Moon Valley to Bennett

[duckalot]

My Son and I try to Trout fish Bennett at least once a year and still enjoy catching park trout but this year we would like to float fish and catch some smallies.... I have read through some older post as what to expect Goggle Eye and Small Mouth but i'm clue less on what to stock up on for lures.   I have some small crank baits and some inline spinners (Roostertails) along with some small spoons but was going to pick up some small soft plastics and what ever kind of hooks or jigs needed? 

Any and all advise would be appreciated,

Thanks

 

[oneshot]

What you have should work fine. The water in that area is slow and warm but great for Bass and Goggle Eye.

oneshot

[duckalot]

I am a Missouri river rat and fish for trophy blue cats on the river,  LOZ and Truman but love the small clear water streams of south Missouri.  Every year around the end of June we always make a run down south and trout fish one of the parks as the Blues up here are normally in spawn mode.  In 2018 while trout fishing the Meramec we rented Kayaks and floated some of the lower section for Smallies but did't do real well, it was after a big rain and the river was still pretty high and dirty.     I have bass fished around home a lot with a weedless type worm rig but I  didn't like the tube rig with the leadhead inside the tube the outfitter recommended and set us up with, and I will admit I had no clue what a Ned rig was till I looked it up.....

If i pick up some 4" grubs to take along can I throw them on a regular jig head or should I look for something weedless?

Thanks

[45acp]

For the smallmouth and trout -

Pick up a bag of 6" bubblegum color Zoom worms and some 2/0 light wire worm hooks.  I like the red ones.

Rig it wacky.  Maybe add a split shot on the line to get it down into the current.  Maybe bite off an inch or two if they don't want the whole thing.

Toss it into the head of a hole and drift it in.

Any 4" finesse worm will do the same thing.  Watermelon/motor oil colors usually pretty good.

I wouldn't bother with 4" grubs.  Get some 3" or 4" soft plastic crayfish.  Rig Texas style on a standup or ned.

Rebel Deep Teeny Wee Craw.  Cut the scrawny hooks off.  Put a #2 Excalibur treble on the back.

1/4oz Rattle Trap can be good at times.  Teeny Pop-R and Tiny Torpedo are fun if they're willing to hit topwater.

I rarely fish for Goggle Eye, but when I do it's to catch a mess of em to eat.  Nightcrawlers or crappie minnows.

Don't float below the park on a Saturday.  It's a giant floating drunkfest.

 

[duckalot]

Well back from our four day trip and had a great time.  Change of plans we never did float above Bennett but floated from Bennett down to Hidden Valley Outfitters take out point on Saturday and Sunday and we caught a lot of nice Rainbows! The water was great, and yes it was busy and full of floaters but it didn't seem to bother the fish.  I still wanted to float from Moon Valley down but the trout fishing was so good we couldn't stop. I'm not sure if it was from the previous high water or what but the river is full of quality fish right now! 

We camped at HVO and I will give them a shout out, Great Park and very friendly staff!!

[Ozark Ranger]

Thanks for starting the topic. I am floating from Moon Valley to Bennett in the days prior to trout opening day. Any advice for that time of year? 

[fishinwrench]

8 hours ago, Ozark Ranger said:

Thanks for starting the topic. I am floating from Moon Valley to Bennett in the days prior to trout opening day. Any advice for that time of year? 

Enjoy the float.  You should start fishing as soon as the mouth of the spring is within sight.  😅

[Ozark Ranger]

Why do you say that?

[fishinwrench]

2 hours ago, Ozark Ranger said:

Why do you say that?

It's an enjoyable float, just not a prime stretch for late winter fishing. 

The same stretch from mid-May to mid-June can be a blast though.  

[Ozark Ranger]

Would down stream from the park be a better fishing float that time of year?