Brian Jones

I used to catch a lot of nice largemouths out of the "pond" that was off the old channel of the Huzzah, but it's been 8 or 9 years since I've been able to get to it. Another change, this one for the better, was at the mouth of the slough pocket above the Meramec Caverns boat dock. When we first started fishing that section, it was almost completely silted in at the mouth and very shallow. Now there is about 5 feet of water at the mouth and there is fishable water all the way to the back of it. We lost one of our best crappie spots on the Meramec last spring after that flash flood that we had in the middle of March piled a bunch of gravel in the mouth of it. Sure hated to see that happen. We started fishing the Meramec seriously in 1999 and it is amazing the changes that have occurred in just the past 10 years or so.

Yes. Water. With your boat I wouldn't even consider running that part of the river unless the gauge at St. Thomas was reading above 4 feet. Have you considered fishing below Bagnell? You could probably pull that off right now with a lake boat and word has it that the bite is pretty decent as well.

Any walleye? A buddy caught a couple of nice ones (accidentally) over Thanksgiving.

Yep. The most frustrating one I've ever tried to learn.

I prefer the tube over the jig, though I like throwing both. I usually throw the jig more in the spring and the tube the rest of the year.

Corey Cottrell.

Looks like pictures from the Bull Float trip on the Meramec...............................

The conceal carry debate is as lively and passionate as most other controversial issues. Certainly some valid points on both sides with no real right or wrong answers. I personally carry and have chose to do so for quite some time. On three different occasions I have had a vehicle broken into while parked at a conservation access. My thought has never been that I would like to kill someone, but rather what would the perpetrator do to me if I walked up on them as they were attempting to burglarize my vehicle? Would they get the heck out of Dodge, or are they an addict on parole who has nothing to live for and views the taking of my life as a way to finance their next high? I don't consider myself paranoid; just prepared. I practice enough to be confident that my shot placement is true and say a little prayer every time I put on my CC holster that I will come home with the same number of rounds in the clip as I left with.

My understanding is that it is the current.

The only worm I throw anymore is a 5" Assalt worm. Usually fish them Texas rigged but in the winter I'll pinch about an inch of the head and thread them on a jig head. I have three really good colors that I like. I fish a TON of soft plastics and would rather have a bad throwing them than a good day throwing something with treble hooks. Guess I'm not very versatile.

I would have to respectfully disagree. Though I have only been fishing the Meramec for about 14 years I have had more good trips and caught more big smallmouth between Meramec State Park and the conflence with Big River than I have above. Maybe it's just the way I fish. Greasy: Can you tell me where Glencoe is? I am assuming it is below Times Beach? Thanks Brian

I appreciate you offering your side as well Skeeter. The fact that supporters of both sides of this topic were able to have a civilized discussion shows the quality of this board and the character of its members. Though I am glad the Meramec is still an unimpounded river, I learned a lot about the whole Meramec Dam Project and those who supported and opposed it.

Yep. First time I remember watching this was in Richard Smith's biology class in '89. I was already addicted to the river and was abslutely mesmerized by the film. Film was as good as it was the first time I watched it.

Great fish. I knew we should have went to the Meramec Friday instead of driving all the way to the Osage. Shame on us.

Here are some pics of some Meramec fish from the past year. I am not sure if they are gig marks or not. The smallmouth had the same black mark on its other side which made us think that it was possibly a healed up wound. The first two crappie pics are of the same fish and the last two are of the same fish.

Thanks Al. I was hoping to get your insight on this. Would you care if I used some of this info in the other thread??

I am looking for information/facts regarding the Meramec Basin Project. I believe that someone on another site presented some misinformation regarding the project and I would like to verify his claims as fact or fiction. A link to the thread: http://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=24207 Thanks Brian

Caught these spots out of the Meramec Saturday. Biggest one was 12 inches. 13 of the 15 were stuffed full of crawdads.

It is a shame that so many of today's problems could be solved by a good dose of common sense and how so few people have it anymore.

There are a couple of tricky spots below Riddle Bridge. One is at Portuguese (sp?) Point and the other is probably 45 minutes or an hour (guesstimate) below the Point. The point is a rocky ledge/falls and the other spot is a riffle that is fairly wide but has several logs and wads in it that seem to run perpendicular to the current. I have not canoed this water but have fished through this area several times out of my jet boat. Once you get below Hwy 28 bridge the river gets wide and you should have no trouble at all. I would imagine that if the weather is nice you may encounter some big boat traffic. The Gator/Shoalrunner crowd can only run above Jerome in the spring time or other periods of high water and they tend to make the most of it when they get these conditions.

The on-line process is definitely easy, but I still like the old permits better. And I am really curious to see how these new tags will hold up during deer season.

Jim: The convenience fee is what the credit card companies charge the retailer (MDC) for their services. Usually it is between 2 and 3 percent of the price being charged.

Got mine Wednesday and mailed it back this morning.

I fish the Gasconade between Riddle Bridge and Rollins Ferry and with the exception of spring time after a rain I cannot think of anywhere that you'll be able to go very far in that boat. If the USGS river gauge at Rich Fountain is reading above 4.50 you can probably run in the above area with minimal difficulty. If it is lower than that, you really need a jet.

Topwaters: My favorite is the buzzbait. Usually throw a homemade 3/8 oz. in a variety of colors. Also like fishing a bass assassin on top of the water and walking it like a spook or similar baits. I use the spit n' image on occasion and the more I read about the sammy's has got me to thinking that I need to be throwing them as well. Spinnerbait: 3/8 and 1/2 ounce varieties with a willow leaf/colorado combination. For colors, I mainly throw my version of the sexy shad color and a "sun perch" color. Used to throw a twin spin a lot when I canoe fished more, but most of my time now days is spent in the jet boat and they have never been as productive for me on the bigger rivers as conventional spinnerbaits have. Cranks: Unfortunately, I am one of those guys who has invested a ton of money in crankbaits and most of them have never hit the water. I throw one some in the spring and winter and usually throw a number 5 or 7 shad rap, or a model 200 or 300 bandit. Jerkbaits: I don't throw anything but Lucky Craft 65 and 78 pointers. I was one of those guys that never believed they were worth the extra dollars until I got my rear end kicked one day by a guy throwing them. There is definitely a difference. Jigs: Homemade 5/16 oz. ball head (Eakins) type jigs are what I throw probably 90 percent of the time I am jig fishing. Usually I tip them with a critter craw, baby brush hog, or twin tail trailer. I rarely use pork anymore as it is too aggravating in the summer when it dries up. I have also started fishing a couple different football jigs last summer and am liking them as well. Unweighted soft plastics: Like the trick worm and fluke. Also like the senko at times as well. Weighted Soft plastics: I throw soft plastics more than anything else. Most of the time I texas rig whatever I am throwing. But sometimes with smaller baits and especially in the winter I will thread the baits on stand up jig heads and fish them that way. I also am enjoying throwing the swim baits more and more each year. The one that works best for me is the 3 1/2 inch Bass Magic made by Lucky Strike.