RSBreth

Isn't the slot limit still in effect in the trophy area- Rainbows 12" or less, 4 per day?

I ran around the white on a 17' aluminum tunnel hull w/ a 75 jet, but they were running 6-8 units most of that week. Gentleman who owns the boat only brought it because it was so high. During lower water it would have swamped the regular "white river slim" boats and probably got dinged a bit. I saw a 18-19 fiberglass fish'n'ski run aground on Taney about 5 years ago. Not pretty and probably expensive! I rent a river john when I want to run the river.

Hey, it's the Ozark way. I nearly get killed everyday by the maroons on the road. In St. Johns parking lot last week my wife has our newborn son in a stroller and I have a big blue cast on my leg and some dork tries backing over us. After I alert him by whacking the crutch on the rear bumper as I try to get out of the way he looks at us as he keeps backing up and gives me "the one finger salute"! Classy. As my father in law says "let 'em get where they're going, people are waiting on 'em cuz hell is only half full"!

I got stuck on the island about 10 years ago right after I moved here. Horn sounded, I started to try to wade back but was already on the downstream side of the island so the water was pushing me towards the rebar hole. Got back out and ran (waddled) to the upstream side, but realized the water wouldn't get high enough to wash me off. This was before everyone in the world had cell phones. Sure enough, a boat ran up and the fisherman in the front had a shocked look when he cast a rapala up near where I was standing. They offered a ride across, I said to come back in a while if the water didn't go down, I fished for about an hour. Water went down, I waded back across, lesson learned.

Look at docks as another element that attracts fish, not just the dock itself. What I mean is that if an area has alot of potential to hold fish, AND has a dock it will be good. You can't just randomly hit docks and get consistent action. One other tip: Look at a dock and see if there is a grill, chairs, maybe even a fish feeder. Most folks that hang out on the dock they own feed the fish. And skip a bait further up in there than anyone else can!

I use 4/10 fireline as my main line tied to a small ball bearing swivel, then 8 or 10 lb. flouro leader. It does reduce line twist. The deeper I fish the heavier weight I use. 1/8 oz. is for around docks and gravel in 5-6 ft. max. I use 3/16 for 10-15 ft. or shallow in in wind. 1/4 for 15-20 or so. 5/16 for 20-25 and so on. On both Table Rock and Beaver last summer I did use 3/8 oz. for keeping a smallie beaver on rock structure in 30+ ft. deep when it was windy. I felt like I was fishing Lake Erie!

I'm wondering why a 8' 4 weight? Do you fish small creeks alot? A 8'6" 5 weight is about a "good all around" trout rod as it gets, I would actually go up a notch and get a 9' 7 weight for streamer fishing, white bass, and smallmouth fishing. After saying that, I will admit that after I had 9' rods in 5,7,and 9 weight the first short rod I bought was a 7'6" 4 weight Sage, but I still consider it kind of a "toy", even though a expensive one.

I think it isn't so much what lures you are using, because rapala type baits in floating, sinking, and suspending take lots of big browns every year, although most bigger brown are caught on 3"-5" lures of this type- not the ultralight 1 1/2" - 2" size. It is more about fishing early, late, or in the dark. Most of my big browns have came from early morning 4-6 a.m. If you fish in the dark with bigger lures I wouldn't use less than 8-10 lb. line. On the White a lot of folks swear by shad rap crankbaits, but this is when the water is up. In the the upper area of Taney floating baits around 3" are my favorites, when I am not using a big streamer on my 8 weight fly rod, which sometimes works better than any lure.

I come across lines strung up and left without proper markings on them all the time. Lines left for weeks. Lines left so long the hooks are rusted off, even. And every one gets cut, rolled up, put in the boat, and thrown away when I get home. I ran quite a few trot line when I was younger with my brothers, and we always marked, checked, and pulled them out when done. Not hard to do right, like most things.

Yeah, that's about how it was going for me. Wait til we get the year with the big cicada hatch. Best topwater smallmouths I've ever seen.

I have fished the White from drift boats, river johns, and just once a 17'aluminum pushed by a 75hp jet, which was awesome. But these days I just wade, mostly. If water comes up, you can drive down and still get some fishing in before it gets to you. Unless I'm playing guide, these days I fish either for bigger fish w/lures or big streamers, or fishing dry flies. This is pretty big water in most places, "sight" fishing usually means the fish see you, too, and spook except for dinks. I've never had the herds of trout following my feet around like you get at Taney. Oh, driving around all these areas isn't the expedition it may seem at first. You'll burn gas, but I've hit 4 places on the White in a day to keep ahead of high water, wound up down by the Buffalo, went to an access point on it and caught a smallmouth, then drove back to the State Park about dinner time. Besides, not to get too personal here, but on my co-ed trips when high water gets you out of the water there is always something else to occupy your time!

Did you get any on topwaters, or did you try? It seems that this year the topwater bite happens early, then shuts down. I've done better on big clousers and craw type flies.

My wife insisted we honeymoon at Gastons, so that was a plus. You will have a hard time getting the cabin you want on this short notice at Gastons. You usually have to reservations 2 months ahead. Yes it's that popular. I wouldn't bring the boat. Unless you know Bull Shoals or Norfolk like the back of your hand, you'll be disappointed. That being said, the White for trout, and then hit the Buffalo for smallies can take up a whole week. Trust me, I've spent a 9 day vacation at Bull Shoals State Park camping. Streamers for big browns early, nymphing during the day, and dry flies when a hatch came off. Since you like those jigs, I'll guess you use spinning gear. If you fish the White try some smaller rapala minnow type lures. Most big brown trout hunters use shad rap crankbaits when the water is up, but when it's down nothing gets big trout going like a #6 or #8 husky jerk. Cast across the current and let the flow "swing" the lure back quartering through an area that looks good. Most strikes happen in the last 1/4 of the swing. If you try this make sure your drag is set a little light and you are ready. Last year I was showing a buddy this and he had his rod pulled right out of his hand by a 5 lb rainbow that after he splashed over and got it back was still so freaked out by it he broke the fish off.

Hootentown to Galena is too long unless you really know the water. There are several places in this part of the river that I skip and concentrate on the real good places I have caught good bass in the past (sorry, I can't say where) But Hootentown to H.L. Kerr access is easily done in a day and a good float.

I wasn't going to say what Al A just posted becuase it was maybe off topic, but it's true. Use braid on your spinning reels. If you don't like how visible the braid is, use a 8'-10' mono or fluorocarbon leader tied with back to back uni knots. Some guys use a blood knot but the uni works for me.

I'll second Bull Shoals State Park. I have camped there off and on for, jeez, it must be 15 years now. It will be more crowded in summer, but I have fished dry flies in the riffle by the park store and caught 16" cutts and rainbows, and the first time my girlfriend (now my wife) fished there she caught a 3 lb rainbow on her first cast on a little cleo spoon. You can get supplies at the little town of bull shoals. Harps grocery store. I like to stay at gastons resort when I have the funds, but some of my best times were camping at the state park.

I know most of you folks don't know me and I don't post every trip on here because I like to keep some spots secret but.. I tore the achilles tendon on my left heal wednesday, and will be at St. Johns monday in surgery. I think they said 4-6 weeks recovery. I will have to read the reports and wait until I can get back out there, so keep them coming!

I was having good luck on fly rod popper, and on a spit'n'image topwater in a light, almost clear color. But by 9 a.m. or so the smallmouth hit subsurface lures like flukes and floating jerkbaits better. On the Finley this has been true, also.

I looked at the MDC regulations on the color coded map, then I went and looked at the booklet that you can pick up at bass pro, wal mart, etc. It is 15" or bigger only 1 per day. Oh well, no wonder that guy gave me the bug eyed stare when I said that they have to be 20" !!! He said, "#@% that's a big smallmouth!" I said "Yep, sure is" and paddled off.

I love this idea. Anytime after early July, as my son is due here shortly. Table Rock against OA folks sounds like fun and a learning experience, also. Count me in unless the entry fee is too high!

The trophy area is from Hootentown access to Galena -- 1, and only 1 18" or larger smallmouth is the daily limit. However, largemouth and spotted bass may be kept 12" or larger in the normal amount. I think smallmouth in streams should be catch and release only, but everyone knows I am a radical. As I asked the man Sunday "Who eats smallmouth anyway?"

Fished hootentown-galena today. That makes for a long day. The "magic" smallie beaver didn't have much magic today, and my favorite fly rod popper wasn't doing it either. I did catch a real good number of smallies on a soft jerkbait worked as fast as I could work it. I did educate a family, that in the trophy area, a single 13" smallmouth is not considered legal. Every smallmouth is a trophy, to me. But let them go, people.

Bump. Still for sale. If he was not such a sourpus he would probably get it sold faster

I fished Sunday, Hootentown to H.L.Kerr access (horse creek to the folks who stiil call it that)and it was pretty good. The usual booze and float morons were about, but the squalls of rain tended to make them hurry through instead of clogging up the good holes. I lost one reel good smallie that broke off my brand new, tied on the night before, 10 lb. test Vanish leader like it was nothing on a log. Lots of good 1 1/2 - 2 pounders. No pictures. Three lures were working most of the way: A little Bagley "Honey B" crank in craw. This is a tiny 1/8 oz. shallow diver. Great stream crank. My version of a Dave Whitlock deer hair popper, #6 frog pattern. #3 is a soft plastic that I thought was all hype before I tried it last year. It works so good that I hate to tell anyone- The smallie beaver. This thing just flat catches smallies! Rigged texas style with a 1/8 to 1/4 oz weight pitched into all the cover you usually avoid. Green pumpkin or PB&J colors both were great.

The spawn is about done on the Finley. I did see one small largemouth hanging around a bed last week, but he is gone now. Topwater action is going pretty good now, with fly and conventional gear. Caught 5 good smallmouths in a few minutes on a deer hair popper last weekend. I should have either a James river or Beaver creek report tomorrow, haven't decided where to go yet.