The middle of March is the beginning of some of the best smallmouth bass fishing Missouri has to offer on this overlooked creek. Several outfitters service the Courtois Creek and some of the best areas to fish are between the access at Berryman Road and the confluence of the Courtois and Huzzah Creeks.
The Courtois Creek is floatable above the Berryman access but not a lot of water is available during the dry seasons. I have floated from Brazil access to Berryman in one day in January several years ago. It is a long float for this time of year due to limited daylight hours and my partner and I did finish the last mile in the dark. If you float during the cold season, you must be prepared for the conditions. In case you get wet, a dry change of clothes and the ability to build a fire are essenitial.
Through trial and error, I have found the best float fishing on the Courtois Creek is from the Berryman access to Bass River Resort. If you rent a canoe from the resort, they will take you to Berryman and you can float back to your vehicle parked at the resort. This float is approximately 11 miles of stream but if you would like a shorter trip they is another access they will put in that is approximately 6 miles of stream. The shorter trip access is called Blunt Road Access - sometimes called Misty Valley due to an old outfitter that is no longer in business here.
From Berryman Road Access to the Huzzah Creek there are miles of clear water filled with Smallmouth Bass, Goggle-eye, Largemouth Bass and Spotted bass that do not receive a lot of fishing pressure. The best time to fish this water is during the spring and fall – before and after the traditional float trip season. The Courtois Creek receives a lot of float trip traffic and the waterway can get crowded on the weekends. If you do fish the creek in the summer months try to do so during the middle of the week for less traffic.
The water flow in the creek is gentle and suitable for most people regardless of experience in operating a canoe. As the creek meanders through the valley there are a few places along the way that can be tricky to navigate. A couple of sharp turns and narrow passages create some faster moving water but still things a novice can handle. The beauty of this area is the water is clear and only is stained during rainy conditions. There majority of the stream is not much deeper that five feet with a several deep holes along the way.
Recommended fishing tackle for an outing on this stream is light to medium action rod and reels. Rod length is best at no greater than six feet due to tight cover requiring short casts. My choice is a five and one half foot pistol grip casting rod with a high-speed reel. In addition, I do carry a medium action-spinning outfit for ease of casting lighter offerings.
When floating a stream always keep your rods stored inside and below the top of your watercraft. Many times, you will travel under low-lying overhead cover that can snag your rods and pull them from the canoe or boat. If not pulled from the boat, rods may hit the occupants when the pull loose from the snag or hit an occupant.
A small tackle boxe filled with soft-plastic lures, weedless jigs, spinnerbaits, topwater (including buzzbaits) and shallow-running crankbaits complete the ideal lure assortment for a day -long outing on the Courtois Creek. Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits with a chartreuse skirt are very effective on smallmouth bass. The other lures are best in natural colors with jigs and soft-plastics in green pumpkin and crawfish. My choice for topwater and crankbaits is natural shad colors.
Soft-plastic lures presented with a football shaky head offer anglers a snag resistant, very effective lure. The screw lock keeper holds plastic lures securely to the head as well as covering the hook point creating a weedless offering. Football shaped jig heads reduce the chance of your lure to become wedged in the rock bottom of the stream. Most soft plastic lures work well on this type of jig head but the stream bass generally prefer a crawfish imitator in natural colors. The jig head also helps keep a crawfish lure in a “pinchers up” position; this is the defensive position of a crawfish. Bottom bouncing lures are effective any time of year and water temperture.
Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits are good choices from mid-spring until late fall. Chartreuse skirts are always my color choice with nickle, willowleaf blades. Chartreuse, it seems, attracts violent stirkes from smallmouth bass. Willowleaf spinnerbaits blades create less lift when retreived and lift is something not necessary in these shallow water streams.
Topwater poppers and chuggers in natural color patterns generate intense stirkes from all three species of bass during the warmer seasons. Your assortment of these lures should include the Storm Chug-Bug, Storm Baby Chug-Bug and the Rebel Pop-R in shad color patterns.
Shallow running crankbaits can be effective at times but are more difficult to present in the smaller streams. If used, I suggest it done so in the deeper and slower moving waters. Deep water is relative to the surrounding water and 5 feet is deep in the Courtois Creek. A shad imitating crankbait running 1-2 feet below the surface will entice bass to come up from deeper water to attack the offering.
After you set out on your fishing adventure floating a small stream remember to let the fish tell you what they want that day. Use this as a guide for lure choices but do not be afraid to experienment with other lures and presentations. The bass in the Courtois Creek are generally willing to entertain you all day, but I have had days when it seems nothing could make them bite.
Midwest Fishing Tackle, Exclusive retailer of Midwest Custom Tackle
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Locating Bass Fishing Areas
Anglers of all skill levels are constantly in search of productive fishing areas and getting the maximum reward for their efforts. Fishing areas that have the ability to hold bass for extended periods will not hold feeding bass throughout an entire day of fishing. The bass that use the area as their home will only feed at certain times during a day. Successful anglers are able to locate the areas where bass live and determine the times they feed.
The first step in this process is to locate areas where bass reside most of the time. While bass are caught shallow at anytime, they seldom reside in shallow water for an extended period. Therefore, deep-water bass are more predictable when it comes to locating them. Deep water is a relative term and bass holding in deep water are affected by the thermocline when it is present. Lowland lakes deep- water holding areas are much shallower than deep-water hideouts highland lakes.
Locating bass fishing areas is a seasonal approach. During the summer and winter, bass generally live in deeper areas. Spawning bass will hold in shallow water for longer periods to complete the spawning cycle. In the fall, bass will scatter more than other seasons and is the most frustrating season for some anglers. Some will still be holding in deep water while others have already made the move to shallow areas to chase schools shad.
Isolated, submerged cover will concentrate bass better than a lot of scattered cover in the similar areas. They will sometimes use this cover for ambush points to attack prey that venture close to the cover. However, bass will also wonder outside the cover to chase unsuspecting prey. In addition, sometimes bass will use only one part of the cover more than to ambush prey for reasons not evident to anglers. When presenting lures to cover, anglers should do so from all available directions as well as over the top and through the center of the cover.
When locating bass fishing areas, Midwest Fishing Tackle Staff Member, Aaron Hunter reports “Main and secondary points are always my first stop. If I can find cover located on these points I target that cover.” Regardless of the season and water temperatures, Hunter says, “Points always have the ability to hold bass. Points are like highways for bass to travel from deep to shallow water. The seasons do not matter, when bass have deep water close to points that have shallow banks, bass will be close by.”
When choosing lures offer the bass a variety until they indicate what they prefer. Do not limit lure selection due to cover you are fishing. Many anglers use only Texas rigged plastics and jigs for fishing cover. Crankbaits are one example of lures effective for covering a lot of water and are effective when fishing brushy cover. The crankbait bill will somewhat protect the hooks when retreived and are better at getting through cover than many anglers realize.
Deep-diving crankbaits on ten-pound test florocarbon line is an effective technique to find isolated cover on points. The lures will reach depths of 20-feet or more and contact the available cover giving away its location on the bottom. When crankbaits deflect off the cover, they will draw a reaction strike from nearby bass.
Carolina rigged plastics are another way to cover water quickly and locate the available bottom cover. The heavy sinkers allow anglers to distinguish between rock and wood cover. Slowly dragging a Carolina rigged soft plastic will draw strikes from lethargic bass that will not take a fast moving crankbait.
Once productive cover is located jigs and Texas rigged plastics are a great technique to slowly pick apart of piece of cover. The slow moving lures often aggravate bass into striking because they want to chase off or kill the lure.
Because bass are not always feeding, the second key to getting the most from these areas is to be fishing them at the time the bass decide to feed. Many productive areas have been abandoned by anglers because they determined the bass were not present when the bass were not feeding during the time the angler was there. It is best to have located a few potential areas close to each other and rotate between them throughout the day. This increases the chances you will be on at least one of them when the bass decide to feed. Aaron Hunter says, “I rotate between a few spots throughout each day on the water. Bass do not always feed at the same time on each spot and I feel I have more opportunities each day by doing this. Also, I can still get reaction strikes from bass that are not actively feeding.”
To better your chances of catching bass pick a few areas and patiently present lures to all sides and in the middle of the available cover. Rotate between these areas during your fishing time and visit each several times throughout the day.
The first step in this process is to locate areas where bass reside most of the time. While bass are caught shallow at anytime, they seldom reside in shallow water for an extended period. Therefore, deep-water bass are more predictable when it comes to locating them. Deep water is a relative term and bass holding in deep water are affected by the thermocline when it is present. Lowland lakes deep- water holding areas are much shallower than deep-water hideouts highland lakes.
Locating bass fishing areas is a seasonal approach. During the summer and winter, bass generally live in deeper areas. Spawning bass will hold in shallow water for longer periods to complete the spawning cycle. In the fall, bass will scatter more than other seasons and is the most frustrating season for some anglers. Some will still be holding in deep water while others have already made the move to shallow areas to chase schools shad.
Isolated, submerged cover will concentrate bass better than a lot of scattered cover in the similar areas. They will sometimes use this cover for ambush points to attack prey that venture close to the cover. However, bass will also wonder outside the cover to chase unsuspecting prey. In addition, sometimes bass will use only one part of the cover more than to ambush prey for reasons not evident to anglers. When presenting lures to cover, anglers should do so from all available directions as well as over the top and through the center of the cover.
When locating bass fishing areas, Midwest Fishing Tackle Staff Member, Aaron Hunter reports “Main and secondary points are always my first stop. If I can find cover located on these points I target that cover.” Regardless of the season and water temperatures, Hunter says, “Points always have the ability to hold bass. Points are like highways for bass to travel from deep to shallow water. The seasons do not matter, when bass have deep water close to points that have shallow banks, bass will be close by.”
When choosing lures offer the bass a variety until they indicate what they prefer. Do not limit lure selection due to cover you are fishing. Many anglers use only Texas rigged plastics and jigs for fishing cover. Crankbaits are one example of lures effective for covering a lot of water and are effective when fishing brushy cover. The crankbait bill will somewhat protect the hooks when retreived and are better at getting through cover than many anglers realize.
Deep-diving crankbaits on ten-pound test florocarbon line is an effective technique to find isolated cover on points. The lures will reach depths of 20-feet or more and contact the available cover giving away its location on the bottom. When crankbaits deflect off the cover, they will draw a reaction strike from nearby bass.
Carolina rigged plastics are another way to cover water quickly and locate the available bottom cover. The heavy sinkers allow anglers to distinguish between rock and wood cover. Slowly dragging a Carolina rigged soft plastic will draw strikes from lethargic bass that will not take a fast moving crankbait.
Once productive cover is located jigs and Texas rigged plastics are a great technique to slowly pick apart of piece of cover. The slow moving lures often aggravate bass into striking because they want to chase off or kill the lure.
Because bass are not always feeding, the second key to getting the most from these areas is to be fishing them at the time the bass decide to feed. Many productive areas have been abandoned by anglers because they determined the bass were not present when the bass were not feeding during the time the angler was there. It is best to have located a few potential areas close to each other and rotate between them throughout the day. This increases the chances you will be on at least one of them when the bass decide to feed. Aaron Hunter says, “I rotate between a few spots throughout each day on the water. Bass do not always feed at the same time on each spot and I feel I have more opportunities each day by doing this. Also, I can still get reaction strikes from bass that are not actively feeding.”
To better your chances of catching bass pick a few areas and patiently present lures to all sides and in the middle of the available cover. Rotate between these areas during your fishing time and visit each several times throughout the day.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Every Little Angler Needs an Old Man
Two young boys and an “old man” walking the bank of a small pond. Sharing an afternoon together casting for anything that will bite. The boys were accomplished anglers for their age. Both began fishing while still wearing diapers. The “old man” was their teacher this day. Like everyday before, the little anglers absorbed all the information the “old man” was willing to share.
Many years ago the “old man” was a student and had his own “old man”, his teacher. They shared similar days on and around the water eager fish called home. He too absorbed all the information his teacher was willing to share. While growing older, becoming a teacher and an “old man” in his own rite, he continued to absorb any information available about fishing. He became more knowlegeable than his teacher, but always gave credit to his “old man” for building the foundation of his education.
As he grew older, he shared all of the knowledge he had aquired with anyone willing to listen. He made it a point to share with young anglers. Doing so, he hoped, would help build another foundation for a lifetime of learning about his favorite outdoor sport. He was developing stewards to take care of the great outdoor arena he would eventually leave to them.
As the two boys learned about fishing, they were also learning about nature. The three of them spent countless hours catching fish as well as observing Mother Nature. They caught frogs, insects, learned to identify plants, trees and weather patterns. Many of the insects they captured became bait for fishing. Many times the insects were tossed into the water and observed until a fish decided to make of meal of them.
As the three of them continue slowly walking the edges of the water, they offer small spinnerbaits and soft plastics to the panfish and bass. The “old man” uses a child size outfit making it easier to hand it to one of the boys when he hooks a fish. The boys always get to reel in any hooked fish. The “old man” dedicates his efforts on these special days to his two little anglers. He has not brought any of his own tackle on this day. He seldom uses anything but the children’s tackle when sharing the water with these boys. The “old man” will ocassionally sneak a couple of casts with his equipment when the boys are exploring the areas around the water. He keeps a watchful eye on them and exploits every opportunity to teach them when they discover something interesting.
They discover an area where deer visit the pond to drink. The boys learn to identify a track left by the deer using the pond for their source of water. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear turkey and raccoons use the area. The boys spend the rest of the day closely watching the ground for signs of other animal using the pond for water.
After a couple hours, the boys lose interest in fishing but the adventure is not over. The three of them take a walk through the woods seeking new discoveries. The boys do not realize it but the class is still in session. They continue to learn new things about nature and the “old man” discovers he is both a teacher and student.
Note: Both men and women can play the “old man” role and age is a relative thing. My “old man” was my Uncle Larry who always made time to take me fishing. Please remember to include a child in your fishing plans.
Many years ago the “old man” was a student and had his own “old man”, his teacher. They shared similar days on and around the water eager fish called home. He too absorbed all the information his teacher was willing to share. While growing older, becoming a teacher and an “old man” in his own rite, he continued to absorb any information available about fishing. He became more knowlegeable than his teacher, but always gave credit to his “old man” for building the foundation of his education.
As he grew older, he shared all of the knowledge he had aquired with anyone willing to listen. He made it a point to share with young anglers. Doing so, he hoped, would help build another foundation for a lifetime of learning about his favorite outdoor sport. He was developing stewards to take care of the great outdoor arena he would eventually leave to them.
As the two boys learned about fishing, they were also learning about nature. The three of them spent countless hours catching fish as well as observing Mother Nature. They caught frogs, insects, learned to identify plants, trees and weather patterns. Many of the insects they captured became bait for fishing. Many times the insects were tossed into the water and observed until a fish decided to make of meal of them.
As the three of them continue slowly walking the edges of the water, they offer small spinnerbaits and soft plastics to the panfish and bass. The “old man” uses a child size outfit making it easier to hand it to one of the boys when he hooks a fish. The boys always get to reel in any hooked fish. The “old man” dedicates his efforts on these special days to his two little anglers. He has not brought any of his own tackle on this day. He seldom uses anything but the children’s tackle when sharing the water with these boys. The “old man” will ocassionally sneak a couple of casts with his equipment when the boys are exploring the areas around the water. He keeps a watchful eye on them and exploits every opportunity to teach them when they discover something interesting.
They discover an area where deer visit the pond to drink. The boys learn to identify a track left by the deer using the pond for their source of water. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear turkey and raccoons use the area. The boys spend the rest of the day closely watching the ground for signs of other animal using the pond for water.
After a couple hours, the boys lose interest in fishing but the adventure is not over. The three of them take a walk through the woods seeking new discoveries. The boys do not realize it but the class is still in session. They continue to learn new things about nature and the “old man” discovers he is both a teacher and student.
Note: Both men and women can play the “old man” role and age is a relative thing. My “old man” was my Uncle Larry who always made time to take me fishing. Please remember to include a child in your fishing plans.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Understanding the Thermocline in Lakes
Discussing the Thermocline can be a very detailed and scientific subject. However, for this the basics will be covered in how the Thermocline relates to the behavior of bass. From spring to fall the Thermocline affects bass behavior in several ways.
In late spring the surface water in most lakes has warmed into the low 70-degree range while the cooler water is well below the surface. Surface water in this temperature range still holds plenty of oxygen so the bass have not yet started to migrate into the deeper water. However, as the surface temperature rises into the low 80-degree range, bass will seek the cooler water that holds more oxygen. The warm surface water doesn’t hold enough oxygen to keep the bass comfortable and this is when they seek the deeper water.
The Thermocline is a small area of water that lies between the warm surface water and the deeper water that also holds little oxygen. Most of the time this small area of water is only about ten feet from top to bottom. In the deep Ozark lakes there are sometimes exceptions to this rule and the Thermocline can be up to thirty feet from top to bottom.
In mid-summer largemouth bass will generally hold close to cover and/or structure near the upper edges of the Thermocline. When an angler finds the Thermocline this is great starting point for the proper depth to locate bass. A depth finder with the sensitivity turned up makes the Thermocline visible on the display. It will look like a false bottom reading on the display.
At Lake of the Ozarks the Thermocline will generally be found about 25 feet deep and only reach down to about 35 feet. In Table Rock Lake – a much clearer body of water - the Thermocline generally starts about 60 feet deep and can extend to about 80 feet deep.
Lake of the Ozarks is best fished during the summer at night due to the amount of boat traffic during the day. The Thermocline still hold at the same level and should be the targeted depth for bass fishing. June through August is best fished with a bottom-bouncing lure like a jig, plastic worm or heavy spinnerbaits. However, most of the time the bass will only be active near the Thermocline.
Table Rock Lake is best fished at depths of 60 – 80 feet deep since this is the depth where the summer Thermocline is generally located. There are only a few effective means to get a lure this deep. A Carolina rig can be fished this deep. However, my favorite is to vertical jig a small plastic worm on a ¼ ounce jig head or a jigging spoon presented at the required depths to reach the bass.
Spotted (Kentucky) bass will suspend just above the submerged treetops that are still abundantly available in Table Rock Lake. They will school together at the same general depths most of the summer so once located they are easier to follow at later times. Again, the key to this location is the Thermocline affecting the behavior of the bass.
More Bass Fishing Information available at http://BassFishingMidwest.com
In late spring the surface water in most lakes has warmed into the low 70-degree range while the cooler water is well below the surface. Surface water in this temperature range still holds plenty of oxygen so the bass have not yet started to migrate into the deeper water. However, as the surface temperature rises into the low 80-degree range, bass will seek the cooler water that holds more oxygen. The warm surface water doesn’t hold enough oxygen to keep the bass comfortable and this is when they seek the deeper water.
The Thermocline is a small area of water that lies between the warm surface water and the deeper water that also holds little oxygen. Most of the time this small area of water is only about ten feet from top to bottom. In the deep Ozark lakes there are sometimes exceptions to this rule and the Thermocline can be up to thirty feet from top to bottom.
In mid-summer largemouth bass will generally hold close to cover and/or structure near the upper edges of the Thermocline. When an angler finds the Thermocline this is great starting point for the proper depth to locate bass. A depth finder with the sensitivity turned up makes the Thermocline visible on the display. It will look like a false bottom reading on the display.
At Lake of the Ozarks the Thermocline will generally be found about 25 feet deep and only reach down to about 35 feet. In Table Rock Lake – a much clearer body of water - the Thermocline generally starts about 60 feet deep and can extend to about 80 feet deep.
Lake of the Ozarks is best fished during the summer at night due to the amount of boat traffic during the day. The Thermocline still hold at the same level and should be the targeted depth for bass fishing. June through August is best fished with a bottom-bouncing lure like a jig, plastic worm or heavy spinnerbaits. However, most of the time the bass will only be active near the Thermocline.
Table Rock Lake is best fished at depths of 60 – 80 feet deep since this is the depth where the summer Thermocline is generally located. There are only a few effective means to get a lure this deep. A Carolina rig can be fished this deep. However, my favorite is to vertical jig a small plastic worm on a ¼ ounce jig head or a jigging spoon presented at the required depths to reach the bass.
Spotted (Kentucky) bass will suspend just above the submerged treetops that are still abundantly available in Table Rock Lake. They will school together at the same general depths most of the summer so once located they are easier to follow at later times. Again, the key to this location is the Thermocline affecting the behavior of the bass.
More Bass Fishing Information available at http://BassFishingMidwest.com
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