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3. Fall on an Ozark Creek

I got out this weekend on a very nice little smallmouth creek, and as it is an exceptionally pretty stream I thought I'd post some pictures. It has occurred to me that I haven't posted a single picture of the Ozark creeks that I fish, so I suppose it's time. Hope you like them.

Lovely stream, how was the fishing? Any pics of the fish?

The fishing was pretty decent, lots of little smallmouth in every decent riffle and pool. But I'm afraid I don't have any pictures of the fish this time. Though it has excellent habitat and could potentially be a good trophy smallmouth stream, it's heavily fished and the locals for the most part keep everything they catch. It's pretty tough to find fish much over 12 inches. So that explains why these are scenery pics:)

Nice looking stream there, MO. Looks exactly like the kind of places that I love to fish! What is your legal length limit on smallies? Also, any rock bass or sunnies? And what do you throw at them?

Jonathon

The limit on stream smallies here in Missouri is 6 fish, minimum length limit 12 inches. I have been part of a more or less constant push for the last few years to raise the statewide minimum length limit on smallies to 15 inches, so these types of streams could come closer to reaching their potential. But so far not much progress on that.

This stream is full of rock bass, as well as longear sunfish. There is even the odd trout from a private feeder stream upriver a few miles that is heavily stocked with rainbows, but you mostly only see them during the winter. I was mostly throwing olive woolies at them, though I did manage to bring a few up to the surface with a Dave's Hopper.

Here in Michigan we used to have a 12" limit on bass, both largemouth & smallmouth, but now it's 14" and has been for some time. Perhaps some enlightened souls in MO could push for some special regulation streams? We have that here in MI on some rivers, most notably a section of the Huron downstate that is strictly catch & release for both large- and smallmouth. That nice one in my photo came from the Huron, though downstream from the catch & release waters but it shows the true potential of the river. Hey, next time take a few pics even if they're not all that big - and include some of those longear sunnies, they're beautiful!

Jonathon

We do have a few special regulation streams in Missouri, mostly with a 15 inch minimum length limit and 1 fish daily limit. And naturally, those stretches of river have become some of the best smallmouth streams in the state. But it's just such a miniscule percentage of the good smallmouth habitat in the state. This is Missouri after all, and any push for more restrictive regulations is very much an uphill battle. Even getting those few management areas we have now was surprising, and it was something that was very much opposed by many fisherman. It's worth the fight anyway but it can get pretty frustrating. It's a little sad to see wonderful little streams like this one just not given the chance to reach their potential.

I apologize for the rant.

Next time I will take some pics of the sunnies, they sure are pretty fish.

I myself don't find bass to be all that tasty anyways. When I was in Texas, I was constantly berated for throwing my bass and sunfish back. Finally I started saying, "Look, I'm from MICHIGAN! We have trout, we have salmon, we have whitefish, we have walleye, we have yellow perch..." Of course, nowadays I throw them ALL back - except the salmon, that is, and if I do catch any whitefish this coming winter they may end up in the freezer as well...

Jonathon

Nice images. Makes want to be there -little smallies are fine by me. The internet and magazines have a way of skewing our expectations of images. Post em!

It's possible, probable, that those 15" limits exist on the better streams bc they are better streams and can produce fish like that. Managers have to be careful not to alienate parts of the constituency -like those that want to take some fish home. In many streams, most smallies will die before breaking 12 inches. If your DNR has an active warmwater program, they'll likely have a bead on what each water can afford in table fare.

On the susquehanna River, which is just a huge river, there is a No Kill regulation on all smallmouth bass from I think Sunbury all the way down to the Maryland line which has to be at least 60 - 70 miles.

Here are a couple nice bronzebacks - I have forgotten how to post pictures.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e277/wbranch/Smallmouth/TwentyInches.jpg

Nice bass, Matt! I think you posted that photo on here before. MO, I wouldn't expect your fish to get as big as Matt's in your smaller stream, but I have gotten into 15"+ smallies on the Au Gres River around here, and it's about the same size stream.

Jonathon

Yes, good memory! That bass was caught last October about this time of the month. It was awesome last year during October! Some days I'd get a dozen bass 16" - 19", and one 20". I was anticpating another banner October in 2011 but the river was totally blown out in early September at 650,000 cfs - that is not a misprint! Now it is still about 100,000 cfs and it was only about 20,000 last year. I'm done for bass this year and am ready to have the jet winterized.

Matt, I got some nice ones from Cooke Dam Pond (2nd reservoir upstream from Lake Huron on the Au Sable River) back in June and July, and all on a 7 1/2-foot 3-weight and dry flies! First trip there, got four in the 14-16" range on a #12 Elkhair Caddis & a #10 White Wulff; 2nd trip there was a Hex hatch and I got an 18-incher! (I posted photos on here, do a search if you missed them.) Last trip there, though, was a bust...no hatches, and no fish on streamers or Woolly Buggers either...I'll be back next year, for sure.

Jonathon

Pretty shots my brew!

Thanks!