Beaver Creek Float

[OSUCowboyinSPFD]

A group of friends and I are planning a float from Brownbranch to Bradleyville. We are camping at Beaver Creek Canoe Rental right there at Brownbranch. Any recommendations on fishing would be appreciated. Species, strategy, etc. Never floated Beaver Creek before and am looking for help.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Forsythian]

Your target species will be panfish (goggleye, etc.) and smallmouth... techniques I guess will depend on when you go... pretty soon?

[OSUCowboyinSPFD]

Sometime in May...probably one of the last two weekends

[Forsythian]

Well, Memorial weekend will be pretty much party-central, so I'm not sure how much fishing you'll get done. The weekend before? You can't go wrong with crawdad patterns... plastics, rebel craws, that sort of thing. I've got a couple of small-scale buzz baits and blades I like to bring along as well.

That's a nice little float... except for the cows!

[twosets]

We did that float last summer in July and the water was still quite high with all of the spring rain. I would guess that you will have plenty of water in May.

It was a great float, smallmouth hitting anything that you threw around any hole or downed tree in the water. Nothing too huge, up to a pound and a half, but light tackle and a 2" curley tail grub and a smallie is my idea of heaven.

Please treat them gently and put them back.

A real nice drop in the river on this stretch, not too much paddleing.

Also lots of really great shade all along the way.

I loved it and hope to do it again this July

Have fun

[twosets]

Oh wait

I did not realize it was an OSU Cowboy I was replying to.

Bad float, no fish no fun, don't do it.

[Sam]

Please treat them gently and put them back.

Yes. A branch of my family has owned a farm Beaver Creek runs through, about a mile of both banks, since 1892. Not below Brownbranch but above it - the Campbell Ford area near Rome. That's where I got started fishing as a kid, and you wouldn't believe how good it was then with fewer people around. We caught big goggleyes and smallmouths even with the primitive tackle of the time - mostly with cane poles. About the only good thing that's come from more people and increased fishing pressure is that they've pretty well got the snakes stomped out now. That creek sure used to be snaky.

It's fragile. My cousin tells me he can tell when even one float trip has been through because the fishing goes down so. When several bunches of floaters go through, that's it for the year. So have a great time, but try not to hurt those smallmouths - they're not easily or quickly replaced.

[KCRIVERRAT]

Is Beaver Creek similar to Flat Creek or Bryant Creek? Friend of mine's wife has some relatives around Bradleyville. They know the creek well he says. I'm around Table Rock all the time, my in-laws live on the lake down there, but have thought about hitting Beaver Cr. for some smallies.

[OSUCowboyinSPFD]

Oh wait

I did not realize it was an OSU Cowboy I was replying to.

Bad float, no fish no fun, don't do it.

You must be a sooner... Just kidding, thanks for the advice. I may take a couple of the rock bass, but I put all the smallmouth I catch back.

[tippet7]

if you find a small pool, try using a Senko, black always worked well for me, 4 inch type. also had a good time with a crawdad crank bait.

it is a great float. have fun.