Shoal Creek 4/6/13 Report

[Buzz]

With the break from cold weather and having a bad case of cabin fever I decided today would be a good day to hit one of my favorite walk in spots.

I got to the water at about 8:15 and started with the trusty spinnerbait. It didn't take long before I caught a nice feisty smallmouth.

Long story shortened, I didn't have anymore takers on the spinnerbait, nothing on the soft craw, and not a look at the stickbait. So I dug into the crankbait box and pulled out a red craw colored Excaliber square bill. That's when the fun really started. I caught my first on about the third cast. A fat Kentucky at about 15 inches that hit just outside of the weedline. One more keeper fish came from the same whole, but that was it. I explored some more down stream but no takers, so I headed back upstream a ways and caught 1 more keeper and one dink.

By the time I got back up to the point I had started there were 6 people fishing on the other side of the creek. Not such a secret after all. The wind by now was absolutely howling out of the south. Still throwing the square bill, I caught 2 more nice fish from around big rocks. The last fish was a very nice brownie, probably 15 or 16 inches, that slammed the crank after it came over a big rock. My biggest in a while and my first on a crankbait in a really long time.

Not a bad 3 and a half hours fishing.

[fishinSWMO]

Nice!

It's a great day to be outside.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I've been telling you for years now to toss them cranks! I think I am just about to get through to you.

Good job. I know what you mean by your secret hole. Cars are parked there all the time now it seem. Not to mention all those from the other side of the creek beating the hell out it.

[laker67]

Some really nice fish there Buzz. Glad to hear you got out and about on a fine day like we are having.

[Buzz]

Thanks guys it was fun. I know Chief, you have been telling me for years. You know,after I lost that red craw I tied on a wiggle wart just to compare the 2 baits and I really prefer the Excaliber bait. It has a whole lot more vibration and it didnt get hung up so that I couldn't get it back until the last time of course. I'm going to Academy to get a few more.

Well, I was incorrect about the maker of the red craw crankbait I was throwing today. It was actually a H20 Express bait. So when I went to Academy I got a couple more of them and a couple Excalibur cranks. I'm ready now.

[tupperjk]

looks like you did a little better than me. I gotta get farther upstream, that and keep Savin for a yak.

[Buzz]

looks like you did a little better than me. I gotta get farther upstream, that and keep Savin for a yak.

Until you get a yak there a bunch of places you can get to and fish without a boat, if you are willing to get wet.

[tupperjk]

well I've lived in the area my whole life but for some reason never spent a lot of time on shoal. I finally have a job now where I can get out and get out often. I'd love to find some places, but with the stories of landowners I have stuck mostly to public access. I'd love to learn more about our local treasure that is shoal creek, and I have a feeling this forum will teach me a lot

[tupperjk]

PM'd you Buzz