Smalliebigs

ahhh.... memories it sounds like we might have been dating girls from the same schools......St.Josephs, Nerinx Hall, Ersuline, Villa???? I loved Catholic School girls and married one.

Nice rig Gavin, I might be interested I am in the middle of paying my tax debt to the feds.As soon as I am done writing checks I would like to see it.I don't need a paddle though, I'll call you.

Ryan, what's up???? There are too many to mention here....pm me and I will give you many locals to try.One you should try but, some may think it's too much work.Go to the Chubb Trail Head, it's a Mountain Bike/hiking/horse trail it leads down to the river and follows along the river for about a mile were the trail seperates from the river is an island and a huge turn in the river that forms a nice hole, a lot of bass and nice cats hang here.Follow the river upstream and you are in Sherman there are many spots, there is a sunken barge that creates a good spot.the south side of the river has a slough area around Aberdeen golf club, the slough area holds really nice crappie and everything else from the river.It's gonna be a hike to get there but when I was younger I did it all the time.I had rigged my Gary fisher so it could hold two rods and some tackle...I looked like a friggin geek pedaling back there to chase smallies and do few bats.Times Beach has a stigma about it but that area holds fish all the way up to the confluence of the Big River.I think the park there now is Route 66 State park, there is a huge shoal at the bridge and there are fish there. There are tons of spots everywhere if you're willing do get a little dirty and do a little exercise.

Sorry for your loss but, Bear is up there somewhere running down a creek waiting for you......looked like a sweet river dog.

the Yeti will keep ice in summer temps camping on the river for 5 to 6 days, it will be melting very slowly with a little water but you will have ice.If I put chunks of ice in there "small water bottles frozen" it will keep the ice I know of ten days, I just got sick of having ice in the cooler so I cleaned it.I don't know what the temp is of my deep freeze in the basement but the ice from there will allow me to keep ice in a cooler longer than I need to, without buying dry ice.I guess I'm saying it's not a must but, it helps me to keep ice longer than I will ever need short of some sort of doomsday scnario.

I have a Yeti Tundra 65 and yes they are very sweet coolers but, I was one of the few people out there that dropped $300 on a cooler.It will keep ice for about 5 to 6 days....I can keep ice in it for much longer??? if I put water bottles with water 3/4 filled and frozen it there with. Frozen water bottles are a must if you intend on doing a long term float and camp.

Nice report, I'm glad someone gets to fish these days. You're right those fish do look emaciated, they need some food!!!! BRUTAL conditions for a kayak!!!! you should get rewarded with some fish. Good job and I'm starting to like your GoPro more and more.

Man!!!!!!! no wonder a lot of guys don't post trip reports on here anymore!!!! you guys are pathetic!!!! 1) I don't see a Brown on a stringer.....I see a Rainbow....in the park no less. Don't give these guys dung about keeping some bloated cow from the park. 2) you can keep a Brown from the river if it meets certain criteria.....I don't advocate it but don't give these guys trouble for doing it......IF they did with in he state regs. not sure if I will ever post a trip report with pics and video on here again sorry still pissy about the cards game yesterday.....release Ryan Franklin now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also know the exact gravel bar and area you are talking about....my buddy was wondering what happened there as he caught one of his biggest smallies ever in the hole past the gravel bar....there are pepole who notice these things Al, but sometimes it seems kinda hopeless to try to do anything about it .....I hate to sound so pesimistic. I said this before and I hate saying it but sometimes I feel like I better get in as much Smallie action in while I can before man screws up every creek and river to the point of no return in my lifetime. On a happier note time to go down town to the game....the St.Louis holiday is upon us.....Go Cards

Al, I couldn't agree with you more about the Gravel mining thing. I realize I'm partial to this opinion because it is directly effecting me right now on Brazil Creek. I just wish some of you guys could have seen what the creek was like before the aholes upsteam started harvesting gravel and what it has become.It's sick and disgraceful, It makes me actualy wimper and cry at times. That creek use to have beautiful holes some were over six feet deep and it meandered thru the valley with twists and turns.Now it is straight and about a foot to two feet deep it gets me so pissed thinking about it...I'm sure my blood pressure gets to dangerous levels. That beeing said the nieghboring property owner has be urging me to sell our land to him for the last ten years and the Brazil situation is one of the factors that is making me consider his lucrative offer.I have contacted the DNR and I think they may be under maned right now???? because their responses are really non existant.I have seen what Al is talking about as well with some of my nieghbors trying to do what they think is the best thing for the Meramec and the Brazil with their machinery.The gravel has piled up at the confluence of the two streams and guys around us take their bobcats and medium sized bulldozers and remove the gravel and other obstuctions that they think are impeading the flow of the creek???? This behavior is all in hopes of improving the creek but, as Al said the creek will repair itself enventually if left alone. Water will alway take the path of least resistance, the grade of the valley will use gravity and inertia to create a natural channel. Sometimes I stand at the mouth of Brazil Creek at the Meramec and look like the Indian in the old public service commercials from the 70's about littering, I shed a tear and go back inside and go drink a ton of Pinot Noir to drown my misery. It's really a shame because I'm not sure how much longer I will be paying Crawford county property taxes. I think it's time to move on and find another river property. Oh the other things that face Smallies in my opinion are people keeping them and eating them....they are the most watery, bland meat you can eat.....go eat some crappie. there easy to catch and reproduce like pigs.

congrats on the Disco....I just like saying that.Disco, Disco... your a wild and crazy guy Cricket... I think you should have kept the Slo Nuff....unless storage is a problem????? I didn't think you were into canoes.....I like the Tahoe too. alll you need now is a few more canoes and a trailer and your'e an outfitter

I have seen three Northern Pike caught in Missouri and all three were out of creeks not far from the Missouri River.I saw a guy with two caught out of Pelite Saline Creek not too far from the main river.The other one out of Splice Creek...same deal not far from the river and no they were not Chain Pickrel. Three Pike that close in vicinity to each other on the Missouri river I would think they might try to spawn.I doubt they would migrate back up to South Dakota to make a bed, lay some eggs and squirt some sperm out. I guess you guys are saying the just live out some time here and die?????

Justin, What brand of canoe do you guys use now for the rentals???? I'm always in the market for a tough canoe.Your judgement on this I would trust over just about anybody with your profession. Scott

Cricket, there isn't much difference between the two unless you get the Penobscot 17x, which is made of Royalex and about 30 pounds lighter than it's heavier sister the Penobscot 174.The Penob has the typical gay bench seat, the Disco has the stupid molded plastic seats. The Disco is slightly more stable yet the Penob will track a little better. Pick your poison I would go with the Disco and modify the seating area.........actually I would buy two Discovery 119's or two Packs, do your research and search far and wide because you can find them cheap @ Dick's Sporting goods sometimes or other places as well.Then modify the seating area on both and tell your beautiful wife she now has her own canoe. You can find two cheaper than one 17 foot canoe if you go to the right places.Just kidding about the last part here.....not really................................DISCO...modify the seating area, 83 pounds aint sh*t.DO IT......

What up Cricket???? I have had 4 Old Towns and I sold two and still own a Pack Angler in camo, which I have only used 3 times so far but, I love it I also have a Predator SS150 in camo which is the vessle I use the most, I also have a nice galvanized trailer for it that make things easy.I guess you could say I have Old Towns from both sides of the weight spectrum, one of the heaviest canoes they make and one of the lightest they make.One weighs 118 pounds the other 33 pounds, the weight of my canoes are not an issue for me thus far in my life I can move and press both over my head. If you are going to purchase an Old Town let me know I will get you the cheapest price gauranteed. My cousin works for them and he can get you one shipped from a outfitter in Maine cheaper than you will find them around here.They put kevlar skid plates on them for you too, which in my opinion is a must ....just my opinion guys....I beat the piss out of my canoes. I just bought a Pack angler from them with two skid plates, one on the front and one on the back delivered for $695...you will not beat that price around here for that. So my ansewer to your poll is neither. The Old town Predator SS is the most stable canoe they make but, alot of guys will run and hide from the weight.....I like standing when I fish out of my canoe and I like being able to put trolling motors and 5hp Yammi's on the back of my canoe. Alot of guys will laugh and snicker when they see me in the smalliecraft but after years of trial and many errors they are the canoes I like good luck and you will enjoy either one of those canoes they will last you awhile that's for sure.

I have never heard of them but, I love their boat on the website . If they don't work out for ya PM me and I will take you on a cat adventure that will provide you with some trophy Blues.You will have to drive up to St.Louis but, you can fish out of my boat which looks bigger than their's.....we'll catch monsters in front of the Arch as long as we can catch some herring first.The Osage holds some nice cats as does Truman for that matter.You won't find anywhere in the US that produces more big Blues than the Missouri and the Mississippi around St.Louis though.....PM me and I will show you.

The only reason I can see that it's easier to recruit guys to Arkasas vs Missouri is that the academic standards are lower at Arkansas.It can't be because of the cities in which the Universities are in????? Fayetteville vs Columbia they both suck and Lawrence, KS is a friggin hole.

I would go somewhere else that creek dosen't hold smallies and it's portgages are awful

Dude, that's hilarious not that there's anything wrong with queer cougars from CA

You got that right B, years back I fell asleep in my boat in the channel @ Kentucky fishing for some Blues and was woke up by a barge spotlight about 200 yards out comming right at me.......lol....what a dumbass I can be. B is right you will need the right boat for Kentucky....I love them both....something about both lakes always draws me back. Tablerock//// better scenery++++ harder to be sucessful if you ask me-------- Kentucky//// not as pretty but still the LBL side of the lake is friggin really cool++++++ easier to be sucessful if you ask me.......but much bigger than T Rock.....much bigger need the right boat if you ask me

Dude, you crack me up!!!! sometimes when I read your post's I do a spit take with coffee in my office. You are soo correct there are some first class hypocrites on this forum that serve their own good and chastize others if what they are posting is outside their precieved logic. I agree, we need to make sure Gavin keeps these absolutely kickass pics of your guys sweet trips off of this forum...or at least that's what I have been instructed. When I saw your guys pics I wanted to post some but decided nope not gonna do it.

I think those are the Mr. Hankey strain of big browns that are in River Des Peres.I heard they are not good fighters and they kinda smell funny????

I would take Cuanzo @ Mizzou and he is on the short list of canidates for the job. Springfield won't be happy when he walks to Columbia. Good luck to the Razorbacks with that style play in the SEC.Mike Anderson is darn lucky the former coach of AR recruited some good players for 2012.Anderson's style of play is a kin to the spread offense in football.....it does you no good at the pro level....if you can't gaurd a player and man up in the NBA you will get exposed real fast. If you run the spread offense in college and can't take the ball from under center, you will have a much larger learning curve in the NFL. Time will only tell if Mike Anderson can get the Razorbacks to produce the alleged "40 minutes of hell" he said Mizzou would put on teams.I'll believe it when I see it.

I agree with Pete, You can have him....his teams play some of the weakest deffense in the NCAA. They press for the first 20feet of the court and give up and NEVER rebound.You have to have the right athletes to run his system who are willing to press the entire game and REBOUND. The Missouri teams were unwilling to do this, other than one year.His system is wack....if the other team has decent point gaurd with teamates who can handle the rock a little bit, his teams get blown out.

I couldn't agree with you more Ronnie......I'm one of those Missouri citizens that needs several copies of my license thru out the year