Brian Jones

Wrench: if those pointers you offered Gavin are 65's (the ones you pretty much have to throw on spinning gear) I'd be interested in them.

Had intentions of floating that morning myself. Went to the tdl access Friday evening to check river and it looked awesome. Got to mounts Saturday morning at daylight so I'd be first on the water. As I crossed the low water bridge my heart sank to see it muddy. I knew there were some pop up storms around Friday afternoon and evening. But had no idea the one around irondale had dumped so much rain. Knowing my muddy water limitations I turned the truck around, headed home and returned to my slumber....

This may be the first pic I've ever seen Joe d smiling in......

It's always funny finding out how many people call the same spots by different names.

In the words of smallie bigs, "The internet. Ruining fishing holes since 1998".......

Legends are super boats. But those as well as the other jet boats built here in the Mo-Ark region are built and set up for the gravel bottomed rivers of our region where we rarely rarely encounter the type of water that you all on the Delaware, Susquehanna, and other eastern rivers have to run. Seems like most of the boats you see from out there are heavy bottomed, console forward sleds, often with an additional layer of UHMW (??) plastic screwed to the bottom.

Maybe I'm not reading this correctly but it seems like a real kick in the pants to the long time mercury dealers; especially for those in close proximity to evinrude dealers such as troutt and sons and cowtown. They're literally one exit apart.......

I don't recall. But I can ask the guy who caught it when I see him at church Sunday.

Though uncommon, I know of at least one 7 pound largemouth caught through that stretch and quite a few 4-6 pounders in the past ten or so years. As far as the smallies go, that species of fish seems to bring out the big eye in all anglers............. And for the most part that stretch isn't really known for giving really big smallies like some of the stretches of river a few miles downstream......at any rate a good day nonetheless and I appreciate the report. Been wanting to float the upper part but have been impatiently waiting for river and weather conditions to stabilize before doing so....

Without a doubt, my favorite jet boat name ever................. "what's he saying?? " go faster"..............

YES!!!!!! Have said the same thing for years. Family and I have eaten several spots; as well as crappie, walleye and saugers from the lower river (lower meaning below the Bourbeuse). So far so good. But then again I was raised on fish caught out of the Lead belt portion of Big River.................

Could be wrong but the first one looks all spot to me???..... Totally agree on bottom one and inconclusive on middle one. Is what it is. The spots and meanmouths have pretty much claimed the lower meramec.

One of my absolute fav's: "I'd rather drink turpentine and p!$$ on a brushfire". --Sheriff Kimbel Young Guns II.

"He always said he wanted to run the gauntlet".

"We may have to be neighbors but I don't have to be neighborly". "How's it with stains." "Well Mr. Capet bagger. Around these parts we got something called a Missouri boat ride".

I think we're gonna check out Mina Sauk again. Should have a good flow after Thursday's forecasted rain.

One of my favorite jokes wrench.

I agree totally. I've also seen that with engines as big as 70HP and was REALLY surprised at just how little sand it took to lock one up. This happened to a buddy once while several of us were down on Current River below Van Buren. I was convinced that my buddy had locked up his power head. But once we pulled the shoe, the engine fired right up. So we rinsed the sand and grit out of the shoe and liner, re attached it to the pump and it ran just fine the remainder of the trip.

I've never been above Blackwell bridge and have only done that a couple of times. Both were early spring week days when the river was high and I was pretty confident I wouldn't encounter anyone else. I know some local guys who run their jets around Cherokee Landing/St. Francois state park in the spring. But that is something I don't feel comfortable doing in ours and personally don't think the river needs jet boats up that high. As a general rule I won't run Big River when the gauge at Richwoods is below 3.2 and won't run above the hole at the old Big River Heights bridge once the river gets busy even if I can.

Over the years I have seen a handful of guys (mainly trappers) on the middle Gasconade and middle to lower Meramec using mud motors or small prop outboards with those hand operated engine lifts (those things are pretty neat). But the bottom line is if you are a river rat there is absolutely no substitution for a jet. Period. Sure you can walk riffles, etc. But on all of the rivers I fish there are good holes that are considerable distances between accesses. And putting through long holes and wading riffles is really impractical most of the time on these waters.

I don't think I've ever seen a mean mouth with that much spot in it.

Fished Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Took a trip on each section; upper or lower upper, middle and lower middle or upper lower depending on how you draw the lines. Each trip was good but Monday's trip was best. Partner boated a 20. I caught an 18 and we each caught a 17 along as well as 15-20 other "keepers". Brought home a wad of spots from the trip yesterday. Looking forward to Sunday's lunch...................water temps were 45 yesterday when I took out around 2:00.

Heckuva, heckuva day.

Does the MDC ever put any of videos of their electrofishing trips on YouTube and if not, why???....

I can only speak of the Invitational and I've been hit or miss for the past 10 or so years so I cannot speak for every tournament. But I can tell you this, when cwc87 was helping run the weigh ins NOT ONE spotted bass brought to the scales was returned to the river. I've always respected him for that.