Advice, Springfield Area: Struggles of a Bad Angler

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Id be happy to take you out one of these days on either Taney or Table Rock. Maybe when it cools off a bit.  I like to go a lot during the week to avoid the crowds and wake boats.   I love throwing the ned on Table Rock

 

[jimithyashford]

So I went down and floated the Big Piney this weekend, just to restore a bit of confidence and remind myself that I can actually catch a fish. There was a lot of action, nothing that big, but still a lot of bites. I landed 3 Smallies, largest 13 inches, and 10 or so Rock Bass. That was all in about the first 2 hours, so a really good pace. After that it got really hot, the bite died down, and I was eager to get off the water cause I was roasting. 

But still a good trip.

Now I was practicing some of the advice I've been given here. See I've always used "cast and retrieve" bass lures, crankbaits, spinners, rooster tails, things like that where you toss it at a likely spot and reel it right in. But on this trip I only used a flipping jig (when fishing around fallen trees and stuff with lots of snags) and a ned rig around the rocks with more slow hop and wait or slow drag type retrieval. Seemed to work pretty well until it got really hot.

 

[Dutch]

Glad you had a good trip.  Every trip should not only be fun but also be a learning experience.

[ColdWaterFshr]

1 hour ago, jimithyashford said:

So I went down and floated the Big Piney this weekend, just to restore a bit of confidence and remind myself that I can actually catch a fish. There was a lot of action, nothing that big, but still a lot of bites. I landed 3 Smallies, largest 13 inches, and 10 or so Rock Bass. That was all in about the first 2 hours, so a really good pace. After that it got really hot, the bite died down, and I was eager to get off the water cause I was roasting. 

But still a good trip.

Now I was practicing some of the advice I've been given here. See I've always used "cast and retrieve" bass lures, crankbaits, spinners, rooster tails, things like that where you toss it at a likely spot and reel it right in. But on this trip I only used a flipping jig (when fishing around fallen trees and stuff with lots of snags) and a ned rig around the rocks with more slow hop and wait or slow drag type retrieval. Seemed to work pretty well until it got really hot.

 

 

Atta boy, Jimmy.

I think we've all been a little too hard on the beaver . . . . .

So I'm going to let him in on some secret spots around Springfield, so you don't have to go all the way to the Big Piney to find success.

1)  James River ABOVE Hwy 60 bridge.  Put your kayak in at the Joe Crighton Access which is on Farm road 164.  And take out at Hwy 65 bridge.  Call Uber or a buddy to take you back to your car.  Fish with small buzz baits, ned rig in deeper holes.

2)  Finely Creek above Hwy 125/Lindenlure.  Good place for trespassing and some killer fishing if you don't mind walking through stinging nettles.

3)  Bull Creek, Swan Creek, can't reveal secret spots . . . .but go just about anywhere you can access the creek

4)  Osage Fork of the Gasconade.  Go above Hwy 32.

[jimithyashford]

2 hours ago, ColdWaterFshr said:

 

Atta boy, Jimmy.

I think we've all been a little too hard on the beaver . . . . .

So I'm going to let him in on some secret spots around Springfield, so you don't have to go all the way to the Big Piney to find success.

1)  James River ABOVE Hwy 60 bridge.  Put your kayak in at the Joe Crighton Access which is on Farm road 164.  And take out at Hwy 65 bridge.  Call Uber or a buddy to take you back to your car.  Fish with small buzz baits, ned rig in deeper holes.

2)  Finely Creek above Hwy 125/Lindenlure.  Good place for trespassing and some killer fishing if you don't mind walking through stinging nettles.

3)  Bull Creek, Swan Creek, can't reveal secret spots . . . .but go just about anywhere you can access the creek

4)  Osage Fork of the Gasconade.  Go above Hwy 32.

Thanks, I appreciate the spots. That Creighton Access to 65 float, about how long does that take? It doesn't look that long, but James River flows pretty slow. I've wade-fished a few holes down from the Kinser Bridge, only caught greedy panfish, but I didn't go down that far. 

[ColdWaterFshr]

Its only 3 miles, so you should be able to fish that effectively in less than 4 hours

[Old plug]

Take those cut shad cut shad hunk and cut them in to 3/4 " size and hook them on a 1/2 oz spoon and jig them off the bottom. Assuming you have a depth finder and a trolling motor keep moving on those spots. Sitting in one spot and soaking bait is about the worst way to handicap yourself.

[rps]

I always found jug line fishing fun in smaller lakes like Springfield and Fellows. I baited with shrimp, cut shad, or small bluegill. I set the depth at different depths. Put them adrift at the upwind side and drift down just behind them.

[jimithyashford]

So I went back out to Stockton last night after work, equipped with all I have learned in the last week or so and the confidence of success on the Piney over the weekend.

And I got skunked.

Let me tell you all what I did, and if you could tell me if I did anything wrong, or did everything by the book but they just weren't biting?

So attached is a picture of the route I took, it is just south east of the Ruark campground. I headed strait for the closest point and fished all over the point and slightly down both sides. At first a used a Ned Rig with the zman plastic that mimics a shad. I cast near the shore and retrieved out to where the water gets to be about 15 feet deep. No bites.

I moved to the next point, did the same. Eventually I got snagged on the bottom and swapped out for a ned rig with the hula plastic that kinda mimics a crawfish. Same tactic on the next point. No bites.

I moved out to where my fishing map shows a submerged attractor and used the Ned all around that. 

At this point I started to notice a surface bite picking up, it was maybe 7:15pm or so, so I switched to rooster tails and shallow diving crank baits just to try and get in on some of that action near the surface, but nothing bit. I worked my way back to where I launched, casting into bait balls as I saw them.

Now with the ned, I am still a little unclear on how to properly retrieve the Ned. Some folks are saying to basically not move it, or move it very little, others are saying that just letting it sit there and soak is a waste of time, cause if there is a fish near it'll get it within about 30 seconds or its not going to.

 

[ColdWaterFshr]

In your kayak??  I'd save the kayak for the creeks, small rivers and ponds.

And #%^&@!, what did I tell you about the rooster tails?  Go back and read STEP 1 of my 12-step program.

I like Cedar Ridge or State Park better than Ruark.  But rent a boat.  Get some minnows and nightcrawlers.  Work those big points out in about 30 feet of water.  Either super early in the morning, or late in the evening after its dark.