basska

Can I take a guess?? I have never fished any of these rivers, but based on what I see Ozark Smallmouth FB Group, I'd go: 1. Gasconade 2. Meramec 3. Big In all seriousness, this spring/summer I have decided I'll spend a weekend exploring and wading creeks in SW MO. Hopefully the Sugar, Shoal and Indian Creeks. All of these are in the alleged peak range of the Neosho strain, and I'll make sure to take note of the appearance of any fish I catch.

Not far at all from the place I stay at Truman. I got a chance to look at the bridge on Hwy N, and it looks like a real nice spot, with some good bank available. I will be testing my luck here next time I go down to Truman... Knowing the Crappie bite at the Marina, I could be looking at quite the Lenten fish fry.

Thanks for all the information, It looks like a trip down to Rich Hill will be in order near the beginning of March.

No problem. I wonder how many members on this forum regularly fish at JAR. It's a great resource for KC guys.

https://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/fishing-prospects/areas/james-reed-memorial-wildlife-area if a “Hybrid Striped Bass” isn’t a more official name for Wiper, educate me.

Alright, this is my last post tonight. I think after this I finally got my daily medicine for the fishing fever (Which seems to be going around - I noticed today has been extremely active for this site.) My question is - Does anybody have any opinions on lakes at James A Reed that seem to favor certain species more than others. I especially am interested in Wipers, but also Crappie, Big Cats and Big Bass. To be honest, once it warms up, I'll probably find myself continuing in many of my habits from last summer - Suburban pond hopping, asking permission for bank fishing on private ponds. However, this Fall and Winter I found myself truly falling in love with JAR, and am curious about learning more about the species density and how and where to target some of these fish. I assume it is mostly self-explanatory, however I can't imagine there aren't some intricacies worth knowing. This year I want to target the Wipers that allegedly swim the JAR lakes. It is funny because I haven't heard too much about them being caught, but there is obviously evidence. I noticed that the MDC seemed to speak more in detail about them in archived prospect reports, making me think maybe the stocking numbers are down. I've never seen any caught, and I wonder if anyone who has has any advice at all for them. When it comes to Crappie, Bass and Catfish.... I'll keep it simple - Do you have a favorite lake for each species? IF there is any fun monster fish stories, I'd love to read those too. I'll start - when it comes to Trout... Coot is a superior lake to Plover 😉

Fishmonger - I was about to post a near identical thread. Very cool. Like yourself, this spring (appears to be it will be May), I am planning on exploring some scenic wadeable Smallmouth streams within a 3 hour radius of where I live in KC. I believe this leaves me with two river basins to explore: The Niangua and The Elk. If I could find a way to get my hands on a reasonably priced copy of 200 Missouri Smallmouth Streams, I think that would benefit us both greatly. My question to you - What neck of the woods are you in and how long have you been fishing/how old are y'all? If you ever want to explore some tribs once it warms up, I'd be game. My question to the more veteran members of the group - While I know the smaller wading creeks that hold excellent fisheries are too delicate to be named explicitly, do you all have any recommendations/preferences towards exploring the tribs of the Niangua and Elk?

- 5 lb Largemouth - Be able to catch a Walleye while targeting them. - Have a 20+ fish Smallmouth day on one of my Ozark stream trips planned. - Get a kayak. - Catch some big flatheads. - Fulfill my guide trip plans on the Gasconade and White River… probably will also look into a Walleye guide..

I think most of us Missourians are less than thrilled with the weather lately, and probably January as a whole. Since the big storm, my fishing fever has become severe. Very severe. So instead of lurking here, pretending to be working diligently, perhaps I’ll start a couple convos on bases I can’t wait to cover when Spring rolls around. The topic is: Within around 2 hours of the KC Metro, what are some of your favorite rivers to target for White Bass and Walleye in the spring time? I won’t ask for specific spots - I’m 20 years old and entering my first FULL year of fishing obsession, and I have a LOT of goals that need fulfilling, one being figuring out this method of fishing - If I could do that with at least some my own intuition, I would be thrilled. With that being said, I don’t have a boat, but am looking at kayaks right now. If any of you know an area or a river with some bank availability, this would be greatly appreciated. Once spring comes around, I will end up heading down Highway Z near Warsaw to a place a buddy of mine has. Almost every other weekend. He doesn’t fish, but boy do we love that retreat, and boy do I love the fishing. With this being said, I know I will have fair proximity to the Maries Des Cygnes, Sac and Pomme De Terre. if anyone has any opinion or advice on targeting these species in Missouri rivers, let me know! Thanks

Let me know how it went if you did end up going down there. Me and a couple buddies are planning on going down to Tulsa for Billy Strings early December. While we are there, I'm campaigning pretty hard for a Cookson Hills float trip, of course, targeting Smallmouth. I have heard a lot of good things about those rivers. However, it wouldn't be too far out of my way to just go to the Elk or Kings River on my way back as well.

Not too far from me at all. I have some Rockhurst roots... My grandfather was the head basketball coach there for 20+ years. As for Catfishing, my go-to spot is Indian Creek. Now, granted, I am not targeting the massive blues and flatheads on the Missouri, but there are some really solid 3-10 lb Channels in the creek. There are multiple access points in both Missouri and Kansas. I really like to use my ultralight and sink a 6/0 Circle Hook with a chunk of hotdog in the deeper pools. I have done really well and fighting those decent channel cats with the setup is fantastic. A few weeks ago, I caught a 27 inch Flathead out of the creek that fought me for about 5 minutes. Really a blast. For Crappie, I have been shamelessly dock shooting the Jackson Co. Lakes various marinas, primarily Longview due to its vicinity to me. Sometimes trying out jigs, but primarily dropping minnows. Last week or two as it is slowly cooling, the bite has been ON, however, I can't say I've seen many fish over 11 inches come out of the Marina. It's good fun when you get the chance. I'm looking to find some places I can reliably bass fish from the bank. I have tried James A Reed and enjoyed it ok. Still saving up for that boat!

I just wanted to make some sort of post in this forum instead of constantly lurking and reading old ones. My name is Will and I am from KCMO. I am 19 years old and am a Sophomore preparing to get my associates degree at MCC. This past summer my interest in fishing turned into a passion, and I have become infatuated with the sport and all that comes with it. I am still very much a novice, but have learned so much scrolling through these discussions, some almost as old as me. These days, I primarily fish for Catfish and Crappie (cheaper then bassin') in the city, but I love fishing for anything that bites, with my ultimate joy being the Ozark Creek Smallies I got to experience this summer. My other interests include writing, reading, music and pretty much anything exploring the countryside. Not sure how truly active this site is anymore, but I wanted to make some sort of presence known on here, if for no other reason then to express my gratitude to how much this site has allowed me to learn new things, and geek out on a real passion of mine in a local context. Thanks.