My first year of fishing NWA . . . wow!

[FoxMan2099]

First, I have some fishing limitations. Not my 15-year-old. He often outfishes me. But every time we get ready to head out, I have this perfect little 4-year-old who puts on his hat and sandals and wants to wade the waters with us And though this limits what we can do a bit, we wouldn't have it any other way!!!!

Also, we don't have a boat or anything. I hope to start saving for a car rack or bars or something and a canoe or kayaks soon. I have a forester, so I think that'll be perfect, but it's down the road. So as mentioned above, we just make the most of it and bank fish or, more often, wade the clear streams and fish with light tackle.

SMALLIES: I grew up a really good ways west of Little Rock in a place called Moody Hollow. I never caught a smallmouth in my life down there (though plenty of Largemouth and, if there's a hole of water down there, you can bet there are Kentuckies/Spotted Bass in it). Up here in NWA, I've caught dozens now. I'm still chasing the big one, as my largest ones are in the 2 to 3 lb. range. But the pick below (I'm the fat guy, not the kids!) is what we catch (and release) a lot in the creeks.

PANFISH: Wow, what a blessing to have access to so many panfish around here! We've got some creeks that REALLY produce the Green Sunfish and Longears, plus some Bluegill too. And of course in June we made a couple trips to area lakes to produce one heck of a family fish fry on slab bluegills (and Spotted Bass, which are the only bass I keep, and then not very often; also some Greenies, but they have to be HUGE for me to keep since they don't seem to produce much fillet meat like a Bluegill).

ROCK BASS: I guess I could talk about these in "Panfish." I LOVE catching the big rock bass in the creeks up here. I've caught and released some jumbos, that's for sure. I guess folks don't target 'em or anything, but my teen and I do (or try to). I love their fight, and they look awesome up here with their sort of dark and light camo pattern.

NON-TARGETING: I love that really, though, we don't have to target anything in the creeks. We use light tackle---I personally like Joe's Flies for creek fishing. I look forward to learning more about Arkie Lures, though, since they're local. Also keep some rooster tails and similar lures in my undersized tackle box. But we target areas more than fish, and as a result we catch a ton of Longears and Greenies in the creeks with occasional Smallmouths and Rock Bass (oh and Bluegill, though we do better in the lakes and ponds with those). Heck, I even caught one fish that I think (after looking it up) is a Golden Redhorse (some beautiful sucker fish) and all kinds of odds and ends.

QUESTIONS & GOALS: My teen REALLY wants to catch some catfish (I think he wants to eat some more than anything!), so my goal for the end of this summer (or for next year) is to put him on some. Our tackle is on the lighter side (biggest reals use 8 lb. line). Any suggestions from some of you veteran fisherman out there?

Also, someone told me there's White Perch around here. Is that true? I'm talking about the fish that's part of the morone family like White Bass. Anyone know? I've never caught one and would like to mark it off of that list!

Here are some pics of me and my boys from Year 1 up here. I love living in the Ozarks and feel really blessed to be here. I hope it shows in this post and in these pics. Eventually I look forward to learning to catch the Trout and maybe kayaking or canoeing to some honey holes we can't really get to yet!

Blessings, FoxMan2099

[drew03cmc]

Is that the Ouachita drainage or the Neosho drainage which includes the Elk, Spring River and Grand Lake? If it is the Neosho, those are average Neosho smallmouth and they are genetically unique! Enjoy them.

[Mitch f]

Great job! Glad you got them started enjoying the outdoors, instead of spending countless wasted hours on an iPad.

[Blll]

Big "atta boy" for getting your kids to love fishing. Quality time is just as good on shore as in a boat, maybe better. Too many things to worry about in a boat with young ones fishing. I don't know where you fish but I know there are many catfish caught from shore near the Rt. 12 bridge on Beaver Lake. Most weekends finds several groups, bonfires and chatter. Just saying'.

[David Unnerstall]

Great job! Glad you got them started enjoying the outdoors, instead of spending countless wasted hours on an iPad.

Or in front of a computer reading a fishing forum like I am doing.

But a great post, Foxman, I enjoyed reading it.

[Danimal]

Most of these mountain streams have good populations of channel cats (and some flatheads) that not many people fish for. Use some of those sunfish for cut bait. Let the smallmouth go to fight again. Oh, and great pics -- always good to see the youngsters being brought up to appreciate our rivers and streams.

[FoxMan2099]

These fish are all from within a half hour of Fayetteville. Most are from creeks that feed the Illinois River or in that area, OR creeks closer to the West Fork of the White River area.

The first time I caught a smallmouth up here I was skeptical that it was one . . . I had never seen one so bronze and so lacking in dark vertical stripes. Of course, I had only caught a few in my entire life before moving up here, so there's that!

Is that the Ouachita drainage or the Neosho drainage which includes the Elk, Spring River and Grand Lake? If it is the Neosho, those are average Neosho smallmouth and they are genetically unique! Enjoy them.

[FoxMan2099]

No kidding! Although I have to relent and let them have some of that time, too :/

It's weird how schools sort of endorse the that lifestyle. Like, "bring you iPad or i-this or i-that." I'm not anti-technology (I can't be since I teach online courses!), but I wonder what the long-term results are going to be of ingraining it into kids to live on their tech, and that they can't function without it.

Great job! Glad you got them started enjoying the outdoors, instead of spending countless wasted hours on an iPad.

[FoxMan2099]

Thanks, good to know!

Big "atta boy" for getting your kids to love fishing. Quality time is just as good on shore as in a boat, maybe better. Too many things to worry about in a boat with young ones fishing. I don't know where you fish but I know there are many catfish caught from shore near the Rt. 12 bridge on Beaver Lake. Most weekends finds several groups, bonfires and chatter. Just saying'.

[FoxMan2099]

Thanks! I've read threads with very little posting, so I decided I needed to contribute more. I do appreciate the good info and fish talk on here.

Or in front of a computer reading a fishing forum like I am doing.

But a great post, Foxman, I enjoyed reading it.