Watcher

OK! OK! did anyone read the original post past the 5# section. Has anyone ever fished the Strawberry River at Ash Flat Ar, or The very upper Maramac,or the sections of streams that don't have but less than 25 to 50 anglers a year fish them? I know the Current River is less than a trophy stream, along with the Gasconade,Eleven Point,Osage Fork. These rivers have fallen to the weekend canoe anglers that keep almost every fish they catch. They have tried to turn the river beds into aluminium with their trash. I have have fished these streams for 57 years and hate to have seen what has happened to them because of the fact they are Loved to Death I fish the streams where they have no tournaments with weekend Bass Pros, or a line of canoes stretch for miles. In fact you have to work at walking and wadding them. If you take a canoe on them you carry it more than you sit in it. wadding calls for walking through briers head tall from one hole to another. I spend an half a day fishing one or two holes and don't see another angler all day. I don't fish to impress the guys at the weigh-in or to win a gift at War- Mart. I know a guy who has a spring at his farm and keeps Goggleye in it, when there is a local tournament he takes his bucket down to the spring and dips out his pets and takes them to the weigh-in. Then after he gathers up the prizes he takes them home and rewards them with a bucket full of minnows. Al talked about a 6 lb small mouth that he heard about being caught. I'm posting a photo of my trophy wall, not to impress anyone but all of the fish has been caught in the Ozarks Streams and Lakes. There is a 6# Smallmouth on it. The only reason it's there and not still swimming with the other big fish in the stream is because it swallowed the jig and got gill hooked. The 12# walleye came from the upper South Fork below Salem AR in 2001, I also had a 14# from the Lower Eleven Point in 2002. The 11# and the 11#+ Largemouth Came from Bull Shoals 1998 2001. The 12# Rainbow Came from The Current River. The 1# goggleye from the Piney. The 28# pike came from Kenora Canada. I wrote the post to let people know that the Ozarks has top quality fishing and if your willing to get up early and work hard at fishing, the Trophy fish are there. And they Are. In fact I'm glad to see that most of the posters here are not privy to the areas the fish are in. OH! about forgot to mention the State record Smallmouth Retired Conservation Agent D.N from Salem and I saw while fishing the Very upper Maramec near Salem Mo in 2003. he estimated the weight at 8+#. It swam by us three times, but would not strike. The potential for trophy Smallmouth is there but we as anglers have to work with MDC to develop it. If Genetics is what it takes we could take a load of Otters to TN for Smallmouth. We lost a angler last month here at the age of 71 who in 1998, I saw with a stringer of 4 Smallmouth all were over 4#, and all were released in the same water they were caught in. That is what it will take to get it back to the way it's supposed to be. I'm sure this will sturup some coneservice but that's my story and I'm Sticking with it.

The only place I know of is Montauk Lodge and Reeds Cabins, both at Montauk.

There is a new Tippet on the market. It is Trout Magnet Phantom. the tippet comes in 2# 50M/.14MM Dia.7X 100% Pure Fluorocarbon, 3# 50M/.16MM Dia. 6X 100% Pure Fluorocarbon, 4# 5M/.19 MM Dia. 5X 100% Pure Fluorocarbon. It is some good tippet comparable to Frog Hair.

Ever been on Northfork at night and a heavy fog settle in on the lake? Thats One Good Reason.

They did and they have a copy or two at the Lodge and they have a thick layer of dust on them. They also have Bennett Spring and Current river in them.

Al: I wrote the reply in a few minutes for a quick answer to the anglers question, I do realize what you say is somewhat very true scents 90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the anglers. But I myself have caught 4 5# smalley's in one day on two different Ozarks streams. And if not for the giggers and otters as competition on several other streams every angler should have a chance of a 4# smallie. Stockton Lake & Bull Scholes have great opportunity's for big fish also. On the Piney River in a 8 mile float during the early part of the year you can catch 45 to fifty bass in a day, again if you know when, where, what, and how. And if your near Duke Mo to the Fort you could very well see a 5 to 6# smally. In a hurried way I was Just letting the angler know what the Ozarks has in the way of streams and lakes which provide an outstanding smallmouth fishery. You have been in and around fishing and anglers long enough to know an true angler stretches the truth a wee bit to make other anglers envy his catch and waters he fishes. Just think about the great paintings from wildlife artist like yourself and Bruce Bowman, the fish never appear small, and makes the angler wish he was on the other end of the line. I wish the State Of Missouri would place 1/2 the amount of funds into Smallmouth research and stocking as they do other species. I feel the Missouri lakes and streams could rank up there with TN, AL, NC, and Canada for an abundance of trophy Smallmouth. Some people say the Bass can not grow like they do in the south because of the short growth cycle every year. How do they explain away Canada? Sorry I won't get on the soap box here about the smallmouth fishery in Missouri, it's still great here.

Smallmouth Bass Fishing In The Ozarks Angers in the Ozarks have a resource that is little known or over looked by the majority of the fishing public. If someone talks about Smallmouth fishing the conservation turns to Canada, Tennessee, Cumberland River, Dale Hollow, or the Great Lakes. This is an area of the United States, which is over looked as a Smallmouth fishery. All you have to do is get a map of the Ozarks and find a blue line representing a river, and the quest for the fighting bronze back is half done. Missouri has the Big Piney, Gasconade, Lower Current River, Eleven Point River, North Fork of the Gasconade, and dozens of smaller floatable or wadeable streams which produce an abundance of 3 to 5lb smallmouth. Granted that not every smallmouth you hook will be a wall hanger, but the numbers of fish you catch will beat most any smallmouth fishery in the country. 50 to 75 bass a day, (If you are an experienced smallmouth angler.) will make your arms ache and the scenery you will float through will be some of the most beautiful in the country. The key to catching the smallmouth in the clear Ozark streams is fish the rocks, shoal heads (Fast water running from one deep water hole to the next.) and use a bait that mimics the food fish feed on in that particular stream. The only exception to that rule is in the spring just after the spawn. Then top water is the way to go. After that it turns to Plastic worms 4” natural colors, 1/16th brown rubber skirt jig with a brown Uncle Josh Small pork frog, Silver Storm Thunder Stick, and the Rebel 1/8th Oz crayfish shallow running crankbait. No need for a vest or boat full of tackle if you have these baits. Look for deep holes with big boulders and timber that has sank in them. Cast your bait as close to the cover as you can and let it settle to the bottom. If using a Jig the smallmouth will be in crevasse under the log or rock resting in the shade. They will see what they think is a crawfish come drifting under the cover and the bite is on. Now here is where you get the bonus in fishing the Ozark streams. If there is not a smallmouth under the cover the odds are there will be a Goggle eye (Rock Bass.) hiding in the shadows. If it is 9” you have some for the best tasting fillets you will ever have on your plate. Luckily they love the same baits as the smallmouth. In the heat of the summer you can night fish the streams with a black jitterbug, 1/4th Oz Black Spinner Bait, or 4 to 6” black or blue plastic worm. Once you have pulled the jitterbug through the darkness and had a huge smallmouth slam it I don’t think you will change baits the rest of the night. ( PU!PU1PU!PU! PU! KUWASSSSH.) This is the time to concentrate on the fast shallow water near eddies and shoals, the bass will be feeding on the shoals. In Arkansas there is the Spring River, Black River, Myatt Creek, Strawberry River, South Fork, and dozens of smaller streams that hold Smallmouth. The Spring River is a river where you can hook up with Rainbow Trout, Kentucky Bass, Large Mouth Bass, Smallmouth, Goggle eye, Bluegill, Muskie, Drum, Carp, White Horse Suckers, Catfish and Walleye all in the same holes of water. From Mammoth Spring AR, to Hardy AR, is the best floating areas, but below Hardy has Miles and Miles of great fishing. The stories of huge Flathead Catfish being hand caught beneath waterfalls on the river are true. Some of the locals have the skin wore off their wrist from hand grabbing the Flatheads. Keep in mind that some of the smaller streams go through private property and you need to do some research on access’s where you can enter and leave the streams. Most folks will give you a permission to enter the streams on their property, If they have not had a bad experience earlier with the anglers before you. Just keep that in mind while you’re on the stream, and don’t mess it up for the next guy by littering or doing damage to the land or river. Most of the smaller streams can not stand a lot of fishing pressure and maintain the quality fish they have now. To assure the resource will remain at the levels they are now practice catch and release. Great Bait for Smallies

All for $25.00 Prize.

Here Is a link to the latest report on Montauk. Report Link

Fishing jigs is easy and a big bass producer. I’ll start out with the equipment and add some tips as I go along. I do very little flipping. Pitching is were you are back off of cover and using a underhand swing of the jig to the target. It’ll be hard when you first start pitching, but after some practice it`ll become second nature for you. The list of equipment is things that have helped me master this technique. Rod-The best rod I have found is a MH 7 1/2 (Cranking Stick)from Bass Pro Shop.$49.95.I keep a eye on BPS sales list and got some for $39.95.It`s a great rod ,that has a good bend and will load up to send a jig 20 ft.back under trees and hard to get to spots with no problem. A rod like this is very important for this kind of fishing. Need the length to keep the jig off the water on the swing and to be able to load it up to shoot it like a bow and arrow. The length of line that you start out with for a pitch is the biggest mistake most people make. On a short pitch 15' or less, the jig can be around the reel with a free fall of the jig. For a mid. length pitch over 15',start with the jig between the reel and first line guide. Load the rod up a little on the pitch.For a long pitch 25' or more, have the jig around the first rod guide and load the rod up. Loading the rod up is the amount of bend you put in a rod before releasing the jig. Reel-You`ll need a high speed low profile baitcaster so you’ll have good control over it and be able to stop on a dime. Got a rod locker full of Quantum’s. A good cheap one is a Quantum Classic Express that I use only for pitching.$59.99.This reel also has a magnetic cast control that helps with the backlash. You will get backlashes, the pros get more than you would think. If you are already pretty good with a baitcaster, go with a left-hand one. You wouldn’t believe how many more hook ups you’ll get if you don’t have to change hands after casting. A lot of hits come on the drop and if your changing hands you don’t feel it. Helps a lot. You`ll need the high speed because sometimes the bass comes out of cover so fast with the jig, that you’ll have a hard time catching up to it. More on that later. Line-P-line Floroclear works for me. Tough as nails and the fish can’t see it. Helps with the backlash’s too.20# or 20#XL Jigs-Down to just using Uncle Josh Jig and Pigs. I carry only brown crayfish. They are strong enough to get the big ones in. The only jigs that I lose are from the hook breaking off from being straightened back out so much. If your not getting hung up you’re not fishing in the right spots. I think that the big ones have been gotten on rattletraps and other rattling baits so much that they wouldn’t hit one after they get so big.3 1/2-4 lb.s. Never had a big one run a rattletrap down. Only got them from landing on them after a long cast, reaction hit. Baits-Big fan of (Zoom) Baby brush hogs. The colors that i use most are pumpkin and root beer. One or the other has been real good to me so far this year. I doctor it a little. Cut the wings so that it will flip up and cut it off at the base of the wings before you add it to a jig. This little trick really helps .It makes it a real compact bait. Great for pitching into holes on the shoreline and into downed trees. It’s something that the bass don’t get to see to much of. That helps a lot. The combo of a mini jig and baby brush hog makes a slow falling bait that they’ll hit if you put it in their face. You can put a lot of dif. baits on a jig, lizards, grubs, worms. The list is endless. If I don’t get hit within a half-hour ill start changing colors then size. Some days the used bait cup will be half full before I find what they want. Cover-Shore line cover can be weed line, bush, logs, under trees and limbs. Shade plays a big part on where big bass will be. The harder it is to get a bait back into cover the better your chances of getting a big one is. For shore lines I look for one that drops off fast.8" or more in the first foot. I`ll pitch to every hole in the weed line or any where i think there may be a under cut bank or anything on it. Under big trees that have limbs almost on the water produce best. The farther they come out on the water the better they are. I can get a jig under and through a hole 8 inches high and wide 20 ft back under a tree a few inches off the water without making a splash on entry. If you really get into this technique you’ll be able to fish places that no one else can. That's where the big bass hang out. Downed trees, ill start pitching to the tip first. Then work every branch that comes off it. A lot of hits will be as you craw a jig over a branch and let it fall back down. You`ll get the feel of a hit or if its just another limb or something. One moves and the other doesn’t. On the shore line just hop it a few times in each hole. Under trees and around downed trees drag it slowly up and over anything it comes across. Always stop reeling if you feel something to see if its moving. Always stop reeling if you feel something to see if its moving. That was worth repeating. Hook set-Never, never try to set the hook till you feel the fish and then only when you start getting a bow in the rod. A jig is a big bait that takes a little time for them to get it all the way in their mouth. If I see or feel the line moving, ill start to reel down slow to where i can feel the fish. If they drop it, let it set for awhile.9 out of 10 times they’ll come back and pick it up as long as you didn’t jerk on it. If you didn’t feel the fish, they didn’t feel you. On a drop, put some slack in the line and watch the line for the pick up. Then reel slow to where the rod tip is almost touching the water and you feel the bass before you set the hook. That 7.5' rod picks up a lot of line fast for a good hook set. Pitching-This is a close up technique and the most important thing i can tell you is (silence is deadly) No noise in the boat or on the pitch .If your making a big splash on the jig entry all your chances of getting a big one just left, it`s not going to happen. Go around to your local lake to practice. That way you’ll see how much of a splash your making. I cant tell you how important a good pitch is. If you can get it down to where it sounds like a baitfish jumping on top its ok. Your almost there. A perfect pitch makes no sound or ripples (silence is deadly)It took me two full years with a flipping stick in hand to master this technique. By the time you can make a 15-30 foot pitch accurately with no noise you’ll know where and how to fish a jig. Your skill level only limits the length of a pitch. It take time and practice to get this down right. But it’ll pay off in some of the biggest bass of your life. You’ll have to become a line watcher.99% of the time you don’t feel a hit. They just pick it up and swim off with it. All you’ll see is a twitch or see the line moving. If you hop a jig and don’t feel it, something’s got it and swimming towards you. Reel up the slack till you feel the fish before you try to set the hook. A lot of times I have had them swim all the way under the boat before I could catch up to them. This will happen allot. Expect it. This technique will work all year round. The only difference. is in the summer you’ll get more bass. The main thing is you have to have the right rod to get it to work right. For most people, they cant set the jig right. With the 7.5' rod you wouldn’t have too many problems. Just wait till you feel them. On the shore line or shallow water i leave slack in the line after pitching it, that will give you something to watch for a hit. Leaving slack in the line also helps to keep you from moving it too much when you’re jigging it. If you pitch next to a log, you don’t want to move it too much. Just enough to make it move a inch or so in between pauses. In the summer you can work it a little faster than in the winter. In the winter you have to almost dead stick it. In deep water, still pitch it. Just to keep the noise down. You’ll have to keep in contact with the jig on a tight line. Most of the time that I am jigging, the rod is in the 10-11 o’clock position. That also helps to keep you from moving it too much. If you feel something, drop the rod tip and see if the line is moving. If you don’t see it moving, reel down to a tight line again and feel for the bass before you try to set the hook. Best thing about jigs is you have a little time before you have to set the hook. During the winter, most people try to set the hook way to soon. Sometimes you’ll have to let them swim with it for awhile before they have it all the way in their mouth. If you gut hook one, you’ll know to jerk sooner. It takes a different amount of time from day to day. One more tip. If you gut hook one. Reach into their mouth and push the jig head over to the gill plate. Stick a finger on it through the gill plate. Then reach in with your other hand and hook the jig with a finger in the bend and pull. With the mini jigs they’ll pop right out without hurting them too much. You don’t gut hook a lot of dinks, they don’t hit a jig that much. Most of your fish will be keeper size and better.

Hey check out what Art and Kelly have started at Reeds Cabins. And look at the home page about the BBQ. I have had some of the BBQ and it was the best I have ever had. Trophy page I was in there yesterday and saw the trophies and they are nice. Those guys are making that a topnotch resort.

If you need any information on the walleye fishing on Spring river you can contact Kennith Davis in hardy, he is kin to me and was born and raised on the spring river 80+ years. Taylor camp is the family's camp and the fishing is some of the best on the river there. Kennith still lives about a mile from the river. My Mother was born at Mini Island and all her brother and sisters owned farms and lived on the river. I was born in Mammoth Spring and lived there for 32 years until work moved me. Still fish the river and creeks every chance I get.

How is the river down by Taylor Camp? Is the Walleye up near the falls yet?

They are running good water Today As all week, and the catfish were hitting on cut bait but they were small 5lb. The walleye are there also but very slow, on Chertreuse and yellow curly tail jigs bounced off the rocks on the east side below the parking lot next to the steeps and rail. Hope this helps.

The Missouri Department of conservation gives out Secret Bait (Dough Bait) at the kids free fishing event at Montauk. I heard it was the #1 selling bait there, and the store at Maramec is adding it this year. Weavers at Bennett has bait there also. I have not heard anything about the banding of bait in Missouri. This would not only hurt the kids a lot of grown-ups would not be happy. Burkley and Mikes baits will be hurting in the trout areas if this is true.