Bear Creek

[David Unnerstall]

Hello,

I am posting this in "Introduce Yourself" because this is my first New Topic. I was born and raised in North County St. Louis. I have an old Ouachita bass boat that I tow to Mark Twain Lake and LOZ once a year and put it in the Mississippi a few times each year. A buddy of mine has 94 acres in Southeast Missouri and I will be heading there this weekend. We typically fish the Castor River from Hidden Valley. Now I learned from the Conservation Atlas of the existence of an area called Iron Bridge Access. It is on Bear Creek. Can anyone tell me something about this? According the MDC it has a population of smallmouth and goggle-eye. My father-in-law gave me his fly-rods and tackle before he moved into a retirement community. I had hoped to tell him the story of catching some fish but he passed away shortly thereafter. I have no experience with fly-fishing (although my technique in the front yard is flawless, in my opinion) so what is good advice for sticking some goggle-eyes?

[Gavin]

Fish structure in the slower water, and use a small tube or marabout jig in crayfish colors...There usually in pretty thick stuff or rock gardens. So think of it like its crappie fishing..Snake your jig through the limbs and around rocks your bound to catch a few.They like small poppers too...might fish a popper with a wooly bugger or a crayfish flie tied 2' away off the bend of the popper as a search rig.....Smallmouth are usually in water that is a bit faster. Have a great trip.

[David Unnerstall]

Thanks Gavin.