Boston Mountain Bronzebacks!

       Our first two fishing floats of 2023 are stretches of stream dad and I have covered many times. As I mentioned in my previous post, these kinds of floats will be discussed from a fishing perspective. I’ll be using the pages from my fishing journal as a template to describe the water conditions and what the fishing was like. Dad and I also made videos accompanying these trips.  Photos from the Baron Fork: Nothing represents the bond between a father and son better than a good old-fashioned double up! 17" Smallmouth I caught with a chartreuse and white spinnerbait Dad managed to catch many smallmouth once we finally left the backwater. This beautiful smallie was his biggest. White River: Patrick to Crosses (1-1-23) Start time: 1:30 Finish time: 4:30 Water fished: Upper White River from Patrick to Crosses Water level/clarity: 90 cfs/clear Water temp (Start): 44 degrees (Finish):44 degrees Weather: Slightly overcast/sunny Air temp: (Start): 68 degrees ...

 Baron Fork: Thomas Bamberger WMA at Proctor to Eldon on Highway 51     There are a few streams in the Ozarks that are so clear that it boggles the mind. The Baron Fork is certainly one of these, featuring 6 to 10 foot pools where you can see straight down to the bottom. In part, this is due to the assortment of rocks that make up the bottom. This includes small pebbles, bedrock slabs, cobble and boulders that almost entirely make up this basin. Without tons of mud to dirty the water, this stream remains perfectly clear most of the time.      The water clarity and rocky bottom make ideal habitat for smallmouth. There is also plenty of other cover in the form of fallen logs. From late spring to early fall, the bite remains absolutely incredible.  I did discover that the bite isn't quite as good in late fall after a less than satisfying fishing experience in mid November. It seems that once the weather cools down and the water is somehow even clearer, m...