Floating Cedar Grove To Pulltite

[storkboy]

I am a smallmouth fisherman, floating the Current Thursday. I am an artificial lure guy, what should I use to catch some trout? I got a cicada lure, some rooster tails, spinners and crank bait.

thanks,

Brian who throws them all back.

[ozark trout fisher]

I am a smallmouth fisherman, floating the Current Thursday. I am an artificial lure guy, what should I use to catch some trout? I got a cicada lure, some rooster tails, spinners and crank bait.

thanks,

Brian who throws them all back.

If the cicadas are really, really on and fish are rising like crazy, look no further.

Otherwise, 1/32 ounce dressed Panther Martins and size 0 or 1 Mepps with gold or silver blades will work well. Dressed spinners usually work better than the regular ones. 1/32 ounce Marabou jigs in white, pink, yellow, black, and olive can be very effective too. You can also drift beadheaded glo-bugs (egg patterns) deep under a small bobber or indicator with an ultra-light, a set-up that is just about sure to catch fish.

Keep in mind that on the lower end of that float below Akers and down to Pulltite there aren't going to be that many trout, or smallies either. The goggle-eye fishing is pretty good though, and the scenery down there ought to be enough to keep you busy anyway.

Make sure to stop when you float by Welch Spring. Not only is the spring extremely beautiful, but where it joins the river is an excellent place to fish for trout.The junction pool is very deep and fishy and there are some very nice braided riffles downstream that are also productive. Keep in mind that you can't fish the spring branch itself, but the junction pool is fair game.

[Gavin]

Your fishing will probably be better between Cedar & Akers so focus on it more up there..The smallie fishing isnt bad on that stretch, trout & chain pickeral possible too...For smallies...bring some green pumpkin grubs & 1/4 & 1/8oz heads, some Zoom Super Flukes, and tiny torpedo & a small jitterbug for cicada's, plus whatever else you like....for trout...its mostly stocker rainbows...so go with smaller stuff, inline spinners, gold & silver Kastmaster spoons, and some 1/16-1/8oz Marabou jigs...fish the jigs on the bottom, or suspend them under a float. Have a great trip.

[Smalliebigs]

I am a smallmouth fisherman, floating the Current Thursday. I am an artificial lure guy, what should I use to catch some trout? I got a cicada lure, some rooster tails, spinners and crank bait.

thanks,

Brian who throws them all back.

Brian, from Cedar Grove to Akers obviously Welch Spring @ the mouth of the spring where it dumps into the river is a spot you shoud hit with a roostertail, Flame Coachdog,Golden Hopper, and Hammered Copper Bumble Bee are the three best Rooster tail colors I buy them hereMy link A lot of guys laugh and snicker behind my back for fishing with rooster tails and I laugh and catch a ton of trout on them but, they must be fished the right way to truly be as effective as they can be.

Right before Welch Spring for about a mile I catch a few smallies because the spring makes the river a little more fertile there but in general that entire float you are speaking of I have never done really well on smallies.Especially from Akers to Pulltite.

Welch Spring down will provide some decent trout fishing. Past Welch about two miles is a hole right below Devil's Tollgate that has a nice moving water under a bluff and where it bottle necks down at the ripple is a spot that always produces and I have caught some big browns there that get moved down stream.The area around Medlock Cave and the spring there holds some big trout that most people never see.

The rooster should be thrown way down stream to a ripple and held in posistion do not retrieve it hold it there controlling your depth with your rod and with slack( a long spinng rod helps with this). Pop the rooster slightly and keep it in an area for awhile then slowly retrive to a new area and repeat. I have caught more really nice trout on my single hook roosters than anything I own. I guess that tells you how much I use my flyrods

Brian I also use Black n Yellow and Olive colored jigs they always work but, you really need to know how to fish a jig in current to be effective with them.

**** a reminder....last year we floated from akers to Pulltitie in the begining of October and I caught two very nice Browns holding in the flow of the spring just outside of Cave Spring on a huge Brown Trout Rapala, both were pushing 20 plus.I don't know what the river is like there during the floating season???? When we float in October we don't see anyone on the river then so I'm not sure if thats why we caught those there then???? I have seen videos of the Current there during the summer and it was not pretty.*****

good luck and I hope you catch one of those hawg Browns hiding up under a log down by Medlock.

[storkboy]

I forgot to check this before I left, but thanks for the info. I used a rooster tail, and a plastic minnow, I caught 3 20" rainbows and 2 15", the best day of fishing in my life. My girlfriend said "i feel like a real fisherman now", she caught a 15" as well. thanks again for the info, that is real nice of yall.

have a nice day,

Brian