First Time on Crooked Creek

[ollie]

Just a quick report on my fishing adventure this past weekend. My wife had the weekend off for a change and wanted to go somewhere. I knew she would want to go where there were flea markets and antique stores so me, being the savvy guy, suggested the Mountain Home area. She said, "pick a spot you can fish at as well". I am thinking this would be a good location since I knew there were all kinds of those stores around and I had been in that area many times before. I could hit up either the White or Norfolk tailwaters for some trout. After she had already booked a cabin at Rim Shoals, I wished I had chosen differently. I packed for trout fishing but failed to take into consideration that they would probably be generating a lot. A lot was an understatement. They never shut it off the whole weekend. My mistake for not planning that out well enough. 😒 I didn't want to hire a guide, and I wasn't about to go out alone on a rental boat so that option was gone. Enter Crooked Creek into the picture. I have never fished it before and I was somewhat not prepared for smallie fishing. I just had limited options in the tackle box for smallies. I went to WalMart and picked up some plastic craws in a color I wasn't that impressed with, but it was a done deal at that point. I drove over to the slab on Saturday morning and got there about 7ish in the morning. Only one other guy there at the time and he said he had caught one already. I fished there for a little bit and asked him some questions about the area. He was somewhat reluctant until he hit me up for a lure or two since he lost his! lol I gave him a couple of the plastic craws I bought and then a rooster tail. Since that slab isn't really big enough for too many people to fish from, I headed back to the car and found another spot close by. I had the whole area to myself, and I must say, the area was very pretty and well maintained. Heck, I know you guys in Arkansas pay higher taxes than we do, but most every AFG spot I have been to has been kept up really nice. I have a feeling I caught it at a good water level as well. I found the fishing to ok, but nothing spectacular. I ended up catching 4 smallies, one largemouth, and one goggle eye. Lost one that probably would have went somewhere around 14"-15" and had a huge blow up on the top from a rebel craw I had just thrown out near the bank. Although I question that one for only one reason. In a deeper pool, one that I couldn't see bottom, I saw a few big carp swimming around. The area where I threw that craw was right under a hanging branch of some kind that looked like it had berries on it. I have seen catfish and other fish hit top when those drop so it just left a doubt whether or not it was a bass or something else. I think the biggest of the day was probably around 11-12". It wasn't a bad experience at all and I would do it again if I get the chance. Although I would come better prepared next time! Oh yeah, I wouldn't recommend staying where we did either. The cabin was nice and well maintained, but the bed and any kind of cell service just plain sucked. When I left the slab area there were a lot of cars over there by the slab. Very popular spot like I thought it would be.

[Terrierman]

All that's needed to catch smallmouth is a marabou jig.  Tons of other options but a jig (or Ned) is what I use.  But.  I'm boring and don't catch very many fish.

[FishnDave]

Your goggle-eye was likely an Ozark Bass.  Very cool! 👍

[Al Agnew]

3 hours ago, FishnDave said:

Your goggle-eye was likely an Ozark Bass.  Very cool! 👍

True...definitely an Ozark bass from Crooked Creek.  Ozark bass are only in tributaries of the upper White, down to the mouth of Black River.  This, of course, includes Crooked Creek as well as the Buffalo, Kings, North Fork, and James and all the smaller streams within that part of the watershed.

Anglers should realize how unique Ozark bass are; they are only found in this one small area of the world.

[ollie]

15 hours ago, Terrierman said:

All that's needed to catch smallmouth is a marabou jig.  Tons of other options but a jig (or Ned) is what I use.  But.  I'm boring and don't catch very many fish.

That is what I started out with and didn't have any success. Small Fluke, rooster tail, plastic craws and then the rebel craw. I didn't get any pics since none of them were that big. Had no idea I had caught an Ozark Bass. Just looked like a goggle eye that I normally catch around here!  lol That is cool though.

[gotmuddy]

bitsy tubes and grubs work about 100% of the time on CC.

[waterpossum]

I was raised in Harrison and fished Crooked Creek in my younger days. We trapped minnows and caught crawdads for bait. My biggest came from a stretch in the Harmon area. An inline spinner or the afore mentioned maribou jigs worked without fail.

[Al Agnew]

Lures are tools.  And in my opinion, inline spinners are almost never the best tool for the situation.  In keeping with my curmudgeonly ways, I will just say this...if two of your main lure choices are inline spinners and Rebel Craws (especially the little version, the Wee Craw), you aren't using the best tools about 99% of the time, and you won't catch as many fish, and especially as many bigger fish, as you would if you were using better tools.

Let the bashing begin😁

[Flysmallie]

1 hour ago, Al Agnew said:

Let the bashing begin😁

You are wrong on inline spinners. There’s more to them than rooster tails. 

[BilletHead]

7 hours ago, Flysmallie said:

You are wrong on inline spinners. There’s more to them than rooster tails. 

      Big mepps 😆 in ponds right after ice out.