Tying To Decide, 11 Point Or Current?

[flyaker]

Hello all. I am a Missouri born fly fisher that was drug away as a child to NC before I had a chance to experience the great trout fishing in Mo. While on vacations to visit the family in Dixon, Rolla, Cuba, and Leesburg, I will be trying to remedy that situation. I have been reading many great informational posts and have learned a lot from your forum by doing so. You are blessed with a broad range of fishing styles from your posters and an envious lack of snobs and trolls. I posted in the Current River forum as well so for you guys that browse both, my apologies! I would like to get into some browns but if the 11 Point fishes significantly better this time of year we could catch up with a brown another day.

I will be bringing my sons 16, 15, and 11 from North Carolina to one of these rivers for a one day float on the 17th or 18th of August. We will be floating the Big Piney the day before for smallmouth and the boys said they would love to catch some trout. One boy has never caught any trout, the others have only caught bows. The older boys spin fish and the younger is hooked on the long rod. Pardon the pun. So getting to the point.......What section of river would you recommend for a full day float with plenty of stopping to fish? I have looked at the Greer to Whitten section. I have read many posts on what spinning gear baits to use but would like some tips on HOT weather flies. Are there any particular hopper/ant/cicada patterns that you folks have good success with this time of year? and what droppers would you hang below them? Any help on streamers would be helpful as well. I tie 90% of my own flies but the boys have added this trout adventure late in the game so I only have time to tie a few patterns before we head out. Will concentrate on the patterns that are highly recommended. Recommendations on a fly shop between Rolla and the 11 Point would be helpful as well. So.........

Section?

Hoppers?

Droppers?

Streamers?

Any and all help, or redirection, is greatly appreciated in advance. I am really looking forward to showing these boys a great time and making some lasting memories.

[Brian Sloss]

If fishing is the primary focus, Greer to Whitten may be a bit long as it is 12 miles. Fine for a float, but a long way to fish hard. If you want to keep fish or not also plays a role. Greer to Turner has trophy regs and keeping fish is not as viable. Turner to Whitten or Whitten to Riverton are managed more for harvest. Spinning rods need to have marabou jigs in a number of colors including white. Deep diving crank baits that are smaller and heavier rooster tail type spinners. Anything below Turner they can use baits (power bait, minnows, corn etc) and soft plastics such as beetle spins and tube baits. As for flies, keep them deep. Big stone flies, Don's Crawdads, prince nymphs and smaller marabou jigs. We sell flies at our shop in Alton where we rent canoes for the river. www.11ointcanoe.com. Whatever you decide to do, have a great time. We are fishing well here.

[jdmidwest]

I would second the Whitten to Riverton float. More water and river if there are other floaters and quality of scenery and fishing are better than on the trout portion of the Current. Your only downside would be the jet boat traffic.

This time of year, the Current can get crowded on the trout portion, it is narrower and smaller, and is used more by recreational floaters.

[jah]

Either river is amazing and the boys will have a great time. If you fish the Current, you can use many of the same flies Brian mentioned above. I save the small stuff for winter time. You cannot go wrong at all on the Current with beadhead pink egg patterns bounced on the bottom. Eggs have saved MANY days for me on the Current. I have no shame in fishing them! I would use a Pat's Rubber leg trailed by a pink egg. Or, for spin fishing, tiny crawdad cranks or jerkbaits. Brian helped my wife and I successfully fish the 11 Point 2 years ago, so I'd listen to every word he says if you decide to go there. Best of luck, and have fun!

Jim

[FishinCricket]

Either river is amazing and the boys will have a great time. If you fish the Current, you can use many of the same flies Brian mentioned above. I save the small stuff for winter time. You cannot go wrong at all on the Current with beadhead pink egg patterns bounced on the bottom. Eggs have saved MANY days for me on the Current. I have no shame in fishing them! I would use a Pat's Rubber leg trailed by a pink egg. Or, for spin fishing, tiny crawdad cranks or jerkbaits. Brian helped my wife and I successfully fish the 11 Point 2 years ago, so I'd listen to every word he says if you decide to go there. Best of luck, and have fun!

Jim

X2

Small floating crankbaits like the teeny craw or the bitsy minnow are perfect choices... Not only do the work like gangbusters but they float when you aren't cranking them, so you're much less likely to get hung up on the bottom.. Even when you are cranking them, they are bumping the bottom with their bill, not the hooks...

[2sheds]

I grew up in Missouri, reside in Texas, and return every year for 3 weeks of floating/flyfishing. So I have researched this question to the point of excess. Here's my 2 cents:

Current, Northfork, and Eleven Point are all wonderful summertime float trips. Each has a unique character and deserves consideration.

But for best trout catching success in summer, there is no doubt that the Eleven Point River is the best choice. If you want to try an overnight on the river, the two-day float from Greer to Riverton includes great scenery, springs to visit, abundant trout (Greer to Riverton), and smallmouth (Turner to Riverton). I just returned from a 4 night trip to the Eleven Point and can echo that it is fishing very very well (particularly for mid-summer). If you stick with your one-day plan, you just have a tough choice between 2 great options: Greer to Turner/Whitten vs Whitten to Riverton. I might be tempted toward the latter in order to enjoy the spring at Boze Mill Dam, but it really is a coin flip.

Your best advice for trout fishing on the Eleven Point is Brian Sloss andy Ryan Griffin at Eleven Point Canoe Rental. They are a great source for canoe outfitting, last minute tackle, and valuable insight. I would tell you to fish deep in the seams and dropoffs. And since this water will be moving fast (much faster than other Missouri canoeing streams), you need to give this top priority.

* With spinning rods and the high+fast water on the Eleven Point, this means heavy jigs, deep diving rebel crawdads, and #2 and #3 Blue Fox Spinners (my favorite and fished like a jig - best success among the spinning fishermen in our party the week of July 25. Because you need to be on the bottom, expect to lose quite a few lures to snags - so come prepared.

* Flys need to be deep, maybe 9-12 feet of leader - depending on the spot. For trout, I like a MOAT stonefly (2 large tungsten beads + lead wrapping) with a Don's Crawdad dropper. I catch plenty of smallmouth on the same. Downriver when the water is slow and a bit warmer, I switch to a wooly-bugger with a pheasant tail nymph dropper.

Hope your guys have a blast. This is a special place !

[ozark trout fisher]

I would recommend Greer to Turner. That is the best trout fishing float I've ever been in the Ozarks, you sure won't be dissappointed with it. Since you are going the weekday, the Current would also be a viable option. Since you're fly fishing I'd recommend the float from Baptist to Cedar, or Baptist to Parker Hollow if you want to take it slow and wade a lot. On the Current this time of year, hopper-dropper rigs are where it's at. For the dropper I'll go with a Scud, Hare's Ear, or Caddis Pupae, usually #18. If you need to rack up some numbers, the smaller beadhead egg patterns they sell up at the park store will almost always get it done, just drift them under a stick on indicator and you'll probably do just fine. Doesn't seem to matter much what color-peach, orange, white, tri-color, it's all good. I can't even begin to express how crazy the rainbows in the Current are for egg patterns.

On the Eleven Point you'll need to go much deeper, probably have to use lead. Stoneflies, crayfish patterns, etc.

Another thing to keep in mind is you will have very little to no dragging on the Eleven Point below Greer Spring. The upper Current's best trout water above Welch Spring is skinny water this time of year for sure, so there will be some places you'll have to get out.