Blue Ribbon Fishing

[Mark]

OK, I'm a bait chucker. The only time I fish with artificial bait is bass fishing on lakes with a plastic worm. I recently went thru the Greer to Turner section and not even sure if I had a nibble. Admittedly, I don't know how to use rapalas, rooster tails, etc. I did throw a crawdad imitation for awhile - first without any weight and then with a small split shot. I found with the split shot that if I put it too close to the lure, it didn't move in the water like it should. So moved it to about 14" up the line, but still no bites. Same with a minnow imitation - tried without weight, then small split shot, then bigger split shot, moved it up and down the line - nothing. With everything I threw, I tried different retrievals - sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes let the current take it downstream, casting upstream, casting downstream, nothing!

Any advice would be appreciated. I would like to fish that area more but I'm convinced I don't have enough knowledge to have any success with artificial baits. Also, you can assume that I don't know much, if you start talking wooly boogers, caddis, mayflies, etc., I have no friggin' idear what your talking about.

I thought the Blue Ribbon area was beautiful, but if I don't catch fish, my trips thru the area will be minimal.

Thanks, and with advice, remember K-I-S-S. Keep it simple stupid.

Mark

[jah]

I would try the maribou jig route. Tie on a 1/8 oz maribou jig, cast it out, let it sink, and then "jig" it up and down on the retrieve. AKA FishinCricket Method. Also, buy some small crawdad colored crankbaits, throw them out there and vary your retrieve until they hit.

[duckydoty]

There are no fish in the blue ribbon areas...that is why they have the blue ribbon label...1st place not to fish...

jah has led you in the right direction. Maribou jigs work great. Make sure you are using 2 to 4 pound test to increase your chances of a hookup. You might even try drifting smaller jigs under an indicator (bobber).

[mic]

I've had a lot of luck on Blue Springs Creek with Bitsy Pond Minnow (#35 CHARTREUSE BLACK BACK and #31 BABY BASS). I took off the front hook and de-barbed the back ones (personal preference). Chuck it up a shoot or pool and retrieve or let it float down a riffle and reel it back up stream. I've caught my biggest wild trout on this setup. If the water is a little deeper Rapala makes a 1" sinking minnow. I started with that, but I like being able to float a lure through a hole, and the Bitsy is cheaper. If you go to a bass pro store, they are in the crappie/panfish section not the lure section (at least in St. Louis). http://www.basspro.c...t/29847/-855819

The marabou jig recommendation is a good one too, but I found it best to have a micro-reel setup and go as small as possible with the rod tip shacking during the retrieve. If that doesn't work, try different start and stop retrieves. If there is casting room, I have a 8' rod and a 5' for the thick stuff.

Finally, if you are in a spot where you can control the line...and...there is enough current to move a medium split shot...and you can stand in the middle of the run...then you can use any nymph fly. Put the split shot 18 to 24 inches above fly and quarter cast upstream. Reel in the line until it is just tight enough to feel the split shot bouncing down the run. Watch and feel the line for any dead weight or quick movement. When you find the sweet spot you can stop reeling in line and keep the line tight by raising and then lowering the rod tip. (PS...this is a great technique with worms where legal). Again, a micro-reel is the best set up for this. It doesn't work on the real small steams. I load all my micro-rigs with hi-vis four pound test and then tie on six to eight feet of 3x tippet. This allows me to see my line as it passes through the hole. Basically, it is like cat fishing but with your line moving down the stream. I've found the 8' rod works best.

Good Luck.

[Gavin]

Marabou jigs work great...crayfish are a major food source down there...I'd also add some inline spinners... Rooster Tail, Mepps Aglia, etc, some spoons.....Kastmasters & Pheobe's in gold & silver, and some minnow & crawfish crankbaits..Smaller hardbaits tend to work better for rainbows. Cheers.

[troutfiend1985]

Yeah, Marabou jigs are always a good bet for trout. Either jig them or put an indicator on the line, cast them up stream act like its live bait.

[BrokenRod]

I have been fishing with great success for both bows and smallies using purple and green three inch rapalas, mepps squirrel tails # 2 & 3, and my personal favorite uncle joes small inline spinners with a small weight 14 inches above which landed my largest bow. Caught that 19 incher dragging the lure through a rapid off the side of my canoe. The largest bow I have ever seen caught there was by my friend Ray on a Storm wiggle wart deep diver in purple/black, over 21 inches. I have floated and fished the eleven point over ten times a year for the last 12 years. It is my favorite for its pure beauty, clear water, and great fishing. I think if you just try some small crankbaits and go as deep as you can you will find the fish.

Seems like the smallies are biting well. I was down there three weeks ago and we tore em up at Greer spring. At least ten fish over 15 inches all on rapalas. There will be four of us coming down from st louis thursday morning to saturday. Greer to Riverton. Cannot wait. Went crappie fishing at lake ozark last week. Caught a ton of the little suckers but it was honestly boring. At least we stocked the freezer with over 40 lbs. Nothing compares to fishing on the eleven point in my opinion. Good fishing to everyone and I am the one with the broken rod.

[mic]

I have been fishing with great success for both bows and smallies using purple and green three inch rapalas, mepps squirrel tails # 2 & 3, and my personal favorite uncle joes small inline spinners with a small weight 14 inches above which landed my largest bow. Caught that 19 incher dragging the lure through a rapid off the side of my canoe. The largest bow I have ever seen caught there was by my friend Ray on a Storm wiggle wart deep diver in purple/black, over 21 inches. I have floated and fished the eleven point over ten times a year for the last 12 years. It is my favorite for its pure beauty, clear water, and great fishing. I think if you just try some small crankbaits and go as deep as you can you will find the fish.

Seems like the smallies are biting well. I was down there three weeks ago and we tore em up at Greer spring. At least ten fish over 15 inches all on rapalas. There will be four of us coming down from st louis thursday morning to saturday. Greer to Riverton. Cannot wait. Went crappie fishing at lake ozark last week. Caught a ton of the little suckers but it was honestly boring. At least we stocked the freezer with over 40 lbs. Nothing compares to fishing on the eleven point in my opinion. Good fishing to everyone and I am the one with the broken rod.

I've been wanting to try the little joes...now I'll have to.

[Mark]

Do you use any sinkers with maribou jigs? What size? How far up the line? Do you use indicators?

I don't think what I was throwing was the problem, I think it was the presentation, not getting deep enough, and when I went deep I lost my lure.

After losing about $25-30 worth of fishing lures, a guy starts to wonder.........what the heck, this is getting expensive!!!

[Al Agnew]

Mark, the trout ain't always on the bottom. Suspending jerkbaits will catch them. I use the high dollar Lucky Craft Pointers (78 and 65 size will work). Cast them out, reel them a few feet to get them down a few feet, then a gentle sweep of a foot or so, pause, reel in slack, another gentle sweep, etc. Of course, you can also just cast them out and reel them in.

As for marabou jigs, no extra weight needed, just let the lead head take it down. Small crankbaits don't need weight either as long as they have good sized bills that will take them down 5-7 feet. They are no-brainer lures...just cast and reel, but try varying the speed of the retrieve.