Big Tavern Creek

[creek wader]

Finally had a chance to fish at Jeff. City. I had brought my inflatable kayak down with me. The past several outings, there were a few sections of streams that I could not wade past because of the depth. I decided on the Big Tavern Creek, the put in was about 30 min. out. The stream was much lower than the last time that I had fished it but, I still need the yak to get over a few spots. I put in about 4 pm. and fished till dark. Temp was lower 80", water was clear to lightly stained.

A few weeks ago, I had got into a mild debate on soft plastics vs. spinnerbaits and also crankbaits. I had forgot my crankbait box. So, I mostly used the spinnerbait. I had two poles, one with a yellow 3/16 oz. tandom willow leaf and round blade, spinnerbait with a white twister tail trailer, the other with a 3" Yum Dinger with a couple split shots. I chose this section of the stream because it had both slow and fast water. Plenty of structure and had smallies and some nice largemouth in it.

The first spot was a long pool with a gravel bar on the shallow side and chunk rock on the current side. It was a few feet low. I threw the spinnerbait about 30 times and nothing. I switched to the dinger and a few cast later, I caught a 10" smallie. I knew the dinger would work, so I switched it to a tiny torpedo and tried top water. I had several sunfish playing with it, but no bass. I went back to the spinnerbait. Another 20 or so casts and nothing.

I had to drag the yak through the 1st run as it was only a few inches deep in spots. The next pool was low, also. But, still had some deep spots. I could see some of the chunk rock and logs, under water now. It was a large pool like the first one. But, I've caught a lot of smallies and largemouth in the past, there. I continued to throw the spinnerbait and had a few tail pulls from the sunfish, but still nothing. I threw the torpedo and about the 3rd cast, I caught a 10" Kentucky. That was fun. I caught a few different kinds of sunfish off of it. But that was it. I put back on the dinger and caught another 10" smallie and a few sport largemouths. I then went to the spinnerbait. I finally caught a 8" plus, green sunfish off of it. I continued to throw it. By a stick up I caught two 10" crappie on the spinnerbait. I had never caught crappie on this stream before. I put a twister tail on my torpedo pole and snagged up, right away. So, I went back to the spinnerbait and caught a 12" largemouth. I got to the next run and it was a a foot or so deep with a few 3 ft. holes here and there. So I kept throwing the spinnerbait. Nothing. I put back on the torpedo and had a few strikes but no hook ups. Switched back to the dinger and hung a sport smallie, two largemouth and a kentucky.

On the way back I tried the stick up again, and picked a couple of sport largemouths, on the spinnerbait. A log produced another largemouth. that was it for the spinnerbait, for the day. I caught several sport largemouths, a kentucky, and a host of sunnies on the dinger and a 2" twister tail, before I switched back to the torpedo at dusk. From then on I thew the torpedo and a Rapala floating minnow. I caught several sunnies on the torpedo and nothing on the Rapala.

All in all, I wound up with 4 largemouths, two crappie and a couple sunnies on the spinnerbait. The torpedo caugth a Kentucky and several sunnies. The soft plastics caught the only smallies (3), several largemouth, a couple Kentuckys and a host of sunnies.

I did catch fish on the spinnerbait but no smallies. The fish to cast ratio was very low. Soft plastics scored much better and caught the only smallies. I haven't given up yet. This section was low and one outing wasn't a good indicator. Next trip I will use the spinnerbaits and a several different crankbaits. Like I've stated before, most streams that I fish are skinny water, and more suited for soft plastics. But, I have several sections that I think will have enough water for the hard baits.

It was probably my worst outing, as far as numbers caught go, yet this year. But, I'm not blaming it on the spinnerbait. It's the dog days and the water was low. I've only had one good day on this section, out of about 5 tries, anyway.

I'm still up for the challenge.

I'll keep you posted. ... wader

[fishinwrench]

Nice report.

It kinda sounds like you are anxious to get into a good spinnerbait/crankbait bite, and for that I think you really need to be in bigger water with some color to it. My experience in streams the size of Tavern is that Jigs, worms, tubes, and soft stickbaits usually rule the day....any day. One major exception is a small 1/8oz. buzzbait.

[Guest]

deleted

[Al Agnew]

I'm going to write up a little piece about fishing with fast moving lures on small, clear waters in the summer, and put it in the general fishing section. Maybe it might give you some ideas.

[Buzz]

Nice report Wader.

I fished a spinnerbait last weekend on the Big Sugar and didn't have a lot of hits, but the ones that did hit were good sized fish. Two largemouth at about 2 lbs. each and one big goggle-eye. I know they are two different types of water so that doesn't really mean a whole lot. Bottom line is that, I almost always have a spinnerbait tied on. I like to throw the big SB's in the deeper water and bounce them off of the big rocks and every log I can throw to. I'll use the smaller SB's in the shallower water and usually work them a little faster.

Good luck with the experiment.

Buzz

[RSBreth]

You never really know what will work on any given day until you get out there and start fishing.

And you can't catch a fish on something you don't use.

[creek wader]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I'm getting ready to head out, now. I'll give a full report, later. ..wader