Countryred - Questions For You

[Mark]

C'red - I read on previous post that you are familiar with the Salt River and Mark Twain Lake. A friend has a family farm that the Salt runs thru and downstream from Mark Twain. I don't know exactly how far downstream as I am not familiar with the area. We have often talked of fishing the Salt but it is a bit out of our way from SE MO and haven't taken a chance on an unfamiliar stream. Obviously, you have fished the Salt and had some luck. The only time I have seen the Salt it was definitely stained water.

Is the Salt good smallmouth stream? Largemouth? Crappie? Bluegill? What could we expect to be the predominant catch? Do you fish it from canoe? Can you run a jet boat in the Salt? Or a canoe with a motor? Is there accesses for a day float?

Friend's dad use to do well on Mark Twain many years ago but reading what few fishing reports I can find, it seems that the lake isn't as productive as it use to be. Do you do well crappie fishing on MTwain?

We would be very interested in any advice or opinions on the Salt River and Mark Twain. We have often talked of fishing both but hate to go into it blind, so looking for help.

Email if more convenient - mvogt@stegen.k12.mo.us

Thanks, looking forward to hearing from you.

Mark

[Mitch f]

Ok, Lets stop this conversation right now

[countryred]

Twain is a good lake at times. Right now is really good with the falling water stacking the fish up on the points. Tons for crappie, size comes and goes. Better crappie at caught off the big trees along the creek channels.

The salt has everything in it, gars carp, cats dogfish, sunfish, crappie, whites, and you will catch a little of everything. And those giant big headed carp that jump in your boat. 5 years ago it was an awesome place to catch nice smallies. After the floods its changed. It hurt the small mouth population. Its 60/40 smallies in the bass department, depending on the area. But it is coming back , slowly. I have seen all different boats, jet, air boats, etc. We would canoe most of the time. Or walk in , but 99 percent is private property and better have permission from the well armed locals.

Let me know the general area of your friends farm, it could be a good place for you to start.

There are MDC access areas. Most of our trips we fished from one take out, There are plenty of riffles to drag through, even in a canoe.

Late summer and early fall are good times to try it.

If they are generating, fish the lake. The river is better, the lower and clearer it gets. It doesnt get a ton of pressure, like some of the ozark streams, but it can't handle it either. With flood control, its hard for them to spawn, yo yoing water levels, etc..1 in 5 is a good spawn year. If you do go, please let them go. Poachers raped it a few years ago.

[LarrySTL]

I haven't fished it in a million years, but at Louisiana Mo, the Salt enters the Mississippi and there at least used to be a surprizing number of

2 - 4 lb bass, including decent percentages of SM, in that pool of Miss itself around there. That pool goes from Clarksville to Saverton.

[countryred]

Pool 24 is the best of the pools up here. There are smallies showing up more now there and some good ones too. I think during the flood times many got washed there from the salt.