CDC

I finally managed to snag up one of those canoes that goes for sale on craig's list all the time (16 ft pelican) so had to go floating this weekend. We opted for a Big Sugar Creek float. Had Kozy Kamp shuttle us up river to Craig O'Lee and floated down. The river is getting pretty low but we managed to make it through with very little dragging. If we go another week without rain it will be more of a walk then a float. Caught quite a few little small mouth in the 8" range and 2 or 3 in the 14 to 15" range all on soft plastics. All in all it was a nice float and decent fishing. The best thing about floating Big Sugar is that, if the fish aren't biting you can always jump in for a swim...water felt great on a hot day.

Nice rock bass. I swear there is a state record rock bass in that river...

Just thought I would let you know that I did the shorter float about a week or two ago and it was a pretty tricky take out. The ice storm has put some brush in the way and the creek is a tad bit deeper there then it used to be. We had to pull the canoe over a downed tree (while standing on it) and under another one. It still wasn't as bad as the log jam from last year but I hear that the river is pretty much cleared out now and it might be a very tricky take out with a jon boat.

Chief, Yeah, we tend to fish pretty slow...my cousin is bad about getting a small nibble (or sometimes i think just hitting a rock) then wanting to stop and fish the hole for 20 minutes....I am really not too upset by that because i just enjoy being there. Strange how it was so much different for us. The few we did catch bit pretty quick but man was it few and far between. Like I said, sometimes you just need to be taught a little humility....it will be better next time. Hope to run into you guys again sometime.

Small world huh? I don't mind going with a fly fisherman at all. Shoot me an email if you like and we can work something out. I don't get off of work until 5:00 and this week may be a little busy but I might be able to squeeze out a short evening float on Wednesday if you are up for it. Old 71 bridge to Redding's Mill bridge is a pretty quick float with some decent fishing. Let me know what you think.

Hey, I was wondering how you guys did. I guess a lot better then me. I threw a spinner for a short while but got absolutely nothing on it. Even tried the inline spinner for a while and did manage to pull in a little large mouth but not much action on it either. We caught all the rest of our fish on soft plastics (the arkie's crawler is about all my cousin will fish with). I sure am glad to see that it was producing for you guys and it is not a problem with the creek....guess it was just a day to teach me a little humility I am just going to go with the excuse that you guys were in front of us stirring everything up. How long did it take you guys to get down to wagonwheel? I have floated all the way down before but I tend to move pretty slow and stop a lot. that is a long float for me so we usually cut it in half. Now that the trees are down at the halfway takeout point we may have to go all the way down again. Maybe I can get out there this weekend and turn it around.

Well got up early this morning and headed to Ritchie for a little fishing. My cousin and I have a float that we used to do all the time from Highway E bridge to Racoon Road (about 3 1/2 miles) so we thought we would try it out again. Well we found out that the takeout has changed quite a bit over the last year with some downed trees and a little deeper water. It was always just a little tricky to take out there but this time it was just about impossible but we did manage. Well, it started off pretty slow. We got in the water around 8:30, got a few little bites but no fish landed for a long time (and we were fishing it hard). Finally he lands a nice largemouth (pic below) to get us started....then it was another mile or a little more before either of us caught another one. We ended up pulling two more largemouth (about half the size of the one below) and a small rock bass but no small mouth. This place used to be over run with big small mouth but not today. We finally pulled two smallies (about 9 inches each) from a set of rapids about a quarter mile from the take out. The bite started to pick up quite a bit about this time (around 2:00 p.m.) but they all seemed pretty small and couldn't get the hook in their mouth. All and all I guess it was a good trip but it sure isn't producing like I remember it producing, in fact it was pretty slow. I have been in Texas for the last seven years so not sure if it was just a slow day (and last two weeks) or if the small mouth just aren't there anymore. Anybody having any luck lately with the shoal creek small mouth?

Hey Wildhunter. I was in Nacogdoches. Anytime you want to float just let me know. I am working on getting a canoe right now but have one that I can borrow most anytime.

I just found this forum. I am a native of the Joplin MO area (actualy from Webb City) but I have been living in East Texas for the past 7 years. Just moved back about a month ago and man am I excited to get back on these Ozark streams (no smallmouth in East Texas). I primarily fish Sugar Creek, Indian Creek, Elk River, and Shoal Creek but have made some trips to Niangua, the Gasconade, the Current, Jacks Fork, and The Meremac. If anybody needs a fishing partner near Joplin just let me know...i have a couple of pretty good floats that could easily be done in an evening after work.

You had better luck then me. I did a wade fish from Deep Ford to Craig Olee and only cuaght two little small mouth. Been pertty slow the last two weekends I was up there. Maybe the floods washed the fish down streem a little and I need to be fishing the Elk.

First post on this site. I just moved back to Joplin from Nacogdoches Texas and am very excited to get back to that same float. Was back on vacation about a year ago and floated it and hit the same log jam....we dragged our canoe over it and walked on the logs...tricky though. Anyway, I tend to fish pretty slow so that is actually a pretty long float for me. I can cut it in half by taking out at Racoon Road. The road dead ends at the creek and there are a few houses down there but I have floated it for years and even talked to one of the people that live down there. They said they didn't mind us parking there at all as long as we don't leave a bunch of trash. I put in at Ritchie bridge and take out there. A little bit of a steep bank but not too difficult of a take out with a canoe (may be difficult with a jon boat) and avoids the big log jam on the second half of the float. Great stretch of river...got to love those fat shoal creek smallies and goggle eyes.