Chouteau Bend area...

[Jon]

Does anyone have a report on the Chouteau Bend area?

[Jon]

Well Ok, then. 46 views and no replies so I guess the answer is "I don't know" or "I ain't talking…."

[swollencrappie]

Only thing I am hearing about Chouteau Bend is they are tearing up the spoonbill there.

[Jon]

Thanks for the reply Swollen. I was down there about 2 weeks ago, just to check the river level, and guys were hauling in some huge spoonbill. I'm too old to fight those things but I enjoy doodle socking crappie in the creeks. The river and Gibson have been high for several weeks now and I can't establish any kind of pattern for the crappie on the lake. I might oughta go to Claremore Lake and give it a try.

[crappiepappa]

I've got a buddy that guides for spoonbill up there. If anyone is interested PM me and I'll give you his contact info.

[10401]

What's the river look like now? Lot of current?

[Jon]

Went to the Bend today and the river isn't running like it has been in the past. Water levels are normal. I got there around 11 and the landings were filled with guys who are chasing sand bass. Talked to one guy coming out and he said that there were around 125 boats at the Hudson low water dam so I went to Brushy Creek, looked for crappie and found none. Came out to the river and caught a couple of nice sandies at the junction of the creek and river. The wind was howling so I went up Chouteau Creek and found nothing. Went back to Brushy to try and pick up a few sandies and the wind was blowing up the river like it was insane. Crossed over to the East bank of the Neosho and got out of that wind. Found lots of fish at 15' and trolled, tossed out markers when I found fish and caught enough for dinner later in the week. Heard a report from a guy up in Chouteau Creek who said the crappie were in the creek last week but that the water was 4-5' higher than today.

All in all a great day but the weather is still a huge factor and everyone is fishing for sandies or those infernal spoonbills.

[Lonnie84]

Thanks for sharing, I hope to be on the water in a couple more weeks, but probably not that far up the river since I would be putting in down around paradise cove.

[Crappie Reaper]

Good report.

[Jon]

I try to get out at least once a week and on Saturday I went to Chouteau Bend.....right on the heels of all of this bi-polar Oklahoma weather we've been enjoying. I called the store, spoke to a lady and asked her if the river was up. Without choking, she told me that she thought it was a little low. The Gibson Lake level was up and I'm thinking....no way that river is down, so like that guy in the first Dirty Harry movie, "I gots to know", so out I go. I went in and paid my launch fee and was dang unhappy to see the river was up and flowing....at least 4' above its normal level but I launched anyway and as soon as I got out on that river I noticed the current was very strong and so was the wind from the South.

Now my boat is a 1542 War Eagle with a 25 and it's a great little boat for a couple of guys who aren't facing conditions like that river and the wind. I duck into Chouteau Creek, it's full of floating debris but no fishermen and after fishing it awhile I motored down river to Brushy Creek where no one was either. I crossed the river and tried trolling along the East bank where I caught a dozen or so sandies last week and I saw a lot of big fish, presumably spoonbills, but little or no concentrations of smaller stuff like crappie or sandies.

Between the wind and that 3-4 knot current I wore myself out and came in after about 2.5 hours on the water. Now, I love to fish that river and those creeks when the water isn't so high and the wind isn't howling but unless one is snagging from the bank a trip during these current conditions can be a true washout. On a positive note though, I saw a lot of boats coming in with big spoonbills and big smiles. Good for them.