shawncat

Kyle look up some of Al Agnews post.There's alot of smallie info and some on the Big River.

I've had some of my best smallie day's fishing the Big in August.Mostly Merril Horse access to Browns Ford access or BF to Morse Mill access.Not to many canoe livery's in the area.Rebel craws/orange belly,soft craws,roostertails and rapala floaters.Hoppers and poppers for top water fly action.I have a friend thats been doing pretty good putting in at Blackwell and float/wade downriver.Smaller water, a lot of dragging.There's alot of dams on the mid to lower river so you don't see the jets as much.....but they may be there.It's a slow river best floated with a troller or small gas.Good luck.

Need more info,boat/wading,spin/fly,upper/lower?It's all good.

Me too!!!!!!!!

Sounds like a good trip Kyle.Thanks for the update.I wish I was there......right now.

I like to see a natural background wih the lure visible.Sam Potter's pic's are good on his site [minus the lure].Nice to see your back.

I was close I just guessed from reading your past post.Nice mounts.The Tightline reference was to his post.

Let's see.....the top one on a orange belly black and chrome rogue at dusk near the dam on the Norfork.Bottom one....#16 olive scud at dawn in late October between Fall Creek and the dam on Taneycomo...or was there corn and sculpins involved????Care to share Brownieman?Nice fish Tightline, sounds like you taught him a good lesson.

Six Crossing to Ross.I second Rich's Last Resort, best outfitter on the river.I would add #5,#7 rapala floater Blue or black back and of course a big ole jitterbug especially if you'll be fishing dusk or at night.Size 10-12 chernobl ants,hoppers and poppers ought to cover you with a long rod.As you can tell I like my summer smallies on TOP. Good luck.

Can't remember ,it's been years.MDC I think,right after they changed to artificial only on that stretch.I was fishing in the riffle below cardiac and hooked a couple of trout while they were in sight.They may have just wanted to give me space while the going was good............or..make sure I wasn't using bait.I was using a white rooster tail.

I don't know if you should pass up that stretch from the springs to suicide.I've caught alot of smallies in that stretch over the years.I have caught some nice one's too[17" inchers].A lot of catch and release,maybe because of no bait ,no plastics but there's big smallies in that stretch.I've had slow day's too but if you catch that river just after the right amount of rain you'll be surprised at how good that stretch is [dang, I hate when I talk about my smallie spots to much ]You gentlemen have made some good points about the agents and their practices but I can tell you from 30 years + experience fishing that stretch there's agents down there.I have been checked at suicide,cardiac parking lots,on the trail that leads from the springs[coming and going]and once by 2 "fishermen "in a boat that talked to me as they floated by and came back upriver 10 minutes later to inform me they were agents[hidden agents I suppose] .Hope this helps,good luck.

Great John,great pics,great stories.I'm glad you had a good time.I could feel your excitement in your stories.Just excellent.I hope you can go again sometime[with Sue].Thanks

[]Maramec Springs

Yea brownieman,there's some pigs that hang around those cleaning docks.On both the White and Norfork.Man do I miss that old world record dock at McC ellens.You would see some big trout snatching guts next to the cleaning table if you could get them in the water before the cats[feline]could get them. :=D:I never tried it in a 24ft,but a white river john 20ft works.I will drive down praying for running water.Rent a boat from Roses or Norfork[confluence]run up to the dam.Float and fish [motor running]to the end of Long hole.Repeat till they shut the water off and float down.You'll probably get your feet wet going thru the C&R but I've made it thru dry[once].The only real danger is when you float past the waders to the right of the island in the C&R,there's only about a 4ft passage way thru there.Just don't make any eye contact like your in prison. [just kidding]Don't go left of the island or you may get stuck on that big boulder I was stuck on for 20 minutes last time.[your right that water does come down fast]If you think the water goes down fast your right ,but it comes up fast too and is much more dangerous[not kidding]Thanks for posting that old post, brought back memory's.I remember reading that post and heading out the next day

Good points Rabbi.Fanatic I can relate to that.On a recent trip I was busting to fly fish some dry's and fly's that I had good luck on another trip.After taking my time packing,driving I arrived to find I left my Fly box[boxes] at home.I had changed my vest boxes for another trip to a warm water stream.Well I stayed calm,rooted thru my smally box and came up with some 1/16 white jigs.Turned out to be a good thing.Had one of the best day's of the year.Did'nt get to see a trout come up to slurp or slam my topwater but my rod was bent all day.Needless to say I thew a couple big white jigs in my fly box.......just in case.Yes sometimes you just got to go with the flow.

I have caught 5+lps. browns and bows out of the same stretch of the Norfork.The brown jumped at least 5 times.[maybe the 2Lps.test with a light drag setting had a factor in that].I also hooked a bow in shallow rapids that bulldogged straight upriver staying deep never jumping along with three long runs.I have caught enough trout to know thats not really the norm.Go figger.No vote I'm afraid I'll jinx myself.

Fished the trophy area and had a good day.Caught about 12 rainbows.Red,orange san juans,orange sow bug,and a white 100th oz. jig all caught fish.Most were 12"-13" none over 15".Dead drifed the worms under an indicator,slowly stripped the sowbug after the swing caught a few rising trout,and deep nymphed the jig.The best fish hooked was on my last cast.I snuck up on a school that was just outside a weed bed and after turning there noses up to all my offerings I took off my cork and casted right in the middle of them and let it sink.I waited a couple minutes bearly able to see my orange worm and one slashed at it.I waited.And WHAM!!!The trout picked it up swimming downstream not like it was feeding but MAD.It took off drag-a-screaming about 40yds.downriver jumped and broke my 2lps.tippet all while I just stood there watching dumbfounded open jawed I'm sure.It was like watching in slow motion.Did'nt even try to palm my spool, just stood there and watched.Looked to be about 3-4 lps.I guess I was just surprised that he picked it up swimming downriver when the others were swimming [facing]up current?????

Joachim Creek in southeast jefferson[hard access]Mineral Fork in s.w jefferson.Little Meremac off hwy 30 by St.Clair.Meremac but......if you want to catch smallies in jefferson county?Big river,any where from Mammath access to the Meremac.Merrill Horse to Browns Ford will have what your looking for.Big smallies,lots of smallies,Jefferson county.

Loads faster for my dial-up.Still can't download pics on Hunters?

Wow!!! Nice mounts Watcher.I'm impressed even if you don't want me to be. Post the stories on them.I'd like to hear[read] about them.

I have good luck with my 6wt for pond bass.Try brown or black wooley boogers under an indicator or stripping a white 1/16-1/32 jig.

Moose can you give us any colors of the caddis and the anne kays?Thanks

Rivers up.A friend of a friend caught a 6lps.brown this week[rumour]right where the springs meets the river .Don't know what on and I did'nt see the fish.

Access areas for the Meremac close to Eureka.Allenton,Route 66 state park,Catawissa,Robertsville state park,Castlewood state park,Pacific Palisades all can be reached in about 30 minute drive from Eureka.I've caught all the species Al has listed between Robertsville and Castlewood at some point.Don't forget the Big River dumps in to the Meremac about 2-3 miles down river from Eureka.Another" Excellent" river to fish if you catch them at the right time.Let me know if you need any more help on baits,conditions,rules.I live 10 minutes from Eureka and about 2 minutes from the river.Good luck.