Thread: Not a crappie question, but a smallmouth question

I have never fished out of Gaston's. But, I am aquainted with a couple of guides in the confluence of the Norfork. Every once in a while a small mouth, catfish, and even bream or crappie is caught from those waters. But, they are just too cold to sustain a good population. The first few miles just before the Buffalo joins the White is good for small mouth. I am not sure how long the boat ride is from Gaston's.
DP

tommy,

I would just go to the other side of the dam & fish bull shoals lake. there are smallmouth in there I think. I don't have a lure selection for you, but you are just a stone's throw from the lake when you are at gastons.

If you want small mouth on the White, you have to go below Mt. View where the water is warmer. You can, as suggested fish Bull Shoals for small mouth. Look for rocky points, rocky bottoms and deeper holes with rocks. Rocks are the key to smallies. You may also pick up a few walleyes in the process. But don't look for small mouth anywhere close to Gastons. But rainbows aplenty and an occasional big brown. Bigger browns are caught in deep holes like the White Hole near Stetsons off Hwy 178 going toward Bull Shoals. I have fished this river for years and years and I know where of I speak. Good luck, and tight lines.

There are a lot of brownie bass as far up as Calico Rock, but that's a good ways from Gaston's.

Crooked Creek has had the reputation for being one of the best smallmouth rivers in the country.

You might want to check with Gaston's. There might be some close creeks that you could wade fish. I've caught a lot of brownies doing that, particularly if you can get some slicks, the creek kind, not the rice field kind. Crooked Creek is a great stream, but it pretty much has to be floated fished which is a day long enterprise.

Flyflinger,
what lures for a spinning outfit are good for big browns? When I last trout fished, we used corn........probably wont work for big browns

Big browns did not get big by being easily fooled. I rarely use spinning outfits on the White as my name implies. However, some flies can be fished quite nicely under a clear float. Those that come to mind are, olive wooly buggers, sanjuan worms, scuds and sow bugs. Also Rapala count-downs work as do Rooster tails in white, chartruse and brown. You can even throw night crawlers and criketts/grasshoppers at em. Rainbows will eat just about anything. Wherever you fish, just fish near the bottom that's where most of them feed and use barbless hooks for two reasons. Reason 1, they come out of the fish much easier putting less stress on any fish you will release and 2, they come out of your ears eaiser too. Send me a PM and let me know how you do. Tight lines buddy.
Dave