the weeds,. Now the lake is clean of the weeds, and the water has a "healthy green color" as they say, but with limited cover, the fishing has went downhill. It's full of 10 to 12 inch bass, no big ones anymore, and the bluegill are thinned out, and the crappie nonexistent. When you do catch a decent sized bass, it's got a big head, and a skinny body. Now it's being addressed, but the only answer the Game and Fish has gave us, is to start keeping those bass we catch for a few years. I never was in favor of the grass carp, I prefered the clear water and all the weed cover, and the faboulous fising. I'm trying to get involved with the city council, that has now taken the lake over, to address the problem, like a christmas tree dropoff and such. Last year, I volunteered to construct homeade fish attractors and safe havens, only help I got doing that was my Dad. Sorry for the tangent, guess I was venting. Bret

I fished earlier in the year down there when the river was big. I would recommend putting in at Lobo Landing, it'a a deep 3 mile stretch of water, and the current slows down there. go upstream about a mile and start drifting. If you can find an inline spinner, that you can simply just attch a hook to, then try a power egg, or power worm, chartruse, and flo orange are my favorites. I have never failed to catch fish at the Lobo area, when the water is high. If the water is muddy, try to find a creed that runs into it, with clearing water, many times the trout will be hoarded in there to get out of the muddy water. Good luck, let us know how it goes...Bret.

I fished near Van Buren this winter on the Current, and that was the clearest water I had ever fished, but i havn't fished in the northern stretch of the Ozarks much yet. I was fishing a pool that was at least 10 feet, and could see everything down there. At least for "Big Water" that would have to be up there.

Great report, I can almost visualize what you guys where doing in the canoe with that good description. I was in Little Rock earlier in the week, and stopped by a sporting good store there and stocked up, I bought several different crankbaits from 2 to 4 ft dive, up to 7 to 10, as well as some spinnerbait, and Rons trusty roadrunners..lol Thanks for the report, when I go again, I'll have to change my pattern from the winter pattern i've been used to.

What a dandy Smallmouth!! Hard to tell, but from the looks of the water and riverbank, it looks to me like that could be on the lower Current River closer to the state line. Don't blame him for wanting to keep that a secret...lol

Wow, that is an impressive fish!

Yes, we had alot of fun for sure. Not sure why I got two different topic post on this, but apologize for that. Yeah, I get a kick out of Roland and how he weighes the fish as he's reeling it in..

After watching the smallmouth video on here, i thought I'd try to put one together as well. I fished different parts of the ozarks this winter, and didn't always have the camera, but I did take it a few times. The first part is a couple of my buddies, that also work with me here on the farm, but the best part is taping Dad catching his first smallmouths, after predicting earlier that day he wouldn't catch anything. One thing i need to learn on taping fishing footage, is I always forget to tape the release of the fish, I assure you all these fish were released. Anyhow, hope you enjoy this 3 minute video, of some winter ozark fishing. One thing I get from rewatching this, is how much fun we had, and bad I sound on camera...lol

After watching the smallmouth video on here, i thought I'd try to put one together as well. I fished different parts of the ozarks this winter, and didn't always have the camera, but I did take it a few times. The first part is a couple of my buddies, that also work with me here on the farm, but the best part is taping Dad catching his first smallmouths, after predicting earlier that day he wouldn't catch anything. One thing i need to learn on taping fishing footage, is I always forget to tape the release of the fish, I assure you all these fish were released. Anyhow, hope you enjoy this 3 minute video, of some winter ozark fishing. One thing I get from rewatching this, is how much fun we had, and bad I sound on camera...lol

Chief, hoping to head that direction maybe later in the week, it's been harder to get away with the work season on me now. Next winter I plan on devoting mostly all my extra time to fishing, basically gonna hang up the duck waders. Got to fish and meet up with GotMuddy one day this winter on the Eleven Point, next winter may expand my horizons on some different waters and meet some more ozarkanglers!! We may have to give it a try sometime..

Great catch, that is a dandy!!

I agree with Mitch, these videos are really cool to see, nice river smallie. I've got some video I've taken over the winter, and may get on the computer tonight and try to put a video together. Really though, seeing that just makes me want to head to the Ozarks asap...

I've caught pickeral from Greer on down to the state line. I like using a crankbait, or a suspending jerkbait in the slack water area's, or around some vegetation. They will absolutely attack the bait. I've caught them by accident flyfishing for smallmouth as well, there pretty aggressive.

Looks like alot of fun, makes me wanna head up there again soon. That's one fine river in my book, second to none!

I was looking at the records when I got my MDC fishing book where I got my licence. Isn't the record smalllie from Stockton Lake, between 6 and 7 pounds I think. Would be a dandy, although I saw a video from Onterio Canada the other day, and they claim those are average up there.

It would be a long drive for you, but probably one of the best smallmouth rivers in Arkansas would have to be the Eleven Point in Randolph county. It's in the Ozark foothill in Northeast arkansas, and not talked about near as much as the river is up in Missouri, but the AGFC have ran shock test, and determined that per square mile of water, there are more smallmouth in there than any body of water in the state. I fish it there, and in Missouri, and it's a great river. I've never tried Crooked Creek, but plan on trying it sometime this year. Like you, it's a long drive for me, and the Eleven point and Current are much closer. I flyfish for smallies as well, it's very addictive once you find the pattern that works. Good luck, Bret.

Great fish guys, that's really makes me want to go fishing bad. Been to busy as work to go lately, may have to sneak off next week. . Dandy Fish!! Might could of done without the last pic however...lol. I'll remember that if I ever have to work on my Merc...

Brian, I have faith in ya. I've seen this guy at work, when it comes to the Eleven Point, he's the man!! If we get all this rain there talking about, maybe next week I may have to make one more trip up there Brian, I've been wanting pull in a few rainbows.

Talking about small creeks in Arkansas, one that I think is a sleeper is Martins Creek between Ravenden and Hardy. I waded about a half mile of it several years ago with a good friend, and was amazed with the bass we caught, smallmouth and largemouth. I'd love to float it someday in a canoe and fish my way down.

I personally like a Maribou Jig under an indicator on my flyrod, my flyfising experience is limited compared to most of you on here probably, I've just got into it the past few years, but I've tried different things, and I can take my TFO to a river rigged with that and catch some fish.

I am a catch and release guy, but my brother in law kept these fish. Middle pic is my father in law, guess not the best technique didn't even notice that. They probably hit the water twice a year and that's about it. I don't fret to much about catching these stocker rainbows anyway.

Took my father in law and his son and granfson fishing today on the Little Red. Didn't catch any monsters today but did pretty good! I managed to catch a few on a micro jig on my TFO. Beautiful day!!