Transplanted Hoosier

Gatorjet- Sounds like a blast BUT the wife has us scheduled to go to Walnut Iowa that weekend with her sister; HUGE antique show/sale. They shut down a town of about 1500 people and the streets are lined with dealers, probably 1500-2000 dealers. 2 years ago we scored 2 pair of 1800s church stained glass windows and a leaded glass side board at rock bottom $ (love hitting these kind of shows on the last day). Will likely hit the G'cade mid week before and after FD weekend. jjtroutbum- yea I'm there a lot, also missouriwhitetails.com

Thanks Al- I'm an old fart and we don't get this way by trying to stay young and dumb forever I don't figure on even getting on plane for the first couple trips, I've been on some of those shallow Iowa streams and learned a thing or two. The wife is going to drive my 4X4 pickup to get me at the airport then we are going to take a couple days checking out the Merrimac and the Gasconade, From my internet searches it looks like there is a ramp at the Boiling Spring Campground and that would put us right in the middle of where I think I want to be, check out that Piney/Gasconade junction.

Gatorjet- Thanks, yea I have been across MT on highway 24 and thought the jet would be at home in the timber, we lived in Cape G. before moving to Columbia and I had it out on Kentucky Lake, can get wild on a weekend afternoon. Made Reelfoot a couple times, now there is a lake made for a jet. The wife is going to bring my 4X4 truck to the airport to pick me up and then we are going to head down I-44 and check out Merrimac and the Gasconade, I like what I have seen of the Gasconade so far. jjtroutbum- Guns or hunting???

I am a civilian contractor in Iraq and will be coming home for vacation in June and will only have 3-4 opportunities to get out fishing. We moved to Columbia just before I came over so I did not get a chance to explore the rivers. I have a Bass Tracker 185 jet and have been exploring using DeLorme's Topo program and downloadable aerial photos for places I could put it in. I have been wondering about the river at Jerome, it looks like it might be big enough to handle my boat but was wondering what the opinion was of people familiar with the river was. If Jerome is still too small/shallow what would be the first point on the river I could put in? I would really like to get into some small mouth, but generally fish for anything that will tug on a line. What would be the most active fish on the river in June? I appreciate any advice I can get, if not the Gasconade is there another river in the area that would be better?

My name is Bob and I am originally from the southern hill country of Indiana and got to Columbia by way of northeast Iowa where we bought our Bass Tracker 185 jet to run the shallow rivers and glacier lakes. We moved to Columbia just as the economy was tanking for my wife's career (academic librarian) and I was unable to find a communications job, which is why I am sending this from a communications center in................Ramadi Iraq. I came over on a one year contract and just extended for six months so I am here until at least the end of NOV. I am coming home on vacation in June and have been searching out fishing info, which is how I found you guys. I have browsed around for a week and y'all seem like good group. Looking forward to having some discussions with everyone, and picking some brains. Bob