Had some Time to Kill - Gonna Fish!

[Johnsfolly]

I'm posting this post here to protect a secret location. I'm back in MO for a couple of days and over this last weekend. I had a trip planned for Sunday but not Sat. Most of this year I have focused on catching a bunch of new species but not really on trying to push the number if species that I will catch this year. That changed when I went to Texas with @Ham. After I got back I was close to catching at least 75 different species. I was at 74 species when I got to Missouri. My buddy from Columbia sent me a photo with him holding up a stringer of whites and hybrids. I called him and got details on where he was and what he was using. Jigging spoons was the deal. I had planned on going to Truman but they weren't going to run water. So I went to the spot recommended by my friend. Picked up some spoons in chartreuse/white, blue, black and white and silver chrome. The weather was sketchy and was snowing when I got to the access. I had warm gear so was good to go!

I got to where my buddy suggested and started with a chart/white 1 oz spoon. First cast I get bumped then bit. Heavy fish. Not much fight. Still took time to land this asian carp. It was hooked in the roof of the mouth so a solid catch for my 75th species. I'm inclined to consider this a silver carp.

My next cast into that same current stream. Again bumped them hooked up to fish that had my reel screaming until I could start back reeling. Fish made three or four hard runs then just ran out of steam. Had a lot of line out so took time to get this heavy fish in. This was another asian carp and likely a bighead carp. I hooked its tail and the hook pulled as I was beaching the fish. So no photo. 

I moved further upstream and switched baits. Guys were catching whites on swim baits. I put on a 1/4 oz orange jig head and a pearl grub with a chartreuse paddletail. I shortened the bait to be about 2.5 to 3 inches long. I cast across the current and was slowly reeling in the bait. I gave it a slight jerk and got a solid hit. Landed my first white bass of the year No. 76.

Not much bigger than the white perch back in MD. I got good at geel that tick on the line when a white grabbed the bait and caught a few more and this one was my 1000th fish for the year 👍!

I had success using a chartreuse 1/4 oz head with the same grub combo. The guys up closer to the heavier current were landing decent hybrids. Around 9:30 most guys caught enough and left. I fished up there with a 1 oz chrome spoon and landed a couple more whites and my first hybrid of the day. I do count known hybrids so this was No. 77 for the year.

Just to keep this location a secret to just me and the 15 to 20 guys fishing with me and the 10 to 15 that were there on Sunday I won't say where was able to Bag these Dam fish😀.

Here are baits that worked.

Tight Lines everyone!

[Terrierman]

Your dam secret is safe with me, bag man.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

You blurred the last picture too much.  Hard telling what water that could be.  Nice effects with the coat and camouflage.   

[liphunter]

is that Hoover dam in the back ground? 

[Johnsfolly]

58 minutes ago, liphunter said:

is that Hoover dam in the back ground? 

Could be.... I think that there were Find Jimmy Hoffa tours going on in the background !

[fishinwrench]

A Zoom Swimming Fluke on a 1/2-3/4oz. football jighead is THE bait for hybrids there.   

[Johnsfolly]

53 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

A Zoom Swimming Fluke on a 1/2-3/4oz. football jighead is THE bait for hybrids there.   

The guy next to me was using a similar setup with pearl flukes and dipping the tails in chartreuse. He caught a bunch of hybrids and some LMB as well.