dereck_evans

Flooded dirty water is my favorite to fish on current river, and there is only 3 baits I throw. 300 series orange craw bandit, dark spinnerbait with gold willow blades, or a dark choclate red flake tube. I never knew there were so many 3-4 pound smallmouth in current river untill I fished it flooded, especially on the crankbait. I wish for rain every time I go fishing cause the river is best when its about 3 feet high and dirty.

If you like fishing for drum, your worm rig will also catch yellow and hog suckers. Fileted and scored I will take a mess of suckers over crappie any day.

Those are some good tips. We fish tourneys year round on current river and winter fishing can be very slow, but also very rewarding. As far as tube color your best bet is to match the crayfish, the smallmouth's primary food source. One reason I believe a natural presentation is vital in the winter is water clarity. If you think your favorite stream or river is clear in the summer it is nothing compared to the gin colored water of the winter. Even now the cool nights we are having are beginning to clear the streams and rivers. With better water clarity comes more easily spooked fish, so stay as far away as you can cast. Where you might get away with a lo-vis green 10# in the spring and summer, it would be better to throw a lo-vis green 8 or 6# in winter. One thing a lot of guys don't know about (and I shouldn't give away the secret) is a crankbait for smallies in the winter. Any slight rise from rain will slightly dirty the river and the fish will go nuts over the right color 200 or 300 series bandit or wiggle wart. As far as black river in southeast missouri goes, the winter is by far the best time to fish. I will put my five biggest smallmouth or Kentucky's I catch in Black River in the dead of winter against any a guy could catch in the spring or summer from the same waters. The fish may be slow, but they are still feeding. Slow down your presentation and you will find that you've been sitting in front of the fire wasting your winter weekends away when you should have been catching the best bass of the year. It seems the keeper to dink ratio is a lot better in the winter as well. Don't forget about the walleye and chain pickerel. They love to feed all winter and the cold water makes them more tasty! (throw back them smallies so they can grow bigger though)

If you've never caught a smallie on a spinnerbait you are really missing out. My good friend Curt has won the angler of year title a few times on current river throwing his spinnerbait almost exclusively. I believe it has a lot to do with wire size. thinner the better. Single willow blade with white skirt works well in clear water. Cast over barely submerged logs in the current. The heaviest weigh in ever in our club was 22lbs with eight smallies. All caught on a spinnerbait. in late summer early fall when the water is low and crystal clear sometimes all you can catch a good limit of smallies on is a carolina rigged senko style bait. I like the 4 in cinnamon purple.

we fish at least twice a week and right now you will catch the best fish on a 4 in senko style worm in either green pumpkin or cinnamon purple. Easiest way to fish them is on a slider head. If you are more intersted in quanity rather than quality then go to the 3 in version.

A good way to fish them is on a slider head. If you like the four inch ones you can save a lot of money by switching brands. I have a good friend that owns a tackle shop and he sells ones that look exactly like yum dingers. You can get 25 for 4 bucks. Their website is http://www.candctackle.com/. They hand tie their own spinnerbaits and jigs. Cyrene is on vacation this week, but if you see what you like on their site call Curt at 573-429-6870 or Cyrene ant 573-429-6684. Tell them Dereck told you to call so they will keep giving me free stuff.

I have several good smallmouth photos. My partner and I weighed in a couple 3 pounders at a tournament on current river last sunday, but no pics. We needed one more good fish to win it so we had to settle for second place. I have the King of the River tournament Saturday so maybe I'll have a good report afer that!

I used to tie a lot of flies, but I don't really fly fish for them. We have a good club with a great bunch of guys and we fish a lot of tournaments. If you were interested in a fly fishing trip I live on a trophy smallmouth stream that has no public access. I also guide on it and most of my 4 pound plus smallmouth have come out of that stream. It is a good wading trip with large numbers of good fish. I have most of the good ones named and know their favorite hiding places.

Hello. My name is Dereck Evans. I live in Southeast Missouri and I am always smallmouth fishing on the Current River. I have started a guide service if anyone is interested in a fun trip. Besides for excellent smallmouth fishing Current River also has some beautiful scenery. I fish anywhere from the Arkansas line near Doniphan, MO to several miles above Van Buren, MO. If you are interested in an exciting day of fishing for the hardest fighting species of the black bass family then give me a call at 573-429-2575.

My name is Dereck Evans. If you are heading through southeast Missouri I guide on the Current River. It is an excellent smallmouth river with beautiful scenery. I have a jet boat that will easily accomodate two people. I have all the tackle you will need and everything is provided. Give me a call at 573-429-2575.