cwc87

Not trying to stir it up or keep this thread going but just putting info out there. Now, lets get that name this stream, or section og river or hole it's would help with cabin fever. Not intended to hijack this thread. cheers!

Well couple new reports and one is that the river is full of suckers (duh) no one has been able to gig the murky and ice frozen waters. One person out of a group that had two boats said they gigged 300 fish in an hour and a half. Yea its probably true and I didn't ask any questions. Another guy told me he went in one hole by hiself and got his limit easily. (he said he poled himself around). Both locations were are on private property and yes it was in the trophy smallmouth section on the Meramec.

Been away for a few days. Since temps. have moderated giggers have been hitting it hard. One report on stretch below Scotts ford {the beginning of SMA) that some guys got 60 fish but had to work for them cause the water was murky. Anyone know if they are still doing the meramec spring work in the spring branch? If so this may be a savior for the smallie. However, most pressure comes on fri. and Sat. nights and doubt if those working on the spring branch are on the weekends. Anyhow, now till the end of the month is when gigging will be at it's peak.

I've read the white paper and all this thread. Gigging 1s the 1# factor of smallmouth mortaility. The only way to prove it is ask our local agents how many game fish gigging tickets they issue. And AL and Mitch is right being out and seeing dead bass on the bottom just gets us all fired up. Only thing we can do is contact our agents and tell them this is happening in that certain hole(stretch) of water. About 5 years ago, Just because I let my passion of a smallmouth protector out the local giggers left me five gigged bass over 18inches in my mailbox. They all know that if they gig a bass that I will drop the agent a call but it seems a useless effort until the local prosecutor and the MDC guy's can up the fine for a mistaken gigged bass. This weather really stack's all bass and suckers up in the wintering holes and boy are they really lathargic or easy for the giggers to get. I know that the MDC fisheries guy's recognized that the wintering holes on the Missouri river was being prayed upon by commercial netting of big BIG catfish and then what do ya know they have a law against this now. The MDC heads or assistants are changing next week so Like a fellow Missouri smallmouth Alliance guy said "line all your ducks up in a row and then give em your best shot" Data and proof as mitch said may be the best tool against gigging. Either way MDC is in a NO WIN situation.

Smallmouth Bass fishing is what I live for. MDC just needs to create a simple understanding that a common goal is to improve our smallmouth fisheries. What are they afraid of? Too big of work load on protection divison Not? Overpopulation of smallmouth on a section? Never will happen smallmouth will eat one another if that's the case. Tournament anglers upset Not? Note this implies to river tournaments. Every tourny angler knows largemouth wins more river tournaments than a bag of smallies. The public calling and writing letters cause of the change in smallmouth regulations? Come on everyone can take a butt chewing now and then for something they believe in!! Where are MDC's fact's on how many angler's are smallmouth fisherman. And, when anglers bought their fishing license what zip code breakdown by county to see what impact area's get the most smallmouth fishing pressure? Seems like they could show us more info about smallie fishing. Are they keeping info from us? I've read the report and actually provided scale samples to MDC. Kinda strange since I took time out of my fishing trip to contribute to their Data and yet the stream I helped gather the data on has been completed for FIVE YEARS and not one word. HMMMMN!! What's going on? As mentioned earlier all the letters and call's (like this thread) is just a brief butt chewing that MDC is going to shrug off and let nature take it's course. Our smallmouth are going to suffer and it is up too us to do the self policing on our smallmouth waters. I'm about to throw the towell in! Last March as I was bridge fishing about an hour an half from the house. When I got there a young 20 year old had a stringer full of smallies. I told him that it wasnt' catch and keep season for smallies and he acted nervous and after about five mintues went to realeasing his fish. Back in July at a campground I noticed a older 40 ish man with a stringer of smallmouth One fish was a 20 incher but the others were in the 9-10 inch range and I said hey you know that those little smallmouth are under the legal lenght limith and that big one is about a 15 year old fish. And all he could say was "ther sure gonna taste good fur supper" I just drove off with tears in my eyes. All were asking from MDC is better smallmouth fishing? Why can't they come up with a simple formula?

Great post and cheers to ya gettin your dad to go with you. I tried and tried to get my dad to go fishing with me two days before his surgery and he passed four days after his surgery. Kinda hits me hard, but at least reading your day with your dad cheers me up and your passion on getting him on the river. That is some awesome stuff sir!! Glad you found fish and it seems when I went on Thurs. the spinner bait was really turning on. If things stay right we are going to have to hook up again.

Fished the Huzzah Courtois Meramec the most for at least 35 years. It started with grandma taking me and using minnows and a cousin that took me in a jon boat on the meramec around steelville. Learned all my fishing tricks in the gin clear Huzzah and sometimes that involved getting a mask and exploring where the smallies lived. O I almost forgot Mr. Agnew sure did mentor me alot while whoopin my butt every trip out of the back of his canoe. Thanks AL!!!!!!

Got pictures on my cell phone however, not able to download just yet when I do I'll post them hear. The leaves are somewhat of an issue but they weren't that bad as a couple weeks ago. Before the big flood. Just wish I could get back at them, just not enought daylight in the day to do everything.

Went on river Last wed, Caught 18 smallies in about 4 hours. One goggle eye. Went on Thurs. down stream about 25 miles and caught a 20 incherand a 15 inch smallie. Went in back of slack water and caught 12 largemouth. The fish are defintely hungry however they are some what scattered out looking for food. Bluff holes and eddy holes is where I concentrated fishing. Water is greening to clearing. Perfect for the spinnerbait I was throwing. Didn't fish a jig or crank but I'm sure they would eat it. Just more conficence and ease of covering water with spinnerbait. cheers.

I think the high water is great. No gigging pressure. It displaces fish more evenly. The bottoms won't be so littered with leaves. Crankbaitn gonna be great. The water temp came up a little. New structure for fish to live in. Little crayfish washed in from all feeder creeks. Yea it is mother nature's way!!!!!!!!

Call marty at westoverfarms.com for a pay to fish for trout area. Or Meramec springs could work but water with still be some what dingy(may make fishing good). Pay $5 and access the huzzah valley resort.com huzzah creek area. Just quick spots off the top of my head. Get a county map and go county bridge fishing around steelville.

Just noticed how the water temp. jumped with the 60 degree rains we just received. Should make the fish bite once the flooding stabilizes and the water clears some. By the way, water temp. is about the best gauge in knowing how the fish is going to tell me how the bite is going to be. Can't wait till the water drops so I can get at them. All this October yucky weather has gotten me in a bad fishing fever.

That would be fishing spring probably the most gigged area on the meramec.

I think the best way to be prepared for a trip would be to have at least 4 rods. A topwater, crankbait, jig, and a back up. My tackle boxes fit into a plastic battery box which includes a hooks n weights box, a jig n plastics box, a crankbait box, topwater box and sometimes a handful of plastics in bags such at flukes/senkos, topwater frogs, chompers twin trailers, and of course a seperate box for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.

Rivers are coming up again (muddy) at least the giggers aren't gettin any chances of mistaken any gamefish.

x

Joe is definitley right about fishing springs. The other picture is two riffles below riverside access. Us locals call is the salas hole and the unjet boatalbe rifle above where the picture was snapped is the salas rifle. By the way, the reason you guys have caught so many fish in this area is because a few hundred smallies and largmouth have been release at hwy 19 after an annual bass tournament in the spring. No help from mdc to spead them out better!

First one is on st francois second one seems like the current or jacks 3rd one is exactly two holes up from the confluence of the Huzzah and Meramec. Last one seems like a spot above f on the mineral or your hidey hole creek close to your home.

Don't get me wrong I love to gig and eat suckers on the gravel bar but, all this rain and murky water is saving lots and lots of bass from being gigged. I just it keeps up with keeping the water off color all season.

Al, overall spot numbers have decreased from about 5- 10 years ago above sand ford on the meramec. The gasconade numbers are increasing especially below hwy 50 bridge(mt sterling). Seems like the spot length limit of none is definitely working as a bounty. The hole deal is that it takes forever for a spotted bass to grow long and alot of fishermen are mistakenly eating largemouth that they think are spotted bass. I know I do my fair share of depleting the spotted bass population in the Meramec.

I believe that spot is between Scotts ford and Indian springs resort on the Meramec. A hole or 2 below fox springs. Just my best guess though.

Regarding the osage river and spotted bass. The osage is supplied by fresh supply of largemouth and spotted bass anytime one is swept through bagnell dam turbines or when the flood gates are unleashed all kinds of species is spilled over the dam. I believe a bigger problem is the asian carp over populated and feed on the tiny organisms that little bait fish need to survive. Just my thoughts on this subject.

My Father passed away suddenly on Sat. night at Barnes in St. Louis. He had his cancer/kidney removed successfully on wed. and up and walking each day. Nurse found him slumped over in hospital bed sat. God took him to a better place. He was an awesome dad and husband. He kinda fell into the outfitter business when he bought the Huzzah property. The lives of people he touched through the resort and leadership to the national canoe liverey outfitters accross the country will always remain a constant. Visitation will be held at Britton Bennett Funeral Home in Steelville, MO Wednesday, September 2 from 3pm-8pm. A funeral mass will be on Thursday, September 3rd at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Steelville, MO beginning at 10am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sacred Heart Cemetary - Leasburg, MO for a Flag Pole memorial. Sincerely, Corey Cottrell Huzzah Valley Resort

It is a sad way to start off the summer float season. Got word from a credible source that the canoe that capsized was a privately owned vessel and no outfitters shuttled them. They were on there own with a group of private canoes. Still it is alot of sad news for the float season. My feelings are really with those that were involved with this incident it must have been gut wreching.