Which Watershed

[jtram]

My two local watersheds are the Elk and Shoal Creek (Spring River watershed, I know). It seems to me that hands down the Elk River and its tribs are better in terms of numbers, while Shoal Creek is better for average size fish. That being said, most of my very few 18+" fish have come from the Elk's tribs. I know there are big fish in all of them, but what are y'alls opinions?

[Amery]

I'd just stay out of the elk tribs.......big snakes or something. ???

[fishinwrench]

From my observations I'd say the river in this region with the most 18+ Smallies per mile would have to be the Meramec.

My question would be Why?

[Chief Grey Bear]

Not to be nitpiky but SWMO is actually in the Neosho watershed.

But to try and answer your question, even though both systems, the Elk and Shoal, are very close in proximity, they are different in many ways.

The Elk traverses a more rocky, hilly type topography more closely associated with those streams from the Ozark interior. The Elk and especially its tribs have a higher gradient drop per mile and a lesser amount nutrient density. In fact one trib has one of the steepest drops per mile in the state.

Shoal traverses a more transitional area from Ozark type topography to a more pairie type. It's just a little slower and with more nutrient density. It's gradient is a little less, although there are short areas of quick decent.

Shoal has more and better habitat than Elk. And I can't help but wonder what Elk would be like without all the traffic. Does the traffic cause an undue stress on the biodiversity of the stream?

I'm not and never have been a big fan of the Elk. I do love her tribs though.

Be very proud of your 18's from this corner. I've been fishing here all my life and have only caught one. The MDC has only found one 19 and very, very few 18. I have caught numerous 20's LMB from these rivers.

One thing to remember is that fish of these sizes are getting very near the end of there life span. And they don't get this big by being stupid. But to me that is part of what makes it so fun. The chase!

[jtram]

Chief, which one in your opinion puts out better top end fish? I think Shoal should, but hasnt for me. Am I missing quality by not fishing Center and Spring River?

[jtram]

Is the different substrate the difference in numbers of fish between the two?

[Chief Grey Bear]

Chief, which one in your opinion puts out better top end fish? I think Shoal should, but hasnt for me. Am I missing quality by not fishing Center and Spring River?

Elk does seem to have the better reputation for producing bigger fish. I think they both produce large fish it's just much harder to catch them in Shoal. She is very finicky about sharing her secrets.

I love fishing both Spring and Center. Those are the two I grew up on. But again you are getting to the the very fringe of the Ozarks with these two and they fish a little different than Shoal. To me, those two are much more crankbait oriented systems.

Center gets a lot more action than you realize. It gets hit pretty good but continues to produce decent fish. Haven't caught any real hogs from her but she entertains me.

Spring and Center both have brownies but not in the numbers of those to the south.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Is the different substrate the difference in numbers of fish between the two?

That's a good question.

As you move out of the more Ozark type terrain and into the slower more prairie type and the gradient slows, the stream structure and ecosystems go from favoring brownies on the Elk to LMB on the Spring.

It's a slow transformation that is really quite fascinating to experience.

[jtram]

What makes it even more fascinating to me is that I live 5 miles away from where Capps enters Shoal. I have live water on my land that becomes the uppermost flowing water on the north fork of Indian a mere 5 miles down from me, just south of Stark City. so a mere 5 miles or less is the difference in the headwaters of two completely different river systems.

[jtram]

Never had thought about it but I know where the first bluff is on Indian Creek.... Still trying to figure out how high up smallmouth exist on Indian, I know where they don't, its within a 5 or 6 mile stretch between where I have and haven't caught them. (Little stuff like that is fun to find out, doubt more than a couple people could tell you where that line is)