ozark trout fisher

I'm planning on doing a two day, one night camp trip on the Big Piney next weekend-probably from Slabtown to Ross. I try to float the more popular rivers on the weekdays, but I'm not able to make that work this time. How bad can I expect the crowds to be? I've already invited a couple other people on this float, so I'm pretty much locked in to the Big Piney, but I'd like to know what to expect. When I've floated it on weekdays it's been just about deserted, but I'm guessing that won't be the case this time. Thanks.

Thanks for the report. Sounds like a great evening indeed.

This just makes me sick to my stomach. The Yellowstone has always been one of the most pure river systems in the country, relatively unnaffected by man. Now this happens. It's one of the saddest stories I've heard in a long time. The lower Yellowstone where this occurred is a very unique and beautiful environment-I hope it survives this, but I kinda fear the worst.

I sure will post a report. Hopefully it'll be a good time, and the report will be good. I am going to have to learn how to post pictures on here when I get back.

I went with a Montague Leaping Brook that I bought on Ebay. It is a very old rod (I believe it was made sometimes in the 50s) and about as low-end as bamboo fly rods get (I got it for $70 something), but it is actually a nice little rod. It's not my main set up, but it has always been a treat when I have fished it. There is just something about the slow, graceful action of wood rods that I love. For me it's more of a sentimental possession than an actual fishing tool, but it's been a fine fishing rod as well. You can get a lot better rods, but you'll have a hard time finding any bamboo rod for less than the lower end Montagues. Maybe there are some, but I couldn't find any except those that were in very poor, unfishable condition. I can only dream of ever buying a new bamboo rod or even a moderately priced used one. Bamboo rods (at least the ones I can afford) are fragile old things. That's why it's not my main fishing rod, although I would love it to be.

I have been trying to to plan a trip to Colorado this summer for a while now, and much back and forth over whether it was actually going to work out, it finally appears that that unless something unexpected happens, the truck will be pointed west on August 7th. The destination is the mountains, rivers, and lakes of the west slope of the Rocky Mountains in Northwest Colorado. Here's how the plan is looking as of now: Leave early on the 7th of August, hopefully making it to the Continental Divide at Rabbit Ears Pass in western Colorado sometime after dark. As I mentioned, Rabbit Ears Pass is on the divide, at an elevation of around 9400 feet. The area is strikingly beautiful, classic Colorado high country. There is a campground there, and within easy walking distance is a little mountain lake which holds brookies and stocked rainbows. This isn't exactly what you'd call a destination lake fishing- wise, but it is located in some of the most beautiful country in the state, and often has decent fishing. I'll probably fish it for a few hours the next morning before moving on depending on how things go. Then it's on to Stagecoach State Park near Steamboat Springs, to fish the Yampa River tailwater for rainbows. This is very pretty foothill country, and it's probably the best trout water on the Yampa, although certainly not the easiest water to fish, as the trout possess all the normal traits of tailwater fish. I'll fish there that afternoon/evening, and the next morning, before moving on to the Lake Avery Campground near the town of Meeker for the next night. Lake Avery itself is worth fishing for stocker 'bows, but the real attraction there is the White River, just a few hundred yards from the lake. It's a classic western freestone stream with a very good population of wild cutthroats, rainbows, browns, and Mountain Whitefish. After we fish there that afternoon and the next morning, I head to the final fishing stop, Trappers Lake and the Flattop Wilderness. This is some of the prettiest country you'll find anywhere, with 10,000 foot + peaks, beautiful alpine meadows, and ponds, lakes, creeks, and rivers that are chock full of native cutthroat and brook trout. Trappers Lake is probably the best native cutthroat fishery in the state that you can drive to, but the real attraction is the secluded ponds and streams that you have to hike into- you can cast to good sized cutthroat in tiny streams, fish that may or may not have every seen an an artificial fly. We'll spend two nights in this area, and I will say that is the part of the trip that I am looking forward to the most. Somewhere probably at the end of this stay, I will make it up to my old home town of Craig for a few hours, in the high desert along the Yampa River. That probably won't be a fishing stop (although I might just take a few casts, as there are a some trout in that stretch of the Yampa, it's just far from the best water) , but just kind of a look around at a town where I spent five years of my life. It's a bit out of the way, but I can't go all the way to the Westslope of Colorado without at least a short visit. Then it's the long drive home. All of the areas that I'm going to be hitting are pretty close together-all in a relatively small chunk of Northwestern Colorado, but the really cool thing is the different kind of country and fishing that you can experience. If all goes as planned,there'll be high mountain fishing in an Alpine or sub-alpine environment in classic Colorado high country in the Rabbit Ear Pass and Flattops Wilderness area, tailwater fishing on the upper Yampa, fishing a good sized, western pocket water river on the White that flows through pasture and cottonwood country, and big lake fishing on Stagecoach and Lake Avery. Then there is the sagebrush desert around Craig, and the slow waters of the middle Yampa where I learned how to catch trout with some consistency. I love it all, and you really can find just about every sort of western fishing and western scenery in that area-which is what draws me there. I should say that all of this is very tentative. My plans on these sort of trips are never really set, and if, say, the fishing turns out to be unexpectedly good in the Rabbit Ears Pass area, I could easily just stay there the whole trip. That kind of thing has happened before. All I can say is I sure hope it all works out.

I think I do know where you are talking about. If we're talking about the same place, that sure is one of the prettier parts of the river with all the big rocks, bluffs, etc. Another area I find to be kind of cool is right in the same stretch. On river right, there is a pond or lake of some sort that is connected to the river. On the steep hillside above it, there is some kind of very old looking stone structure. Any idea what that is? I wonder every time I paddle past it.

I'm glad you had a good time on your float. But more to the point, I guess I do really like slow, muddy rivers with fewer fish. And that is the end of this argument.

Superior... I'd say that's pretty subjective. Yes, the Meramec and other nearby waters (Huzzah, Courtious, etc) have more smallmouth bass, but they also have many times the crowds that the Bourbeuse has. The stretch that I usually fish isn't serviced by even one canoe rental, and it's a fairly long float at normal to low water levels with no intermediate accesses. That keeps folks away. In my last two floats on the Bourbeuse, I have seen exactly one person along the river, and no other floaters. That's the point. I would rather have poor fishing and solitude than good fishing with crowds.

You are all right when you say the Bourbeuse isn't what it used to be. I never got to fish it in it's glory days before the spotted bass, but I know from all I've heard that it was much better than it is now. But you can 't go back in time, and all I can do is fish the Bourbeuse River of today and enjoy what it currently has to offer. It is very sad that a formerly great smallmouth river has fallen so far, but other than keeping the spotted bass and releasing the smallies, there isn't much I can do about it. So I just love the river for what it is, a damaged, imperfect fishery that nonetheless has plenty to offer if you're willing to accept it for what it is.

No hard feelings on my end of things. Different fisherman like different rivers for different reasons, which is as it should be.

I've had some of my best days smallmouth fishing ever in that general area of the Big Piney. I've done well on Rebel Craws and Rooster tails.

As much as the stream access law in Colorado bothers me, I do agree that the fact that it is possible to get out there in one day and get the chance to fish very good Rocky Mountain trout water is very nice. So maybe proximity is the most important factor of all, making this poll question pretty much pointless.

Fair enough. A good fisherman can do well with any kind of set up. I just think that if someone can afford to spending 20 or 30 dollars more, they might get a better beginning experience. But if the $19.99 set up is what you can get, then by all means go with it. I am anything but an elitist on this- when I spin fish I use a $20 ultralight outfit bought at Walmart. But for a decent fly rod that allows me to fish it the way I want to, I feel the need to spend at least $60 or 70. If you can get a serviceable outfit for less then that's all to the good though.

I've not fished West Virginia but I want to someday.

Absolutely. It is very nice being able to hit the good holes twice if you want to. I find the smallmouth fishing is spotty on the Bourbeuse. That's not a bad thing really, it just changes how you have to fish the river. On a fast, clear stream like the Big Piney or the Jacks Fork the bass are spread throughout the river to a reasonable extent, because most of the water is decent smallmouth habitat. On the Bourbeuse the smallmouth seem to be concentrated in the relatively few pieces of good habitat-but if you're willing to go on long floats and cover lots of water you can do pretty well. It's a river that is can be pretty puzzling and can leave you wanting more, but I enjoy that and it keeps me coming back. I intend to get to know the river pretty darn well this summer and figure it out as much as I can. I am going to concentrate on it because it is so close and I like it so much, and just absolutely learn the river. Learn the good holes, learn how to catch the bigger fish, etc.-and generally make it my home river. It's been too long since I have gotten to know a river as well as I have a chance to here. I guess I also just like the fact that it is so unconventional of a smallmouth river. I mean, look at it as you drive over the highway 50 Bridge. It's deep, slow, and muddy. Carp and catfish water right? But then you get on it and float it, and find out it's not only beautiful in it's own way but it also has some halfway decent smallie fishing.

Crappy bass lures. Interesting. They don't always work well, but there have been times where I have had some truly amazing smallmouth bass fishing on Rooster Tails. As a matter of fact, the best day of smallmouth fishing I've ever head was on the Big Piney throwing 1/16 Ounce Sissy Lures. And then there was that time on the Saranac River in New York when I caught smallmouth till my arms were sore, most of them over 14 inches, and some as large as 18" once again, on Sissy Lures. And I have had many other good days with them for every species of bass that swims in every kind of water type. And they are inexpensive, which can be a deciding factor in itself. That may not matter to people who will readily pay 10 bucks for a lure, but some of us have the misfortune of living in the real world and have to make decisions based on cost. Whenever I post a report on here about using something simple and relatively inexpensive like a rooster tail or a Rebel Craw, someone often feels the need to say "No, you're doing it wrong. You've got to have these fancy lures and baits that cost an arm and a leg to catch fish." Do those help sometimes, yes they do. But by and large I am capable of catching fish and having a great time using my more simple lures on a $20 dollar ultralight set-up that I bought from Walmart.

Thanks for the report. I enjoyed the blog post a lot.

Sounds like a nice time. Thanks for the report.

JoeD, I can only say that anyone who wants to stay away from the Bourbeuse because it's not good enough has my blessing. SIU, I believe there is one canoe rental/shuttle service on the Bourbeuse called Devils Back Canoe Rental. I have always arranged my own shuttles, so I don't know much about them, or what stretches of river they service. Finally, Coldwater, despite the fact that I did catch some drum and spotted bass, I will say that the slight majority of the bass caught were honest to goodness smallmouth. That may be largely due to the fact that I concentrated a lot of my effort on smallmouth habitat (riffles, rocky areas, bluff holes, etc) as opposed to the dead, slow pools. The smallmouth weren't big (the biggest was probably just under 13") but at least they were natives. I know it's better further upstream but this shuttle is easy to arrange and it's one of the closest to where I live.

I got out again today on the float from Reikers Ford to Mayers Landing. This time I was a little better prepared- I stocked up with some tackle on the way there-and ready for a great day of floating the Bourbeuse River. The river was a little up and slightly more murky than usual, but it wasn't bad at all. If I had to guess I'd say there was a foot to a foot and a half of visibiliy, with the water getting more muddy further downstream. But I digress. The float was absolutely beautiful today. This stretch of river is surprisingly scenic, and pretty secluded too. And what's more, on this float unlike last time I actually got into some bass. It wasn't great, and it did take me a while to start getting fish, but the bite was decent enough to keep things interesting. Yes, this stretch of river is certainly suffering from the spotted bass, but there are still some smallies in there too, and I am happy to say that I managed to catch a few of those, . The best lure for me today was a Rebel Craw (big surprise.) They were also biting on 1/4 ounce white spinnerbaits, plastic worms, and a silver and black popper (thanks to those on here who suggested the spinnerbaits and poppers.) I experimented quite a bit today. I found fish in all water types from the fastest riffles to the slow, almost dead pools, but not surprisingly the stretches with some steady current were best especially for the smallies-but it didn't have to be much. It can be done much more quickly, but I decided to pretty much take the whole day for the float, starting at about 10:30 A.M. and getting to the takeout at 8:30. It was a great day. I am really starting to fall in love with this float and the Bourbeuse River in general. All the things that I used to dislike about the river (the long, slow pools, the off color to muddy water, etc) are beginning to seem like advantages. It makes the river seem "undesirable" and keeps people away. The river sure isn't for everyone but it can be really nice if you go into it with an open mind. The biggest fish of the day- a freshwater drum in somewhere around the 13-15 inch range that just slammed the Rebel Craw. I thought I had big old smallmouth for a second until I saw it. Oh well, it fought hard anyway and was an interesting surprise. I also got into a few of the longear sunfish and once again they were strikingly beautiful.

Probably. It's a nice fish wherever it came from.

I agree. Roostertails are great! But don't tell Coldwaterfsher that. He might call you a sissy.

The gauge says it's at 339. That probably won't be the best for fishing, but unless it gets above 1500 or so I'll probably float it anyway. Even if the fishing is bad it oughta be better than staying home. Thanks for the advice. I think you're right about throwing something with color and flash. I intend to stock up on good sized spinnerbaits before I head out. If the rivers pretty off color maybe that'll draw some attention.

Kayser and Gavin have it covered pretty well. River fishing often is a lot easier than lake fishing (not always though!), and in my opinion for a variety of reasons it can be most enjoyable. If you are fishing for trout, smallmouth bass, or any other species that relates heavily to current, often the best place to fish in the above described riffle pool complex is right where the riffle comes to the head of the pool. In that "sweet spot" the fish have current to bring them food and oxygen as well as depth to give them protection from predators and some protection from the sun. If there is some cover in that area it makes it even better. Another very good place to look for smallmouth or trout is in the riffle itself. If there is a boulder, fallen tree, drop-off, or anything else that gives protection from the heavy current, you can bet there are some fish relating to it. If you are river fishing for largemouth bass, catfish, or sunfish, it really isn't a lot different from lake fishing. These species tend to hold in the slower water of the pools and related to weeds, rocks, fallen trees, and other cover much like their lake-residing cousins. One final thought: river fish that reside in heavy current areas generally relate to the bottom more than lake fish. The bottom is where the current is slowest, so that is where the fish like to hold. Therefore when fishing riffles or other fast current areas it usually pays to have your lure, bait, or fly near the bottom. There are exceptions to this of course, particularly when the fish are feeding actively in the mornings and evenings,but it is still something worth remembering. This isn't true to nearly the same extent in slow water areas of the river where fish don't need the protection from the current that the bottom of the stream provides. Topwaters and other lures that ride high in the water column can often work well in these areas.