timinmo

Many worth while suggestions. We have done maybe 15 or 20 fall floats, mainly in October. The fishing has been rather hit or miss but it is a great time to be out. We just finished three days on the Gasconade, Schlicht Spring to Riddle bridge. The river was low but the fishing was pretty good. Obviously your preparation for a fall float is different from a summer float. I have always went by the motto that if I could sleep warm and dry at night I could make it thru the days. In that vein good dry bags, good sleeping bags, and a decent tent went a long way. The nights are long and the days are short but you can figure that out. Go, enjoy yourself, but be prepared. Twenty degree nights on the river are cold.

Pat watch Craig's list and E-bay. Unfortunately I don't think you can expect much help from the police, like you said they have other things to worry about.

Full disclosure. I never weighted them on a certified scale. or measured them on a paddle or other approved device. I hope you all won't hate me. Now a 40 inch musky or two bass like saluki caught those are things to dream of.

Gavin I bought one several years ago for the same purposes. Was around $100, no GPS just depth and fish. I just wanted to know depth. I am sure they have improved since I got mine. Tomorrow, unless you get a bunch of answers, I will find it and let you know brand and model if I can. It has worked every time I tried it, runs on D batteries.

I guess I have had a few. The biggest were two smallies in Canada on a topwater lure. Both were about 2 1/2 pounds. The most recent was during Operation Clean Stream on the Bourbeuse. Again on topwater one pumpkinseed and about a 10 inch smallmouth. A friend caught two on the Big River, one spot and one smallie. It always seems to me the spring or the fall is time most likely for it to happen. Can not remember many during the summer but can't prove that.

Greg, wished I could have made it. Certainly would have enjoyed the fishing as well as seeing everyone. Good weather and good company.

There is nothing I enjoy more than floating and wading our Ozark streams. But... it is a different world up there. There are many rivers and lakes full of big smallmouth. They are tough, strong and average much bigger than our fish for a given length. Jet boats are not common and it seems most everyone focuses on the lakes and walleye. So you can often fish in relative solitude. Anyway I have had wonderful times "up north" and hope to have more, Mitch and Aaron. With all that said I long for the Ozark streams and will take the northland when I can get it, maybe once or twice and year.

Al, I was just kidding about the ned rig stuff. I know Z-man makes a full line of plastics. But the thought of you using a Ned Rig for some reason strikes me as funny. I also don't care what you measure on, as the difference between an 18 and 18.5 does not make or break a trip in my mind. I have a 20" mark on my rods and everything gets measured by that. If I'm off a quarter or a half what difference does it make. We all like to catch big fish but a trip is not measured by big fish alone.

Hey Al, just gotta ask. Is that the makings of a "Ned Rig" laying in the bottom or your canoe? I'm not judging just asking.

No news to anyone that knows Hog Wally, here is my two cents. We would all be better fisherman if we fished more often, like every day. Well HW is a heck of a fisherman to begin with, then he is on the water almost every day. These two things go together to make him great. He catches more big smallies in a year then I will catch in a life time. Way to go my friend.

Way to go Aaron. Great day.

Ok, enjoying everyone's stories. My Father's family at one time lived at Tea on the Bourbeuse River. When I was young we spent alot of time fishing it both at Tea and at Union where one of my uncles lived. In 1969 I was getting ready to turn 16 but my older brother and cousin both were already driving and we did alot of exploring on our own. This trip we were at Hartman's Bridge on the Bourbeuse at Union which was an old iron one lane bridge .On the downstream side the local farmer would let you camp after you put a dollar in his mail box. I'm sure many of you have been to similar places, half dozen jon boats chained to trees on a mud bank. Our plan was to paddle our canoes up the big hole of water and spend the night on the gravel bar at the riffle. Right below the riffle there were some big car size rocks in the water which when the water was high you could not see. I was in a canoe by myself and got right up on one of the rocks before I knew it. So instead of a cast I just flipped my lure the 20 feet or so past the rock. Yes like almost everyone else I remember the lure. A yellow and black coach dog Arbogaster, I'm sure the reel was a Mitchell 300, probably six pound line, don't remember the rod. Anyway I cranked a few times and hooked into a fish. I didn't have much line out and he did not jump. I would get him up by the boat and he would dive back down. I finally lipped him and he was obviously the biggest smallie I had caught up to then. At the time "Sports Afield" magazine had some kind of awards program where you had to catch fish of a certain size to be recognized. You had to have your fish certified at certain locations and Ming's Store in Union was one of those places. Ming's was one of those sporting goods/grocery stores, probably had some hardware too. Anyway I can remember carrying the fish into the store, they weighted it on the grocery scale and also measured length and girth. Three and a half pounds, twenty inches long and twelve inches around. I always remember the measurements. The dates I remember because several years ago my kids were going though a picture draw like we all have and found the certificate from "Sports Afield". They framed it and put it on our bedroom wall. Fun memories.

My conundrum(?) is when deep water is on one side and shaded water is on the other side. What to do?

I tell my wife that I don't count her shoes she should not count my fishing rods. I think the only one that works for is me. She knows I have a problem and accepts it.

I don't know anything about the cone of vision, I don't question your reasoning. I am sure they go to fast shallow water to eat, as mentioned, and I believe they go to calm deep water to rest. Often if you can find the deep water near the fast shallow you're golden but I think everyone with some experience agrees with that. For what ever reason it seems that this time of year the fish are spookier. Light line may not matter but I do believe long casts help as does a stealth approach. In any case this time of the year they do not seem as aggressive as some other times, but they are still there and can be caught obviously. Tactics may need to be adjusted.

Well today 8-26-17 was something like the fiftieth Operation Clean Stream. An attempt is made to clean up the entire Meramec River watershed. I have been able to participate with Missouri Smallmouth Alliance several times. We have always done the Bourbeuse River and were on the upper river this year. This year we had, I think, 15 participants some coming from as far as southern Illinois and a group from Columbia, MO. It was a great group and everyone had a good time. I have included a picture of my truck loaded and ready to go. All the trash was hauled to the Beaufort Lions Club where volunteers helped unload the trash and load it into dump trucks and containers. I think there were four dump trucks of tires. The Lions Club serves a tremendous meal for all involved. I would guess there were about two hundred people at the meal. Fishing was great with many small fish caught and a few not so small. The weather could not have been better. This is an absolutely great event and I would like to encourage everyone to join in. Several of our volunteers this year were not MSA members. We would welcome anyone. There are other avenues to participate and it is a great chance to have fun while doing good. This event is organized by The Open Space Council and is held in late August every year. Folks it just does not get any better when it comes to citizen involvement, this is a cause we can all appreciate.

Brian, agree with everything you said. You are closer to this situation than any of us I hope you will keep us updated on what is going on, so we can make our voices heard to our elected officials. As you had suggested I called the Forest Service and asked for updates on the Thomasville and Cane Bluff access.

Good job Aaron. and good job Bret.

We need four or five and they like to keep groups to 6 or less. It will be during the week. I will start trying to get it set up. If you could message me dates that you can not go it would help with planning. Tim

John, as the film touched on, siltation is one of the problems,there are others. I'm sure any of us that have fished Ozark streams for years can remember when many of the riffles consisted of large rocks. Presently many of the northern Ozark streams I fish have gravel riffles with the big rock being covered with gravel. A sampling of macroinvertebrates is much lower in gravel than large rocks and I guest that is what is happening to the Hellbenders. When we toured the people at the Zoo told us they had more Ozark Hellbenders there than were in the wild. If we had enough interest I think we could see about setting up another tour. Let me know if anyone is interested. You do not have to be a MSA member.

MO, thanks for posting. For any that don't know, the St. Louis Zoo and MDC started the first captive breeding program in the world for the Ozark Hellbender. You can tour the facility but I think you need to set it up in advance. I do not have a contact person. A couple years ago MSA was able to set up a couple tours for members, as well as nonmembers. I think all of us who did the tour were very impressed. Unfortunately at this time it seems they are fighting an uphill battle.

I have had lots of days where 50 fish would have made me happy. Now that I think of it most days.

Seems like this thread has taken a turn from the original. Simms makes a very nice pair that I have been using for the last few years. Thanks Smallie Bigs. For several years I used the Cabelas flats boots which worked great but were really too narrow for my feet.

Joe, I can fix you up with a new rod and reel. Between the insurance settlement and your credit card we should be able to cover it. I have lost a few and know it hurts.

There was a solo Pack on there the other day, also a brand that I have never heard from. Anyway both solos.