A Good Day On The Bourbeuse

[Trout Commander]

Maybe that's the thing. I'm not a serious bass fisherman. I love bass fishing, but when I am floating the smallmouth streams I am thinking more in terms of beautiful scenery, solitude, and a few wild, pretty fish if I can get them. I am a lot more serious and focused when I am fly fishing for trout. I don't like spin fishing for smallies any less than fly fishing for trout, but it is a lot more of a casual thing for me.

But all the same I appreciate the advice from the folks that know a lot more about it than I do. I'll go heavier on the topwaters next time.

Take your fly rod bass fishing and you won't have to listen to these spin fishing heathens.

[drew03cmc]

I'm the one who called the Roostertails sissy lures...somewhat tongue in cheek. But I do think there are a lot better options for serious bass fishing on Ozark streams. I agree with CWF, if you want to catch a lot of different species, the Roostertail and similar spinners are great. But I don't like them for bass fishing for several reasons...they are not very snagless. They twist your line unless you use a swivel, which I don't want to do. If you use the ones small enough to get all those different species, you'll be continually unhooking panfish that get to the lure before the bass do, and you won't catch too many of the bigger bass.

But I have a bunch of them that used to get a work-out in any trout water I fished, until I took up the fly rod. Haven't casted one in several years now.

Interesting you should say this. I have caught my largest handful of bass all on 1/16 Rooster Tails. Panther Martins are probably my favorite, I just wish they were readily available with a dressed hook.

Anywho, enjoy your float as I sit envious.

[Whiskey Joe]

Rooster tail: I was on a party float weekend out of Garrisons a few weeks back. Snuck down to the river, first cast caught a 14" smallie on your basic 1/8 oz white rooster tail. If you're skunked, it's fun to put on and catch a few. My goto is rootbeer tube on one rod & white 7" jerk worm on the other. Rarely do I stray from plastics, except for the buzzbait of course.

Trip: I'm getting on at Tea tomorrow 6/24 around 5PM and off at Mill Rock Sunday. About 18 miles. We hope to find some way out at Hwy H bridge to cut 4 miles off, but if not, we'll just paddle an hour or so and get done. I hope to throw some cranks and spinners for a change, but will probably end up with whatever plastic is working. We plan on catfishing at night and eating them on Sat. night. If not, we'll keep the spots & rock bass. Anyone had any luck on a toad topwater lure?

Crime: Sadly, I don't trust a vehicle at an access overnight due to meth. I miss the country in the old days where when you ran into a local, you had a beer and visited for a few minutes, then continued. Now, the locals wonder if you're a meth head and you wonder if they're gonna steal your Clariton D. It's really a shame.

I love the Bourbeuse! It's not as pretty as others so not as crowded. Koenig to Iron Clad is the best. Best fishing trip is the Gasconade from Riddle to Jerome, but the jet boats make it unattractive to me. Hopefully I'll remember to report next week (and it's a good report).

Wish me luck,

Joe

[ozark trout fisher]

Rooster tail: I was on a party float weekend out of Garrisons a few weeks back. Snuck down to the river, first cast caught a 14" smallie on your basic 1/8 oz white rooster tail. If you're skunked, it's fun to put on and catch a few. My goto is rootbeer tube on one rod & white 7" jerk worm on the other. Rarely do I stray from plastics, except for the buzzbait of course.

Trip: I'm getting on at Tea tomorrow 6/24 around 5PM and off at Mill Rock Sunday. About 18 miles. We hope to find some way out at Hwy H bridge to cut 4 miles off, but if not, we'll just paddle an hour or so and get done. I hope to throw some cranks and spinners for a change, but will probably end up with whatever plastic is working. We plan on catfishing at night and eating them on Sat. night. If not, we'll keep the spots & rock bass. Anyone had any luck on a toad topwater lure?

Crime: Sadly, I don't trust a vehicle at an access overnight due to meth. I miss the country in the old days where when you ran into a local, you had a beer and visited for a few minutes, then continued. Now, the locals wonder if you're a meth head and you wonder if they're gonna steal your Clariton D. It's really a shame.

I love the Bourbeuse! It's not as pretty as others so not as crowded. Koenig to Iron Clad is the best. Best fishing trip is the Gasconade from Riddle to Jerome, but the jet boats make it unattractive to me. Hopefully I'll remember to report next week (and it's a good report).

Wish me luck,

Joe

Good luck on your trip. That stretch of river above Mill Rock does sound like a lot of fun. I bet it doesn't get much pressure.

I also worry about leaving the truck at the access overnight in that area-most of the locals are good, upstanding folk but there are unfortunately the meth-heads to worry about around here. But sometimes there isn't much alternative if you want to do a two day float and you just have to hope for the best.

[David Unnerstall]

Rooster tail: I was on a party float weekend out of Garrisons a few weeks back. Snuck down to the river, first cast caught a 14" smallie on your basic 1/8 oz white rooster tail. If you're skunked, it's fun to put on and catch a few. My goto is rootbeer tube on one rod & white 7" jerk worm on the other. Rarely do I stray from plastics, except for the buzzbait of course.

Trip: I'm getting on at Tea tomorrow 6/24 around 5PM and off at Mill Rock Sunday. About 18 miles. We hope to find some way out at Hwy H bridge to cut 4 miles off, but if not, we'll just paddle an hour or so and get done. I hope to throw some cranks and spinners for a change, but will probably end up with whatever plastic is working. We plan on catfishing at night and eating them on Sat. night. If not, we'll keep the spots & rock bass. Anyone had any luck on a toad topwater lure?

Crime: Sadly, I don't trust a vehicle at an access overnight due to meth. I miss the country in the old days where when you ran into a local, you had a beer and visited for a few minutes, then continued. Now, the locals wonder if you're a meth head and you wonder if they're gonna steal your Clariton D. It's really a shame.

I love the Bourbeuse! It's not as pretty as others so not as crowded. Koenig to Iron Clad is the best. Best fishing trip is the Gasconade from Riddle to Jerome, but the jet boats make it unattractive to me. Hopefully I'll remember to report next week (and it's a good report).

Wish me luck,

Joe

Good Luck. Whiskey Joe

[Hog Wally]

On the rooster tail subject: an acquaintance of mine caught back to back right at dark in a shallow ripple multiple walleye and smallies a couple weeks ago. That doesn't mean I went out and bought some but, conditions could be right for them to be the thing

[Whiskey Joe]

Finally getting around to reporting on June 23rd trip, H bridge to Mill Rock: Got on Friday afternoon and caught a lot of small fish, Saturday a bad storm moved in and fishing was bad hardly caught anything followed by camping in a down pour, Sunday after the storms fishing was off. In summary, we were anticipating catching more and bigger fish and were disappointed. River was good with little portaging and some really pretty areas. Tip: We used some old shrimp that a guy brought for catfishing and it outdid shad (impressive). Thankfully, shad outdid shrimp on my next trip.

[Whiskey Joe]

Almost forgot to comment on my previous statement:

"Crime: Sadly, I don't trust a vehicle at an access overnight due to meth. I miss the country in the old days where when you ran into a local, you had a beer and visited for a few minutes, then continued. Now, the locals wonder if you're a meth head and you wonder if they're gonna steal your Clariton D. It's really a shame."

We were nosing around Hwy H to find a good access and a local come by. We drank a few beers & talked for about an hour while we waited on our other folks. Great guy! He kept saying, "I gotta get home, my wife's gonna kill me. . . Okay, one more beer, but that's it."

My faith in the country folks has greatly improved! Or maybe, the country folks attitude toward city folks with a canoe on top has improved.