Quest For The 4 Lb Creek Smallie

[Ozark_Basser]

8 ft! My ponds and some lakes don't even exceed that... you're in a river I believe

They call one stream a river and the other a creek. The last half of the Buffalo National River really does seem like a river, but around the area where I live, it's more of a creek if that makes sense. Crooked Creek is actually the better of the two If you ask me. Everything in there is just bigger and more plentiful for some reason. Carp, catfish, minnows, suckers, along with bass are all bigger.  It's strange, but I can't complain.

[BigSkyBasser]

We drop shot for river smallies during every phase of the bite. Granted the river we fish on is of formidable size and is a prize hyper-trophic habitat for the smallmouth as they are one of the primary predators in here. This makes finding them a lot easier, but during winter we still have to fish very slow and even then the bites are really tough to come-by because the water gets so cold. Using a braid with 12lb flouro leader and rigging my hook about 14 inches above a quarter ounce weight I'll slap on either a 4.5 inch sniper bolt or a bluegill roboworm wacky rigged.

[Catch 22]

Long ago I became interested in  a small stream in southeastern Pa when a co worker showed me a pic of a 5.2 #smallie that he caught in an area that I had driven across XXX times but never wet a line in it. He said he weighted it and the pic justified his claim.The size of the stream was such that a moderate cast would cross it anywhere.

I began wet wading it after work a few times  each week.1 to 1-1/2 pounders were the norm with an ocassional fish above 2#.Virtually un fished, that water had some of the horniest smallies I had ever encountered.There was about 15 to 20 miles to chose from, so it went unmolested until the local B & T got wind of it.You can guess the rest of the story.

Even though they had no  big water to retreat to,finding them in the winter was difficult, but I wasn`t the angler then as now.

Small spinner baits were best,with tubes and twisters making a decent showing.

Times were more simple then.

C 22

[tbone1993]

wont be too hard. Took my gf out to get her first smallie and she caught 15 fish and the biggest was 3.5lb. Smallest was around 1.5lb

[BigSkyBasser]

We have this dream spot where a dammed river creates these giants pools below the main outtake for the dam. You can sit there and vertical jig for an entire day and catch 50-60 fish ranging from 1-5 pounds. It's such a blast but eventually you leave to find more of a challenge. On a side note it's also the coolest swimming hole I've ever come across.

[Ozark_Basser]

We have this dream spot where a dammed river creates these giants pools below the main outtake for the dam. You can sit there and vertical jig for an entire day and catch 50-60 fish ranging from 1-5 pounds. It's such a blast but eventually you leave to find more of a challenge. On a side note it's also the coolest swimming hole I've ever come across.

There are definitely no spots like that here. There are only two or three deep holes (~10 ft) every five miles around where I live which is the upper half of the Buffalo River and Crooked Creek. They both flow parallel to one another until they flow into the White River. This is where everyone usually fishes in the winter for trout due to the constant water temperature in the low fiftees coming out of the dam from Bull Shoals. Im not much on trout fishing and I usually have a boat so I usually just hit Bull Shoals or Table Rock, but this will be okay for now I guess not to mention it's much cheaper.

[Ozark_Basser]

Well at least they are getting bigger. Caught a lot more fish today as well. There was snow on the get ground yesterday and today it was in the low 70's. That's Arkansas for ya. Probably caught around a dozen with none being below the legal length limit which is only twelve inches, but it was still fun none the less. Lost an absolute TOAD. When I set the hook the rod just about came out of my hands. She pulled drag then came off about halfway through the fight. Sounds about right. Could have been the 4 lb smallie I was looking for, but was probably a good size largemouth or spot seeing as how I caught the spot in the picture right afterwards. All of my fish came on a black, green pumpkin, dark green pumpkin, rootbeer, and tan colored football jig I made myself with a green pumpkin beaver trailer. Conditions were bluebird skies and windy. The smallie in pic was caught out of a laydown I was pitching to in about 6 ft of water. The spot was caught on a rocky flat located on the outside of a channel swing in about 8 ft of water. The hole I was fishing was the same as last week. Just a deep hole located on a 90 degree turn in the river with distinct contour changes, boulders, and some large trees that have fell in the shallower part of the hole. Still no giants landed but at least they are getting a little bigger. Here are the biggest two landed.

The smallie pic wouldnt enlarge, but you get it.

[countryboy65]

this thread has inspired me to try some winter creek fishing of my own.  I fish creeks for smallmouth here in se mo but I haven't tried in the winter yet.  The biggest i can come up with is 17 3/4", can't break the 18" mark.  I went out yesterday and found a likely looking hole, so we will see how it goes.

[Drew03cmc]

Four pounds is a beast for the Ozarks. My biggest Ozark bass is a LMB from a creek near Joplin at just over four pounds. My biggest smallmouth was caught the same day and was 15.25" long and is in my avatar. The largemouth was a hog from a backwater slough.

[BigSkyBasser]

I love catching river smallies. They get so strong swimming in that current. You reel set a drop shot fish and a 1 pounder feels like a kicker until you get it to the surface

[Ozark_Basser]

Four pounds is a beast for the Ozarks. My biggest Ozark bass is a LMB from a creek near Joplin at just over four pounds. My biggest smallmouth was caught the same day and was 15.25" long and is in my avatar. The largemouth was a hog from a backwater slough.

Four pounds is a beast for the Ozarks. My biggest Ozark bass is a LMB from a creek near Joplin at just over four pounds. My biggest smallmouth was caught the same day and was 15.25" long and is in my avatar. The largemouth was a hog from a backwater slough.

Which Ozark stream were you fishing?

[Ozark_Basser]

I love catching river smallies. They get so strong swimming in that current. You reel set a drop shot fish and a 1 pounder feels like a kicker until you get it to the surface

Very true. Although not as chunky, even though that spot I caught was much chunkier than your average creek bass, every time I catch a 17" smallie in current it feels like a beast.

Well winter's over now. No four pounders but caught some decent creek bass. I figured if I put myself on blast haha I'd put in the time to make sure I caught that twenty incher, but that wasn't the case. Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. I'm making it a mission to catch that 20" 4 lb smallie before the end of the year. Its happened before so I don't see why not.

[Drew03cmc]

Which Ozark stream were you fishing?

Shoal Creek. I caught a 17" spot from it last March as well as a 19" largemouth.

[Ozark_Basser]

Shoal Creek. I caught a 17" spot from it last March as well as a 19" largemouth.

Never fished Shoal Creek. Always wanted to do the Kings River up around the Missouri/Arkansas border. Heard it's as good as it gets as far as a float trip goes for catching smallmouth. I find it hard to believe it outmatches Crooked Creek around my parts.

[chrisdm4]

Long ago I became interested in  a small stream in southeastern Pa when a co worker showed me a pic of a 5.2 #smallie that he caught in an area that I had driven across XXX times but never wet a line in it. He said he weighted it and the pic justified his claim.The size of the stream was such that a moderate cast would cross it anywhere.

I began wet wading it after work a few times  each week.1 to 1-1/2 pounders were the norm with an ocassional fish above 2#.Virtually un fished, that water had some of the horniest smallies I had ever encountered.There was about 15 to 20 miles to chose from, so it went unmolested until the local B & T got wind of it.You can guess the rest of the story.

Even though they had no  big water to retreat to,finding them in the winter was difficult, but I wasn`t the angler then as now.

Small spinner baits were best,with tubes and twisters making a decent showing.

Times were more simple then.

C 22

I think i know what stream your talking about.  There are defiantly some great small mouth streams here in SE PA.  Always along and the fishing can be great.  Beautiful water as well!   

[Drew03cmc]

Never fished Shoal Creek. Always wanted to do the Kings River up around the Missouri/Arkansas border. Heard it's as good as it gets as far as a float trip goes for catching smallmouth. I find it hard to believe it outmatches Crooked Creek around my parts.

I have heard good things about the Kings, but probably my favorite stream system is the Elk system. The scenery is as good as the fishing. Sadly, I haven't done much as far as size goes, but I hooked and lost a couple 17s a few years back.

[Ozark_Basser]

I have heard good things about the Kings, but probably my favorite stream system is the Elk system. The scenery is as good as the fishing. Sadly, I haven't done much as far as size goes, but I hooked and lost a couple 17s a few years back.

I have heard good things about the Elks River as well. I'm planning two trips this year, one for the Kings and one for the lower Buffalo where it meets the White River. Both will be multiple day floats where I'll have to camp on gravel bars. Lookin for that five pounder or at least another four lol. Can't wait.

[Drew03cmc]

I'm hoping to catch an 18" River smallmouth this year. That would make my year.

If I owned my own kayak I'd drive down after work and float on a Friday soon, but can't swing a new yak...

[frogflogger]

Almost 50yrs. ago I floated and fished the Mulberry river in Arkansas it was an excellent smallmouth stream - I've heard nothing about it since.

[gall]

all i do is wade for the ol bronze back in criks and my profile pic is of a female that just got done spawning she weighed out to 6 something caught her on weightless zoom trick worm i had to pin her in ankle deep water she put up a hell of a fight

[gall]

this one i caught last winter on a soft plastic craw black and blue in maybe 40 degree water if that

[gall]

and these also all caught out of the conodoguinet crik which is primarly very shallow

[Ozark_Basser]

Nice fish. By the looks of some of those smallies, that looks like a very fertile creek. I'd be saving up for a yak for sure.

[gall]

there some grass patches that one came out of the first one came from a log jam near some grass the other off a bed but my tax return is coming son and thats what im buying is a kayak and ive seen some monster musky in the waters i fish just been trying to find some reading on how to fish criks and small rivers on them

[gall]

as you can see most of the water is primarily shallow less then 8 ft  but the fish lurking there are nice size and not to mention the fight youll get out of them is incredible even small ones run like a 10lb