Ozark Slam (Part 1)

[Johnsfolly]

Several years ago a friend and I came up with our version of the Ozark Slam. We decided the challenge would be to catch a rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and a rock bass all in the same day. We did this a couple of times over the years. In all times we would have to fish a couple of different rivers and always starting at the Current River. So yesterday I found myself leaving the house at 4:45 am and headed to the Current. I got on the river just before 7 am. The browns are typically the hardest one to catch. So I planned on targeting them first. I was fishing a jerkbait and only had a couple of follows in the first couple of holes, but no real interest in my bait. On one straight run there was a laydown with a rootwad on the upstream side. I had a brown hit the bait as it passed the rootwad and it rolled, but no hook set. Then I lost another a little while later with one that came our from another laydown and it followed and hit the bait in the shallow water, but got off. I finally got a small rainbow into the net. At approximately 9 inches, might be the smallest rainbow that I have ever caught in the Current. Regardless of size, I got my first fish for the slam!

 

At the head of a deep hole I put on a John deere microjig and fished it under a float in the current. No trout, but caught a couple of large hornyhead chubs. Fished several formerly productive holes and runs heading back upstream. The river has changed in a couple of places with some formerly deeper holes having less water and vice versa. The heat was becoming oppressive and the lack of fish has gotten me down a bit. It was a couple of hours and several different baits before I caught my second trout. I had just caught a bluegill (a first this far upstream in the Current). Half-heartedly I was fishing the John Deere again. I was drifting it in a deeper run next to a shallow flat. I had an 8 inch brown hit the bait as I was reeling the bait in across the flat. Now had my second fish for the slam, May be the smallest group of fish that I have caught on a slam.

 I caught another rainbow upstream, then headed back down stream. At the head of one pool, I saw a couple of trout just under the surface feeding. I tried a couple of baits and they were showing interest in each bait but did not fully commit on any. I went back to the John Deere under the float. As soon as the bait dropped too deep they lost interest. I switched to a small white unweighted scud. As I cast to the fish, it went after the float and then got sight of the scud when I pulled the float a little and attacked it. I caught one and lost the other and didn't have any other feeding fish in that area. Another small brown trout. I assumed the other was a brown as well. It was 12:15 when I left the river. I had tow of the five fish I needed for the slam and with renewed enthusiasm I headed to another creek/river to try for the rest of the fish on my list. At that time I just I did not have any idea how many places I would fish this day or how many miles I would travel in the attempt to finish this slam,

 

[jdmidwest]

I did the grand slam last week also, but instead of a brown trout, I caught Pickerel instead.  No Brown Trout in the stream I fished.

[Johnsfolly]

I saw your post and you had great trips. I would love it if the 11 point had brown trout. A lot of guys dislike pickerel but I like to catch them. As long as you get the hook set so the line isn't in their mouth or else you lose a lot of tackle.

1 hour ago, jdmidwest said:

I did the grand slam last week also, but instead of a brown trout, I caught Pickerel instead.  No Brown Trout in the stream I fished.