Advice For Blue Ribbon Area.

[jimrandolph]

I spoke with Brian yesterday to book a canoe or two in mid April. It looks as though it will be a two day trip from Cane Bluff to Turner.

We spoke briefly about it on the phone about lure selection and presentation etc....but I am not accustomed to smallmouth fishing. Specifically, if Greer Spring to Turner is Blue Ribbon Trout area; and because I don't fly fish, what kind of lures would you all recommend. I understand that soft plastic lures are also prohibited.

[Tito Degiosio]

I spoke with Brian yesterday to book a canoe or two in mid April. It looks as though it will be a two day trip from Cane Bluff to Turner.

We spoke briefly about it on the phone about lure selection and presentation etc....but I am not accustomed to smallmouth fishing. Specifically, if Greer Spring to Turner is Blue Ribbon Trout area; and because I don't fly fish, what kind of lures would you all recommend. I understand that soft plastic lures are also prohibited.

don't know much about lures other then deep diving crawdads work well as well as rooster tails in orange,white,black all will work cast to the bank and reel

you can always set up any spinning rod like a nymphing rig place a egg pattern or other fly under a indicator about 6 feet to 8 adjust as needed of course use split shot don't be afraid to use a heavy one

you need to get to the bottom and do it fast cast up in into the current and let sink and float by

haven't used a spin reel in so long Don't know if I could even operate one now haha but before got into fly fishing I used to catch trout on bait casters using a egg pattern ,splitshot and indicator fished deep I caught lots of trout that way it should it should work for ya I'm sure there's another method for using a casting rod and lures but if all elese fails try it you may be suprised

Hope this helps

(The Ghost Angler)

[FishinCricket]

Go down to walmart and buy three packs of 16th ounce maribou jigs (three different colors).. These work great for all species on that float.. Bounce em deep in deep slow water pockets, run em under or around log jams and stick ups, work em around boulders and obstructions in swift blue pockets, etc...

I like summit white with a "Pansy" pink jig head.. You can buy lil spinners to attach to them for more action (without having to work the rod tip)

The trick to a jig is how you work the rod tip.. Attempt to mimic the action of an injured baitfish who is flopping through the current.. For example: you come down a riffle set and paddle your canoe into the slow spot.. Cast back upstream into the current and work the jig as it goes downstream, keeping a balance between reeling it too fast and bumping the bottom.. Only allow it to bump the bottom if it's a sandy area.. Otherwise you'll lose jigs..

Other than that, dragging any crankbaits directly up or downstream at long distaces from the boat always seems to work well for the wife... GOOD LUCK!

[jimrandolph]

Very good. Thanks guys. If anyone else has any other tips for the blue ribbon area, or upstream, where we will be fishing on Day 1, I am all ears. Also; has anyone ever tried to target catfish out there? It would be nice to put a line out for some channel cat that night.

[Brian Sloss]

You won't come across any catfish on that float.

[jimrandolph]

Well, a little less gear to pack I suppose. For those who have camped on the river in the past, we were thinking about shying away from a tent, and maybe using a couple of hammocks. From your experiences, do you think it would be too difficult to find accomadating trees about half way through the trip?

[Gavin]

There are lots of trees, cane jungles, ticks & chiggers...but at least the PI wont be too thick by the end of April. Bring bug dope, have fun. Cheers.

[snap]

There are lots of trees, cane jungles, ticks & chiggers...but at least the PI wont be too thick by the end of April. Bring bug dope, have fun. Cheers.

[MississippiAngler]

I list lures for both the blue ribbon area and for all other areas. Be sure to follow the rules to protect the fishery.

Anyway, this is what works for me:

1) Crawfish cranks. Vary size, depth and color. I'd start with something realistic with a deep lip to run at or near bottom and work my way up. If you try a few different things and nothing happens, move on down the list.

2) Deep diving minnow cranks. a Berkley frenzy deep diver works well at times. A few years ago, a Walmart special $1.97 Smithwick minnow in silver/black/purple wore them out. The key is DEEP DIVER. Bounce, bump and bang it off the bottom. I prefer a "countdown" style crank, which is to say one that SINKS slowly rather than one that floats.

3) Spinnerbaits. A marabou jig on a spinner works well. Natural and white. Beetlespins are good. Rooster tails are OK (though I find the treble hook very annoying and don't carry these anymore). Standard largemouth spinners scaled down (1/8 oz to 1/4 oz.) work OK. I like black/yellow, solid white, red and black and blue skirts with single spinner setups. Sometimes I add a twin tail white trailer. I slow roll them deep. Fall, reel, twitch, twitch, fall, reel, twitch, twitch (subtle on the twitching and patient on the fall). The farther away from the boat, the better.

4) A small bass jig. Same as you'd use for largemouth, but 3/8 oz. or smaller (I like 1/4 oz). I like crawfish colors (orange/brown) with a twin-tail trailer. A black and blue with a white twin tail trailer has worked before.

Outside of the BR area (Cane Bluff to Greer for purposes of your float), I'd add these to the list (and my order would be 1-crawfish cranks, 2-tubes, 3-deep minnow cranks, 4-grubs, 5-spinners, 6-shakeyheads, 7-jigs):

1) Tubes. I like something like a smoke/red flake color, 2.5-3.5 inches. These are also productive on goggle eye, which are, in my humble opinion, fun, but only worth catching to prevent a shutout if the smallies don't bite. Run these in deep channels, off rock walls and keep a tight line. Again, plastic, so avoid don't use these in the BR area.

2) Grubs,. Light line, light bullet sinker (1/8 oz), natural colors work best. Vary the retrieve. This is a versatile bait that can find the fist at any depth.

3) A 1/4 oz. shakey head jig. If you don't know this arrangement, look it up. Two pieces of advice: use a floating worm in a natural-ish color (watermelon, watermelon with red flake, motor oil, pumpkinseed, etc.) and work that sucker slow and with VERY light line movements. The moving water will cause undulation and your twitches need to be subtle. Any twitch will cause a greater reaction than you expect.

[2sheds]

Heavy weighted rooster-tail spinners, fished very deep have worked well for trout and smallmouth.

I usually tarp camp, rather than bringing a tent. Lots of great spots to camp from Greer to the Narrows.