Jasper County Bridge Hopping

[Chief Grey Bear]

Took Buzz for some good ol' fashioned bridge hopping the other day in Jasper county. We hit different sections of Center Creek, Jenkins, and White Oak.

I think I surprized Buzz with some of the spots that I took him too. I think he kinda had his doubts about the quality of the fish that we would find. At one spot we really couldn't fish it like it needed to be due to the higher than normal water.

On White Oak, Buzz caught the largest fish of the day. A really nice 2 1/2 lb bass. I hit one spot there that yieled 4 fish on five cast. Two were ok bass in the 11- 12 inch range and two really nice black perch.

[denjac]

Chief, any smallies out of Jenkins, Jones or white oak? One time on Jones creek came across a large group in the water. Turned out it was a church down there dunking. It was an ackward moment for me wading past them. Shoulda stopped and got dunked myself.

[GloryDaze]

Speaking of dunking- We were on the Buffalo river three years ago stopped at a gravel bar and were doing a little drinking. All of a sudden 5 white vans pull up and all these folks dressed in white get out and walk down to the river- They send two men over to us to 'invite us to joing them" Anyway, they made a "V" shape in the water and dunked away for about an hour- That was one of those offers where you're darn if you do and darn if you don't-

We declined the offer and I felt pretty gulity drinking while they were dunking- But then again I would have felt just as guilty drinking while I was dunking if I would have said yes.

[denjac]

Kinda reminds me of the movie, Oh Brother Where art thou.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I have never caught a brownie in White Oak. I don't think is cool enough or has enough current. Now Spring River, if you can catch them, it has some really nice brownies. They are few and far between it seems but, every one that I ever caught was really big.

Take a float from Morrow Mill to Kellogg lake. Work the holes real good and you should be able to pick up a couple. Just down from where the Spring comes back together with itself is a place called Rock Dam. Its not really a dam but was at one time. There are still about half dozen or so large boulders that line out across the river. That is a geat spot to pick up a nice brownie. It will be at the first sign, well the only sign of a bluff at the river edge. Also that spot where the two sides come back together, was a very deep hole. A great producer of largemouth and brownies. Really that whole stretch from put in to take out is excellent largemouth fishing.

I don't know what this years floods have done to the brush piles but, take some minnows and some stink bait too. There was a lot of good and I mean good catfishing holes. You should also be able to pick up a mess of crappie with the minnows.

[wildhunter066]

Hey Chief u r right their are some big browniesin Spring River. Especially lower spring in ok. Me and a buddy caught five on time with the smallest being two pounds and the biggest being Four. There are a couple of real good creeks that run in down there that some big smalllies like to get in.

[denjac]

Chief, I have caught Brownies in White Oak, Jones and Jenkins, thats why I was curious if you had. The last trip to White Oak we only caught two and that had me concerned. I would also think a float on Center Creek from 71 hwy to Lake side would be good now since atlas is out of buisness and no more discharge coming from them. It used to be dead water when they were in buisness.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I am assuming you are fishing south of Avilla and towards its confluence with the Spring River. I am always a bit up stream from there.

As for the other two, yeah they have some. Have some that will surprise the heck out of ya too!

Center Creek has another powder company that sits right on the bank of the creek and it is still in operation today. As far as I know it is the only powder company of its kind in the US. Actually North America. In the latter days (years) of Atlas they used to make the powder for them and truck it over to them. Atlas for many of its final years produced nothing but fertilizer.

If you float it that far, in one day, you wont be able to fish it like you should. That is just too far.

Now this is enough talk about these creeks. We need to talk more about the ones everybody else knows of.

Buzz and myself are going to be out of commision this weekend but, after that, we should all get together and do a wade for float trip.

[Buzz]

Hey, that sounds good to me. I'm going to take my 3 sons and son-in-law to see Ted Nugent Saturday nite, so I probably will stay close to home Sunday. The following weekend works for me.

Buzz

[McManus]

The fertilizer Atlas made was nitrocarbonitrate fertilizer. It can be an explosivel