Finleys Looking Bad !

[Tightline]

Don't believe I have ever seen the Finley looking so bad. Crossed over Riverdale bridge this week and the water is just barely going over the dam and there is green moss backed up above for 100 yds or more.

I have done alot Smallmouth fishing down through the years on Finley and have alot of good memories.It sadens me to see it that way. Of course it may look worse than what it is. I just hope the Smallies are surviving !

Anyone been fishing it lately?

[gonefishin]

This drought sure is hard on some of the streams and lakes. I hope we get some signifigant rain soon.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I just hope the Smallies are surviving !

The Finley isn't alone and there are many small streams in danger of losing their Smallie population.

I wish the MDC would close the season on them until there is some drought relief.

[RSBreth]

Calm down folks. Smallies are back in the winter holes already, and these are the deepest parts of the river. I saw the Finley flood in 2002, where Heritage Dodge in Ozark had several cars washed away, now it's low. Both will not kill the fish as long as it isn't permanent. The greatest threat to the fish populations remain catch and kill fishermen.

For example, in the past couple of weeks in some "secret" holes, I've caught a few fish of several species.

All released.

[Wayne SW/MO]

My worry rsBreth is that they are vulnerable to the Catch and kill, hence the wish they would close the streams to "keepers".

Nice pics.

[crappiefisherman]

crappie in ozark?wow.did you catch above the dam?

[RSBreth]

I agree on the no-kill. But you guys know I think you should get a tag for stream smallmouth, you can keep a big one to verify a record or mount it, whatever, one per year. But even with that, enforcement of the pitiful limits we have now is hard enough. The only good thing is smallies tend to go back downstream in fall to the largest, deepest, slowest hole they can find to winter in. Most of these are far from easy access, and the average poacher won't go to all the trouble of floating a river in winter.

Now, giggers are another story.

Crappie are everywhere in the streams, I've even caught them in Bull Creek in one bluff hole almost everytime I've floated it. Small Rapala Husky Jerks (like in the picture) twitched near timber work great, along with the usual grubs and jigs.

[crappiefisherman]

rs ive caught crappie in bull creek also, but not up past the backwater<lilley pads>, i guess reason would be boat wont go much further up.I was wondering where the crappie caught above the dam by the home docks or down towards the car lot.Ive always wanted to fish the creek below but never have, also ive always wondered about the little ox bow east of highway 65.It looks good but ive never seen anyone wading there.Oh i never caught crappie of any size in bull creek though>Are there large ones in there?

[RSBreth]

The crappie don't stay in one exact place. Just find a deep, slow pool with some timber and go from there...I can't really be more clear than that. And let big crappies go. Keep the 10" ones, and not many of those. Stream populations aren't very dense, maybe a dozen or so live in an average pool.

[crappiefisherman]

rs.......................is there a lenth limit on crappie in creeks? I was wonderin cause you can fil up on 9 inch crappie in bull creek but i have never kept a single cause of doubt of law.I will tell you one day in june last year I caughtprolly 75 crappie in a deep slow pool in bull creek but they all were kinda small.Also water was very clear and white bass where cruising in the pool .I love to wade fish and this was boat fishin but it was possible from bank.