Bill Butts

Hybrids and Stripers are no different than Whites, they all move up out of the lakes into the tributaries to spawn or at least go thru the ritual. What you will find is that the main run of Hybrids will overlap the end of the run of White Bass, which is great because that means you have a longer period to fish the "run". On the Greers Ferry fishery, since it is a little more southern latitude, you should start finding Whites pushing up the tributaries as early as late Feb. and the end of the run of Hybrids possibly close to the end of April. Cody Smith would certainly know, and he would also know which tributaries are the most productive to fish and access. As you probably know, that lake is really two separate lakes joined by a "narrows". The upper lake is where the 3 primary tributaries are located and there are camping, boat and lodging facilities all around that area. Finding access by road to the better spots on the river is the key, and is different depending on the current lake level. On most tributaries during the spring spawning run, the best places to locate concentrations of fish are the first 2-3 shoals above lake water. Prior to the start of the run, fish will "stage" in the deeper river channel downstream from flowing water waiting for the perfect timing of water temp and daylight hours. If you like to catch Walleye, they run and spawn prior to White Bass, the Greers fishery is an exceptional one for them, too. Unless it has changed, I believe Greers Ferry is still the lake that produced the current world records for both Hybrid Striper and Walleye. Good luck this Spring!

Ham, There is an excellent young guide on that fishery by the name of Cody Smith. His website is fishgreersferry.com He provides fishing reports on the AGFC website, weekly, and usually provides more detailed info than you would expect from a guide. I think there would be a good chance he would help you locate that spot. Greers is one of the very best Hybrid Striper fisheries in the midwest, you might want to consider a day or two on the lake with Cody, too. Topwater action in the fall would be my suggestion. Hope this helps, Bill

Greasy B, That would be a safe assumption that the hook was too weak. Was he bait fishing, jig or lure fishing or with fly tackle. The size of the hook is not critical, but the strength and sharpness are critical. If you can provide some additional details, I'll try to help and I'm sure the other guys will too. Bill

Would love to meet up with you, let me know if you're up in the city. Heck, I'll drive down if that's better for you. Do any of your old Kansas buddies, like Kelly, fish Sooner Lake? That is becoming a big time attention getter, and will only get better in the coming years.

Everyone has their own opinion of how to classify the sizes of Hybrid Stripers, but I will share mine. Since I personally focus only on the Temperate Basses - Striped, Hybrid Striped and White Bass, I classify them by the tackle I use. For White Bass and small Hybrids, roughly up to 4#, I use 6 and 7 weight fly tackle. For medium size Hybrids and small Stripers, roughly from 5 to 10#, I use 7 and 8 weight fly tackle. For large Hybrids and Stripers over 10#, I use 8 and 9 weight tackle. For the opportunities that I am targeting Stripers that would be in the 15-20# and larger category, I stay with a couple of 10 wt broomsticks. In short, I know several guys who have caught a lot of Hybrids, on several different fisheries, and every one of them considers a Hybrid over 10# to be a Biggin. Hope this is helpful.

Yes, on the December trip.

Spring River is quite a great area to invest one's time and efforts. We had a very good trip just a month ago, in mid-Dec, catching 75-80 Whites of the one and two year old variety. Nothing larger than 1.5#, but great fun on a winter day. We used sinking fly lines with small Clouser Minnow type patterns, nothing over 2" in length. The number of Whites in that river channel had to have been incredible as we found them from one side of the channel to the other for a good quarter mile. Several boats that day, including one guide boat, but I'm glad to say all were respectful to keep their distance when moving up and down the channel. There is a good 5-6 miles of river channel from Twin Bridges to above Highway 10 that has no discernable current when the river is low. There is also good depth in much of the channel, so it must hold bait 12 months of the year for the fish to remain in there. We were probably 3 miles above Twin Bridges, but some friends went the day after our trip and found plenty of fish well above where our success was best. A note about tackle and line size. While the Whites are easily handled with light spinning or fly tackle and 4-6# line or tippet, don't discount the possibility of encountering Hybrid Stripers of significant size mixed in with the Whites. On fisheries that have Hybrids, Stripers or both, I never use the extra light tackle or line. Usually a 7 wt fly rod and 8-10# line (tippet). I've found that fly or lure size, and color, is more important than line size. And, it's best to use a good quality hook in your lures or flies, one that is sharp and strong, and can take the abuse of catching many fish and tapping the bottom without easily dulling. They cost more, but you won't need as many if they're good quality. Last note, the Spring River is usually one of the earliest rivers in our region to have White Bass consistently up in the moving river water. The fish will move up and down with water temperature changes early in the season, but we've found them many times as early as mid to late Feb. Glad to say that time is coming up very soon!!! Good luck to all.

No idea what an FOF fly is. Am I the only one who doesn't know? If you have that high a regard for it, I'm totally curious.

Hey Scott...... You are de Man! First ever shot of a mixed bag from casting AND blasting I can recall. There must be a special "slam" term, what would you call it? If you'd caught the fish on a fly rod, you could coin it the "on the fly" slam. Keep up the good work! Serioiusly, wish we had more participants who would share openly like you do.

I don't know all the right contact info for that area, but I would suggest starting with Jim Burroughs, the Supervisor of their regional office. He has been involved in the LIR issues, and probably still is, and my limited communication with him several years ago was extremely helpful and cordial. I believe he could help you with the names and contact info for the right folks to reach out to at the other agencies. Please post when you find out, I will certainly do my part to rally support, too. Thanks for your support, TTITD! Bill Jim Burroughs OK Dept of Wildlife Conservation Eastcentral Region 9097 N 34th St W Porter OK 74454-2743 (918) 683-1031 or (918) 683-0098 jb_odwc@hughes.net

This is potentially the best news in a long time for the LIR tailwater. Article starts off very rough, obviously the writer knows nothing about how lakes and tailwaters work, or have issues, and that the trout live in the river below not the lake above. Would be a great help if organized clubs and individuals would write letters and emails to the SWPA, USACE and ODWC to thank them for their collaborative and collective work, and encourage them to maintain a sense of urgency to work thru this to resolution.

Tecumseh Convenience store on Hwy 160 has 4 units with 2 beds and shower for about $50 night. No cooking facility but store has pizza wings snacks and drinks. Gainesville is only 8 miles. A good pizza house and a Subway is about the only other eve options. Don't take chance on drinking and driving back, that stretch is patrolled regularly. Good luck on the river.

Original strain was developed thru a dual effort of fisheries biologists from SC and TN, if I understand correctly. In SC it was called the Palmetto Bass (name of state tree), and in TN it was called the Cherokee Bass (name of first lake they were planted in TN). This Hybrid Striper is derived from Striper eggs and White Bass sperm. Years later, biologists in FL developed a "reciprocal" strain using the opposite sexes, and called it the Sunshine Bass. Interesting, the original strain has physical shape more similar to a White Bass (deep body and not a long tail), whereas the reciprocal strain favors the body shape of the Striper (longer tail section and not deep bodied). The closest state that I know for sure has experimented with stocking the reciprocal strain is OK, where biologists have done at least one 5 year study comparison of growth rates of the two strains, and determining which strain is least likely to migrate down river (called entrainment) during periods of high flows thru river/lake systems. That study was on Kaw Reservioir on the AR River system near Ponca City OK. Last conversation I had with one of the research biologists, they had already determined there was little difference in downriver migration, but the original strain were definitely growing at faster rates utilizing the same food base. Incidentally, in 2005, the ODWC stocked 690,000 of the reciprocal Hybrids in Grand Lake in order to re-establish a quality Hybrid fishery based on public requests. Regarding the name "Wiper", it is used by many fishermen and some state fisheries departments. It is simply a name given either version of the hybrid strain as you can pretty much tell. Personally, I believe it is a disrespectful and derogitory name for the hardest fighting fish, pound for pound, in freshwater. My 2 cents. Hope this helps shed some light on one of our great gamefish.

Wow, that is a tough one to call based only on the photos. I think FnF had a point that the symetry sure looked like a Sunshine Bass (Hybrid - egg from White Bass/sperm from Striper) as opposed to the original and most common strain which is the opposite. Interestingly the photos where the fish is on the beach certainly looks like a Striper (not stripper), but the hand held photos make the body look more White Bass-like. My guess is, since there are just slightly broken lines on the upper front half, that it is actually a Hybrid Striper which are more commonly found in that river. Check out the websites that show how to distinguish Stripers, Hybrids and Whites based on the tooth patches on the back of their tongue, that way next time you catch one you let us know for sure. When they're that size, they all taste pretty much the same. Awesome that you caught it with fly tackle, keep up the good work!!

Stayed there last weekend for a family reunion, but didn't fish the lake. However, I did spend some time talking with a very nice young man at the marina store who seemed very knowledgable. I think his name was Lance, wore a Cardinal hat, cant' be all bad. Suggest you look him up, hope name is correct. You might try calling down there, so if you need to buy some additional lures, etc you'd surely get them cheaper at home. Hope this is helpful.

Thanks for posting this. Some thoughts: It certainly excludes the use of an inflatable tube, or belly boat (covered tube), and I would assume the U-shaped tube designs. Tube-type PWCs (personal water crafts) are the most common and economical, but today not the only types of PWC. What would be interesting to determine is whether either of the catamaran style PWCs would be allowable. Hobie's version is a non-inflatable and probably overall safer that a yak or canoe. (wouldn't flip) Other catamaran styles are inflatable, most are dual bladders/pontoons (no internal tube) made of very heavy material. Another question to ask would be, if any of the above would be allowable, whether a trolling motor would also be allowable. A cat style rig with a trolling motor would be a great way to fish the local CU lakes. Another would be the FreedomHawk, with the split stern outriggers, with a trolling motor. It's yak, so it would be allowed. No matter what you fish from, be sure to wear your PFD when you're in your PWC.

Here is the question and answer regarding the type of the tube, which is an inflatable: What kind of float tube do you have? I am using a Outcast float tube, probably the oldest one on the planet still functional. I bought it around 1995-96 and it has been so darned good I haven't the heart to get a newer (really nice) one. The model is a Fat Cat 66 (for 66" tall) and it is like an old pair of comfortable shoes to me (ha). You can see the newer ones; Google Outcast Float Tubes; mine is the older version of the new Super Fat Cat. Very, very nice float tubes. I still haven't found your question and answer about using a tube on city owned lakes. Is that what you asked him? Would be helpful and appreciated if you'd post his reply. I'll keep looking. Thanks. Bill

check with City Utilities who manages that and Fellows and McDaniel lakes. several years ago, a buddy of mine was run off of Fellows and Springfield for using his float tube. CU said it was a liability risk they would not allow. He even had his attorney call their legal counsel and offer to provide a waiver of liability. CU would not make any exception. Please post what you find, I would like to tube Fellows for Muskies, too.

Ah, thanks for clarifying. Great bonus fish, when you're trout fishing!!

Nice Striper! Were you referring to the "park" as the RV/Resort park at MarVal, the access at Watts, or somewhere else. Just Curious.

Totally agree guys. Being a MO resident who fishes a lot in AR and OK, I have a great respect and appreciation for the fisheries programs in all 3 states. MO also has a 1/8th % tax for the MO Dept of Conservation which has allowed countless land purchases for public access and enjoyment. There have been numerous attempted raids on that $$ over the years, ALL of which have been defeated with the help of the collective voices of MO sportsmen and outdoorsmen. MO has a citizen organization called the Conservation Federation of MO that totals 80 clubs with over 80,000 members that provide a broad collective voice in our state. I hope you have such a collective voice to help fight this raid attempt on AGFC funds. I urge you to join together to "fight the good fight" for this and future generations in your state.

Truly an example of one sharing our sport and another benefiting from it and thankful for it. Awesome! Bet it won't be long til the little guy wants to go again.

You are Da Man!!!

Great info Scott, keep up the good work! You'll be eating well for a couple of days, for sure.

Nicely articulated post! It is unfortnuate that Muskies, like Stripers, get an unsubstantiated bad rap from some fishermen. Fisheries research has proven, and continues to prove, that species like crappie and LM bass actually benefit and flourish from co-habitating species like Muskies and Stripers. Unfortunately, there are some who wont'/don't do their homework to educate themselves, so they believe what they want to believe. Like others stated above, call MDC's Operation Game Thief for any wildlife violation, it is manned 24/7 -- 800-392-1111 Program it in your phone. BB