8 to leadwood 6/11/22

[top_dollar]

              So far I've only done 8 to leadwood twice this year, once in early may, and once this past weekend.  It is fishing about the same as it always does for me in the summer.  You can see the bottom in about 3-5 feet of water, not much current in most places, and most of the fish I caught were in it.  

                   I caught fish on my usual assortment of topwater plugs, jerkbaits, and plastic worms.  Mostly smallmouth, with the occasional largemouth and several panfish mixed in.    I caught more the last time than this past weekend, but I caught maybe 20 or 25 bass each trip, mostly between 10 and 15 inches.  The biggest was a 17 inch largemouth on a popper and a 16inch smallie on a worm.  

[jdmidwest]

By 8, I am guessing the low water bridge by the gravel pit operation.  Did the channel ever reform and open up after the big flood before the highway bridge?  Last time thru, it opened up an old slough to the left and weaved around for about an hour floating thru dead water before we ever made the bridge.  The main channel to the right was pretty clogged up and we avoided it.

Used to shoot down to the bridge part in a pretty fast pace.

[top_dollar]

12 hours ago, jdmidwest said:

By 8, I am guessing the low water bridge by the gravel pit operation.  Did the channel ever reform and open up after the big flood before the highway bridge?  Last time thru, it opened up an old slough to the left and weaved around for about an hour floating thru dead water before we ever made the bridge.  The main channel to the right was pretty clogged up and we avoided it.

Used to shoot down to the bridge part in a pretty fast pace.

Yup that's the one, and no not really.  The last few years I like to hang to the right, although you're correct about debris, and the slough to the left.  Eventually it does spit you out a small creek a bit before the bridge.  In either situation you're likely to have to get out and drag your boat over some ankle deep areas, or under/over some trees and weeds.  

[jdmidwest]

There was some pretty high water in the area this spring.  I was thinking it may have blown some of that out.

I have a buddy at Terre Du Lac, it makes a nice little afternoon float.  But that new wrinkle at the upper end jacks things up some.

[top_dollar]

                I went again with a few friends on Sunday.  The river is about as low as I've seen it, but still doable, just gotta do a bit of riffle dragging.  Some feller bought the property at mounts down to hwy 8, he seems like a nice guy.  He said he is going to turn it into a campground and charge a 5 dollar day use fee.  No fee if you're not leaving a car there though.  I always thought that was a public access, but apparently the property has always been private.  

                The fishing was about the same, smallmouth and largemouth up to about 15 inches.  One guy I was with caught a 17inch smallie.  I tried some new lures/techniques outside of what I normally do.  Generally I catch most of my fish on an xrap 8, 1/16th oz jig I pour with 4inch chompers worm, and a top dollar.  Sometimes Ill use a wacky worm, or swim a small swimbait.  This time I tried to put that stuff away and use new lures. 

               1st was a megabass flap slap.  I thought it was like a jerkbait, but its really buoyant and more like a crankbait.  I caught a few on it fishing it more like a crankbait with twitches.  Its nice, but I wasn't too blown away. 

               2nd was an elaztech turd craw with the belly weighted hook.  That thing worked!  No surprise there, its weedless so you can throw it in the heavy stuff, its durable cuz its elaztech, and its a pretty realistic looking craw.  I think they still bite the worm better though, but maybe that is more of a confidence thing.  

               3rd was a small arkie crankbait.  I put bigger hooks on it (#6), cuz the ones it comes with seemed small.  This is something ill probably throw more often.  I caught several on it, and it was a lot of fun on a little spinning rod.

               4th was a tiny little whopper plopper.  The bluegill were all over it and every retrieve there was a small school of panfish slapping at.  I caught a few small bass on it and several sunfish.  It is a fun little bait, but I like the size 90 better because the panfish leave it alone more. 

               The last new lure I used was a willow leaf chatter bait that zman makes.  I used a bass assassin baby shad as a trailer.  When reeled super fast it is really erratic and darts all over the place.  I didn't fish it much and didn't catch anything on it.  It would probably be good on chasing/schooling fish, but on this little creek I don't see myself using it much.  

               

 

 

 

 

 

[jdmidwest]

The world always needs another campground.  Might as well crap up another small stream in MO.

Water was low up there.  Watched the fireworks at Terre Du Lac last nite myself.  Did not bother fishing.

[top_dollar]

13 hours ago, jdmidwest said:

The world always needs another campground.  Might as well crap up another small stream in MO.

Water was low up there.  Watched the fireworks at Terre Du Lac last nite myself.  Did not bother fishing.

                     That was my knee jerk reaction as well, but hopefully he cleans up some of the trash and takes care of the property.  Unfortunately for him, I just don't think that stretch of the river is very attractive to the public.  I enjoy it and its convenient, but its a lot of slow pools with lots of paddling, and ankle deep riffles you have to get out at.  You cant run a jetboat, the scenery isn't anything special, and even with my limited skillset I have to assume the fishing there is marginal compared to other Ozark streams.  Best of luck to him though.  

[jdmidwest]

And cows in the waters above and below.