Levi Michael McQueary

I was bank fishing. Casting where I could safely land a fish.

Fished for a couple of hours. Caught nothing in the spring. Found success in the river on a Rebel Wee Craw color Nest Robber

Without a boat it can be tough finding good spots. If your looking for smallmouth any river in the Ozarks holds them. Not many by you in the Ballwin area. Head to the Upper Meremac. Anywhere from the beginning of the river at Cook Station to Steelville. But I don't know too many areas to fish without a boat. If you don't mind wading the Forks of the Black river are a good option. The Courtois and Huzzah are also in the Steelville area. They hold plenty of smallmouth despite their smaller size. But I really suggest renting a canoe on any river. If you are willing to drive 2+ hours you have the Current River, Jacks Fork, Big Piney, Little Piney, Gasconade, St. Francis. On the Meremac I use Ozark Outdoors across the river from Onondaga State Park, and take a 2 day float from Bird's Nest back to Ozark Outdoors. I think it's 20 miles and there are shorter floats. Plus they can also put you in on the Huzzah and Courtois. I like to use Huzzah Valley for the Huzzah and Bass River Resort for the Courtois. On the Black River I like to use Jeff's Canoe Rental. The Big Piney Rich's Last Resort. On the Gasconade I use Boiling Springs Campground and Gasconade Hills. Jacks Fork I use Windy's Canoe Rental. And I have never had a problem with any of these rentals accommodating my request. Just with Rich's you may get a canoe that leaks and Gasconade Hills won't put you in up river from them because they keep saying there is a log jam. They have been saying that for the past 3 years. I just think they don't want to spend the gas money running people up there. For water to target. Every river is the exact same. There is a riffle, a hole, then a run and repeat. The fish are honestly everywhere. Holes are always productive and just above a riffle and especially below a riffle. Runs can be hit or miss depending on water depth and bottom type. Rocks are you best friend. If there is plenty of rocks around the fish are there because crawdads are there. If you empty 100 smallmouth stomachs 99 will have crawdads in them. For lures I use panfish lures. Baits don't get as big in the river as the do in lakes so scale it down just a little. Get a Rebel Wee Crawdad crankbait. A small yellow Rebel Crickhopper can be deadly. A Senko, Rooster Tails I use 1/8oz but a 1/4oz will work, buzzbaits, and get Curly Tails. They are the #1 smallmouth lure. I use 2", 3", and 5".

Last weeks rains raised the river levels enough to float the upper Jacks Fork. Put in at Rymers and took out at Eminence. The first day the fishing was fair. Caught plenty of smallies in the 10-12" range. Biggest was 14". Saw some trophies swimming around. Longears and a few goggle eye. The river was empty except for the wildlife. Towards the end of the day I saw two elderly gentleman. I camped at a gravel bar about a 1/2 mile above Bay Creek. That night I caught goggle eye on shiners and 8 Bullhead Catfish on cut perch and shiners. The Bullheads were very aggressive. They were swallowing the 3/0 circle hooks. I have never had any fish swallow a circle hook. A few of them in the two pound range. No bass that night. The next day the fishing was again fair. More of the same catching smallies in the 12" range. Once I got to Alley all the action just stopped. I couldn't get a bite the rest of the float. Another floater told me he had only caught one. I would have pics, but phone ended up in the river. Had a tree laying across the river. When I hopped out of the canoe, yes I had to jump out, water was too deep to step out my phone hopped out of my shirt pocket as well along with a rod I kicked as I jumped out. I had to push down on the canoe to get it to fit under the log. I barely fit under it without having to go for a swim. I recovered the rod, didn't even notice my phone was in the drink until I reached for it to take pictures of Alley Spring. Shame I had some good pics on this trip.

I cut my teeth with overnight floats on that stretch Tipton to old 71. A mile down from tipton is where I would camp. There is a slough with a spring running into it. You could catch all the gills you could handle the occasional bass, and catfish.

Slabtown to Ross. The water level was high for this time of the year, but clear and good flow. I only dragged twice.

I solo overnight float in a canoe all the time, but I'm getting tried for paying the rental fees, getting busted up canoes. Even the cutouts in log jams seem to be fit for a kayak anymore. I pass people in kayaks that have been out for days and I wonder how when you don't have the space to carry anything. Now they are usually in a group of 4 to 6. I'm sure I pack too much or at least could be more efficient. I need advice on how people do it. What do you bring? How much? How big? Is it possible to do it solo with fishing gear included? I want to be as efficient as a multiday backpacker with a cooler and fishing equipment.

Did an overnight on the Piney. It was hot. Real hot. The fishing was almost as hot as the weather. Caught lots of smallmouth and the best part lots of goggs. Legal goggs. I have never caught that many goggs of that quality. I guess since the river has been up for most of the year the locals haven't been out catching them. Cause they admit to me thay don't care about size or creel limits. The bluegill were not active. I'm thinking they are in recovery mode from spawning. They were really deep or way up in the weeds not interested in feeding.

Just got back from my 1st overnight trip. It was a great time. Lots of fish. Mostly goggle-eye. I caught between 40-50 of them between the 2 days. They were not in the timber. It seemed they were behind every rock. No belly's on them. I don't know if they have spawned already or they just aren't showing yet. They 1st day caught plenty of smallies. Many of them still have eggs. One just came in at 18inches. Some bluegill. They size was good just not the numbers I'm used to. They were short striking most of the time no matter what I used. Caught 6 Channel cats. 2 during the evening and 4 at night. 5 caught on dip bait the other cut bluegill. Caught 2 drum on worm. One really big Redear. One crappie.

Thanks, Brian. I was looking at your rental website and I don't see a put in option for Cane Bluff. Can that be accommodated? A 3 day trip sounds great. I haven't done a 3 day yet. Usually, I'm floating solo and a 2 day is enough. Especially if I've been fighting the wind.

Floated form Logyard to Hwy 60. The water was really flowing and the clarity was pretty good. Everything started off good. Catching plenty of smallmouth. A few over 12 inches. And seeing 4 to 5 maybe legal smallmouth chasing my lure a few times. Then after 12 o'clock somebody hit the switch and the bite got really slow. During the night I caught a few goggle eye on minnows, but no cats. This is the first time I've been shutout on cats in over a year. The second day the bite was still poor. I caught very few smallmouth, but the perch numbers were better. Floated by a few perch bed colonies. I used Rooster Tails, Rebel Crawdad Plug. The Deep Tenny-wee version worked the best. Crickhopper. Shad rap, Rapala Floating minnow, Curly tail, Rebel Hellgramite. For the cats I was using cut skipjack, cut shad, worms and minnows.

I'm looking to take a 2 day float on the eleven point in the near future. Probably Greer to Riverton. It will most likely be during the week. I'm looking for fish info. I know the rainbows, smallies and goggs are there. Are there browns and are they smallies throughout the river are to they start in a certain area? Should I bring waders or is the water temp comfortable enough to wet wade. How is the bite at night?

Caught one big Common Snapper, and one Spiny Softshell.

I have never caught a walleye. It's hard to believe. Just by percentages I should have hooked one by now. The first trip I took I had a walleye slowly following my lure. I've only caught a few whites. They are there, and so are the crappie I just never find a group of them. I was where the upper meramec becomes the mid meramec.

I do use lures most of the time. Meaning 90% of the time. What I used was in the report. Just every now and then I will use live bait. But I do need to pick up some small circle hooks. I really didn't like using that #6 hook. I did use the Skipjack for the cats. I caught the skipjack while trying to get some small perch.