Osage River - Ozark Water? Good day anyway

[Johnsfolly]

I could tell if the Osage in general or the Osage/Tavern creek confluence would be considered an Ozark water on this forum. Anyway I got down to fish that area yesterday hoping for a redhorse sucker or two and maybe a spotted bass to add to my 2015 species caught listing. My buddy and I started fishing the Tavern just above the bridge above the confluence. We were bottom fishing using nightcrawlers. We both caught freshwater drum. I had never caught a freshwater drum. So the day was already a sucess for me. After the bite died under the bridge, we drifted down to the mouth of the creek. Noone was having much luck on redhorse from the bank or by boat. A couple of spotted bass were caught and I caught a few the worms off of the bottom. The largest that I boated was just under 11". Not a monster, but I nice healthy fish. Since I hadn't caught a spotted bass yet this year, they were added to my species tally.

We moved into the Osage downstream of the confluence and really never got a good bite for several hours. We pulle anchor and headed upstream above the Tavern. I threw my bait into a current seam and hooked into a good fish. My buddy got a phone call as I was bringing the fish to the boat for him to net.

This redhorse measured 22.25" and weighted about 4-4.5 lbs. Even though it was a pretty slow day fro numbers of fish. I was glad to be out on the water and tallied three more fish to my list.

[hoglaw]

So those redhorse will eat night crawlers? I've got some monster rough fish in my creek. Some are common carp, but some are darker and they're enormous. I'm not sure what they are. Would love to figure out how to catch them.

[Ham]

So those redhorse will eat night crawlers? I've got some monster rough fish in my creek. Some are common carp, but some are darker and they're enormous. I'm not sure what they are. Would love to figure out how to catch them.

I know some would tell you to use a treble hook with lead molded onto it during season of course, I would say drift night crawlers or corn to them amd see what happens.

[Seth]

The rock bank below the confluence is usually a good place for bass. You can also run down below the bridge and fish jigs and crankbaits along the rocks and usually pick up some kentuckies with an occasional largemouth.

[Ham]

How many species have you caught thus far this year John? I'm stuck at 15, but I hope to change that tomorrow

[Johnsfolly]

I'm up to 12 since the 1st of March. I have confrimed that I caught two new species, hornyhead chub and the freshwater drum. I have to confirm this species of minnow to see if that is a new species as well.

[Dan Sweeney]

I catch a lot of those minnows early on small nymphs while waiting for the other critters to wake up. I can happily chase those little guys for a few hours. They get up to five or six inches sometimes. When they warm up enough to be shallow and eating, it means the assorted game fish aren't far behind. Kind of a precursor to the whites and crappie and bass and bream.

[Johnsfolly]

I keyed this one out as a bleeding shiner using Pflieger's Fishes of Missouri.

[Ham]

I keyed this one out as a bleeding shiner using Pflieger's Fishes of Missouri.

I don't see him bleeding, but he's lost a few scales.

[Johnsfolly]

I wasn't able to lip grab him to land him adn he just slipped through the net. So maybe was a little rough on the release. I saw an 11 by 3 foot section that had to have had 200 - 300 of these guys all lined up about 2 - 4 inches apart. Only about 5 to 10% seemed to be real active when the nymph i was fishing went past them.