I have a DNR study from like 10 years ago that showed a healthy population of smallmouth at a particular spot in Poplar Creek. After a fruitless trip to the Kimball Street dam last night, on a whim, I decided I would happily go to work way too late for an opportunity to do a little wandering and exploring. I suspected that the levels would be down, but, I did not expect to be able to walk along the dry bed of the creek. Little tiny currents of water on either shore bookended a rocky island that allowed me to get onto the shore of the creek without having to fight the thick grass, weeds, trees and thorny bits that make access a pain in the ass otherwise. Still being without waders, I was limited in the amount of water I could cover, so I hit the first pool I could cast into with a tube jig and found a dance partner on my first cast. Not a trophy smallie, but certainly one that didn't know he wasn't a trophy smallie. My first creek smallmouth in a little pool that by no stretch of the imagination should hold fish. Didn't catch anything else, but the I did cover as much ground as possible and the low level allowed me to get a good idea of what that stretch of the creek looks like and where the logs and tree limbs and rocks are, so if we ever get some rain and that creek fills up like the first time I checked it out last year, I will know where to cast. Hopefully by then, I will have a pair of waders, because my shins got cut up something fierce on thorns working my way back to the car.

Going to head back there tonight before work, methinks. With my camera and maybe a notebook. Might not even bring a fishing rod. Should do some heavy duty recon while I can. Last fall when I tried this spot, it was a raging torrent 5 times as deep as the puddle it is right now.

As bad as all this low water looks, the exploring you get to do is well worth it for all the reasons you mentioned.

Did that on Little Rock Creek a month ago and finally got to see what was in the bottom of the biggest, deepest hole. Damn big tree. Now I know to tell others not to go swimming in there. That can't be good.

If it weren't for the heat, I'd go do more exploring. Don't feel like killing myself out there. There's a stretch down river from me I've explored off and on. I may have to go do it if the heat breaks.

Waded it twice now. Learning. Enjoying it.

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