Seth Clarkson

My Dad got this nice gill Saturday on Bull Shoals with a 3/8 oz Booyah spinnerbait haha.

I'm not sure what type of tubes you were using, but I tried the full size Z-Man EZ Tubez for the first time on Bull Shoals a couple months ago and I was impressed. You don't even have to retie to change colors. They only have like 6 color options compared to the 20 plus that the Bass Pro Tender Tubes have but the Canada Craw had worked real well for me, and they were not able to tear up the Elaztech of course, so I only had to replace the tube if I broke it off.

Were you rigging these up on your ned heads? I picked up some of what I think were called slim swimz at Bass Pro on clearance and I think they are very similar to the finesse shads. I had planned to try them on the ned.

My pics of a decent sized rock bass and a Smallmouth with a weird bump above its upper lip are too big to upload. Without seeing the pic no one may know but has anyone caught any fish recently on James with a big bump or sore just a over their upper lip?

We put in at marble ground around 7 and took out at kerr around 3:30. Between 2 of us we caught close to 40 smallmouth (most were between 6 and 10 inches) with a handful over 12 inches, 2 small largemouth, a dozen sunfish/pumpkinseeds, 5 goggle eye and a catfish. We got hot and mainly paddled the last mile or so. Best baits in order were a yellow rooster tail, a watermelon with bright orange tailed slider, and a little brown crawdad crankbait. Had a 2 ft or so gar take the slider but jumped and threw it. Water seemed fairly dirty, certain areas were worse than others, but probably about normal water clarity. Some spots were pretty low with some big rocks sticking up. Got dumped once in some riffles when I got high centered but didn't lose any gear luckily. Only a couple spots were rough coming through if you chose your entries good.

Sorry I guess it would help if I could read too. When you say the bridge is out you are meaning we will have to pick a different driving route between the 2? Or that we are not able to float that stretch right now?

The water still seems to be moving fairly fast so, maybe more like 8 hours then.

Osage I see you quoted my post but I can't see what you wrote??? Accident maybe?

I think I ask you this everytime Yaknar, but what stretch did you float haha. Im thinking about mud bank to Hl Kerr on Friday.

Would a float from mud bank to Hl Kerr be roughly 10 miles and take 6 to 7 hours right now? I'm using this map link below and I think the 46.1 was mud bank is that correct? https://www.missouricanoe.org/river-maps/jamesfinley.html

I think I will be going down towards elbow, on the Arkansas line this weekend. What area did you fish and were any that you caught on beds that you were aware of?

There's always a PBJ Hula Stickz on one of my rods. Typically my 4 foot 6 inch ugly stick combo haha. It sure makes for a fun fight.

A Buddy and I went Hl Kerr to cox and we didn't do so great, lack of experience in that area speed of the water, and the dirty color I'm sure was all against us. A buckle on my seat broke and had to fasten a quick fix for the rest of the trip which slowed us down, but if we went straight through it would have probably only taken 3.5 hours, we were on for almost 4.5 with the buckle work stop and multiple pull offs and reties. We caught 2 smallmouth, 1 spotted bass, a couple rock bass and some perch. Spotted bass was on a whopper plopper 110 in loon color first thing. My smallmouth was on a pbj Ned rig tube. Had some perch nibbles on the Ned but not many bites. We tried a Chartreuse squarebill, a jitterbug, a popper, a rattle trap, Chartreuse micro ChatterBait, black and blue Ned rig tube, a Canada Craw TRD Hog, a hula grub in green pumpkin and a blue and Chartreuse worm with no luck. Only bites were the pbj TRD tube, whopper plopper, a greenish and yellowish small spinnerbaits.

I have never thrown one in any current to speak of, but sounds like it will still work well? I have a nice live target baitball popper that works will in clear water and sun, was hoping to use it. Otherwise if its dirty I have an old green and orange chug bug that will get some work in I suppose. Anyone had any luck yet on ploppers or buzzbaits? So far it seems like the more stationary topwaters have worked the best.

I was hoping to try for some top water action. I was going to throw the 110 Plopper in Black to start real early and then was hoping as the sun was coming up to throw a popper, but with that much current not sure how the popper will do. But I was contemplating a fluke already, and I am glad you suggested that. I'm thinking a white and bubble gum would be best. Ned rig may be in very selective spots around the current. I was wanting to throw a micro chatterbait, roostertail and the 1/8 oz spinnerbaits, but I am now thinking I will be doing more crank, fluke, and 3/8 oz spinnerbaits with some heavier jigs and maybe a heavy hula grub set up.

That sounds great, how was the fishing?

At the cfs range it is now and will be around Saturday, do you think that will require more fast moving and heavier baits like spinnerbaits and cranks instead of Ned rig and Texas rigs?

Glad to hear that it's a well liked stretch. I've only floated James once and it was from hootentown to mud bank after a good amount of rain. Didn't have much luck. Is there any areas to be aware of if the current picks up after the storms this week? I know the water levels are pinned to this thread but I don't have a good reference for what to expect.

Pretty sure Kerr to Galena is what we're gonna do, thanks.

Super helpful Dougie, much appreciated. If I end up floating James I'll report back. I haven't seen a Beaver Creek thread on here so if I go that route I may post to the upper bull shoals thread. Thanks guys

How long would that take you typically to get all the way to bunks from Kerr? Another option I've been asked about doing is a float on a stretch of beaver Creek somewhere.

I am debating on trying to float down the James and fish somewhere this weekend. I have only done it once before and that was from Hootentown to Mudbank after some rain the days prior and had little luck. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on where to go this weekend and how the water would be. I am wanting something in the neighborhood of 5 to 8 hours of somewhat slow fishing if the water allows. I was wondering about trying HL Kerr to Galena but have never done it before so was not sure on time, but thought may have a change at catching some good fish through that stretch. Any hot baits would great as well. Any info is appreciated. Thanks

What stretch did you float? I planning a yak fishing expedition of some sort for 5/19 but haven't decided where to go. Last year at that time I put together a 10lb plus bag at Taneycomo on beds, so may do that, but I am wanting to get into more smallmouth and river fishing this year.

Can you put in at k dock now?

I didn't think to check, would that have been a for sure confirmation? I need to start paying more attention. I was too excited about catching a decent fish, for the first time this year and snapping some pics, then releasing it that I didn't think about it.