Cool Spring Water Weekend

[jdmidwest]

Headed out Sat. Morning in a damp, cold drizzle with the jet boat and gear.  Ended up at Van Buren that evening, still overcast and chilly.  Dropped boat in at town after checking into motel and run up past Raftyard.  Fished a slough and several good spots drifting back.  Picked up a pike and a few bumps.  Not much going on.  Had a nice dinner at Los Margaritas on the river and went down for the nite.  Forecast was calling for rain by 1 pm on Sunday.

Woke up to a bright sunny day and decided to hit Greer.

 

The river was up some and we run up.  2 guys in a canoe were heading down to Turner at the ramp.  Original intent was to go up warm part of river to try for smallies, but it was too low to make it up.  Dropped back to mouth of spring branch and trout fished.  Caught about 15 each, but they must have stocked.  All were dinks about 8-9 inches.  I decided to trailer somewhere else with the 1pm deadline in back of my mind.

 

Put in a Doniphan and ended up catching a few smallies on the tube jig.  Tried trolling for walleye, but they are probably done.  Not a hit.  Best fish was this little 19" feller.

 

Pulled out ahead of the raindrops at 2, NWS was off by an hour. 

Nice getaway.  Only other boat on the rivers was a shoal runner that thumped his way down in front of us at Doniphan and back.   Few canoes on the Current above Van Buren yesterday and the canoe on the 11 Pt.  Enjoy this time of year.

[jdmidwest]

Did anyone notice how big that smallie was?  Look at the size of the tail, it was 19" but had the biggest tail I have seen on a smallie.  Fought like a tank.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Nice trip!!   Check out the tail on this one.