Best fishing directly outside of Bennett?

[Tom Tricamo]

Been fishing Bennett with a group of friends for years.  Every year a buddy and I take a day and fish further and further outside of the park.  Wondering what fish bite directly outside the park?  Up from the mouth of Bennett and down?  

What are the good day floats around Bennett?

Thanks guys!

Tom

[fishinwrench]

Above the confluence of the spring Branch you'll catch a few rainbows (very few but there are some), Smallies, and Goggleye.

Below the spring branch there are rainbows, browns, smallmouth, and Goggleye.   And you just have to put in some time to learn which areas are holding them.  The recent stockers are almost always in a tight school tucked into a small area the size of your dinner table and once you find one you can repeat that drift and catch a limit real quick.  The browns, and the rainbows that have been there awhile act more like trout are supposed to act, and you just have to work for them.

Bennett to Barclay is a nice float, and about the only one to consider due to the shuttle difficulties of the Niangua.  

[Gavin]

Moon Valley to Bennett is the other easy float option. Trout are rare, but decent for small bass & Goggs.

[podum]

If you are wondering what flies and lures they bite on ....  Lures:  1/16 oz jigs, rebel craws and in-line spinners.  Flies: suit yourself, but leeches and woolies, pheasant tails, and all of what works in Bennett.  The bigger water and inability to see the fish causes heartburn for some.  Break down the water into small sections and fish it just like the spring branch.  If you have a drag free drift and get the fly near the bottom good things will happen.

[Tom Tricamo]

Guys - can't thank you enough for the response on this, and I really can't wait to get the 'old Grumman Freighter into this water.

A quick follow-up:  What lures to use specifically for the goggs and smallies on a spinning reel?  Is any artificial bait for LMBs applicable here?  I'm thinking a 5'5" rod with and 6lb fluro on a spinning reel.  Will small swim baits, Zoom soft plastics or Bandit 100s pull out smallies?  I'm totally flying blind when it comes to the bass on these rivers.

I'm going to use my typical fly/spinning reel set ups for the trout.  I prefer cracklebacks to woolies but that's a matter of preference... 

[oneshot]

Well I went just below the Bridge trying to catch Redhorse and all I could catch was Rainbows on 6# Test Mono and Night Crawlers.

oneshot