A fisherman's river returns

A smallmouth bass is released into the Elk River on Sept. 27
A smallmouth bass is released into the Elk River on Sept. 27

Summer and fall on Missouri's Elk River are as different as night and day.

Hordes of floaters in kayaks and canoes crowd this lovely, clear stream on weekends during summer. Once fall arrives, it's like a magician waves a wand. The crowds vanish. The Elk becomes a fisherman's river again, where smallmouth and largemouth bass are eager to bite.

Autumn on the Elk

Big Sugar and Little Sugar creeks meet at Pineville, Mo., to form the Elk River. The Elk flows for 23 miles to the Oklahoma state line where it empties into Grand Lake.

Several outfitters rent canoes and kayaks on the Elk in the Pineville and Noel, Mo., areas. The Elk River is quiet and peaceful, except between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Summer is the most popular floating season on the stream.

The Elk is a Class I river, suitable for beginning paddlers.

Information: Big Elk Camp, 417-223-4635.

For stream fishermen such as Russ Tonkinson of Rogers, autumn means an annual pilgrimage to the Elk River to enjoy the quiet, the scenery and good fishing. The stream forms just over the state line at Pineville, Mo., where Big Sugar and Little Sugar creeks meet a mile east of Interstate 49. The Elk flows crystal clear on a westerly track toward Oklahoma, eventually emptying into Grand Lake.

This fall's trip on Sept. 27 proved to be a day of firsts on the Elk. The float was the first that Tonkinson caught nearly as many largemouth bass as smallmouth bass. It also was the first time to see how the river changed after the epic flood of Dec. 28, 2015. All manner of water birds are seen on the Elk, but this trip was the first time to see a pelican wading in the shallows.

A light jacket felt good when Tonkinson and his fishing buddy launched a canoe at Big Elk Camp where the Elk River starts. It's a scenic and peaceful drift to the camp's private take-out spot five miles downstream.

The day of firsts got off to a quick start with Tonkinson wrangling in the day's first fish, a chunky and healthy 10-inch largemouth bass that attacked a green-colored tube bait. Tonkinson raised an eyebrow at his catch.

"I think that's the first largemouth bass I've ever caught here," he said. Smallmouths rule the roost on the Elk and are the trophy fish most anglers seek.

Catch of the morning proved to be largemouths. Tonkinson caught a half dozen before a smallmouth hit. That's a first in dozens of autumn float trips on the Elk.

Boulders, fallen trees and root wads are natural habitat where bass lurk, waiting to snatch a crawdad or minnow. Bridge pilings during the first mile of the trip are concrete habitat that can hold big fish. Floaters drift beneath the old U.S. 71 bridge. Several Septembers ago, one of the pilings gave up a 3-pound smallmouth. That's a true Elk River trophy.

Tonkinson cast his tube bait again, only to snag his lure on some underwater brush. But a fish evidently snatched the tube bait from the wood and gave Tonkinson a battle.

"Now this is weird, another largemouth when we're supposed to be catching smallmouths. That's fishing for ya," Tonkinson said. The graceful largemouth was released, as is every fish we catch on river floats.

Downstream, another fisher of sorts was in action. A pelican? No way. But a peek through binoculars revealed a pelican all right. No mistaking that long beak. Pelicans are sometimes seen in flocks on Beaver Lake. This was another first, a pelican, by itself, on an Ozark stream.

Tonkinson tried for a picture, but the pelican flew downstream out of camera range. Bald eagles, kingfishers and wood ducks are sights to behold on an Elk River drift.

There's plenty of nature, but the stream isn't a wilderness river. Pastures, farm houses and a few riverside cabins are seen on this five-mile float. Yet the river is scenic with plenty of forested banks. Clear, sparkling water is the attraction for fishermen and paddlers who enjoy the simple pleasure of an Ozark float trip.

A railroad trestle and low-water bridge signal the end of the trip. Big Elk Camp's take-out point is about one-quarter mile downstream from these bridges on river left. Shannon Brewer of the camp staff was there at the arranged 2:30 p.m. pickup time.

On the drive back to camp, Brewer was ready to talk fishing. He wasn't surprised at the number of largemouth bass caught on this float.

"There's been a ton of them caught this year. We have a group of guys who float about every week and one of them caught a 7-pounder last July on a green finesse worm," Brewer said. "This is the best fishing year I've ever seen here."

Tube baits worked well for the fish on this trip, but Brewer coached that next trip to bring some green finesse worms. The advice was filed away for the next Elk River float.

Flip Putthoff can be reached at fputthoff@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAFlip

Sports on 10/18/2016

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