Niangua 9/28/16

[Johnsfolly]

After working for a week straight I was able to take some time off and headed down to the Niangua to try to catch a brown trout and hopefully any new species that I might have encountered. I started the day down at Barclay access and fished a variety of baits. I wanted to fish mostly active baits to trigger a predatory response in any brown trout haunting the areas that I was fishing. I have only fished that area once before with my daughter. the water at that time was muddy and we only managed a few smallmouth bass. The water on this trip was fairly clear and may have been a tad above 60 deg. The bottom was mostly gravel/small rocks in this area. So I felt that I could really bottom bump with jigs, jerkbaits, and ned rigs without hanging up too often. I caught a couple of small largemouth bass on jerkbaits and on a green pumpkin 1/8 oz ned rig. I also caught a hornyhead chub on that ned as well. Sorry no pictures of the LMB or chub. I did end up losing the green pumpkin ned on some submerged brush, which was the most common structure where I was fishing. In one of the larger pond like pools, I caught several northern rock bass on a 1/8 oz PBJ ned rig.

And down stream I caught this rock bass on a 1/16 oz marabou jig. I ended landed four or five of these guys using a variety of baits. This one had the most character, so I took its photo. I felt really fortunate to be that lucky.

I did catch this smallmouth on a jerkbait while fishing a seam between a deep calm section and the main current in a bend in the river.

Since I had a two hour trip home and had to pick up my son after his day at school, I didn't have much more time on the river. So I headed upstream to another public access and in a fast rocky stretch I managed to catch this 11 inch brown trout on a small husky jerk Rapala.

I had hoped to have had enough time to soak some worms for redhorse suckers, which I have not caught yet this year, but just didn't have the time. I didn't catch any real big fish, but enough to keep me happy as well as marking off catching a brown in the Niangua. Now I only have the Roaring river and lake Taneycomo to achieve my brown trout goal for the year.

[Al Agnew]

The pattern of the black spots on the rock bass appears to be more like a shadow bass.  On the northern rock bass I catch in the Meramec river system, the spots are in almost unbroken rows--almost every scale has a spot.  Shadow bass I catch on the St. Francis river system have those somewhat interrupted rows like yours.  The biologists actually believe that no rock bass species was native to the Osage river system, of which the Niangua is a part, and all rock bass there are the result of early stockings.  After seeing that one, I'm wondering if at least part of those early stockings were shadow bass.

[fishinwrench]

The Big Niangua is the only Lake O trib with a population of Goggleye.   Even the Little Niangua is void of them.  

Below Bagnell I believe you have to get to Tavern cr. before you see them again.

[Johnsfolly]

1 hour ago, Al Agnew said:

The biologists actually believe that no rock bass species was native to the Osage river system, of which the Niangua is a part, and all rock bass there are the result of early stockings.  After seeing that one, I'm wondering if at least part of those early stockings were shadow bass

Al

You may be correct that there may have been some shadow bass stocked in the Niangua. I was basing my assessment from the distributions/collections data presented in "The Fishes of Missouri" reference. That's the trouble with species that folks wanted to transplant or introduce elsewhere.

I didn't mention it in my report or respond to your eagle observation post, but on this trip I did see a juvenile bald eagle harass an osprey to release its catch. The fish fell to the ground and the eagle landed, but I don't think that it ever found the fish.

[oneshot]

Caught a nice Brown at Barclay today and nice Stringer of Rainbows.

 

oneshot

[Johnsfolly]

Oneshot

Congrats on your stringer of trout. Were fishing upstream of the access? Did you get into any redhorse?

[oneshot]

Here is a Goggle Eye I caught on the Niangua

oneshot

[oneshot]

On ‎10‎/‎2‎/‎2016 at 4:54 AM, Johnsfolly said:

Oneshot

Congrats on your stringer of trout. Were fishing upstream of the access? Did you get into any redhorse?

I was fishing by the riffle up above the ramp. Was fishing for Suckers but caught a 3 pound Rainbow on 12 pound test line. Switched to 6 pound test line caught another 3 pounder and two 2 pounders. Biggest Limit I ever caught.

oneshot

[cmoore03]

Sounds like my luck, all good, glad to see you got a great stringer.  Carry On   CM