Bennett Spring and Niangua 10/26

[Johnsfolly]

I will warn folks now that this post is likely to contain explicit photos of non-trout species that are natives to Missouri !

So myself and my family are back I'm Missouri for work and a bit of a vacation. We have been taking advantage of the plentiful fishing and hunting opportunities that Missouri offers. (also while I still have resident licenses!). I have been helping (sometimes pushing not so softly) in getting my daughter onto a variety of fish species. She had a goal of 40 different species and we passed that milestone some time ago. In all of this she had not caught a trout in 2018. There were also some species in the Niangua that she could catch as well. So we headed down to Bennett Spring. We atarted fishing right off for trout. Livie was fishing a glo ball under a float. I started with a 1/125 oz white microjig. The water was running clear and there were many fish in the pool above the whistle bridge. Livie was getting bit but struggling on getting a hook set. I got no love on the white microjig. Not even getting solid looks. I switched to a glo ball just as Livie hooked her rainbow.

I even landed a few on the glo ball. Nothing too remarkable size wise. As stated in a different post there were lots of smaller and eager trout present.

After 10 am the fish started chasing baits with more vigor. I switched to a John deere microjig with a yellow tail. That bait got them excited. I had luck doing a twitch twitch twitch pause technique on the smaller fish. This guy had a the most pronounced spotting I have ever seen in a rainbow.

The larger fish would attack the microjig when I gave it a continuous jigging motion while reeling in a s steady pace. Several were over 12" like this one.

There was a boy fishing with his grandfather and was using a way too large white and red jig. After watching me catch seven trout in quick succession I had Livie go over and give that bait to eh grandfather and boy to fish the side of the river where I had not used that bait already. There were lots of fish on that side and they should have had at least a few follow and maybe catch one. The grandfather put it on his line instead of the boys. I switched to a all green John deere and caught a few more. I don't know if they ever caught any trout. Livie was sore lipping many Ozark sculpin with micorjigs and glo balls.

The bait casters below the bridge moved out and I couldn't resist putting on a 1/16 oz tri-olive Zig jig and cast down stream behind a large rock. I got bit by a Northern Rock bass (just like when I fished this section back in Feb with a couple of OAF folks). Since I typically consider my fishing years to run concurrently with my MO fishing license any fish that would catch in Jan and Feb count for 2017 and not 2018. So this rock bass was my first for this year.

We had some worms with us to try to get Livie on a rock bass as well. so we moved down stream. Livie did make good and landed a rock bass (her 52nd species of the year).

She also caught a striped shiner. It was getting cold and I wanted to try for another sculpin species and possible hornyhead chubs. We headed to fish the Niangua just below the Rt 64 bridge. Livie caught a few longear sunfish on a worm. I spooked a couple of decent smallmouth and missed a 14+" rainbow right by the bank. We weren't catching much and Livie was getting discouraged and was still cold. I decided to move us to a pool just below where the outfitters put in their canoes. I put on a 1/4 oz bell sinker and a dropper with a #12 hook. Loaded that with a piece of worm. Livie fished that rod while I fished a UL husky jerk perch colored Rapala. Livie landed a sculpin on her first cast. I'm pretty certain that it's an Ozark, but I will get some confirmation.

She also caught a bleeding shiner. While she caught those guys I landed a 13" rainbow on the Rapala. Livie couldn't get her cast to go into the spot that I kept showing her. So I made the first cast and she let me fish that rod. I soon hooked in a hornyhead chub, my first one of the season.

I cast back into that same spot and gave the rod to Livie. She got bit hard and landed her first hornyhead chub of the year which is her 53rd species thus far!

I landed one more rainbow on the worm and we decided to head back home. It was a great fall day in the Ozarks!

 

 

[fishinwrench]

Cool stuff !  

[Gavin]

Good for both of you!

[JestersHK]

Nice job you two!  Wish we could of joined you guys... Next time for sure!