One of out favorite places in the Missouri Ozarks is the Irish Wilderness and the Eleven Point River. One enhancement to a trip is a study of the history of the area. This short video will wet the taste and we are sure the book is a great addition to anyone's library.


For additional information on the area and book described visit this Review.

* We are in no way affiliated with the authors or publishers of this book and have no financial interest in the book sales.

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Ozark Trout Fishing Resource

Probably with poor timing and even jumping the gun a bit, we have gotten off the ground a section at Family-Outdoors devoted to Trout Fishing in the Ozarks. The area will be broken into the sections titles Trout Parks, Freestone Rivers, Tailwaters, and Smaller Streams. We believe that this will be one of the few areas on the web where such a comprehensive treatment of these areas of Missouri and Arkansas and the trout fishing opportunities available. Comprehensive descriptions of the waters and the tackle and flies that will be effective will all be a part of this section.

We hope it will be a highly used and helpful resource!

5 Keys to Whitetail Success

Regardless of where you are at in your whitetail deer hunting career, there are a few basic steps that you should know or perhaps review, prior to your hunting endeavors this year. If you are new to this sport, these ideas may be new to you. If you are experienced, perhaps reviewing these will be of benefit to you.

1. Scent Control

While this can be taken to any level of extremes, I guess you really cannot be too careful with regard to this matter. Some basic steps you can take include the following things.
• Do not wear the clothes you will be in while hunting until you are heading into field.
• Consider keeping your clothes in some form of scent proof bags until you get out of your vehicle (or camper, tent, cabin, etc.) and then slip them on just as you are ready to head out. Don’t get up and cook breakfast for example and then wear these clothes to the field.
• Remember this for sure; do not wear the boots you will wear in the field until heading out in the field. On that point, it is pretty well established that rubber boots carry the minimal scent of any other type of boots. If you are not in a cold place, cheap rubber boots are fine. More expensive lined (thinsulate is usually the material) boots may be required in colder climates.
• Scent-Lok materials are available for clothing and boots if you wish. Not required.
• Also, there are laundry detergents, deodorants, and scent-blocks available and these may be advisable, but again, are not absolutely necessary


2. Colors

When I began hunting I did not know very much about this and I really wondered. Here's what I have learned, and perhaps more importantly, have experienced in the field. First, do not wear blue jeans. Blue is the one color I know deer can really see. Second, blaze orange is not a problem. No matter what you wear (as long as not blue), deer will not see you if you remain still.

3. Tree Stands

I hunt exclusively from a climbing stand and almost exclusively on public land. Here are the basics with regard to stand placement.

Wind direction is vital. Know the prevailing wind direction where you will place your stand, whether it is fixed or portable.

Always wear a safety harness...at all times from ground to ground.

Scout the area ahead of time. This is not optional. You can get lucky if you happen to be in an area with lots of deer, but you do not want to rely on luck. I will expand on scouting in a later section so will leave it at that for now.

Height is important, but you do not need to be 30 feet high to be successful. In fact, for the purpose of good shots, the higher you go, the harder it is to adjust for angle of shot. I often hunt between 12 and 20 feet and believe this is adequate in most all cases.

If you are stand hunting, stay in your stand. Many deer are taken mid-day by hunters who have the perseverance to stay in their stand. An unpleasant reality is that you may need to relieve yourself at some point. Bring a container with you for this purpose. I just use a water bottle.

4. Firearms/Bows

I can only be general here because this article is not designed to address in detail the issues of firearm or bow choice. There are too many variations to detail here. But here are a few commonsense items

Be very familiar with your weapon. Know how to fix minor problems that might arise in the field and deal with them in a safe manner. For example, if you are hunting with a firearm, you will eventually get dirt in your barrel. Have the resources to clean your weapon should this happen.

Put in the necessary time practicing at the range prior to hunting. It is unacceptable to hunt with a weapon not properly sighted in. If you are lucky enough to hit anything, you may very well injure a deer with little chance for recovery.

Practice every safety precaution you can. This is especially true in bringing your weapon into your stand. Do it the right way. Never carry any kind of a weapon as you climb the tree.

5. Scouting

This is not something you should just do if you get a chance. It is part of the hunting process and can be a lot of fun. Do it at least a week or so prior to when you will hunt so as not to disturb the area too much just before hunting.

Look for trails and sign. There is much to this as there are a variety of factors that can make an area look great, but then not yield any signs of life at the time of the hunt. One thing to keep in mind is that during the rut, many bucks do not follow their prior behavior. There is some evidence however, that some bucks do.

In regard to potential stand placement, keep wind direction in mind. Once you have chosen a spot, make sure you have adequate vision of trails and shooting lanes.

If you are hunting a deer trail, consider how deer are traveling the trail. Are you trying to catch deer as they enter or exit a food plot or are you trying to catch them as they enter or exit a bedding area?

Have an entry/exit plan to your stand sight planned out. Use reflective tacks you can see with a flashlight or headlamp, or use surveyors tape to mark your route. This part is critical as your approach may be the deciding factor on success or failure.

Use Google Earth as a staring point for your scouting endeavors. This does not in any way replace on the ground scouting, but it gives you a tremendous head start. Especially for those of us who are hunting public ground.

If hunting public ground, try and scout areas at least ¼ mile from any road, trail, or access point. Believe it or not, just this level of effort will separate you from the majority of hunting pressure. Also, try and have a heads up on the pressure level you will experience for the season you will hunt. As an example of this, there are areas that I will hunt in the Missouri antlerless season that I will not venture near during the regular firearms season.

These basic ideas are vitally important to your hunting success. There are clearly planning issues beyond these that are necessary. Knowing what gear to bring for example, is of critical importance. Knowing all pertinent regulations is vital. Most importantly, keep in mind that hunting is a sport that can be fulfilling without regard to whether you harvest a deer. I enjoy immensely that time I spend in the Fall woods. A deer is nothing more than a bonus.

Get more info at Family-Outdoors Hunting

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The Wild Trout Creeks of Missouri

By: David Mann

The littlest known trout fishery in the Ozark hills would definitely be the small wild trout streams that lace southern Missouri. These streams get very little pressure, and they provide excellent fishing. But they aren’t for everyone. It takes a lot of work, and a bit of skill to take these stream-bred trout. If you like easy fishing for hatchery raised trout, chances are you’ll only be frustrated. If you enjoy being on a quiet, natural stream, and catching trout on their own terms, you’ll really enjoy this type of fishing.

Tactics are pretty universal for catching the wild rainbows that inhabit these small streams. In short, you want to imitate the natural food base. For that reason, if there’s a hatch, fly fisherman that are “matching the hatch”, will generally take more fish than others. When fish aren’t rising, spin fisherman, or fly anglers tossing streamers or nymphs will do quite well. In short, you have to know what the trout are feeding on at that particular moment to be successful.

Stealth may be an even more important element of success. If you spook the trout before you begin fishing, it won’t matter how enticing your offering is. When you come up on a likely run, wade quietly (i.e. do not step heavily or crunch gravel), and try to keep your profile down. Some even approach on their hands and knees. Also, do not allow your lure of fly to make a loud splash when it hits the water. The more educated fish will be put off their feed by this. If your fly fishing, keep your false casts to a minimum. For fly fisherman, 7x tippet is often necessary, and spin fisherman should use line no heavier than four pound test.

Only fish the productive water. There is no point in wasting your time on water that is unlikely to hold fish. In short, if there is little or no current, you won’t find many or any trout. Pools are a good place to fish, provided they have a decent current, and a defined channel. Riffles are arguably even more productive, especially on the larger creeks. Any thing over 10” deep can, and probably does hold trout from time to time.

Enjoy fishing, even if it’s slow. The biggest part of the fun in this type of fishing is just being out in nature on a wild stream. If that’s not enough for you to have a good day, these streams probably aren’t for you anyway. Also, enjoy every fish you catch. Any fish you catch in one of these streams is a trophy. You have taken it on its terms, in the wild. It doesn’t get any better.

Here’s a few short lists to help you get started. First, is a list of wild trout streams, and the prime water in each of them. Note that the “prime water” that I highlight usually isn’t the entire area of stream managed for wild trout, just the stretch you’re mostly to find good populations of wild trout. Also, on all streams listed, artificial lures and flies only are allowed. You can keep one fish over 18”, but we encourage you release each one you catch. Next, I’ll list some lures and flies that are very successful on just about all the wild trout streams in the region. This is just a very general list, and there are no doubt many more that will get the job done.

Wild Trout Streams

1. Barren Fork Creek

Prime Water- Twin Springs to mouth

Description: This stream has a pretty low population of wild trout. With that said, you can find a few in some of the better holes. This is not a destination stream, but if your in the area anyway, you may as well give it a try. Public access is from Twin Spring downstream for about ½ Mile.

2.Mill Creek

Prime Water- Wilkin Spring to mouth

Description: This creek has a pretty respectable population of wild trout in the first few miles below Wilkin Spring. It’s not the stream it once was, but it’s definitely worth the trip if you like a good challenge. The MDC provides access below Wilkin Spring, and the Forest Service has an access on the stream’s lower reaches.

3. Spring Creek

Prime Water- Relfe Spring to mouth

Description: This creek has a decent trout population, and is very pretty. Also, it’s nearby several other trout streams, including Mill and Little Piney Creek. It’s definitely worth a few hours. There is public access on a nice stretch of stream toward the lower end.

4. Little Piney Creek

Prime Water- Highway 63 Bridge to CR 7460 Bridge (Vida Slab)

Description: This is an awesome creek, with a very good wild trout population. It used to be managed as a put and take fishery, but they stopped stocking it a few years ago, and instituted a length limit. Sure enough, the trout began spawning, and the Little Piney became one of the best wild trout streams in the Ozarks. Access is at the Highway 63 Bridge, Lane Spring Recreation area, and Vida Slab. There is a lot of quality water here, about seven miles in all.

5. Crane Creek

Prime Water- City of Crane to Quail Spur Road

Description: Home to one of the last pure populations of McCloud Rainbow trout, Crane Creek is an excellent fishery. Trout numbers are high, and this little stream is known around the country for its excellent fishing. Public access is found at the Crane City Park, and the Lower Wire Road Access. Unfortunately, some short-sighted folks are currently conspiring to dam it up, and form a lake. God forbid!

6. Blue Spring Creek

Prime Water- Blue Spring to mouth

Description: This tiny little creek is home to a tremendous population of wild rainbow trout. With 290 trout per mile, you won’t find a trout creek in Missouri with more fish. The catch is, they are very spooky, and difficult to catch. Also, this is a very tiny creek, and backcasting room is virtually non-existant. All except for the first few hundred yards of the creek are publicly owned. Access isn’t a problem.



Flies

Image via WikipediaFlies

1. Woolly Bugger, Olive, White, or Black #10
2. Prince Nymph #14-18
3. Pheasant Tail Nymph #14-18
4. Copper John #18
5. Hare’s Ear Nymph #14-18
6. Elk Hair Caddis #14-18
7. Don’s Crawdad #10

Lures

1. Panther Martin Spinner 1/24-1/32 ounce
2. Rooster Tail Spinner 1/24-1/32 ounce
3. Mepp’s Spinner #0
4. Little Cleo 1/16 ounce
5. Rebel Crawdad crankbait

Fishing Missouri's Forgotten Trout River - The Niangua River

Fishing Missouri's Forgotten Trout River - The Niangua River
By Davidson Manning

Image by Kyro S via Flickr

The Niangua River may be the most overlooked trout stream in the state of Missouri. It is widely known across the state as an excellent river for floating and smallmouth bass fishing, but the trout fishery is little known. Most area trout anglers only fish in the Niangua River's tributary, Bennett Spring Branch.

Above Bennett Spring Branch, the Niangua is a typical warm-water fishery. Smallmouth bass fishing is very good, but few trout are present. It is the cooling flows from Bennett Spring that make the river into a true trout stream. For eleven miles, the water is cool enough to hold year-round populations of rainbow and brown trout. Both species are stocked regularly.

The Niangua River isn't like other trout streams in the Ozarks. First of all, it just doesn't look like a trout stream. The river is big, and it usually isn't very clear. Also, the water temperature is usually above 70 degrees for most of the summer. With that said, for some unknown reason, the Niangua River does fish well all summer long, even when water temperatures are quite high. It is not uncommon to catch trout when the water temperature is 75 degrees. In other words, it's hard to believe trout do well in the Niangua, but they do.

Rainbow trout are the most common catch in the Niangua. They are stocked every few weeks during the spring, summer, and fall, and a good number also escape from Bennett Spring Branch into the river. They are easy to catch on a Powerbait, worms, small spinners, and spoons. Brown trout are not quite as common, but a good number can be found in the river. They respond better to small crankbaits, nightcrawlers, minnows, and crayfish. Both species of trout can be caught on a variety of flies including Woolly Buggers, Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tail Nymphs, and Caddis imitators.

Image by Kyro S via Flickr

You can access the Niangua River's trout water at three points. The first is the Bennett Spring Access, where Bennett Spring Branch meets the Niangua. This is probably the most popular access point, and fish are always plentiful. The next access point is at Barclay Conservation area. This is a few miles downstream from the Bennett Spring Access. Fishing is very good in this area, especially for brown trout. The final access point is at Prosperine. Trout populations are a bit lower in this area, but you can find some of the biggest brown trout in the river both up and downstream of this access. Smallmouth bass are also abundant. Fishing regulations on the Niangua allow for all baits, lures, and flies to be used. Four trout may be kept, and there is no minimum length limit on rainbow trout. There is a 15" length limit on browns. In addition, only one brown may be kept. There are many other fantastic Missouri Trout fishing opportunities, but don't neglect this gem of a river!

No matter where you access it, the Niangua is a great stream. It may not be popular to trout fisherman, the fishing is very good. You'll see lots of floaters, especially in summertime, but fisherman will be few. This river is certainly worth a trip. If you have trouble, you can always drown your sorrows by catching a few stockers over at Bennett Springs.

Davdison Manning is an avid outdoorsman spending over 100 days per year pursuing his passion for fishing, many of them in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas. He details many of his favorite spots on his website Family-Outdoors. His other pursuits include many days spent in the field camping and hunting. Davidson loves to share his knowledge of the outdoors in the hope of helping others to find their own connection to the outdoors.

Trout Fishing in the Ozark Mountains

Trout Fishing in the Ozark Mountains
By Davidson Manning

Image via Wikipedia

One thing is for sure. There is no shortage of trout streams in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas. Some are spring-fed rivers and creeks. These provide everything from daily stocked put and take fishing for gullible trout, to the pursuit of wild rainbows in a pretty spring creek. There are also trophy brown trout streams that can and do produce stream grown trout in the ten pound range. In all, there are eighteen spring-fed streams in the Ozarks that are managed for year-round trout fishing, seventeen of which are in Missouri. All have public access. Of these, the freestone section of the North Fork of the White is often considered to be the best, with trout populations in the thousands per mile, with the upper section holding lots of wild rainbows and some browns, and the lower section holding a lot of browns and some rainbows. Other streams that are well worth fishing are the Eleven Point, Little Piney, Current, Meramec, and Niangua Rivers in Missouri, and the Spring River in Arkansas.

The tailwaters of the Ozarks are a completely different animal. All of the Ozark tailwaters are part of the White River System. All of these tailwaters of bottom draw dams hold thousands of rainbow trout per mile, as well as the constant chance of catching a world record brown. Cutthroat and brook trout can be found as well. There are about 150 miles of year-round trout tailwaters in the Ozarks, and about 130 miles of these can be found in Arkansas. Access is ample. The White River below Bull Shoals Dam is the most well known, providing one hundred miles of quality trout water. The upper twenty miles is the most heavily fished of this tailwater, but there are year-round populations of trout all the way to Guion, which is 92 miles below Bull Shoals Dam, and trout range considerably further downstream in the winter. The reason why this tailwater can produce trout for such a long distance is due to the fact the North Fork River flows in about fifty miles below the dam. The North Fork River also provides world class tailwater trout fishing, and it gives the White River the shot of cold water it needs to extend its trout water by fifty miles. Every true trout fisherman should make a visit to the White River in their lifetime, because 100 fish days can, and regularly do happen. This article just scratches the surface of trout fishing in the Ozarks, and I will describe specific streams in detail in coming articles.

In short, there is something for every trout fisherman in the Ozarks. There are not as many streams as there are in the Appalachians or the Rockies, but the ones that we do have compare favorably to the trout streams anywhere else in the world. Come and give Ozark trout fishing a try.
Davdison Manning is an avid outdoorsman spending over 100 days per year pursuing his passion for fishing, many of them in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas. He details many of his favorite spots on his website http://family-outdoors.com His other pursuits include many days spent in the field camping and hunting. Davidson loves to share his knowledge of the outdoors in the hope of helping others to find their own connection to the outdoors.

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Missouri's Lake Taneycomo - Midwest Trout Fishing Mecca

Missouri's Lake Taneycomo - Midwest Trout Fishing Mecca
By Davidson Manning
Main Species Present: rainbow trout, brown trout, suckers, and largemouth bass

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Lake Taneycomo in southwestern Missouri might well be considered the world's finest trout fishery. Its popularity mostly relies on the approximately 700,000 rainbow trout stocked per year, which causes this twenty-two mile riverine lake to be positively loaded with dumb stockies at all times. They are stocked once a month, and even towards the end of each stocking period the lake holds many trout. Due to these easy to catch fish, few people come up empty handed here.

However, there are many fisheries around that hold lots of easy to catch rainbow trout. What sets Taneycomo apart is the enormous brown trout it produces. Twenty inch browns are routine, ten pound trout aren't at all out of place, and each year several larger than twenty pounds are pulled from its icy waters. All this was capped off when a Missouri Department of Conservation agent who was sampling the lake found a thirty six pound brown trout. There is little doubt that some day this lake will produce the world record brown trout to some lucky angler.

The lake can be effectively broken down into three sections. The first would be the section of lake from Table Rock Dam downstream to Fall Creek. Legal fishing begins a few hundred yards downstream from the dam. This section has special trophy regulations for both rainbows and browns, and this is where most of the largest trout in the lake live. Flies and lures only are allowed in this section. This part of the "lake" is for all intents and purposes a river, and can be waded if Table Rock Dam is not generating.

The next section of the lake worth mentioning is from Fall Creek to the Highway 65 Bridge. The upper part of this section looks like a river, but the further downstream you get, the more it becomes a lake. This entire part of the lake holds many trout, both rainbow and brown, and it can be effectively fished from the bank with bait, as that is legal below Fall Creek's mouth. Another popular method is to get a boat and troll spoons and spinners. Trophy regulations remain in effect for brown trout, but not rainbows.

The final section of the lake is from Highway 65 to Powersite Dam, which is the lake's lower boundary. This far downstream, Taneycomo is indeed a lake, although it is quite shallow. Effective bank fishing can be done with worms and Powerbait, but it is more of a boat fishery. Both rainbow and brown trout respond to the same trolling methods as above Highway 65, and that is probably the best way to fish. You won't need downriggers, or other special equipment due to the lake's shallow depth. This section also boasts some pretty good largemouth bass fishing in the creek arms, and gigging for non-game fish is quite popular in this part of the lake.

One item of caution is in order with regard to Taneycomo. Water levels can rise rapidly in some locations. Anglers are well-advised to do their homework on this matter ahead of time. Better yet, consider hiring a Tanycomo Guide to help you get on more fish and to help keep you safe.

Davdison Manning is an avid outdoorsman spending over 100 days per year pursuing his passion for fishing, many of them in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas. He details many of his favorite spots on his website http://family-outdoors.com/. His other pursuits include many days spent in the field camping and hunting. Davidson loves to share his knowledge of the outdoors in the hope of helping others to find their own connection to the outdoors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Davidson_Manning
http://EzineArticles.com/?Missouris-Lake-Taneycomo---Midwest-Trout-Fishing-Mecca&id=2048973