07-27-08 Shoal Creek Fishing Trip

[CDC]

Well got up early this morning and headed to Ritchie for a little fishing. My cousin and I have a float that we used to do all the time from Highway E bridge to Racoon Road (about 3 1/2 miles) so we thought we would try it out again. Well we found out that the takeout has changed quite a bit over the last year with some downed trees and a little deeper water. It was always just a little tricky to take out there but this time it was just about impossible but we did manage.

Well, it started off pretty slow. We got in the water around 8:30, got a few little bites but no fish landed for a long time (and we were fishing it hard). Finally he lands a nice largemouth (pic below) to get us started....then it was another mile or a little more before either of us caught another one. We ended up pulling two more largemouth (about half the size of the one below) and a small rock bass but no small mouth. This place used to be over run with big small mouth but not today. We finally pulled two smallies (about 9 inches each) from a set of rapids about a quarter mile from the take out. The bite started to pick up quite a bit about this time (around 2:00 p.m.) but they all seemed pretty small and couldn't get the hook in their mouth.

All and all I guess it was a good trip but it sure isn't producing like I remember it producing, in fact it was pretty slow. I have been in Texas for the last seven years so not sure if it was just a slow day (and last two weeks) or if the small mouth just aren't there anymore. Anybody having any luck lately with the shoal creek small mouth?

[Buzz]

Hey CDC nice to meet you this morning. Very nice fish in that picture. It was Chief and I who moved your canoe for you.

Well we had a little different day. We caught at least 30 fish between us. Probably a 50/50 split of largemouth and Brownies with a couple of goggleye in there too. We fished from Ritchie down to Wagonwheel. We caught fish pretty much the whole way except for a couple of the long slow holes. I caught all but a few of my fish on spinnerbait and a couple on the wooly hawgtail. It was hard to put the spinnerbait down as they were slamming it. I caught 6 LM's that were 1 1/2 to 2lbs. A couple of the SM's were 14 and 15 in. Very few little fish, maybe 6 all day between the two of us. I was very impressed with this stretch of the creek which I had never fished before today. All of the fish fought hard and were strong and healthy.

We had only one portage that was a little tricky, but with the water still holding at a good level it didn't take too long to get over it. Great float, I recomend it highly.BTW, we seemed to catch more smallmouth after Racoon Rd., in places that was all we would catch.

Here are a couple of the fish that we caught.

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[CDC]

Hey, I was wondering how you guys did. I guess a lot better then me. I threw a spinner for a short while but got absolutely nothing on it. Even tried the inline spinner for a while and did manage to pull in a little large mouth but not much action on it either. We caught all the rest of our fish on soft plastics (the arkie's crawler is about all my cousin will fish with). I sure am glad to see that it was producing for you guys and it is not a problem with the creek....guess it was just a day to teach me a little humility I am just going to go with the excuse that you guys were in front of us stirring everything up.

How long did it take you guys to get down to wagonwheel? I have floated all the way down before but I tend to move pretty slow and stop a lot. that is a long float for me so we usually cut it in half. Now that the trees are down at the halfway takeout point we may have to go all the way down again. Maybe I can get out there this weekend and turn it around.

[creek wader]

Glad to hear that you guysdid well. I'm going to try to get down there, this fall. if not next spring for sure. .. Wader

[Chief Grey Bear]

CDC

We kept looking for you guy's but never did see you on the creek. Spinnerbaits and a tadpolly took the honors. We did catch a few on soft plastics. There wasn't any of this tap tap tap stuff either. The boy's were hungry. Every bite was BAM! Fish on!

I don't know what was going on with the LM bass but, every time we let one go, it would jump back out of the water or do a little dance on water. We just laughed and decided that they were peeved caused we fooled them into biting.

I think it was about 4:00 or so when we took out.

Wader - I was telling Buzz that come this fall we are going to host you and your friend to fine SW Ozark Autumn fishing. He and I are both ready. We have so many spots we want to take you, we can't decide.

[fishinSWMO]

Looks like you guys had a good float with some nice fish.

I have never floated that far up, done some wading a few times.

Its good to see some smallmouth caught. It May be me but it seems

Shoal creek used to be more dominate smallmouth, now it seems I catch more

largemouths or spots.

[creek wader]

CDC

We kept looking for you guy's but never did see you on the creek. Spinnerbaits and a tadpolly took the honors. We did catch a few on soft plastics. There wasn't any of this tap tap tap stuff either. The boy's were hungry. Every bite was BAM! Fish on!

I don't know what was going on with the LM bass but, every time we let one go, it would jump back out of the water or do a little dance on water. We just laughed and decided that they were peeved caused we fooled them into biting.

I think it was about 4:00 or so when we took out.

Wader - I was telling Buzz that come this fall we are going to host you and your friend to fine SW Ozark Autumn fishing. He and I are both ready. We have so many spots we want to take you, we can't decide.

Ok Chief, I'll keep in touch. Wader

[CDC]

Chief,

Yeah, we tend to fish pretty slow...my cousin is bad about getting a small nibble (or sometimes i think just hitting a rock) then wanting to stop and fish the hole for 20 minutes....I am really not too upset by that because i just enjoy being there.

Strange how it was so much different for us. The few we did catch bit pretty quick but man was it few and far between. Like I said, sometimes you just need to be taught a little humility....it will be better next time.

Hope to run into you guys again sometime.

[Buzz]

FishinSWMO, I don't think we caught more than two spots Sunday, and one was under 12 in. I really haven't caught that many spots this summer. Some of the places I figured I would catch one I'd catch a LM or SM instead. I've always fished more around the Tipton Ford area and have caught spots there but I've not seen any real difference in the last few years. Some years I catch more SM's. Some years I catch more LM's but haven't seen it to be lopsided in any way as far as spots go.

Where do usually fish? That may be the difference.

Buzz

[fishinSWMO]

Buzz,

I have mostly fished from the dam to tipton ford, break it up in different floats or wade.

I was just thinking I used to catch many more smallmouth than largemouth or spots 10 years ago.

I havent seen a lot of spots, just them and largemouth grouped together versus smallmouth. I did

catch a nice spot the other day around 14 inches.

Maybe its the lure choices, I have changed tactics quite a bit since then.