New to area, need fishing spots

[jbriggs]

Hello,

I'm a college student at MSU and wondering what would be some good ponds, lakes, rivers to catch smallmouth, crappie, and/or largemouths? Keep in mind I don't own a boat so I would be bank fishing. 

Thanks

[rps]

Back in the dark ages, when I was in school, I bought a primitive early version of this:

http://www.basspro.com/White-River-Fly-Shop-Lost-Lake-Round-Float-Tube/product/1404250920/

It fit in my VW trunk even when inflated and made pond and creek fishing far more productive. From those days I can give one tip for places - ask the golf pro and grounds keepers at course for permission. The golf course ponds are often great fishing.

[jpb2187]

Donate plasma for like a month, save the money, buy a kayak. You'll have lots more fun. 

[ollie]

Bank fishing is tough since you are competing with everyone else at the accesses.  RPS has the right idea.  Inflatables are fairly cheap anymore and easy to transport.  Will open up a LOT more spots for you to fish in the long run.  Pick up a map and you will find tons of creeks and lakes to fish in your area.

[Gavin]

https://www.missouristate.edu/recreation/OutdoorAdventures/EquipmentRental.htm Would head over to Student recreation and rent a boat.

[MSUFisherBear]

Gavin beat me to the punch. It's also been a while since I've fished Lake Springfield, but the Boat House used to rent Kayaks/Canoes during the Spring/Summer/Fall months. Before I bought my kayaks or the canoe, I was relegated to bank fishing. For the most part, it was pretty tough. In the summer months I would wet wade on the upper James and on the Finley. Both had decent pools of water, but you have to be careful, there's some deep holes.

The Springfield Lakes (Lake Springfield, Fellows, McDaniel) are tough going from the bank for the species you mentioned. If you don't have the disposable income, I'd start looking at some skinny water. Lots of fish that get overlooked in those locales.

[Quillback]

If you are willing to make a bit of a drive, there is a lot of bank access at Viney (owned by the state) and at Big M.  With the water being down, there's lots of bank.  You might have to do some scrambling on some rocky banks, but those banks are usually the best to fish.  When the top water bite gets going later in the spring, there is almost always some action around Viney. 

[bassfisher]

I really haven't had much problems at McDaniel's Lake Fellows Lake or Springfield lake fishing off the bank you just gotta switch up what you use and see what they want they're there you just got to use different methods. Keep in mind Fellows Lake and McDaniel Lake or non structure lakes without any timber and I'm in a little bit of brush. Bobby Garland Cricket color is good on the east side of McDaniel Lake bridge for Crappie and as always it's all about your presentation and how they want it that day. Most guys get stay there in a half an hour and give up but you really gotta try different things before you know what I work at those lakes. Blue and black seems to be the colors at McDaniel Lake over the years for bass. My dad is actually fishes fellows early early in the spring fishing a big Willow Leaf spinnerbait gets  his biggest bass bank. We were slow rolling Booyah spinnerbaits about off the bottom yesterday McDaniel catching bass. And just so you know you can walk down the bank on the Eastside of McDaniel Lake bridge but on the west side towards the dam you cannot fish that side. Also you'll see some houses up on a cove of you can't fish on the other side of the cup you can only fish on the other East End of the bank. And you can actually catch crappie off the public dock at Fellows Lake right now those you do is throw a bobber out there with about a 4-foot leader with a jig as far as you can throw it and bring it back real slow.

[bassfisher]

And if you want to know about fish in Springfield Lake andyarchdale is the one to ask about that.

[bassfisher]

Voice text is off on my reply to you but you can understand what I'm saying it