Alabama River Fishing

[AL trout bum]

since I joined less than a month ago...I am posting an older trip. This was my first real trout trip. A buddy and I went in mid-March of 2011 to the White River in Arkansas. We hired a guide for a full day float trip and man was that a great decision! Water was extremely low, like get out and pull the boat low. Our guide said that this was the worst kind of water for big fish, but we would give it a shot. Our guide was a spin fishing/fly fishing guide, however since my buddy didn't fly fish, we both spin fished. We stayed in Mountain Home, AR and got up early the next morning to meet our guide. We put in at Wildcat Shoals and started the 6 mile trip.


A little background here. I had been dying to catch a brown trout for months. Like obsessing over it all day every day. Spencer (my buddy) did not care if he caught one or not. He just wanted to fish. I was on a mission. I would not be satisfied until I caught a brown trout. We get to the first hole within minutes of launching the boat. Spencer casts, I cast, and BAM! Spencer's got a fish on! I sit there trying to act excited for him, when really all I want to do is cut his line. So I try to be patient and continue fishing. But no, the guide wants me to reel in while Spencer lands his fish. So I wait for what seems like a decade and then we both re-cast. BAM! Spencer is hooked up again! At this point I am starting to get pissed. So this continues until Spencer has 7 fish to my zero. Remember, he doesn't give a rip about brown trout. Not only do they not feel bad for me, but they taunt me!


Finally I caught what I went to catch, my first ever brown trout!

Then another!

The tally at lunch was Spencer-9, me-3. We stopped at a nice litle hole in the wall tackle shop to eat our lunch and get some warm coffee.
So we get to our last stop before the home stretch and we cast out. Spencer has already landed 2 trophy browns at 4.3 and 4.7 lbs. Where most of mine have been ~1-2 lbers. I feel something hit hard, then set the hook (not like Bill Dance) and feel like I'm caught on a log. Well the log starts moving and I am hooked into a pissed off brown! I knew this one was big relative to the others I caught that morning. After about a 5 minute fight on 6lb test, we net the biggest fish of the day and my personal best brown, 23" and 5.1 lbs!


We get to the Cotter trout dock thinking the trip is over, and Larry says he thought he saw a couple more browns. So literally right in front of the boat ramp, where there are people who have been bankfishing (probably all morning without catching much), we cast out and Spencer and I both hook into another brown. A perfect ending to a truly memorable trip! We end with Spencer totaling 13 or so browns, and I only have like 7, but I have the biggest! Now I want to go back and do it all over on the fly!



_________________
"For hours and hours I am led on by what may be the defining allure of a small stream: curiosity. Whats coming in the next bend, next plunge, next pool."

[Fishbum]

I've fished the White a few times. Stayed at Stetson's. There are some monster browns in that water.
_________________


No. Chuck not. Fly...or do not. There is no chuck.

[fishhawk]

That looks like a blast!
_________________
Meat was meant to be tasted! - MMFM

[baylorsdad]

Nice morning read!
_________________
2013 Coosa River Keepers Canoe/Kayak Neely Henry Champion! I ain't drankin no BP!

[gmreeves]

Now I realize why the browns on the Elk were the smallest you have ever seen! You are spoiled for sure.
_________________
www.gmreeves.com

[lc10and2]

Man you got broken in with the browns on some pigs, go big or go home I guess. Your buddy looks identical to Michael J Fox by the way.

[ed mashburn]

Al Trout bum- good evening. Brother, your post was like a letter from home. I used to live about thirty minutes from the White River in Arkansas, and I have fished for trout there many.many times. I will feely admit, you did better than I usually did.
If you go again, ask to float from Cotter down to where Crooked Creek runs into the White River- you can catch trout- rainbow and browns and smallmouth bass in that stretch of the river- use a live small crawdad on a small gold hook and six pound test line- hold on.
there are some brown trout in the white river that are hard to believe when you see them- I've had "logs" swim away from me when I drifted over them.. Very, very good winter time fishing too.
thanks for the memory jog- very good work- Ed Mashburn

[~~~waders~~~]

Hey ED! Had no idea you lived close to the White.
Good to see a post from Mr. Mashburn.

For any of you who have never fished the White, Norfork, or surrounding creeks and rivers near Mountain Home, You need to make a trip out just to experience this fishery.
Much like the post above, I took my boys out camping in March at Dry Run Creek next to the hatchery that feeds into Norfork. The boys absolutely slayed the fish. They must have caught 100 fish a piece on scuds and egg patterns. Had their hearts broken a few times with some giant fish. Difficult to wrestle a 5-10lb fish in a small stream. But they did manage to land a few good fish. They are begging to go back. May have to get back out this fall.

If you ever get the chance to go fish the White. GO! You'll have an absolute blast. Amazing fishery with tons of fish.

Dry Run Creek with Improvements


One big as the bass net.


His first Brown Trout


Hard to believe, but there must have been 1,000 fish in this pool!


A good fish

[lc10and2]

Great pics, bad hat.

[fishhawk]

Ok - my new personal goal is to fish somewhere that waders hasn't. Don't think it's possible, but I'm gonna try!

Guess my invite for that trip got lost in the mail.

That looks like a great place. Will probably hit you up for some info. I know your shocked!
_________________
Meat was meant to be tasted! - MMFM

[~~~waders~~~]

A close friend asked my dad years ago (1989 to be exact) if there was any lake, stream or pond I had not fished within a 100 mile radius of our home.
His response..."If there is a way to get to it by land or water....likely not!"
Too many stories too little time.

A friend at a public park/Gold fish pond (aka HUGE carp that love bread balls) tied a hand line off to his shoe in order to not draw attention from the police man walking through the park at night. Hooked about a 50lb carp that proceeded to pull his shoe off and into the water. When the cop saw the shoe go past the no fishing sign he immediately asked us what we were up to and my buddy calmly said... my momma is gonna kill me, she is always telling me to tie my shoes....Long dramatic pause..... and that fish just came up and ate my shoe strings and pulled my shoe right off.
Was all I could do not to crack up.

[~~~waders~~~]