ollie

I bought my first yak back in 2002 and back then you didn't see any other yaks on the stream. Only canoes around here at least. I thoroughly enjoyed that as much as I could! The only place around here back then to get one was at Pak Rat down in Fayetteville. I put some good money down on that Pamlico 100 so back then they were kind of out of reach for the casual floater, price wise as well. So yes, having that cheap option now is making it more affordable for most people to get out on the river. I really thought after the pandemic I would see more boats for sale, but I really didn't. I think those people held on to them since they didn't put much into them. Oh, the evolution of creek fishing. Now I have to share more with others. lol I don't want to share!!

Buzz and I went a couple of weeks ago on Shoal. Didn't do that great, but like you, we managed to squeak out a few descent ones and a bunch of dinks. We didn't think it fished as well as years past, but that was only one trip. I do know that creek is seeing a LOT more fishing pressure on it in the last 5 years compared to years past. More shuttle opportunities for boaters than in years past. Glad you had a good day out there.

Always nice for the state to pay your fishing license! That's also a good day of catching smallies it sounds like.

My bet is with Wrench on this one. It will be in that freezer forever. I had a friend catch a PB of his and a pretty big bass at over 8# from a local lake around here. He was bragging about how he caught and so on and then he showed me the bass all wrapped up in saran wrap telling me he was going to have it mounted after he got paid. A year later that fish was still in the freezer, and I know for a fact he never got it mounted. I also know he never ate it as well. What a waste IMO.

If you were closer to Grand Lake I would recommend some of the heated crappie docks they have around there. Always have a chance at some crappie, cats, or white bass from those.

Just a quick update on the log jam. Apparently some of it broke free and headed downstream, but from what I saw it only went to the side of the park where the boat launch is! I'm not sure it has even made it to the RR trestle downstream.

Drove over the bridge yesterday on my way back from Tulsa. As a friend of mine said, "you have to see it to believe it"! It is a mess, no doubt about it and now they have people stopping along the sides of the bridge just to take pics. They also have closed the boat ramp down due to high water as well so you couldn't put in there if you wanted to. On a side note, the snagging on the park in Miami seems to be on fire right now with the higher water!

I'm pretty sure that will all be up to GRDA since they own everything down there and are in charge basically. I heard that the bridge is structurally sound according to ODOT. As of right now they don't have a plan to clean it up or if they do they aren't sharing it. Estimated to be over 2 football fields in length and growing somewhat from what I heard and read.

Don't think anyone soon will be launching at Twin and going upstream on the Neosho side! Insane amount of debris clogging up the river right there. Massive logjam on Neosho River at Twin Bridges State Park is a growing problem | Joplin News First | koamnewsnow.com

The Falls in J-town. Yep, Grand Falls in Joplin Mo. A lot of locals call it that.

The Falls in J-town.

I would recommend Bennet as well. Only because of the shorter travel time and you may or may not like trout fishing since you haven't done any before. I am a jig guy so that would be a big yes on that lure for sure. Rooster tails work wonders at the starting whistle too!

Went back down to 10c on Saturday to see if I could get into any white bass, but I struck out. Nada, zilch, zero. Got down there about 9ish and walked up to the gravel bar. Only saw a handful of people and no one catching anything. Very slow. We need more rain to push them upstream in mass quantities. I mean there are a few here and there I'm sure, but it isn't full blown yet from what I can tell. Checked out a boat cleaning a nice mess at the ramp while I was leaving and just asked them a simple question. Did you catch those above or below the bridge? They told me it was downstream around the boat docks. Said they went upstream earlier and didn't get a bite or see anything on the sonar. The water level was really way down. On a side note, why aren't the vultures bad down at the bridge? They are horrible at Twin so you might think with the filleted fish all around the banks there you would see them, but you don't. They must not like bass?! lol Although there isn't the people food factor at 10c like at twin so I'm sure that has something to do with it.

Well, I didn't get to go again this year. I see Hamner won the classic though. Almost a 20# bag average for a three day total. Grand just didn't give up any real big ones this time around. Also see he won mainly throwing a jerk bait. I want to say that is what KVD won on throwing last time the elite classic was held here. With the weather like it was though, kudos to them for even finding them and catching them. Looks like they were getting them in the pre-spawn mode with that jerk bait. Good to see a humble guy get to the big show and win.

I see this thread has gone somewhat off the rails so I will bring it back in. I got the chance to go down there yesterday after work, so I went for it. Didn't know what I would get into, but I didn't get into them at all! I caught two measly whites that were about 8" long and that was all. Got down there by 4, got my waders on and headed to the gravel bar. Not many cars in the parking lot at all and I passed several boats on the way down there that probably had taken out at the bridge. Not really a good sign to begin with. Got down to the gravel bar and saw like 2 other people and none of them were tearing it up either. Again, not that great of a sign. Started wading out on the gravel bar and then it dawned on me that the water was very low since I was able to walk a long way out into the stream. Caught those two on a Roostertail, but tried several different things before giving up and heading back home. As I was leaving, I noticed more cars pulling into the lot and getting ready. Maybe they did better than me. I also didn't see any activity on the water so to speak. As in no shad and no birds up above looking for said shad. When it is going full out down there you will see those types of things. IMO it just isn't quite there yet for a smack down on the whites unless you have the boat to get to them.

I saw that yesterday. Pretty sure it was certified and everything else properly. If it had happened in KS that fish may have been confiscated! lol

Whatever you do, don't speed through there! I have taken the route from 60 and then south on 5 to get to Northfork Dam and Salesville. Always have seen highway patrol through there. Caney mountain is kind of boring unless you have something to do there. That was just my impression though. There is a really cool roadside park outside of Ava I would highly recommend stopping at though. There is The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse thing as well if you are into that. That is about all I got.

The black vultures are out of control down at the Twin ramp from what I was told. Some guy had his windshield wipers torn off by them and some of the rubber seals around the windows. The one hanging in effigy is what MDC is recommending people do when they encounter them. Doesn't look like it is working too well from the pic. Fishing will only get better as it warms up down there. I might go next week, but doubtful on this week. Good report.

It's getting close to breaking loose down here! My phone had over 3 reports listed on it this morning from fishing yesterday. One was from someone who caught over 100 and the other 2 just had bigger fish to report and not the numbers. No location given so it probably was up Spring, but could have been up Neosho or below the dam. Either way the other 2 reports had a nice hybrid mixed in with the biggest I saw looking to be around 5 lbs. All pics were taken on the ground so I couldn't tell where they were caught, other than they were caught yesterday or the day before. I might just have to go and see if my wrist can handle those fish! lol

I went back down there on Sunday because I had nothing better to do. Didn't take the rod though since it was soooo windy. Didn't see anyone catching much and asked a couple of kids who were taking out with the yak if they did any good. They said they caught four small ones and that was it. I saw a pile of cleaned fish, but not a one of them were over 10". I would say the smaller males are the ones right now going upstream. Again, I saw another rig having trouble launching their boat. They got off the ramp and tried to go to the side where there seemed to be a little deeper water, but not by much. They still had problems. Just a heads up if you want to try and launch there right now.

Yeah, that is a good distance to travel with fish and keep them alive. From Grove to downtown Tulsa has to be at least an hour or close to that. I would be curious to see where they let those fish go. Do they take them back down to Grove or do they release them closer like in Keystone?

Anyone going to go and check it out? I know last time it was held on Grand I kept telling myself I would have to make the trip to T-town for the weigh-in, but never made it. Might have to change that this year. I just love a circus! lol

For those putting in at 10C, be warned, it is still filled in with gravel. I went down there on Sunday to take a look around and saw a few rigs in the parking lot, but also saw one guy try to launch and gave up finally. That and he was probably a little pissed since I saw one of the taillights on the trailer hanging off after he tried to put in. Saw some fish cleaned on the bank as well. Waited around and saw a few people coming back from the gravel bar upstream but didn't see any fish caught.

I for one haven't been out as much as I have in the past. After having that car wreck a couple of years ago, I had to start putting things into perspective. As in now I am a huge believer in looking for signs in life. Maybe that sounds strange to some of you, but my life flashing before me changed some of the ways I think. I have always been obsessed with fishing and on that faithful day I was in a hurry to get to the creek. After thinking about it, I decided that was a sign since I came out pretty unscathed. That and this past year every time I have been out it seems like the fishing just isn't as good as pre-pandemic. Elk river and some of the other places I fish regularly just aren't producing like they did. I know the lack of rain lately has played a large part in that as well. In years past the rivers were higher and the window to get on them and fish were somewhat limited. Now they are all down and you can access them early on in the season to which I have found just isn't too conducive. At least IMO. That and last year I got covid. Now I just got over the flu and had to have an operation on my wrist. That one hurts and the stitches are coming out next week. Hopefully that won't affect me too much this year, but I have a feeling that this will slow me down for at least the springtime. It wasn't an easy surgery at all. I am still optimistic that this will be a better year for fishing however so we will see.

Oh my, at the docks already. Seems about right though since we have been having some warm weather. Still got a ways to go until they go crazy! The bass and fishermen! lol