Float Trips For Smallmouth!

[conorsixtakc]

As everybody probably already knows, float trip season is upon us! This year I plan on seriously pursuing smallies in the small rivers of Missouri, and I was hoping to get some advice on presentations. Can anybody provide insight from personal experiences fishing these smaller rivers for smallmouth from canoe or kayak? I plan on starting with the North Fork of the White River later this month. I was planning on starting with 1/4 oz rooster tails and small plastic craws from May-June, and then switching over to topwater frogs as things heat up in July. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

-tight lines

[Mr_Scrogg]

Ive only fished the Elk in SW Missouri from a kayak. Tubes and Grubs was on the dinner plate. Put 40 in the yak and one Largemouth that went 19.5"

[conorsixtakc]

Ive only fished the Elk in SW Missouri from a kayak. Tubes and Grubs was on the dinner plate. Put 40 in the yak and one Largemouth that went 19.5"

 

Nice! I floated the Elk last Summer with friends on a party trip, it was pretty hard to watch them busting on top without a rod in hand so I might have to get back down there. What color tubes and grubs?

[Mr_Scrogg]

Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon. I would paddle through swift water, turn around and cast back to the eddies, or pull the lure from the swift water through the current seam to the slack water.

It was a awesome day.

[conorsixtakc]

Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon. I would paddle through swift water, turn around and cast back to the eddies, or pull the lure from the swift water through the current seam to the slack water.

It was a awesome day.

 

Thanks Scrogg! Sounds awesome, my most memorable summer days have been spent floating the emerald waters of SW MO. Am I correct in assuming that the bite probably starts picking up early June?

[cbass12]

During late spring we've always done well on rebel crawdad crankbaits in those rivers.

[Mr_Scrogg]

I was down in April of last year. Still kinda chilly water.

Did see many fish in the slower pools.

Ive always been told. The fish will either be in the rocking chair or the grocery store. Meaning low current "relaxed" areas. Pools or eddies. Or at the tail end of pools where swift water starts, or beginning of pools where swift water empties.

[Mr_Scrogg]

I floated from Hogs Heaven to Mt Shira access. 4 mile float I think. Russ @ Hog Heaven followed me to drop my car at Mt Shira and took me back to launch from his place. Nice guy.

[conorsixtakc]

During late spring we've always done well on rebel crawdad crankbaits in those rivers.

 

Good to know, thanks cbass12! I'll make sure to bring a couple

[conorsixtakc]

I was down in April of last year. Still kinda chilly water.

Did see many fish in the slower pools.

Ive always been told. The fish will either be in the rocking chair or the grocery store. Meaning low current "relaxed" areas. Pools or eddies. Or at the tail end of pools where swift water starts, or beginning of pools where swift water empties.

 

Makes sense to me, either passively waiting for a meal or actively searching. All great info, much appreciated.

[cbass12]

Hopefully the North Fork has come up with all the rain we've gotten. We were there last year around the first of June and it was the lowest I have personally ever seen it. The launch at Hammond was so low that we had to walk the canoes the first 30 or 40 yards.

[conorsixtakc]

Hopefully the North Fork has come up with all the rain we've gotten. We were there last year around the first of June and it was the lowest I have personally ever seen it. The launch at Hammond was so low that we had to walk the canoes the first 30 or 40 yards.

 

The party float on the Elk that I mentioned earlier ^^^ was the same way, worse yet it was scheduled by my fiance's girlfriend in July  ... algae for days + lots of dragging = pass me another beer. Needless to say

I can't wait to get back on the North Fork after the Spring rains! I've heard you can find some big brown beaks in there too...

[moguy1973]

We are going tomorrow.  Wanted to float the Meramec but the rains have swelled it beyond what we feel will produce fish.  Going to have to settle for one of the smaller creeks that is showing more water than usual but still floatable...

 

Craw colored tubes, grubs, white weightless flukes, rebel craws, topwater baits.  That's what catches them in the ozark streams.

[conorsixtakc]

We are going tomorrow.  Wanted to float the Meramec but the rains have swelled it beyond what we feel will produce fish.  Going to have to settle for one of the smaller creeks that is showing more water than usual but still floatable...

 

Craw colored tubes, grubs, white weightless flukes, rebel craws, topwater baits.  That's what catches them in the ozark streams.

 

@Moguy1973 Thanks for the feedback! Btw how does the Meramec compare as a fishery to the North Fork? I've heard great things but so far I've only floated the North Fork and Elk. I'm looking to explore other SW MO fisheries this year.

[moguy1973]

The Meramec is a great smallmouth river, but it has been started to be taken over by spotted bass in the last decade or so.  Still lots of smallies in it though.  The Gasconade also has a great smallmouth population and big ones too since there's a smallmouth management section on it that produces some large smallies.

 

I've never fished any other ozark streams in the SW corner of MO though so I really don't have anything to compare to.

[conorsixtakc]

So I just found out soft plastics are prohibited from the stretch of the North Fork I'll be floating, which means I'll be doing more cranking than anticipated. Anybody have suggestions on what'll legally pull big smallmouth out of the deeper flow other than a rebel craw?

[weekendwarrior]

My go to has always been green pumpkin or watermelon senkos and white power grubs on a jig head in all the ozark streams and rivers. A rebel craw is probably going to be your best bet as far as crank baits go. Rooster tails are probably a safe bet also.

[weekendwarrior]

Any of you guys float Eleven point? I have a trip planned for the end of the month. Its one of the few Ozark streams I have never floated. Just wondering what the fishing is like there. 

[conorsixtakc]

Any of you guys float Eleven point? I have a trip planned for the end of the month. Its one of the few Ozark streams I have never floated. Just wondering what the fishing is like there. 

 

Never floated it, but it's been mentioned to me as a good fishery. I'm planning multiple float trips in SW Missouri this Summer, let me know what you find! I'll provide an update on the North Fork when I get back, we're floating it 6/1-6/2. Wish it was sooner.

[Gavin]

The North Fork of the White usually fishes well for numbers of smallmouth in its upper reaches...and there is a good trout fishery inbetween Rainbow Spring and Dawt Mill. Bryant creek is just over the ridge and it offers decent smallmouth fishing. Were are you staying? If your at Sunburst Ranch talk to Justin...He can hook you up if smallmouth fishing is what you want to do...Might be hard to find an outfitter to run a special shuttle on a busy Saturday, but the will usually accomodate on weekdays.

[kanasbassfisher08]

well i second elk river. bluebasser and i went last year and we killed them on the trip i had over a hundred in the weekend starting with a little spook and poper and then flukes and shaky heads. threw just about everything we had we were even fishing right under people and they were laughing at us saying fish wont bite with all these people and we continued to set the hook and drag them in. i also heared big piney was good too more of a quality then quantitiy in my opinion but have not fished it so maybe im wrong

[Mr_Scrogg]

well i second elk river. bluebasser and i went last year and we killed them on the trip i had over a hundred in the weekend starting with a little spook and poper and then flukes and shaky heads. threw just about everything we had we were even fishing right under people and they were laughing at us saying fish wont bite with all these people and we continued to set the hook and drag them in. i also heared big piney was good too more of a quality then quantitiy in my opinion but have not fished it so maybe im wrong

You and Clayton rent a canoe?

Im keeping one of my yaks so I still can fish the Elk and other inaccessible areas.

[Bluebasser86]

You and Clayton rent a canoe?

Im keeping one of my yaks so I still can fish the Elk and other inaccessible areas.

Yeah we did. We actually caught more, bigger fish when we were wading though. Areas with just inches of water that was moving pretty fast was where the bigger fish seemed to be at while we were there. Crazy numbers of smaller fish in the pools and around the log jams, some big fish too, but those ones weren't as interested in eating. When the fish get in that skinny, fast moving water they're only there for one reason   I really should get down there more. I probably have as much fun catching those small river smallmouth as just about any other kind of fishing out there. 

[Bluebasser86]

So I just found out soft plastics are prohibited from the stretch of the North Fork I'll be floating, which means I'll be doing more cranking than anticipated. Anybody have suggestions on what'll legally pull big smallmouth out of the deeper flow other than a rebel craw?

Stock up on some small hair jigs

[Mr_Scrogg]

Hair jigs, little pop Rs, smaller spinnerbaits, 1/4-3/8oz. Heck even the 3/16 Booyah Pond Magics. I know a guy that kills Shenandoah River smallies with Manns Minus1s in West Virginia.