Fly Fishing Shoal and other local waters

[David Bell]

All,

I am a fly fisherman removed from Coastal Tx to Mo. I have flyfished

since 1972 and spend time each summer on trout waters, namely the parks

or white river tail waters. I am interested in flyfishing for bass in

shoal creek -- patterns, locations etc. I tie my own flies, but am

unfamiliar with the prey. It is winter now so that is where I will start...there are two of us who fish together, catch and release mostly

but looking for sport near Joplin for regular fishing. I know Center

Creek also holds fish and Spring River for Ky Bass etc...but assist in

patterns and locations would be greatly appreciated.

I have one of those small two person fishing craft, but prefer places to

wadefish.

Thanks in Advance,

David Bell

[Fish Bork]

I'm not that much of a flyfisherman but when I pull it out and go for smallies about the only thing I use is a woolybugger. Olive and black work the best in my opinion. Anything that looks like a crayfish or small minnow will work also.

[ollie]

I think I just deleted your email on yahoo. PM me next time on this site. Where are you now? Shoal runs quite some ways, but there are better spots than others. I personally don't fish it very often due to better spots around here. Shoal does have some nice fish, but there is also a LOT of pollution in that stream. Well, at least around Neosho and Joplin. I really haven't put enough time on the creek to know where all the "good spots" are, but I do know where put-ins and take-outs are.

[MoCarp]

I grew up fishing shoal around the grand falls area, big maraboo muddlers and woolly buggers do well smallies in the riffles some BIG

lots of spotted bass, a few largemouths, the pollution is over hyped in this area IMHO and the fishing by wading can be dangerous as the bottom can be greasy and the rocks sharp "chert"

one of the few places you can catch cats on a fly regularly

nice crappie and rockbass to be had--also a small population of trout not many but huge 'bows below the falls

not much fishing done in that area considering the population so close--I have caught 50 bass in a day to 5 pounds in july buzz baiting from a float tube--use a 1/8 size with an oversize 3 wing clear prop blade white body, chunk it on a small 'caster with 10 pound line, and you can crawl that bait through a riffle--they will blast it, if your ar after smallies change the color brown/orange/black and the blade to black, I used that color in the rapids to catch big smalljaws, but thats another story...

[ollie]

MoCarp, compared to MANY other streams in this area the pollution is bad. Check out the PPM on some of the bacteria with some of the stream teams and then tell me otherwise. Of course I must admit I don't like fishing somewhere near a wastewater treatment plant and maybe thats why I really don't like fishing Shoal that much. I mean it is literally 5 minutes from my house and I only fished it once last year. JMO though. I do know there are many big fish in there though and wasn't in no means trying to knock anyone who fishes it.

[David Bell]

okay, I know the water below the dam, and have fished that to Galena at one time or another. How about the other direction? Upper reaches should be cleaner. What about put in points for flyfishing in particular?

One thing that I do know, is the fishery is not what it was in the 50s and 60s but Shoal creek still holds nice smallies. I caught a 3 lb small above the bridge on about 1 mile by road, where the streams follows the road and makes a hard left to a muggy bottom and high bnks. This is above the bridge at Reddings mill.

I am going to post another question related to other streams.

David

[MoCarp]

the bacteria count in shoal does get high, but if you want pollution check out center creek by the powder plants...

as far as other streches of shoal, upper reachs near jolly mill has great water quality, some nice browns/bows wash down where few folks fish

any part I have fished seems to be as good as any others below the dam at neosho is good wade fishing

as far as other creeks try dry fork east of carthage, very small but great bassin--just get permisson 1st

spring river has good fishing but is not a good wading stream, great place to get washed under a deep log jam and drown!!!! but pick you spots, and use wisdom

[Leonard]

David..

one of the place I fished when I live in Neosho was the small dam...

I cant remember the name of the road its on... but as you are downtown Neosho you thurned left at the 4way(in front of the gas station) and it was on the left just passed the ol'junk yard... I beleive it was part of MDC.. but its a nice little place to throw a fly rod...

*** watch for snakes****

there was a lot of them there