cwc87

Put in at rollins ferry HWY 89 and float to Pointers creek access west side of river but convienent shuttle.

The upper six defintely has fewer people on it and when it gets low no rafts are on that stretch. The lower six has the best water and more numbers of people. If you want to start before 8a.m. give huzzah valley a call and they will lay a canoe out for you if you prepay and tell them what time you want to be picked up at scotia. This pertains to the Hv downstream to Scotia stretch you have to put yourself in because they don't open til 8a.m. If you own your own boat they can make arrangements to have your vehicle shuttle to the take out or just set up a time so they can meet u. Huzzah's # 800 367 4516

Thanks for the replies guys. Yesterday, on a canoe fishing trip I put in at Noon and floated til 6 and it didn't get really hot til about 3:30 but boy did the fish bite. Between dipping a doo rag in and putting it on my head the bass were on fire. Only time it slowed was when I caught up to a kayaker that was fishing the same lure I was. I did get ahead of him and caught a 17incher and told him there was a 20incher with it and he proceded to fish for it. Then, he hooked it and him being only 20foot away he wrestled it around his sit on top and in a split second he grabbed the smallies back, dropped his spin cast, and turned his sit top kayak over and the line broke. Only thing I could say was so sorry that I was there to witness the whole episode and not able to help. He did find his rod and said that 6lb test is what he uses and I said I use 8lb to 12lb because big fish live in spots where the best cover is and I don't like breaking big fish off. He fished in front of me the last 2miles of the trip. Nice day to be out and the fish cooperated a person can't ask for a more better way to spend a 100 degree day.

The rivers have stabilzed after a wet spring. The August dog days are here. My options where to fish lead me to watch the real time river guage's that determine my next outing. I love the ease of fishing from a jet boat with the foot operated trolling motor, but it gets hot. (so jumping in gets a little old after a while). Now, the creek fishing from my old town canoe and going were others don't go is were I have been going this summer so far. It's more shaded on creeks and the fish are more apt to eat my lures, but the work it takes to paddle and fish is a little more work. With this being the case just kinda wondering how everyone beat's the heat? And it's not fair for those of you that are out of state in a better climate right now! My list of rivers(creeks) are Big Piney, Current, St Francios, Osage below bagnel Dam, and Meramec. I do have a question for anyone who knows anything about the river below Wappello dam ( what's it like since the flood this spring?) And yes I am strictly a smallmouth guy that releases everything I catch.

I'm ready for more of name that spot!! I just love the pictures everyone post and the challenge of trying to fiqure out where it was taken. Especially if there is a fish in it.

Nice report Al sounds like all had a great trip.

The off color in the Meramec is probably from jet boat traffic upstream from the confluence with the Huzzah. That is one heck of a spot that continues to change every flood. Nice picture of the name that spot though.

If your using boiling springs campground Larry is a great person. He knows the Access's on the Gasconade and Big Piney. The area You guys are fishing is all great smallie water. I've been on all of it Canoe and Jet Boat. I'd say the Piney will be the best water for the canoe guy's and the Nade will be good for the Jet boats up to Hwy 17. Above 17 the canoers should consider heading that way. Larry has some great access for those who use his shuttle service. The Lazy days campground owner is a very avid smallmouth fisherman. Oh' by the way the weekend after the 4th of July is a very busy weekend for all campground and canoe rentals. I would definitly do some research on how early One can get on the water and how may access's for that day's trip to avoid some of the rif raf. Or go in a canoe so far upstream that no one wants to go cause of dragging. I gotta work or I'd love to go.

I took my 4yr old on his first fishing trip yesterday and we caught one tagged fish but it was the right one $75. Seen 8 or so others with tags. The only problem is getting the tag out you have to do a quick snip with a sharp pair of cutters and sometimes when u catch one by the time you get the tag secured the other fish in that hole knows your presence. Also, I thought that where it read reward $75 meant that the tag should be worth a small amount under $75. Years ago on the Jacks fork I caught only $5 and $10 FISH SO I guess with inflation the price of a reward tag went up too. All in all not a bad 2 hr outing.

I live in the Crawford county area and Just seen the meramec and it is muddy However, its two tributaries are clear with a swift current the Huzzah and Courtois. The head waters are a good choice with all the rainfall the past 3 weeks.

Gosh Al that is my case exactly (wore out the fish in pond beside house, Been turkey hunting for 3 weeks,workload is crazy for the next 3 months) The rivers and creeks are just getting right. That's it I'm going for couple hours this evening on the Huzzah and Meramec. The bass better watch out or I'm gonna catch you!!

Finally, got out to brave the cold and caught fish. Been looking at water temps and noticed that late in the day temps would get to 38-40 degrees. So a 10 am put in was in order the truck temp said 28degrees. Motored up river 2 miles first stop jerkbaited crappie jigged notta bite. Couple more miles up same. Knew were some warm water was and at this point it was noon and I needed to get some adrenaline flowing to thaw out from riding and fishing. Got to The Spot and of course it was on everycast action. The waterflow was the lowest I ever fished The Spot but it didn't matter they were stacked and easy to catch. Biggest was 14.5 inch largemouth and a variety of bluegill, goggle eye, crappie. A crappie jig, and some plastic drug on the bottom. The coolest thing here was that I could see every fish eat my bait like it was a huge aquarium. Total caught here was around 50. Up river couple more miles after a quick cold cut sandwich and a soda. Next spot was at end of long hole and had a 10inch largemouth chase my jerkbait but would only nose it and not inhale it. Went on up to a known wintering hole and seen like 300 sucker fish on the bottom and at the head of the hole just barely out of the current I caught my first smallmouth of the year on plastic a pretty little 14 incher. I believe my smallies were stirred up from the sucker activity and no more bites in that hole. Ran dowin river to second stop and caught a smallie on a jerkbait, then another follower. Ran 2 miles down to my first hole of the morning and my buddy caught the fish of the day a nice 18 inch smallie that had his bars on his side blazing with color. Kinda a great way to close out the day. Total fish caught around 55-50. Only one spot was a spring, all smallies were in the main channel. I put in on a private access, river is low for this time of year and public access from were I put in was a good 9 miles in either direction

Give me a call on my cell at 573 259 3124 if u want a river report or need to be shuttled or spot to camp I live in the area u want to fish. My name is corey

I will be at the Huzzah Valley Booth on Saturday from open til close if anyone wants to talk about ozark river fishing. If anyone has never been to this show it is a must cause you get to see many different lure selections plus gather information from many fine fishing destinations.

Nice bags. That 22lbs this time of year on Pomme is awesome. Great Job can u tell us which arm your were in?

These guys are my neighbors and are good friends. Tom is a trout fishing expert to say the least. Travis no longer works there as of last spring however I hired him in a heartbeat and he worked out great in my operation. He is in the army now. Haven't heard how he's doing yet. Westover is worth checking out. Nice time of year to make a day of it at their facility.

Was the tournament out of a place called Lightfoot or lighthouse? And the lake is down so the corps. can work on ramps. What are the bass biting on since the lake is being drawn down?

Jet boats on the Meramec around the red ribbon trophy area always on a increase this time of year due to gigging season started on September 15 and Archery season is open now too. The log jams just above the confluence of Dry Fork and the Meramec has been a jet boat stopper and (hopefully) still is. I know just downstream of the Confluence down to suicide or cardiac these are the log jams that were recently cut out. I have a small jet boat 16 footer and it throws a big wake especially at a slower speed than at full throttle. I aways throttle down when i see others but it does cause alot bigger wake so it's kinda a no win situation. Most non jet boaters don't realize that a full throttle is needed in the super shallow riffle's. It was a common practice that when a jet boat sees a canoe he idles or no wakes by them if the water is deep enought to do so. Now, with the rafts is totally different I just go at it like they are not even there cause the wake has little effect on a raft. The jet wash caused by boat traffic is what really gets the water stirred up and I can see why fisherman hate this. Shoot I hate my own jet wash cause it kills my topwater bite. I am very cautious on how I approach the best fishing spots in relation on how I stay ahead of my own jet wash when coming down the river or when I hear other jet boats on the same stretch of water. Enough of my ramblings hope I put a little unknown info out. See ya on the river.

The wiggle wart, Norman 9footer, bomber, and megabass bait x in matte crawl and rick clunn 2.5. Some times the water color and the fish will tell ya what is best to throw. Nothing easier to throw a wiggle wart and wind it in and catch fish in the winter except maybe chunking a spinnerbait out and catching them when their eating it. Just my 02 cents worth.

Ok here is the story. Went to work until 10 then put boat in at 11:30 took out at 4:oo. Done this trip before in the fall after a 5 foot river rise. Color was green with some brown areas in deep water. Caught about 25 smallmouth and 3-4 largemouth. Some on top some on jig. The fish are scattered but are on their way to ther wintering haunts. Some were just out of the current and some were hanging in shallow water out of the swift current. Largest smallie was around 19 inches and was one of those days the biggest fish were beating the smaller fish to my lure. Guessing the water temp. is in the 60's and an overcsst sky made conditions just right. Probably fished about 5 mile stretch. Gonna go back on different stretch tomorrow and see what happens.

I have seen only a handful of folks try to park on the Highway easement and once they try it most never do it again. I have parked on some crazy highway easements and packed my canoe op steep rocky itch weed infested banks just because there was no access. Anyhow, I'm sorry if I rubbed anyone the wrong way. NOw, I just got off the river and the smallies were a biting like crazy. Best thing only the bigger fish were eating. I will try to post a report accordingly later. Tight LInes!!

Thanks for all your opinons. These comments are pretty much what I experience everyday. Dealing with the public has it upsides and downside. It is unsettling when I approach people using my river access and ask them for a $5 dollar fee when they already know that stopping at my store first would eliminate any hassle. When I see private boat owners throwing their trash in my dumpster and making a donut on the gravel bar or taking a paddle, vest, or cushion that clearly has my name on it that makes me earn my $5. Hmmn as I type this my employee just ask me if a guy paid his $5 to park and put in. Of course he did not even stop at the store to check in. Just another day dealing with the public. That's not your Van in my parking lot is it Gavin?

I have paid for putting in my canoe, bass boat, kayak all over Missouri. I think the most was paying $10 dollars. I have property on all four sides of a river bridge on a popular float stream. I charge $5 per craft and $5 if leaving a vehicle parked. Now, I do give breaks if there is a trailer load of say 4 kayaks or canoes. I get alot of uneasy looks from people paying to do this. So, if you had to pay what is your OPINION?

Congrats on an awesome fishing adventure. Glad you have cured your fishing slump!! As I tell some of my close fishing friends you are one fish catching machine.

Nice fish Joe! Of course, you went fishing exactly were I recommended and not One ounce of credit. O'well my advice is gonna cost ya next time. Where is Alex and his fish?