Spinning Report 7/16/08

[jefly77]

I just moved to the area and fished Crane for the first time today. What a pretty little creek!! The recent flooding has left downed trees and junk at just about every turn of the creek. I fished downstream from the bridge and caught around 8 fish in three hours from 5-8. Most were about 12-14 inches, but I did catch one really nice fish in the 20-22" range. I was fishing a little white roostertail and the big Bow just smashed it. I was pleasantly surprised by the fight and size of the fish. White, yellow, and light blue in-line spinners worked well. I also caught a couple on a rebel crawdad and a small silver countdown rapala. Those McCloud rainbows seem to fight a little harder than hatchery fish. It was a great first trip and I plan to return real soon. It's more fun to fish Crane right now than Taneycomo. I hate standing in one spot by the outlets without being able to "stalk the water" like I did today at Crane. What a jewel of a little creek. Next time I'm going to try farther down by the access near the railroad bridge. Any tips and or words of wisdom are welcome.

Jefly

[wildhunter066]

I just moved to the area and fished Crane for the first time today. What a pretty little creek!! The recent flooding has left downed trees and junk at just about every turn of the creek. I fished downstream from the bridge and caught around 8 fish in three hours from 5-8. Most were about 12-14 inches, but I did catch one really nice fish in the 20-22" range. I was fishing a little white roostertail and the big Bow just smashed it. I was pleasantly surprised by the fight and size of the fish. White, yellow, and light blue in-line spinners worked well. I also caught a couple on a rebel crawdad and a small silver countdown rapala. Those McCloud rainbows seem to fight a little harder than hatchery fish. It was a great first trip and I plan to return real soon. It's more fun to fish Crane right now than Taneycomo. I hate standing in one spot by the outlets without being able to "stalk the water" like I did today at Crane. What a jewel of a little creek. Next time I'm going to try farther down by the access near the railroad bridge. Any tips and or words of wisdom are welcome.

Jefly

Wow thats a heck of a day on crane creek. I hope your roostertails only had a single hook on them and im pretty sure those rebel crawdads and rapalas are highle illegal on crane creek. You should probably check the regs before going again, Crane is a flys only area.

[jefly77]

I've got the Missouri fishing regs right in front of me and it says Crane is an artificial LURES and flies blue ribbon trout stream. It doesn't say anything about single hooks or flies only, so before you preach the regulations to me, make sure YOU know what the correct regulations are. I used hard lures like rapalas, rebels, and roostertails and I smash the barbs down on all my lures. I read the regulations before I went and I followed them. I also made sure of the definition that MCD applies to artificial lures. So you are wrong , rebels, rapalas, spoons, in-line spinners, and non-plastic lures are legal on Crane.

Jefly

[wildhunter066]

I've got the Missouri fishing regs right in front of me and it says Crane is an artificial LURES and flies blue ribbon trout stream. It doesn't say anything about single hooks or flies only, so before you preach the regulations to me, make sure YOU know what the correct regulations are. I used hard lures like rapalas, rebels, and roostertails and I smash the barbs down on all my lures. I read the regulations before I went and I followed them. I also made sure of the definition that MCD applies to artificial lures. So you are wrong , rebels, rapalas, spoons, in-line spinners, and non-plastic lures are legal on Crane.

Jefly

Sorry bout that you are right. I thought the signs athe public access says flies only but i must be mistaken. I wasnt tryiong to preach to you i was just trying to keep someone for getting a ticket for just being mistaken but obviously iwas the one mistaken. I fish crane quite often i sure hope to run into you sometime.

[jefly77]

I hear you. I always read the regulations before I fish a new place. Do you usually fish from the city park upstream or from either of the access points along the Old Wire Road? I started at the farthest upstream access yesterday and fished down and then back up. It is very jungle-like along the creek right now. I had to pretty much fish and wade from the creekbed. Is the creekside a little less overgrown near the city? I like the jungle conditions, it keeps a lot of the less adventurous and lazy fishermen from mobbing the creek.

Jefly

[wildhunter066]

I hear you. I always read the regulations before I fish a new place. Do you usually fish from the city park upstream or from either of the access points along the Old Wire Road? I started at the farthest upstream access yesterday and fished down and then back up. It is very jungle-like along the creek right now. I had to pretty much fish and wade from the creekbed. Is the creekside a little less overgrown near the city? I like the jungle conditions, it keeps a lot of the less adventurous and lazy fishermen from mobbing the creek.

Jefly

I usually fish either the middle road access or the lower road access. Yest thereis plenty of jugl like conditions on the creek with plenty of flies hanging from the trees. lol

[Harps]

I fished downstream from the bridge and caught around 8 fish in three hours from 5-8. Most were about 12-14 inches, but I did catch one really nice fish in the 20-22" range.

Jefly

That is indeed a great day on crane. If I catch one in the 12-14 inch range I smile about it until I get to brag to at least 5 people. I've only caught a few over 20 in many years of wandering the banks of Crane, so relish that moment!

Congratulations.

Post some pics?

[jefly77]

I thought real hard about keeping that fish so I could get a picture of it. I left my phone(camera) in my car. I just couldn't do it. I lifted the fish out of the water and held it for a few seconds and decided it was too pretty to keep, plus a fish of that size is a good breeding fish for the creek. Next time I plan on having my camera with me so I can document the beautiful McClouds I catch there. I didn't catch any really small fish , my smallest was about 11" or so. I think the fact that I use spinners and lures in the 1/16 oz - 1/4 oz range has something to do with it.

Jefly

[drew03cmc]

that is the first 20+ i have heard from that creek in awhile! congrats

[jefly77]

I'm starting to realize how lucky I was to have caught that bruiser. Hopefully I can pull another one out of Crane next week. It was a beautiful fish. One thing I noticed about the trout there was that even the 12" fish still had what appeared to be par marks on them. Is that a McCloud characteristic?

Jfly