Johnsfolly

2Sheds - still have to fish the Eleven point and the North fork. So unlikely to get to the LP. Should I wait until mid- late October to fish the North Fork when the browns might be more active or would anytime be just as good?

I have only fished it a couple of times. Living in Columbia, travel to the Roubidoux is a lot more manageable than to some of the other streams. I used to only fish the Current for trout, but now have an appreciation for Mill and Spring Creeks and the Roubidoux. The Little Piney still seems to be hit or miss for me. So I don't fish there very often.

I find that the fish do tend to be line shy at Bennett's. The fish are able to see your bait and most likely the line as well as it passes by them. Once I switched to 2 lb fluorocarbon line from 4 lb mono (I use P-line Fluoroclear), my strike rate tripled. I don't bait fish at the trout parks, but fish in the artifical and fly sections relying heavily on globalls, San Juan worms, small marabou jigs, and microjigs. I would suggest a stop at Weaver's Tackle on the way in from Lebanon and pick up a couple of white and cream chenile bodied microjigs, John Deere microjigs, and pink, yellow, orange or white globalls. A lot of people fish the globalls, SJ worms, and microjigs below a float and don't add much movement. I personally haven't caught many fish that way, but others catch them. I like to fish these baits without a float and really try to twitch the rod to make them jump in the water a couple of times and let them fall towards the bottom. If you see a fish follow the bait down, set the hook when you anticipate the fish taking it not when you feel them take the bait. These fish will suck in and spit out the bait often in the same motion. I find the areas that have deeper water, like above the Whistle bridge and above the spillway are more conducive to this type of fishing because you can a longer drop to get the fish interested in taking the bait. When folks are cleaning their fish at the whistle bridge you can't beat a 1/32 or 1/64 oz white or white/pink marabou jig cast right into the mix of fish fighting for the scraps or just let it sit on a clear patch of bottom. The feathers will move around in current and should attract the fish. Again don't hesitate to set the hook when you think the fish has the bait. if you catch a couple fish using one type of bait or color, don't be afraid to switch to a similar bait in a different color. That can get the bite going again. I have used these same techniques and found they work in all of the trout parks and not just Bennett's. Hope this helps and good luck.

Give the man a cigar.

1) Blue Springs 2) Barren fork creek 3) Little Piney 4) Little Piney 5) Mill Creek 6) Spring creek 7) Crane Creek Great pictures. I don't have any photos from my trips to Blue Springs or Little Piney. I haven't had my "wife's" waterproof digital camera on those trips. From my own posts, you can see that I also like to capture my trips with photos. Here is a location photo and the trout that I caught from that location at another MDC designated trout stream that I believe would fit between photos 5 and 6.

Were there a fair number of fish at Tan Vat? Any browns around or just rainbows coming down from the park? I typically don't fish that far upstream on the Current. I haven't been on the Current at all this year, but might be looking at a trip this October.

I would figure that the park fish are pretty well educated or spooky especially one that size. 2Sheds I wonder if MAD outdoors would provide royalties if I introduce their products to trout fishermen as trout blinds.

What I didn't mention was that due to circumstances that morning I was not able to get onto the creek until just after noon and fished until 3 pm. I saw a lot of trout and other fish in feeding lanes in most of the runs and holes that I fished. There were many more visible trout than when I was there last time. It's possible that I spooked less due to the high vegetation.

I did see a monster trout in the city park water near the walking bridge. It had to have been 18 to 20" in length. I did not try to catch this fish, but just admired it swimming away as I was walking along the stream.

As part of trying to catch a trout in each trout stream in MO, I fished Hickory Creek on Sat the 30th. I was fishing the park and was using a 1/64 oz tan marabou jig. I caught three goggle-eye and lost a rainbow. With this being a White ribbon stream, I had no idea how many hold over fish would be in the stream. So I hoped that this would not be my last chance at a trout. I found a couple more in the hole below the walking bridge. I fished those fish hard throwing a lot of different lures at them without any interest. I finally threw out a trout magnet microjig with a cotton candy colored body. The fish moved toward the jig and I set the hook when It looked like the fish took the bait. Instead I foul hooked the fish. As I was fighting the fish, a good sized snapping turtle took an interest in the fish as well. I had to get in the water and stood off the turtle to be able to land the fish. I didn't catch another trout. I did catch several more fish on a white 1/132 oz white micro jig. The catch of the day was an 8" 1/2 lb goldfish. That was a first for me. I had to share the picture of the Hickory Creek gold.

I found a car key in the Wire road parking lot on Crane creek on Friday. reply to this post if this is your key and we will find a way to get you your key back to you as soon as possible.

I went back out to Crane Creek on Friday the 29th to seek redemption for the two lost rainbows from my last visit in March. I was again using my spinning rod with 2 lb fluoroclear P-line. With the tight quarters on this small wild trout stream, I was not comfortable with my fly casting ability to accurately present a fly to these spooky fish. With the fish being so spooky, I was in full head to toe camo. I wanted to get more distance on the small flies, that I went with a #10 hopper dry fly and a #14 copper john nymph dropper. Through the high weeds I could see several trout with a couple that were >12" in length. I got one hit and broke of the nymph. I made a cast with just the hopper and had a big trout bust the fly. I had to fight the fish and keep the rod and line out of the weeds. Since I was on a high bank, I had to keep the rod up and slide down to the water. I was able to keep the pressure on the fish and landed my first McCloud river rainbow. The fish measured just over 13" in length. I took the picture as I started to revive the fish. Since I may be back to Crane to fish for these wild fish, I won't say what hole I was fishing. Here is a picture and if you fish this stream you might recognize it. I was successful with the hopper dropper combo later on down stream and caught a 5" rainbow. I finally ended up at the hole where I lost a big fish on my last visit. Without any weeds along the bank, I set up a trout blind that I knelt behind to make my casts (talk about being sneaky). I caught a 6" rainbow on a 1/132 oz white micro jig that still had some parr marks. Unfortunately the picture didn't do the fishes coloration any real justice. this was a trip of redemption and it was successful with fish in the net. This is such a wonderful resource that even without catching a fish it would be a successful trip.

That's a great first smallmouth. In Missouri you won't catch many as large or larger than that one. You should be hooked from this point forward. I enjoy catching river smallmouth over largemouth. They fight harder, jump more, and tend to be much mroe aggressive, at least in the rivers and creeks I fish frequently.

Thanks for th advise. I'll let you know how I do.

2Sheds - Nice fish. The reason I've asked about the hopper bite is that I'm thinking about using a hopper fly with a nymph dropper. As spooky as they were the last time I fished it, I want to use something more "natural" as an indicator. i may try to get back down there the 28th or 29th of Aug.

Oneshot, I fished below the B Springs CA access back in the middle of July and had no luck on trout. I had a couple of followers, but no takers. Once the outfitters dumped off their canoes, I went into the trout park. Nothing more recent than that.

I have only fished the Meramec a couple of times and had much more success about eight years ago with browns. I wonder if part of the issue is less structure for the brown trout to relate to like deep bluff holes. I have always found brown trout and especially big browns in areas where they find shelter, e.g., lots of wood, boulders, undercuts, to hole up during the day. I have seen several good holes on the Current river that held big browns in the past that have been covered up with sand and silt. I don't even bother fishing some of the "holes" anymore, because there just aren't fish there. Since I don't fish this river enough, I can't say that is part of what is going on with the fewer number of brown trout. i will be interested to see if the additional stockings will help the population.

I agree with the ideas you presented about trophy fish. Since last fall I have been trying to catch a trout in each recognized Missouri trout stream and I have already crossed off Blue Springs, Mill Creek, Spring Creek, Little Piney, and now Barren Fork for wild stream bred trout. I started trout fishing in Missouri on the Current river before it became a blue ribbon stream and when it was stocked a lot more than it is today. I got to a point that if I didn't catch a dozen brown trout with one over 15", it was a bad day. After fishing these wild trout streams, I definitely have changed my perspective on the idea of a trophy trout and a quality day on the water. I'm happy if I don't lose more than $15 in tackle and I'm able to come in contact with at least one trout and even more so if I land it. These streams are special places. I don't know how many I will get back to fish again, but all will be remembered.

Being 48 and well out of shape I concur about taking along a buddy. I love the parr marks on your trout. If you end up going back down to that section of stream, the hole that I was fishing was 100 to 175 yards downstream of the undercut tree you have pictured. There was an "S" curve in the stream and I was fishing in the middle of the "S". As I mentioned I waited several minutes before making a cast after I got into the water and I hooked into fish both downstream and upstream of my position.

Tha bass is a pig. Congrats on that one Mitch.

Looks like you had a great time. Were you using just white or mostly white globalls?

Nice fish. Good luck to everyone going out soon. I have yet to land an honest 18+" smallie in Missouri. Been stuck on 17.75" as a Missouri best (see picture of last 17.75"). I don't have a boat. So I'm stuck wade fishing most places and I don't hit the bigger rivers.

I agree that it is ridiculus to try for the hero shot by holding the fish out so far that it's impossibly large. Look at this trophy brook trout I caught in Wyoming. It took both hands to hold that one up.

If you look at the MDC map of the trout area for Barren Fork creek, I parked on CC at the bend just above the Rt CC identification on that map. There was old logging activity that left some trail like openings going about 3/4 of the way down to the creek. I really can't call it a trail, but enough openings to be able to piece a route along deer trails and the logging areas to find your way out. I did hit a dry creek that went into Barren fork and used that as a guide on where to go back into the woods. Good luck if you get out that way.

It took almost ten minutes to land that fish. It kept dogging for the brush. I have had some of the best fighting fish on the wild trout streams lately.