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Buffalo River Fish Tips


palmetto

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I'm taking a 3 day float trip down the Buffalo and need some advice on what's biting and what to use. We'll be heading out from Wild Bill's in Yellville this spring, and floating in canoes, so any fishing advice while floating would be great! Also, any advice for fishing in the evening or night is great too.

Thanks in advance.

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Sounds like a great trip, hope the water clears up a bit for you. I assume you will be fishing for smallmouth bass? Also assuming you'll be spin fishing. Not sure what has "been" biting, but here's some proven patters that are traditional stream smallmouth producers.

Remember smallmouth 3 food sources in rivers - 1) minnows/baitfish 2) crawfish - the preffered food! 3) terrestrials insects - pretty much late summer & fall

For smallies, its tough to beat soft plastics. 4" lizards, worms, natural colors - watermelon, pumpkin, etc... Texas rig on 1/0 & 2/0 hooks using 1/8 oz weight. Fish TIGHT to structure - root wads, big boulders, deep holes, etc. Also tube jigs work well. Crawfish looking things. Small crank baits to imitate minnows - Rapalas are a favorite. Also in-line spinners work well in faster current/shoal areas. Top water lures/plugs work better in summer (morning and evening).

If you'll be fly-fishing - big woolies - crawfish imitators, clouser minnows will catch them always. Top water poppers in the summer.

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Yeah, and.... uh.... well.... 'nuff said....

Good advice, Yak...

TIGHT LINES, YA'LL

 

"There he stands, draped in more equipment than a telephone lineman, trying to outwit an organism with a brain no bigger than a breadcrumb, and getting licked in the process." - Paul O’Neil

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I like the 4 inch tube jigs in watermelon or june bug I believe it is. I've fished in the Buffalo Point campground with Kids tubing by and canoes galore and we probably caught 10 smallies on the tubes one morning. We were fishing in a slight shoal area in the lower campground. I've used them in Crooked Creek with a lot of success too. Don't be afraid to fish the swift water. My son and I were fishing in Crooked Creek a few years ago with tube jigs and were in a very swift and deep cut. We had both just caught fish and I was trying to get his off and so I just tosed my jig back into the water to get it out of the way while I was getting his off and caught another just after it hit the water.

I may fish above from the 14 bridge this Saturday afternoon. If I get the chance to I'll do a post.

A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work!

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Thanks for the great info!! very much appreciated.

Sounds like a great trip, hope the water clears up a bit for you. I assume you will be fishing for smallmouth bass? Also assuming you'll be spin fishing. Not sure what has "been" biting, but here's some proven patters that are traditional stream smallmouth producers.

Remember smallmouth 3 food sources in rivers - 1) minnows/baitfish 2) crawfish - the preffered food! 3) terrestrials insects - pretty much late summer & fall

For smallies, its tough to beat soft plastics. 4" lizards, worms, natural colors - watermelon, pumpkin, etc... Texas rig on 1/0 & 2/0 hooks using 1/8 oz weight. Fish TIGHT to structure - root wads, big boulders, deep holes, etc. Also tube jigs work well. Crawfish looking things. Small crank baits to imitate minnows - Rapalas are a favorite. Also in-line spinners work well in faster current/shoal areas. Top water lures/plugs work better in summer (morning and evening).

If you'll be fly-fishing - big woolies - crawfish imitators, clouser minnows will catch them always. Top water poppers in the summer.

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Thank you very much...good luck this Saturday! Hope to hear about it.

I like the 4 inch tube jigs in watermelon or june bug I believe it is. I've fished in the Buffalo Point campground with Kids tubing by and canoes galore and we probably caught 10 smallies on the tubes one morning. We were fishing in a slight shoal area in the lower campground. I've used them in Crooked Creek with a lot of success too. Don't be afraid to fish the swift water. My son and I were fishing in Crooked Creek a few years ago with tube jigs and were in a very swift and deep cut. We had both just caught fish and I was trying to get his off and so I just tosed my jig back into the water to get it out of the way while I was getting his off and caught another just after it hit the water.

I may fish above from the 14 bridge this Saturday afternoon. If I get the chance to I'll do a post.

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