Scott25.stl

Lately I've been playing with Google Earth and this: http://www.missouricanoe.org/river-maps/beaver.html There's a drop-down for other rivers. Those two along with what everyone else said is a good place to start.

Nice report and looking forward to the pics. I'm anxious to try out the Gasconade as I've never been on it. Probably will have to wait until late summer or fall though.

Wow. Very interesting! Wasn't excpecting that.

Dang! Nice Al. That sounds like an awesome day!

Thanks for chiming in, Al. Man, that's kinda sad to hear. Still might hit the Big sometime though. Sounds like this guy did pretty well! http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/index.php?showtopic=33027&pid=231233&st=0&#entry231233

Sounds like I need to get a 115. Ha. Just another excuse to add to the collection! I know it probably doesn't matter much, but I have to pick one anyway and there are so many choices. But, what color do you guys like on the Missouri rivers? I have something like chartruese shad in the 100 and my 85 is ghost minnow.

No problem! And thanks to Al for figuring it out!

I agree. Quality control on a $15 lure needs to be much better. I'd have returned mine but I guess I got too lazy. Now I'm stuck trying to drill a hole in it to make it workable. That's some BS! Nonetheless I'm going to try it because I think the Sammy is that good. I might try that other one though... maybe. How does the 65 work in comparison the the 100 and 85?

I never tried a 115. I also have trouble getting the 85 to "walk" effectively. It seems to be caused by a less than efficient balancing of the bait. In this thread Al Agnew discusses modifying the Sammy 85 to make it easier to walk. You need to drill a hole, take out a rattle/weight, and fill in the bole with epoxy. I might need to try this out on mine. http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/index.php?showtopic=26856

Dang! Nice pics Joe! I was actually considering this stretch for a trip until I read a post from last year about the Big in this area being hit hard by mine tailings. http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/index.php?showtopic=30050. Know anything about that? I may have to reconsider and hit up the Big on the next outing. Even if the fishing hasn't come back yet, that scenery alone might be worth it.

While I haven't yet thrown top water on the Ozark rivers yet, on the lakes that I did, I generally switched over around 9ish depending on the bite. If I may be so bold to throw out another similar question. What time in the evening do you start throwing topwater again? For me it's generally been after sunset when it's dark, but I may start earlier next time.

Thanks guys! The clear water of the Huzzah is absolutely gorgeous! it was really fun to wade and see the structure and the fish. But I see how it can alter the game plan as far as presentations and effective lures. Not a fan of Bandits, huh Joe? They seem to have some good action kinda like the Wiggle Wart, which is also on the smaller side. What bigger crankbaits do you like? I definitely want to fish the Huzzah again, but I'm planning on wading another small stream or possibly canoeing the Gasconade for the next trip. I'm trying to hit some different water before I circle back and refish the rivers I've already been on. Though I've only been out twice, I'm pretty sure I'm officially addicted. Now I need to find more time to get on the water and, of course, catch some bigger fish!

No doubt! Entertaining for sure!

Hit the Huzzah a bit today down by the conservation area. It was a beautiful day for wading and the fishing was alright too. I started with the mindset of fishing cranks all day to get a little more practice working them in the current. I threw rebel craws in the small and medium sizes with not much success. The small one caught an 11 inched but that's it. I switched to a bandit 100 in chartruese shad and had some followers and one hit but no hook ups. I saw a hole with a downed tree over it that held several smallies so I switched to plastics to drift them through and work the area. They weren't digging my 4 inch senko at all so I pulled a small trailer craw trailer off a big jig and rigged that to a small jig head with a single weed less wire. This improv bait was the ticket for the area! I pulled out 12 smallmouth over an area about 100 yards long just letting it drift/drag along the bottom. Wish I had more craws or tubes with me. Nothing big but smallmouth nonetheless! I did SEE some larger fish, including two fairly good size largemouth in a slack water area, but thise guys had zero interest in what I was throwing. Not sure why. Maybe that area is too pressured? This was my first time wade fishing and second time out--first was in a canoe on the Meramec. Overall, I enjoyed wading and felt more like I was actually fishing versus piloting a canoe and flying by good fishing holes. I lost fewer baits to snags too--just one. I definitely did not cover very much water though since I was walking. I may look into a sit on top kayak to try and get the best of both worlds. I also saw two big black snakes and a really drunk elderly couple who were yelling at each other. Not sure which was worse: hammered old grumpy folks or the snakes! Good times overall though. Now I just need to catch something with some decent size. The little guys are fun but I'd like to get something picture worthy!

I think I will, Mitch!

Thanks for the words of wisdom Al. I felt like a maple seed pod with all the weight in the back of the canoe. Btw, I enjoy reading your articles. Joe and Greasy, that's what I heard about summer being where it's at for smallmouth fishing. I honestly can't wait for some good top water action this summer. I'll just have to get creative to avoid the floater crowds. Trebles and the $5+ lures they're attached to scare the dung out of me...well...at least they give me pause before I want to throw them from a canoe in current. I think doing some wading where I can learn the current while stationary with the ability to walk out and retrieve a hung up lure is the way to go. These waters make you work for it that's for sure. It's not like firing up the bassboat and hitting the lake. But I don't think I'd have it any other way and I'm already lookin to scratch the itch and get back out there!

Looks like I just missed the last MSA meeting, but I'll try and make the next one. Well, I'm at a real computer now, so here's the pic of my first Meramec smallmouth. Just a little guy, but I figure it's like framing the first dollar you make in your business. Right? haha.

Ozark trout fisher, for my next trip I'm going to hit up a place like you mentioned. But I agree if I'm catching smallies, I ain't complaining. No doubt, Gavin. That makes sense. Just curious, any of you guys Missouri Smallmouth Alliance members? I think that's something I'd like to get involved with.

Siusalumi, you're right wind does suck. It was great until the wind kicked up. I have some jigs with weed guards, but man they seem way more expensive! I actually threw my small white spinnerbait for a while right before the front came in. I lost it when that bigger fish I hooked wrapped around a tree and broke it off. Kinda wish I would have thrown it earlier. I might have caught better quality fish. Those goggle eye LOVED the grubs I threw. There was one hole with a fallen tree where I caught like 10 in a row on about as many casts. Smalliebigs, that is a great idea! I'm fairly confident in my fishing skills in general, but adding current, wind and a managing a canoe by myself is a horse of a different color. My next trip was going to be on the Gasconade, but I may put that on hold until after I do a bit of wading around. I'd like to pay a guide for a trip but there's no way I could get my wife to go for me dropping that kind of dough on one day of fishing! But, you ever want to put me on some nice smallmouth, I'm your guy!

And nice fish, Blaze! That's what I'm talkin about!!

Can't seem to upload the picture from my phone... And for the record "dumb butt" is not in my vocabulary. The OAF auto correct doesn't seem like my harsher language! Ha.

Thanks to all who replied! I had a good time and caught fish so the trip was successful in my eyes. The gauge read 476 on Sunday morning and to my untrained eye the river looked a little high but not to bad. Visibility appeared around one to two feetish. The earliest Bird's Nest could put me in was 8 but no one showed up until I knocked on the "security guy's" door at 9. He was cool and took me out himself right away after realizing someone goofed my reservation. He suggested throwing craws and told me about a four pounder he caught on the stretch he was putting me in on. After rigging up, I got on the water around 9:30; way later than I would have liked but better than nothing. I started out with green pumpkin fat Alberts and caught the first fist on my second cast: a 8 inch dink, but a smallie nonetheless. In all I boated 7 smallies, the biggest around 12 inches and a mess of goggle eye, all released of course! I got broken off around a downed tree by a fish that felt WAY bigger than anything I hooked into. Wish I could have gotten out at first light to catch more of the action, but such is life. A few hours later a front moved in and the wind kicked up and it rained a bit. At this point the fishing turned off. It was a pain in my butt to get the canoe to track straight while fishing with the wind in my face. At one point I gave up and floated backwards on a wide calm stretch with no obstacles. I probably looked like a dumb butt but no one was around and I was sick of fighting the wind. Plus it let me cast up stream. I lost quite a few jigs to snags and submerged trees. Next time I'm thinkin going about trying Texas rigged craws and other plastics to effectively fish the bottom with less snags. I now have mad respect to those who can throw crankbaits from a canoe in the current with all the timber. There's no way I could have pulled that off without losing a small fortune in lures. I ran across one jet boater fishing spinnerbaits and what looked like a fluke. It would have been nice to have a motor but man those things are loud when running and I could believe how much mud they kicked up even while idling by me. Here's a pic of the first smallie I caught. Dont be jealous of that monster! I left the iPhone in my dry bag for the rest of the trip so that's the only pic I got. Till next time...

Thanks guys. I'll play it safe and let you all know how it goes.

Ok then... 1. Thanks. I have looked at the USGS information and I have tried to translate those numbers into something more tangible (Al Agnew wrote an article giving a general breakdown and was actually helpful). I'm just trying to see if anyone has any first hand, recent info. 2. Thanks. I did. She told me that the water was a little high, but perfect. I was a bit skeptical and thought she was just trying to sell me on her outfit, so I came here seeking additional opinions. 3. Thanks; that makes sense. 4. Thank you for answering my question. THIS is wha I was looking for. 5. Perfect. Thanks again. 6. I'll assume you mean, "bottom line, just go out and have a good time!" Great advise, Joe! Thanks!!!

Heading out this Sunday for some smallmouth fishing for the first time. Anyone know how the river and fishing conditions have been lately? I'm going to try topwater buzzbaits and my sammie early then maybe spinnerbaits, grubs, and craws later. Any tips or advice is appreciated!