WannabeAngler

Well, that went 100mph to 0mph quickly. Got a call we were unfortunately exposed to the virus shortly after I posted this. So I’ll have to save this for another day. Thanks for the help though!

First season of actually fishing, and I have Friday off. You guys suggested the Big River to me last time I needed help and I enjoyed the day. With it being 70+ this Friday and it seemingly being summer and fall's final breath, I'm trying to figure out how to spend my day. It looks like after the weekend's rain, the water is up just a little bit, but should be better at Steelville and that area by Friday. Was considering going to Ozark Outdoors and doing the Bluffs float to enjoy the last good weather of the year. But, before I planned that, I figured I'd at least check for suggestions if maybe things won't be as good as they may be in my mind. Worth the shot to float for the day? Or should I look elsewhere?

Thanks...that's really the biggest part for me is making sure I pack my gear if it is possible to use. We're staying at an AirBNB about 2.5 miles from Patrick Bridge and 2 miles from Blair Bridge, so I assume parking at Patrick and wading up will work. Now for the weather to cooperate, I suppose. Thanks for the suggestions.

My wife and I are looking to get away at New Years in Tecumseh in a cabin. She’s excited, and I became even more excited when I saw the river. Not wanting to get my hopes up too much, understanding weather may not cooperate the two days we are there...but if weather cooperates, what could/should I expect? Our cabin will be about two miles from Petit’s. Just curious if it’s even something to consider on our trip given the potential weather patterns, or access from the bank. Is it even wadable? Thanks in advance for answering my newbie questions. Hoping to add this to my list of rivers I’ve caught trout in...which is only one right now. 😁

Yeah, I have both. Buddy I fished with yesterday and I have been planning already. The park rented Perception Access 11.5, which they really weren't bad. The seat sucked horribly though. Starts at $500 which is fine by me, but want something I can outfit a bit more. I don't know that I need a gigantic $1500 monster, but fortunately, I think marketplace is about to be full of kayaks this winter from the COVID purge...

Learned a lot today. Wish that we could have gotten on the water earlier, but their rentals don't start until 9. Once we were picked up, we were dropped at what I think is Blackwell and started around 9:45am. We went upstream just above the bridge where we dropped in. My buddy was floating and fishing for the first time. He is brand new to the entire thing. Two casts with a green pumpkin lizard and he hooked a 14 inch smallie. We were hoping it would be that type of day. It took around another hour of floating before I finally caught one. I was throwing a Baby Brush hog and hooked up with a 1 lb 12 oz largemouth (I think...no rough patch on the tongue, but his dorsal was connected, and the tail had a solid horizontal bar and wasn't patchy...) Caught one more smaller largemouth on that. It was on my ultralight set up, because it's the only other rod I have besides my medium, so it was a fun little fight with the first fish. Started off with the Tackle HD Craw, but didn't get any takers. Threw on an ExoPod from BioSpawn that I got in a Mystery Tacklebox when I did a trial run...and that was the winner for the day. It was a slow float and I was just throwing at every piece of cover I could find. Missed a few, but ended up catching 7 total in the 4 miles we were on the river. The biggest was right before we got to the ramp where we were taking out. Had just put back on the ExoPod, threw at some submerged tree, and didn't even feel the fish hit. It was just heavy pressure. But, it's my PB (which isn't saying much, but is working its way up now that I'm getting back into it). A nice 2 lb 6 oz largemouth. I think it was about 17 inches long, but I forgot to measure him because I was stoked to get one more before getting off the water. When I got home, I was talking to my wife and I told her "you know how I said that I had an itch that needed to be scratched?" She finished the sentence for me, "It's gotten worse hasn't it? You got into poison ivy..." That pretty much summarizes it. Time to find some kayaks this winter...

Scheduled for a 9am departure at Washington State Park tomorrow. 7 mile float on one of their kayaks. So, hoping for a good day of learning. One is better than most of my outings this year, so the bar is pretty low.

This is awesome info as always, Al. I floated the Little Piney from Newburg to the confluence of the Gasconade last weekend and it had some major low spots. I don't mind to get out, as I'm really just trying to learn how to fish and float (because a kayak is on the horizon for me). Sounds like there are pros and cons to both, but both can have some good results. I would say in many ways, I don't know what I'm doing with a ton of confidence. Threw the HD Craws last week on the Piney and caught one...but was fishing with three other guys who were ahead of me most of the float. If they're going to be equal for the most part, the Big will probably be it since it's closer. Thanks again to both for the suggestions.

Good to know. Is that stretch of he Big tough or the Meramec is just that much better?

Good to hear. I usually bank fish the Big in Byrnes Mill and hate it. So just wanted to make sure. And can you let my wife know the necessity of constant fishing, please?

Looking to rent a kayak next Friday for my birthday getaway. I know Washington State Park rents them to float 7 miles on the Bog River. And Ozark Outfitters floats the Meramec. Looking for just a day out to try to figure out floating and fishing as it’s all new to me. Both are $35. Washington State Park is 30 minutes closer to me. What’s my best option for a successful day?

Thanks for all of the awesome advice. I'm still learning, or really playing catch up since I haven't fished in over a decade. And I realize that the Big River in this area is FAR from ideal, but with being able to fish easily in 15 minutes from my house, I think I just have to do it. Knowing the difficulty. Knowing the lack of bites...it's just there. But...it's at least good to know how difficult it will be. Interestingly enough, I went down there this afternoon to Byrnes Mill and fished for about 90 minutes. Caught two (Kentucky and smallie) on a knock off Whopper Plopper from Ozark Trail that were about 9 inches long. Better than being skunked. But I've been intrigued with the Neko Rig and found a Mustad kit at Academy today for like 9 bucks on clearnace (I think it has 60 hooks and an O-Ring tool for like $8). Caught a PB Kentucky Bass for me. Didn't weigh it, but it was 14 inches long and fought like a champ. So, surprisingly, it was a good day...even there.

Yeah. It was an enjoyable day. Went out for just a few hours while the kids played in the creek downstream from me. It was a learning day. Caught three more from about 10a-1pm. Biggest was about 10 inches, but I'm still content, just because I was able to learn a little bit. The early morning one I actually caught on a whopper plopper. That was easy to figure out if they were biting. Missed a second one right before I went back to the cabin. In the afternoon, I caught the first on a Zman Hula Stickz in a hole on a mushroom head jig, Ned Rigged. Got hung up shortly thereafter and switched over to a Ned Zman Crawz and caught two more. Figured out where to cast and where they were staying and how to fish. Still learning how to "feel" them bite in current and on gravel with a jig head, but still had a blast and it was the first day I haven't been skunked in over two weeks, so I'm happy.

Fortunately I didn’t say how large of one I wanted to catch. The monkey is off my back in the sense that I caught one on the Black River. So next is the learn more and catch bigger ones. Thanks for the encouragement. Hoping to get back out today and get more.

Appreciate the input. I knew the Black was very clear so I'm excited to try something different. As for the Big River, how far up to really start? I scoped out Morse Mill yesterday for a little bit just at the public access. I'd like to see if I can't wade upriver from there if at all possible if that's a good spot. Not a long drive for me to go. But of course, I'll drive however far upriver I need to. All new territory for me. By the way, appreciate all of your write-ups on the Big and many others. They've been helpful. Much appreciated. I've been using dark colors in the Big River thus far. Planning on some natural colored Ned Rigs w/ Z-Man products, and picked up a Spook Jr. today to try out there. If nothing else, it's practice. Any other suggestions? I'll also try to throw out some white flukes the next time I'm down on the Big. I have a package but haven't done anything with them. I've never fished flukes before, so again, it's practice for me. Appreciate the encouragement!

I grew up in rural Tennessee fishing lots of ponds. I've caught my fair share of pond largemouth. Post-college led me to the St. Louis area in 2010 and I hadn't fished since I got here...until I had a kid. Two weeks ago I took my five year old daughter to Fabick in Fenton and she caught her first fish and loved it. We've been a couple of times since then...but that made me miss fishing. My house is about 15 minutes from the Big River, so I've gone to the Byrnes Mill access a couple of times, and that's when I realized, I have no idea what I'm doing. I feel like I am out of my element when I'm standing on the bank of the Big River casting. I don't know where to fish, how to get there from the bank, what lures to use, etc. I'll tell you what I've learned lurking these forums and what I've been using. I'm just hoping to have some confidence going into Monday when my family and some friends will be on the Black River (again bank/wading) near Centerville, MO. I just have a spinning combo (Ugly Stik GX2) with 8 lb fluorocarbon on it. In the Big River via Byrnes Mill, I have walked up river maybe half a mile and thrown everything that I have read about. I have some Ned Rigs I've used. I've thrown a small crank bait. I tried throwing a Rapala Jointed Minnow, but it doesn't really move well on the spinning reel like it does on heavier line with my old Zebco 33. I've thrown a Rebel Craw. And I've thrown a ton of Senko variations. I caught a rock. Literally, somehow I hooked a 5 lb rock and pulled it to shore. Other than that, I'm absolutely clueless. I've tried to wade and hit pools of deeper water, near logs and rocks, in eddies, in seams, at the bottom of riffles, at the top of riffles, etc. And then I'll also just let the Ned Rig do its work while I slowly reel in. All in all, while I'm frustrated, I'm just as determined to finally get the hang of it and figure things out. So, with all of that said, not only do I feel clueless, I think I am clueless on the proper way to wade the Big River (and soon the Black River) in order to catch my first ever Smallie. YouTube makes me feel like I should be pulling one in constantly, so of course that doesn't help. But, I suppose I'm just looking for encouragement, any tips and tricks for a newbie, or someone that can tell me the magic words to say before I cast so I stop catching rocks and start catching fish...Are the public accesses so pressured that I need to get out of there to somewhere else? Is wading hopeless? Do I just need to invest in a kayak? So many questions, so few answers.