Crankbaits for James River Smallmouth | BoatUnknown Episode Here's the link for the full video from Westin's channel, https://youtu.be/HDEMUzCuZS0.James Rive. Weekdays tend to be the best times to be on the James, as the weekends can get quite busy and, at times, a bit rowdy. Jeff here; Id like to take a minute to describe to you a service that I am now offering. Lost count, but I'd . 18.7 Owens Bridge. Access at bridge just below dam.13.5Hwy. The water was quite low in areas, at times only inches, so we beached on the rocks several times. Fishing James River, MO on 4/14/2023 will be best from 12 . Your email address will not be published. I think I scraped more surface off the bottom of my kayak on this trip alone than all other trips combined. Off Hwy. ), it was a great day to be on an Ozarks stream. John boats 18-24 feet long and 4 feet wide were used long before canoes and kayaks became popular and are amazingly maneuverable craft for their size. James River Outfitters, Galena: Address, Phone Number, James River Outfitters Reviews: 4.5/5. We got a few sprinkles and some wind but it didn't otherwise affect us. Copyright 2003 by the Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri. Wind from the East, fish bite the least. I wouldn't want to do this much lower. The striper fishery deserves special mention as one of the nations' finest, with potential to produce record fish in the 50-pound category. Copyright 2003 by the Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri. If I could get another weekend night off, we'd go again! It was also fairly crowded with rental boats and others. Captain John explains the best way to rig live bait for. Should you have any questions, comments or concerns or wish to ask a question prior to purchasing and product or service mentioned on this web site, you can contact us directly by e-mail at flyfishingwithjeff@gmail.com. River level was just about perfect. Unlimited access to the best fishing spot finder in the game. 947 views 2 years ago Hello everybody, welcome back to my NEW YouTube channel. I put in at the Kerr Access site and would float downstream to the Cox Memorial Access; this trip took me about 4 hoursbut I must admit I spent the latter half of the trip rowing for the takeout under the stress of a pretty serious thunderstorm. The water is as low as I have ever seen it and for sure it requires some stealth in both approaching and casting to these fish. Weather was gorgeous too. John boats 18-24 feet long and 4 feet wide were used long before canoes and kayaks became popular and are amazingly maneuverable craft for their size. The river has a few more logs down in the middle and under the bridge after the last flood event. Smallmouth bass were hungry and were caught in eddies close to the current. No access.61.0Hwy. The trick was to fish it slowly, and twitch the bait just enough to get some erratic action. One real exciting rapid with a drop 6-9" just above Finley on the right fork. A section of the James River in Stone County, Missouri. There are dams to portage, but the pools they form are short. On the river by 0730 with cloudy skies until 1300, then sunny and hot until we were off at 1630. Rootwads and boulders are also good spots to catch goggle-eye; most anglers use tube jigs, curly-tailed grubs, or worms. Channel catfish should provide good fishing opportunities in 2023 as well. The James River is situated right in the midst of the Ozarks and quite frankly is some of the most lovely water and scenery that I have experienced while fly fishing across America. Montague Spring, 2.5 miles up creek, reached via Hwy. 10 miles from James River. A short Christmas Float on a beautiful sunny day. It is not the best stretch of river to float by any means, but it'll do in a pinch this time of year. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including largemouth bass, catfish, smallmouth bass, black bass, crappie, rock bass and carp here. Chris and I cut up a tree obstruction on one particularly tricky run. The river forms Lake Springfield and supplies drinking water for the city of Springfield. When water conditions are right,paddlefish will run up the James River from Table Rock Lake during the spring months and have been found all the way to the dam at Lake Springfield. It was Parker's first time on a float trip and in a kayak. This was a good trip, as always. Theres an old saying on wind direction which has many variations but here's the most popular which I'm sure you've heard: Wind from the West, fish bite the best. Finley River Park (Ozatk). 4.9 (7 reviews) What a great Monday. Inquire locally about conditions and accesses. Catch rates in 2022 were some of the highest recorded with roughly 35% of goggle-eye sampled greater than 8 inches. Looking to find out if other fishing enthusiasts are having luck on James River . Before the days of Table Rock Dam a five-day float of about 125 miles was available from Galena to Branson, but now little, if any, of the river is floatable below Galena. Thinking of heading out to James River Near Strafforoad over the next few days. Ready for spring! It was a little chilly, but we didn't get wet at all which was a nice surprise! If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Even the bigger fish were active, striking sometimes as soon as the bait hit the water. Some of the earlier floats showed a level in the upper end of good. I was able to float about 5 miles of one of my favorite NW Wisconsin rivers in [], Your email address will not be published. We take a number of different data points to make our fishing recommendation. We are. The fishing regulatory body for Missouri is Missouri Department of Conservation . Having paddled upstream for 2 miles there wasn't one moment where I couldn't hear the drone of traffic noise along highway 65 and / or highway 60. Somewhere in the last half hour of the day I hooked into a beautiful smallie, probably around 17-18. Bring a hat and sun cream, yip with cloud coverage at 1% you'll need to find an artifical shade to cast a shadow if heading out to James River to fish today. Goggle-eye fishing should also be good for 2023. Its close proximity to Springfield and less-than-stellar reputation means this small-but-mighty river often gets overlooked as a floating option. Paddled upstream 1.5 miles (approx. Even after a missed turn or two we still arrived at the river just in time. A 2-3" rain in S Spgfld loaded up Wilson's Creek enough to send a wave of water down the James. Paddled upstream from Farm Road 166 Bridge at Joe Crighton Access to Pierson Creek and back. Fishing the James River was also a great way to appreciate the scenery around us. According to legend, the James was the birthplace of the Ozark float trip. At one point, a sharp shinned hawk was chasing an angry kingfisher as if it was going to catch it. V.44.7McCall Bridge.45.0Old Stillhouse Hollow, which is spring fed, on right.46.1Access on left where extension of Hwy. 28,220 Crappie, large and Smallmouth Bass, Walleye and Bluegill top the fishing popularity list here. Originally this trip was supposed to be on Crane Creek. Good read! Never have I seen so many fish of all species under the boat. 24,900 acres. Click here for the latest 7 day fishing weather forecast for James River . Water was crystal clear and flowing at a good rate. Put in just before 1000, took out at Cox Access in Galena right at 1730. 248-13 Bridge. D Bridge. Anglers regularly report catching smallmouth greater than 18 inches, particularly in the Smallmouth Special Management Area (SMA). 65. River was crystal clear and banks of the river was pristine. 6.8 Joe Crighton Access on right, at Kinser Bridge on Farm Road 164. The. Trophies from 6-to 9-pounds are taken annually. So the trip was on, and we were excited. Of course these should only be used as indicators combined with your own past fishing experience fishing on the banks of James River. 12.3 Kissick Darn. Kerr Access on Horse Cteek Road.58.3Yocums Camp on tight. It is no longer maintained. We saw osprey, eagles, a huge kettle of vultures, herons and pileated woodpeckers. 60 Bridge. give it a go. Rivers daily change flow levels and current speeds. The weather was perfect with the exception of a wicked headwind that would come and go as we paddled. It took me a while to figure out how to fish the fluke properly. 13 Bridge. Off Hwy. John boats 18-24 feet long and 4 feet wide were used long before canoes and kayaks became popular and are amazingly maneuverable craft for their size. Required fields are marked *. Several others were on the river due to the hot weather. It wasn't a full-on Schmuck-a-rama, but the number of people the Hooten Town outfitters was releasing into the river, it was close. It was a pretty cool day hats for sure. Labor Day 2022 Float We were on the water by 0730 and targeted structure along the edge with shaky heads and wacky rigs. EVERYONE who worked there was friendly and professional. If you want to avoid the crowds, consider going Monday through Thursday. That was an adventure in itself, with plenty of fish caught. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); FloatMissouri Premium Sponsorship Opportunity. There are lots of spots along the banks to pull aside and relax. Check-in was a breeze since I did the online reservations and waivers. Anyone interested in fishing James River or waters within the wider area around Branson should consult with local resources before heading out to fish. 07.01.2017 - Fishing on the James River from Cox/Indian Creek access to JRO (James River Outfitters) ~ 11 miles. 65 Bridge. Longear sunfish are always a great option for anglers of all ages due to their aggressivenature when presented with small hooks baited with pieces of worm or small artificial lures. Only caught one smallie near the low water bridge and lost one below Davis Creek. as the 70s song says. While the water levels were decent in the area, the water wasn't moving as much as expected. No swimming necessary, they could touch most of the way. Most of this water provides fine fishing. Please ensure to adhere to the fishing regulations for the state. Our group of 4 picked James River Outfitters and we were SUPER pleased with everything. James River Near Nixamissouri is located in Greene County in Missouri. The colors of all of the fish were striking, adding to the beautiful setting. Missouri, United States. Kerr Access on Horse Cteek Road. The water was clear and flowing slowly with only a few faster riffles. Great day on the river. 3.0 San Francisco St. Louis R.R. If the DOJ is the McDonald's of rivers, this section should be designated as the White Castle section, simply because it's along a major highway and can only appeal to the lowest common denominator of outdoor activities. Bridge. The only problem is that I had this crazy issue in my mind about fishing with a guide. Not really sure who would have won that battle. If so get you'll find all your weather information you'll need over the next seven days. How big is the James River in Missouri? Old Hwy. There were a lot of boats on the water, primarily from rentals along the river. The biggest perk of the James is how close it is to Springfield. In high or medium water paddlers can run anorher 40 miles above this as well as some of the larger tributaries. D.3.0San Francisco St. Louis R.R. Though somewhat scenic, the entire length just has FAAAAAR too many long, slow, wide, tedious sections for my taste. Difficulty:I; a few places on upper river rate up to III due to obstructions.Gradient:general- 4.5; Hwy. Congrats on the spotted bass. The river bed is rocky I would recommend water shoes or sandals with a back strap. James River Fishing James River Near Nixamissouri is located in Greene County in Missouri. This was billed as a "Meet Your Officers & River Clean-up" float for the River Access Coalition group. Your email address will not be published. Well cover this more in a blog post soon but for James River right now the wind is coming Fair access.18.7Owens Bridge.20.3Shallow rapids caused by rock ledge, with brush and logs at bortom. Fishing was non-existent. We stopped to swim in a few different places. Fast run just below.50.4Private access on right side, off Hwy. Just check him at and book a reservation here: https://www.venku.com/listing/b6a6979b-ca46-4f9b-a2e2-65b0c21c0e8a?preview=false. Side note: either the county highway department or adjacent landowner made the ROW at the bridge steeper, so be careful with low clearance vehicles. However, finding it in flood stage (from the previous night's rains) when I got there, I spontaneously switched to doing the James, since it was basically on the drive back to the house. Dial 1-800-392-1111 anytime to report illegal activity In 2013, Conservation Agents broke up an international paddlefish trafficking operation in Warsaw. The water was comfortable for swimming. If you can get out, do it! Caught a bunch of bass. But as luck would have it, with a little bit of guidance Billy and I ended up spending a beautiful fall Sunday catching fish after fish on this beautiful river. Branson sits along the White River. No access. The water was clear and gently moving along. 39.7 Hooten Town Access on right, on Hotten Town Road. Please ensure to adhere to the fishing regulations for the state. All day long, at any moment, fish were visible in the clear water. No access. AA on right. Wind from the Although this trip was technically in the lake, we shuttled a vehicle to the park to take advantage of the slight current coming in with the flooded James River. Only caught one bass around a bridge pillar on a Ned rig, but it was a decent 15" smallmouth. which is about 2 miles long, begins. Following Crappie in popularity are catfish, Walleye and white bass. Despite the short distance, the low current, heat, and sunny conditions were a bit much for Michelle's folks. Weather conditions are not optimal, but there is still opportunity to land some trout. Access under bridge.2.7 Hwy. Nov 05, 2014 - James River Details: 16 in. We brought our own kayaks to float the river and was charged $25 l to transport them up the river, then we floated down. Its just a bit of a drive from St. Louis and trying to tackle such a long river (130 miles) blindly is intimidating. Followers 1672 Our guide for the trip was Ryan Walker, founder of the Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance. 29.3 Rock ledge at old fotd site makes good riffle. For those searching for a bit of seclusion, most recreational floaters will be found between H.L. If so get you'll find all your weather information you'll need over the next seven days. No access. We loved the experience! Perfect weather made this an exceptional October float. No access.36.3Finley Creek, on left. But for me, the excitement was below the boat. Here's a list of our favorite state parks in southwest Missouri and Arkansas to help you map out your next outdoor adventure. which is about 2 miles long, begins.12.1Public park and access on right.12.3Kissick Darn. 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