gotmuddy

That is exactly how I feel. I dont care to tell anyone that I fished from snow to the slab, but I wont tell anyone where I caught the biggest fish.

This spring I was fishing a creek in norfork lake for white bass. We eased up the creek working a bobby garland salt n pepper minnow, as we move to a bend we come up on another boat. We chit-chat and they say they havent caught any and I hook one. Then I hook another, and another. It was hilarious because these guys were in a brand new Blazer jet boat and I was in my "shabby" riverboat. They didn't catch a single fish until I gave him one of my bobby garlands

I really think its just my hat. We should float crooked creek monday.....err, I mean straight creek. Even though the fishing pressure is astronomical because it is one of the top 5 ranked smallie streams in the USA I think we might catch a fish or 40 like last time.

the spot I suggested has a really high gravel bar. I have not done a two day trip on the buffalo yet this year and I need to soon.

I disagree, not everyone's wife is that bad.

That is something I enjoy doing. Next spring I will be paying close attention and looking for more places to fish. I do not think I have any "home waters". The strawberry river starts within a mile of my house, the southfork river is 10 miles from the house, the spring river is 25 minutes, piney creek is 30 miles away(optimus access), buffalo city is 45 miles, crooked creek is 45 miles, and the eleven point is right at an hour(alton, narrows, or myrtle). I will say that soon I will start floating the southfork because it is so close.

then that shows the skill level you represent. I don't expect someone to tell me what hole they were in complete with gps coordinates, I just want to find new places to fish. If that is wrong....then I will just be wrong. I guess I can just plop a map of MO down and start guessing at what creeks are secretive and try them out.

That's fine. Remember that the limit is one fish per day in parts of the creek. If you need a shuttle service let me know. Btw, the ability to catch pressured fish makes you a better fisherman than the Guy who is the only one in the creek fishing.

I intend to float part of spring river before it gets too cold this year. who do you recommend I rent from(kayaks)

Crooked creek is one of the best streams for smallmouth in the US but it doesn't get near the pressure other places do. Now I dont intend to tell people which riffle I caught my biggest fish, but I dont care letting someone float. As far as secret lures, I have caught really nice smallmouth on the exact same crankbait on the white river, eleven point river, and crooked creek. It isn't rocket science. BTW, if you ever get a wild hair to wade fish crooked creek stay away from the 101 bridge, the fishing is NOT worth the walk.

So I am right? You do not want anyone fishing where you fish. I have no problems with people fishing streams I fish, I do not own them. I fished from Riverton to myrtle last weekend with my wife and until I got to the narrows we saw 1(one) boat and 1(one) canoe. I bet if I go back this weekend it will be the same. Maybe the mods will post up the unique hit count for a day/week/month.

Why are some members afraid of letting other members know where they fish? Is it because you want the creek or river all for yourself? Do not delude yourselves, the kind of people that poach smallies do not read this forum. In fact I have found no one while fishing who has even heard of this website.

Absolutely no cell service of any kind. No towns and the only way out that I know of is a two mile hike from middle creek. I don't think the river will be crowded

I imagine dragging is mandatory right now. I heard a report from a friend that they dragged alot but also caught a bunch of big fish.

Have you considered floating the eleven point? We were on it last weekend and floated riverton to myrtle, it was nice, plenty of water. The Rush to white river float is all public land. There is some awesome places to camp on gravel bars. One is about 8 miles down, there is a huge rock hanging out over a really deep hole. Are you going alone?

IMO, fishing on the lower part is best when the guage is around the 4 foot mark, at least for going upstream. Coming downstream you want at least 3 foot for a riverboat and you can get by with 2.5 foot with a canoe. I havent fished in any higher water than 4ft so far, mainly because it will be muddy unless its spring. In order for the water to get dangerously high you will need massive amounts of rainfall in a short period of time. This is due to how dry it is around here. I am guessing your going rush to the white river?

I would fish bluff banks with a PB&J jig.

I think we will go again in a few weeks. I need a jet!

probably 3 miles or so. I did not have my phone(gps) with us.

it was a great time, and hardly anyone above the narrows. Cant wait to go again.

your loss. we had a great time.

This weekend my wife and I took our riverboat from riverton down to myrtle yesterday evening and today. we camped just a few miles down the river, at the base of a really long hole on a small gravel bar. My overall thoughts of the river is that it is a great place to fish but not the most scenic I have found. NFOW and buffalo far surpass this stretch of the eleven point IMO. Most of it is due to all the downed trees which I imagine is from the ice storm last year. We only had to drag in one spot and only for about 30 ft, but there were some very tough obstacles for my 9.9 to handle(trees in narrow spots). Thankfully I am pretty good with the 9.9 and no accidents happened. Onto the fishing. I got up at 5:30 and fished the long hole we were camped at the base of. Right off the bat I caught a....giant minnow/shiner on a black torpedo About 10 minutes later I caught a decent smallie (13") on a minnow pattern spinnerbait. 30 min later I caught the biggest fish of the day, a 16.5" beast on a wiggle wart(the same color as the one I have been pounding bass on the white river and crooked creek!). No pic sadly since it was dark still. I went up in a small creek and caught a new species of fish for me, a chain pickerel. At the time I had no idea what it was and I thought it was some kind of pike. It hit the spinnerbait. After fishing back down to camp I woke up the wife and we took camp down and we fished the hole again. at the mouth of the creek my wife caught a pretty 15" rainbow on the wiggle wart . we caught a few smallies and goggleyes on the way down, nothing serious, at least not until we stopped for lunch at the base of a shoal. while waiting for the charcoal to get ready to cook I was fishing with a crawfish pattern dt4 when I hooked a monster. It had no trouble stripping line from my johnny morris and after about a minute it spit the crankbait out. After a few minutes skulking I got out the spinnerbait to try a hail mary pass and hooked either another big fish or the same fish again. either way it was a porker for a 15" smallie. It was a awesome fight. We caught a few more smallies, all on either a crank or a spinnerbait. Overall it was a great day, and I cannot wait to float it again.

http://www.owaa.com/book/export/html/118 ford times was the name of it.

I did a quick google sirch and came up with some info. This was likely published in the Missouri conservationalist between 1945 and 1953. Very interesting read, especially since I floated through the narrows today in the riverboat.

well for my birthday my wife and I were going to take the riverboat down the buffalo river with a friend in another boat. He has bailed and I am concerned with both of us dragging my boat so we are trying a new river, the eleven point. we are going to go from riverton to myrtle in the hopes of catching some smallmouth.