Old Man River

[Buckshotdad1960]

Does anyone know where I can obtain a good map of the James or Finley River that would show their entire length? A web site perhaps?

Also, who knows the river good enough to point out its deepest hole’s?

Or holes that contain a lot of wood usually.

And what access point would I use to fish these areas by canoe?

What have you seen caught there?

Where are good places to run a trotline?

[ozark trout fisher]

Does anyone know where I can obtain a good map of the James or Finley River that would show their entire length? A web site perhaps?

Also, who knows the river good enough to point out its deepest hole’s?

Or holes that contain a lot of wood usually.

And what access point would I use to fish these areas by canoe?

What have you seen caught there?

Where are good places to run a trotline?

Here's a good map at least.

http://www.missouricanoe.org/river-maps/jamesfinley.html

[Buckshotdad1960]

Thanks Ozark Trout Fish…,

That is a great start! I want to gather as many maps and info as I can on the two rivers but if this is all I end up with then I’m happy! Not that I’m easy to please but one good map hast to be better than nothing! LOL This web site will help a lot of people.

Now, if I could just read! LOL

[smallmouthjoe]

The best maps I've come by for any river in Missouri come from A Paddler's Guide To Missouri. Mine cost me 6$ at Borders and is worth ten times that in value to me.

[Buckshotdad1960]

Hey smallmouthjoe,

Where is Borders located, and is it open on the weekend?

Hey, did you get to hit that spot yet on bull creek?

Also, I just fixed my computer, every since I’ve been on here I have had trouble posting on this forum. Every time I tried to post IE would kick off. I never knew if my PM’s were received. Did you get the one about where to get a county road map?

[Buckshotdad1960]

It’s too bad that we’ll never meet the real guys with the true knowledge of the river. I’m talking about the guys born and raised around here that are old now. Men like our grandfathers who fished for food and not just so much for fun. These old timers not only knew the river they had a feel for her rhythms. But I doubt men like that would be on a forum like this or would even know how to use a computer.

[eric1978]

It’s too bad that we’ll never meet the real guys with the true knowledge of the river. I’m talking about the guys born and raised around here that are old now. Men like our grandfathers who fished for food and not just so much for fun. These old timers not only knew the river they had a feel for her rhythms. But I doubt men like that would be on a forum like this or would even know how to use a computer.

There are a couple, but they don't let on how much they know.

Can you imagine how good the fishing was on their rivers when they were kids? I'd give anything to go back and fish during, say, the pre WWII era.

[Wayne SW/MO]

There's one on the Niangua, his family even has a bluff named after it.

I'm not sure running a trotline on either of those rivers is a good idea. There's a lot of people using them and there isn't all that much water. I would think limb lines would be less intrusive and more friendly.

[Daveinozark]

from what i hear, these rivers were in a world of hurt and conservation efforts have only paid off recently. Probably didn't want to fish much back then. Like you, Buckshot, I'd like to learn as well. Mostly because I haven't lived here 1 year yet, and never fished before I got here

[Buckshotdad1960]

That’s for sure eric1978,

You should see a picture my father in law has of a limit of crappie. You don’t see that any more. My own grandpa used to tell me stories of fish caught on the Gasconade and Little Piney. I never knew for sure if they where just stories or the truth. He did however before he died, took me fishing and helped me get my first true 5lb bass at the age of 9. After that I don’t know who got hooked worst. The bass on my hook or me on fishing but we both wanted back in the water real bad! LOL I’ve been chasing the dream ever since.

Indeed I believe your right wayne sw/mo,

A limb line is the way to go instead of a trotline but I’m not looking to do either. I’m just trying to locate the areas where you would run a trotline (or limb line) if you were going to. There’s a reason for that but I can tell you because it’s so top secrete, so highly classified that not even the President of the United States is cleared to know this information! Well, at least according to most of the posters on this forum anyway! LOL

You know I find it funny that people can be so greedy and selfish in thinking they have found the secrete honey hole and won’t tell anyone else where it is. Let me ask you something. Have you ever floated a stream or river and been so alone it made you feel as you were the only one who has ever seen that stretch of the river before? I bet it has and I bet you a million bucks that it’s just an illusion. Someone could have floated through there an hour before you did! A day, a week, a month, a decade ago but someone has already been there ahead of you. It’s the same for all these fishing spots. You might fish the same spot every evening all summer long and never see a soul. In your mind you’re the only one who knows about this spot. However reality might be a little different if you were to change your routine and go fishing in the mourning one time and catch the guy who’s been coming there every mourning all summer long, who thought he was the only one who knew about this spot. Get the picture? There are people you don’t even know that know about your spots and still there seems to be enough fish to satisfy everyone.

Some people are just preprogrammed to be greedy, selfish, and stingy. There have been countless times in my life where I have come up to a spot right behind someone else leaving and caught fish. Now that means one of two things. Either there were more fish than they could catch or I was just a better fisher man than them. Maybe they were just using the wrong bait, lure, presentation, left just before the fish moved in or a thousand other variations from what I did. I get the impression that people feel that if they told others where they caught fish that the very next day there would be a hundred people standing there and the place would be so fished out that not even the birds would come anymore! LOL People think this way because of places I like to call dead zones.

We’ve all seen these places. Usually at a park or easy to get to spots at the lake where a billion million people go everyday. The spot is well worn down, bait tub and hook packages litter the ground with bobbers and fishing line hanging from the trees. Surly if everyone that stood there caught at least one fish there can’t be anything left! Right? Well maybe you didn’t use the right bait, the right lure, the right presentation, or just got there at the right time. And then again maybe you did and you’re right, there is nothing there, maybe there never was. These spots are formed by people of opportunity. Their there so they fish. The majority do so because they have no where else to go, they know no other spots to try! I wonder what’s the point of teaching our children to fish if all their going to find is the dead zone spots. Surly they won’t want to fish for long. WE need to share the resources we have with others. Remember their fee’s for licenses help to pay the way for better fishing for all of us. They help keep the bait stores and tackle shops we like to shop at open.

Bottom line is there are no guaranties in fishing. Just because you tell me where there is a good fishing spot doesn’t mean I’m going to catch anything. But the opportunity to try stirs me on and it will others too. Let’s spread the dead zone crowd out and give them a chance to appreciate what we take for granted. Some of you guys are maniacs and fish everyday, (Some people like Fishingcricket need to seek professional help LOL) but most people only get to fish now and then. If we share our knowledge and spots with them they will learn to appreciate the environment and help keep it clean and their dollars will help support us all.