James Up From Joe Creighton

[smallmouthjoe]

Woke up early today with the overwhelming need to catch some fish. Most likely because I got all but shut out yesterday at Table Rock. Didn't want to drive far because I had to be at work by 4:00. So I decided to go to Joe Creighton because I hadn't been on The James above the lake this year. I really like the section from 125 to the lake, but since they have restricted the 125 access I have been fishing the sections below the lake more often. Started paddling up river at around 9:30 an finished at 1:00. Caught some decent fish and whole bunch of smaller ones. The first fish I hooked was a giant largemouth off of a fallen tree with a good amount of current running over it. I estimate it at a conservative four pounds maybe bigger, it was huge, but it came off when I wrestled it to about ten feet from the boat. That was the only nice fish that hit the jig, which was a 1/8 strike king bitsy in spring craw. I caught a few smaller fish off the jig but felt they really weren't that interested in it so I switched to a yum fork tailed dinger in green pumpkin with purple flake. That was the bait of the day, I would trow it in the current seam or by trees with current and just let it fall and be swept down with the current. I'm going to try floating from Creighton to the lake this weekend it's one of my favorite sections, some good fishing through there.

[RSBreth]

Yeah, Table Rock this time of year is tough. I have relatives coming into town this next week who don't believe me, and are towing a boat from central Kansas all the way over here. I told to them forget it, we could just rent some extra canoes for the James or Beaver Creek.

I still haven't floated from 125 down to the lake this year, is it less "messy" (logjammed) than last year? I had someone email me and I sure didn't know.

[smallmouthjoe]

I haven't floated from 125 this year but about a mile up from Joe Creighton there's a river split that's pretty bad. It took me awhile to walk up. I doubt it has gotten any better through there, it always seems to be full of trees mixed with tight spots.