Gavin

Toss some pellets out see what comes to eat

Would not call that a sucky trip. You got out, caught fish, shared a laugh two w/o screaming kiddos or wifely demands. Good stretch of river but fickle. Many trips there with low expectations.... Gotta hope for that big fish lamp to light. Does not always happen when you are there even if you know were they live. Try again!

Toadzilla! He looks proud and he should be! Give him an atta boy! Good on you too!

Good for you JD. You have been working those for a couple years, glad you finally got your reward!

Too bad. Post front bluebird days tend to suck in the Spring & Fall. Couple days of stable weather and it's on again usually. Can't pick when you can go often enough though.

Know that dude and boat ramp. Figure I should call the police? Hope you had great time!

Last time was at least 10 years ago while eating lunch at Marquand Access on the Castor. My Jeep was in the shop, and Mom was out of town...So I borrowed her foreign made luxury sedan and went fishing with an old friend who's got a beard and pony tail longer than any Robertson. Guess we stuck out like a sore thumb...Clean cut guy & a Robertson with fly rods, eating deli sandwiches and drinking cheap beer out of trunk of a luxury sedan. They probably thought that we stole it.

Will give you a ring FW if down that way. Remember a trip over ten years ago were Paul Dallas's brother and Big Neil took a bad spill while wearing hippers. Raining buckets, Current River in flood, maybe 45 degrees outside, and they went in. Saw their canoe float under mine. They got soaked to the bone and had a rough time getting to shore. I went swimming in a 20' deep hole a couple minutes later while trying to wade across a shallow riffle to retrieve a couple of their dry bags. Stepped on some loose gravel and the bottom just cratered. Swimming I went. I had waders, a belt, and a good rain jacket on. Maybe 30 seconds in the water before Dallas arrived in his canoe to retrieve me. My shirt and rain jacket were wet, but bottom half dry. Haven't seen anyone bring hippers on a float since.

Don't burn your house down! Have fun with the whites! Would like to fish for them sometime with your help.

Depends on the river. this one, floating it makes more sense. Still shoulda had da waders on as a wind barrier. Not bad though. Enough frog water paddling to keep you warm in between boughts of fishing.

Thanks guys. Went wet cuz I figured I'd be in the canoe all day and I was. Had some good warm layers under my rain jacket so toasty warm mostly. Other than feet & legs. Shoulda brought the waders. Decided not to take @ 4:30 am this morning.

A lot of those 40's are rebadged 60's or more. stickers are cheap.

On water shortly after day break. Decided to extend my float by paddling upstream a mile or so. Bite was on first two casts with a buzzer produced fish! Switched to the fly rod an a big popper. Great results for the next two hours. Measured first good smallmouth.16.5 one more a bit smaller, lots in the 10-14" range before reaching the put in. Good fishing at a couple more similar spots till the wind & drizzle hit. Seemed like the fish moved & changed pattern. Prospected for a couple hours. Ned's were best. So I tried others in the spots the Ned's were working. Bought noon, other stuff was working better than Ned. Fluke type bait with a heavy shot, swim jig ticking bottom. Deep . Closed the day with an 18.5 smallie around 4pm. Best day this year.

Carter's dragon or anthing small with rubber legs.

Looks like a great time! Thanks for the write up. The pictures remind me of the St. Croix but it really could be any river in WI or MN.

Very nice! Bet that took a buzz bait big enough to require a 5 horsepower reel.

Told her I would show her the stick bait later;)

I gave my wife some 4" curly tail grubs the day before I asked her out. 12 people on that float. She caught the most and the biggest bass. It certainly does work.

Dunno. Not a great market. My buddy George sold more kitchen cabinets and custom woodwork than tvtyers.

You will do well! Have some fun!

Who would want a dubious filet instead of a bone in rib eye? Thick cut...1.5" or 2".

Low fuss meals make it a lot easier...Dinty Moore, Cold Fried Chicken, bag of soup in a zip lock...heat & eat, or just eat. Skip the fire, bring a lantern if it is warm.

Lots of carp in the Butler lakes near Hwy 21 and the confluence of the Meramec. Creve Couer lake, and Suson Park have a bunch too.

Its at least an hour from STL to wadeable for smallmouth water. You can catch them closer to town...but you will want a boat and some conventional gear to catch consistently.

Black or middle Current is probably your best bet....some smallies in the Castor, St. Francis, & Whitewater too....but the Black & Current are usually better fishing. Good luck.