Crooked Creek Angler

My favorite rod for the money would be the 6'6" Bass Pro Bionic Blade in the ML action. Has the length and action to fling a light bait a long ways and enough back bone to bring in the big ones. I just bought a 6'3" St. Croix Avid. Quite a bit more expensive, but very light and sensitive with a very fast tip. It's my new favorite. It goes in the bottom of the boat before I get into a tight, brushy turn.

I don't claim to know much about how gravel mining impacts the smallmouth fishery on Crooked creek, but I have a feeling the creek was doing just fine in the 10,000 or more years it was around before gravel mining started. Just a guess though....

I'm quite familiar with identification of water snakes and have seen hundreds and hundreds of the non-poisonous variety on Crooked creek. In the past 20+ years I have only seen one cottonmouth above the Hwy 14 bridge at Yellville. However, on a hot summer day below the 101 bridge it's not uncommon to see 6 or 8 sure enough cottonmouths, some with bad attitudes. I'm not particularly afraid of any type of snake, poisonous or not, but I tend to give the poisonous ones a little wider berth. I actually used to wade some of the lower end at night alone, Last time I went I almost stepped right on one of the nasty type and decided that was it for me! I still float that section in the daytime though, especially in the spring when the waters cool and the snakes aren't too lively. I've noticed an increased population of cottonmouths on the lower Buffalo too in the past 5-10 years.

I like the lower section the best and usually put in at about noon on a Wednesday at Rush and take out in the afternoon on Friday at Shipp's Ferry access on the White river. Shipp's Ferry is about 5 or 6 miles down from the mouth of the Buffalo and allows you to do a little trout fishing as well. Also means that you don't have to worry to much about the White river level or huff and puff to paddle upstream to the take out.

I'm sure this is a little late in coming, but I believe that for a time after the lake Norfork flood gates were open that there may have been no limits, (or different limits) on the warm water species that were dumped through the gates and into the North Fork river. They were trying to get the species like walleye and stripers out of the river to reduce their impact on the trout fishery. No change on the lake though.

Being an engineer myself I can appreciate your calculations. I caught one on the lower Buffalo a few years ago that I did measure at 20 1/2", (it was about a 1/2" longer than my 20" bass tournament measuring board). This one seemed at least as long, but definitely a healthier, heavier fish. Thanks for the insight.

Thanks. I'd like to catch her again myself in a year or two!

And I bet you'd be right. Pretty recognizable on the river for anyone who's floated there much. One of the reasons I cropped the photo down some.

A buddy and I floated the lower end putting in on a Wednesday around 1:00 and taking out on Friday around 5:00. The water was low, clear, and cool. The weather was nigh on perfect. We caught just a little over 200 bass, (only one was a largemouth), on a variety of baits, spinners, cranks, top waters, but mostly soft plastics. Wasn't our best trip ever for numbers, but respectable. Did catch what is probably my biggest stream smallmouth ever. Put up a great fight in the cool water. Didn't weigh it, didn't measure it, just took a couple of quick pics on the cell phone and back into the hole she went. I have my own guess as to what she would weigh, but that's all it would be is a guess. I will say that I'm fairly sure it was over 20". Wouldn't mind hearing what your guess is on the weight. I think you'll agree it was a beautiful fish though. Hope you get to catch her one day like I did.

My biggest is 21 1/2" on the lower Buffalo caught on a black jitterbug after dark. I'd have guessed it at about 3 3/4 lbs. It was released immediately. I've caught heavier fish that weren't as long. Was floating with my cousin of Crooked Creek this year between the slab and Yellville and he caught a 21 incher. Biggest fish I've seen on Crooked Creek, and that section gets pounded. I've been fishing CC since 1989 and it seems about as good the past five years as its ever been since I began fishing it...

I've done this trip more than a dozen times, though usually in the spring when there is sufficient water to float. It turns into a series of pools usually by early summer. If you are young and tough and a little brave, (there is definitely a thriving population of cottonmouths in the area), you can drag it in a day even when the water is low. You are dead on on the distance, somewhere in the 9-10 mile range. The AGFC put an access about a mile down from the 101 bridge about 3 or 4 years ago and it's an easy place to put in, (although not terribly well marked). When there's enough water it's a fairly easy float with only a few tight and grown up places. There are quite a few big largemouth in this section with one over 5 not being terribly uncommon. I usually catch more largemouth than smallies, but there are some good smallies as well. Going up from the White is a no-win situation. Another poster was correct in saying you can go about 1/2 a mile, and that section gets fished to death by boaters. I've also walked it and waded it in a day going from some houses about a mile or more up from the White on the south side of the creek up to 101 bridge. Again, that's a trip for the young and in shape, which no longer includes me. To summarize, can be great fishing, hard to get to, not for people who are afraid of poisonous snakes. Best of luck, CCA p.s. - there are some good gravel bars to camp on. Like the rest of CC it is all private property.

I think that I may have run into that Demosthenes feller over on the King's River one day. Seemed pretty bright, but he's no Abe Lincoln or anything. Truth is that word of good fishing places spreads like bermuda grass in a vegtable garden. Places that are easy to access get fished out first. Places that are hard to access often don't get fished out. Although with the seemingly inevitable and exponential growth of human population, it stands to reason that even out of the way places are going to start seeing more and more pressure. Hopefully the only problem created will be a few less bites for me. I can deal with that. Especially if someone else is enjoying it. Fishing really wasn't that great on the King's by the way. Think I picked the wrong stretch of river to float.

Ha ha. Too funny to be serious. You don't really think I'd post the name of a secret creek that I actually fish do you. Although I have been on the Myatt once and there are some good fish there. I'd wish anyone good luck there because the nice ones are hard earned, and trust me it would take a lifetime to "clean it out" short of a toxic spill of some sort. It will however stay much the same as it has for years for the reasons that I've previously posted (and as you no doubt have probably seen on Google Earth). If a poacher needs fish bad enough to wade down about five miles to get them then he's really hungry and I don't begrudge him a fillet or two. I would think he'd have a much easier time going to Norfork or Bull Shoals lakes and keeping a few short fish for dinner. Poachers may do things illegal and all, but they aint all necessarily dumb...

I'm not sure there's a deep hole in Crooked Creek that doesn't have a big smallie in it. What an amazing creek. I think most of the "secret" creeks are going to stay good even if I tell someone about them. The reason they are good is generally because they are usually remote, hard to get to, hard to float down, have limited access, go nearly dry in the summer, etc. For these reasons, 99.9% of the people I would tell are not going to go there. The .1% that will won't be poachers. Take Myatt creek for example. It has some extroidinarily big fish in it for it's small size. Now all you need to do is figure out where it is, where to put in and take out, when is there going to be enough water, etc. Too hard for most folks. Just the way I like it. You've heard of natural selection. Let's call it natural protection...

No worries about getting rid of the slab. There are PLENTY of all of the species you mentioned above and below the slab. One disturbing thing I've noticed a lot more of this year are longnose gar, both above and below the slab. I'd like to see the creek as natural as possible and that would be without the slab. Looks like you had a fun day. Wish I was out there right now. Been fishing CC a lot for over 20 years now and can say that I've never seen the fishing any better than it's been the last couple of years.

I've caught 3 of them in only 5 or 6 short trips. Release most of the fish I catch, but decided to eat one of hte "goldens". It tasted like a trout...

I'd stick with Pyatt to Yellville for a three day float in mid-July, although depending on the water level I might put in even lower down with a loaded canoe, say the Snow access for example, although that would only be a two day trip, three if you stretched it. I agree with packing light. You will have to drag some, but for the most part it will be in short stretches through the shoals. There are very few long shallow stretches that won't float your canoe with you walking beside of it. You can usually expect lots of action with 8 to 14" smallmouth that time of year. If you want to catch a big one bring a jitterbug or a small black single spin and fish a deep hole at night. I've fished about every smallmouth stream withing 50 miles or so from Mtn. Home, AR including the Buffalo, Eleven Point, Kings river, South Fork of the Spring river, Myatt Creek, Strawberry River, Bryant Creek, North Fork River, Sylamore, and the Jack's Fork and you won't find one as consistently as good as Crooked Creek, both for numbers and size of fish. The Buffalo would be a good back up plan for Crooked Creek though if the water is real low. As for camping there are plenty of gravel bars. You'll see very few houses while you're floating as most of the land is either wooded or cattle farms. All the land along the creek is private. I usually just do day trips, but I have camped out on a gravel bar and many people do. Doubt if you'll run into to any problems unless you're raisin' cane and trashing the place, but there's always a possiblity.

There's also a public access point further upstream at Snow, Ar that would be a good place.

I'd bring a canoe for anything over 13'.

I'd second third and fourth the purchase of a Royalex or crosslink plastic canoe. I just successfully patched my 10 year old Royalex Old Town Tripper with a technique shared with me by Ozark River Company. It involves using thin successive layers of an adhesive called Marine Goop, which is available at many hardware stores. The Tripper has been very durable despite a brutal life on Crooked Creek and the Buffalo river. The Ozark River Company is an Old Town dealer that carries blems and overstock inventory. I've had good experiences in dealing with them. Here's a link to their website. Good luck on that new canoe. http://www.ozarkcanoe.com/

Terry, Floating the last 6.5 miles is not a big problem if the water is right. I've done it many times. There may be a few tricky places here and there with downed trees and such, but it's definitely doable with only minimal dragging. There is a new AGFC access for the lower end of Crooked Creek a few miles off of Hwy. 101, (turn left and follow the signs before you get the the bridge). You can take out at the White river,Ranchette access also off Hwy. 101, which is only about 2 miles below the mouth of Crooked Creek. A great way to enjoy a little bass fishing and trout fishing in the same trip. However, the lower end is much different from the upper. The predominant fish is the largemouth although there are a few good smallies here and there. In the summertime the lower end turns into a series of pools separated by sometimes hundreds of yards of a mere trickle filled with weeds and cottonmouths. I would not recommend this float during low water. I would bet that the floating would be good right now though. I'd recommend taking at least one baitcaster with a big spinnerbait and heavy line to fish some for the heavy largemouth that live there. Good luck, Dan

Don't know which is worse. some fella whining about the big one that got away or some other guy griping about the fella that was whining about the big one that got away. In guess each one of them has the right to spend their time and breath doing either if they so please. Me, I think I'll go fishing......

I've been as early as March and as late as November and about every month in between, and each time has it's pros and cons. An April trip for example has the opportunity for some stained water and great pre-spawn fishing and the chance to catch a real whopper. However, you'll also share the river with a lot of river boats, not so great if you're a canoe fisherman like myself who enjoys peace and solitude. My favorite time is late September and early to mid October. The crowds have died down considerably, and the river's usually too low for heavy river boat travel, and if you catch it right the weather can be perfect with cool nights that are great for camping and the river can have turned on smallies that are feeding up for winter. The very best time to go is whenever you can though. Hope you have a good trip....