May: Fishing OK and other places

Barron Fork river near Tahlequah OK

May 2, 2013: I was invited and attended the 2013 Small-mouth Rendezvous (SMR) in Tahlequah OK on May 2-3, 2013. 

On Thursday, I meet Jim Knight and Larry Stinnett at the rib crib for lunch. After lunch, I purchased my fishing license and Jim and I took to the back roads to fish Barron Fork a small tributary that flows into the Illinois River near Tahlequah. It was an overcast day with the air temperature in the high forties. Jim said the water was up with the water clear. We managed a few small-mouth, white crappie, line bass and blue-gill. We returned Tahlequah and checked out the facility were the event would be on Friday and Saturday. Later that evening we shared a pot luck at the at a RV camp on the Illinois River. There was a possibility to fish, but the cold rain damped spirits and the river was running high and dirty.

Jim Knight call it a day on the Barron Fork

May 3, 2013: I did not fish this day, instead I attended the SMR and chatted with a few folks. Lezley Chastain had a booth selling and demonstrating alpaca wool. Harvey Ragsdale spent the day tying flies; and the folks from OK. I stayed until 3 PM, before returning to Springfield to visit Jenn and Brent’s new house. I did experience some snow on the trip with enough snow to cover the ground with the roads wet. I did check the water conditions; Bull Shoals tail water 660 ft and the Little Sac at 5 ft; too much water to fish this weekend. I will look to next Friday to get out.