ozark trout fisher

That is actually a pretty good idea.... The only problem is I'm afraid the spots have already infiltrated the Meramec basin to the degree they ever will. Somehow, they always seem to make it past the milldams currently in place on the Bourbeuse and big, I don't know how, but they do.... Unless I'm incorrect, spots are becoming common all the way up to the headwaters of the Bourbeuse and Big Rivers. In the Meramec, they have gone as far upstream as the cold water of Meramec spring (and other smaller springs) will let them. I'm afraid the only viable solution now is to kill the spots through harvest, and electro-shocking. I know that's unpopular with the folks who think a bass a bass, but I want the natives back. To make that happen, we have to decrease, or elimintate the spotted bass in the system.

Just figured it out on a fish weight calculator..... According to that (assuming it had a normal body type) the fish is over 8 pounds! Congratulations, that's about as good as it gets for freestone trout in the ozarks.

Never mind actually.... Just called the park office, and the guy said Meramec is back down and fishing well right now.... I guess I might be headed that way after all.

For pretty much any species of stream fish, I prefer water just a touch up and off-clear. It really makes the fish a lot more fearless and agressive, or at least that's the experience I have. I'm a fan of both in-line spinners and spinnerbaits in this kind of water.... If its a torrent I turn around and go home. The only time I've done at all well in super high water was towards the lower end of the Big River. Water was flowing 2000 CFS or so, and it was pretty much a muddy mess, but I was able to come up with some nice bass, though most weren't smallies. A few were though.

Wow! That's an awesome fish.

Yeah, that rain had me worried. I had to run an errand in Rolla today, and it was a torrential downpour. But luckily the water level in the Meramec at Steelville continues to drop (all be it slowly) , so it oughta be ready to go at least by Sunday without more rain. If not, I'll be relegated to chucking bait for dumb stockies in the park...... Hope not, I was looking forward to flicking some flies.

I'm thinking the river will be okay by Saturday... Hopefully. Its dropped all the way from almost 3000 CFs down to about 900 in just a couple days, so it may be alright for some wade fishing by the time I get there. I'll call the park office just in case though. I really hope I don't end up getting confined to the spring branch, I find it pretty boring.

I would love to come down there.... But unfortunately time's short these days a and the Bourbeuse + the Meramec are the only smallie streams I have time enough to fish right now, because they're close.

There used to be "real" smallmouth fishing in the Bourbeuse until the spots showed up.

I have to disagree with you... I think Spotted bass are almost the definition of an invasive species in the Meramec Basin. They are destroying smallmouth bass populations in areas where they used to be abundant. I believe that the definition of an invasive species is essentially a non-native species that crowds out native species, and causes a lot of problems. I believe spotted bass (anywhere they aren't native) fit this description precisely. I don't want to see the smallies crowded out of my home river, and be replaced by non-native species that shouldn't be there. They are stifling the Bourbeuse (as well as the Lower Meramec and Big River's). I want them gone. Right now, I don't see any evidence smallmouth aren't native to the Meramec. The MDC sure thinks they are. Seriously, ask any old-timer in Franklin county..... The Bourbeuse used to be a great smallmouth bass stream, but its merely a skeleton of what it once was. It's sad, and we need to do anything possible to stop any more damage.

Yeah, I'd worried about that. The water is dropping pretty fast though, it might be in shape by Saturday or Sunday. If not, I can probably at least fish the park, as wading's not too important there.

From the MDC's page on the smallmouth bass fishing in Missouri.... And I qoute "Spotted bass Since the mid-1980s, Conservation Department fisheries biologists have noticed that spotted (Kentucky) bass have increased dramatically in portions of the Meramec, Big and Bourbeuse rivers where they were historically absent. In those rivers, spotted bass rarely seem to reach the 12-inch length limit, grow slowly and have been shown to compete and hybridize with native smallmouth bass. While there is no doubt that smallmouth have been affected by habitat alterations, the continual march of spotted bass further upstream each year concerned biologists. Smallmouth bass numbers appear to have declined in many areas and biologists believe spotted bass may be part of the reason. In response, the Conservation Department removed the minimum length limit on spotted bass and increased the daily limit to 12. Anglers in these three rivers can help slow the increase of spotted bass by learning spotted bass identification and taking some home." With that said, if anyone can give me some solid info giving reasonable proof smallies aren't native to the Meramec, I'd sure like to hear it. But this article by the MDC seems to suggest they are in fact native.

I agree... The more spots we can take out the better. I've taken almost 50 out so far this month, still counting.....................................

Good luck. I hope you clean out some spots.... I would go, but I'm gonna be trout fishing down at Maramec on Saturday....

Yeah, the Meramec isn't the White... There aren't seven pound browns behind every bend. That was a true trophy, and I sure wish it could have been released to fight again.

I'm gonna head down to the Meramec below the park on Saturday or Sunday..... I was going to go down to the Paddy Creek Wilderness and go hunting, but that didn't work out, so this is the back up plan. I'm gonna hit the river between the spring branch and the piles, as well as maybe the park itself.... I hope the water conditions cooperate.

Maybe I am reading this post wrong.... But it says that smallmouth may or may not be native to the Gasconade or Osage River systems. The same is not said about the Meramec system. He simply says there that he believes the Meramec smallies look a bit different than the ones from the Buffalo, and other south flowing Ozark streams. I don't believe he's saying they're non-native. But I could be wrong.

I believe spotted bass should be protected in their native range. But the simple fact is they are not native to the Meramec, Bourbeuse, or Big Rivers. And they are decimating native smallies in these streams. I don't believe it is a coincidence that at almost exactly the same time spotted bass showed up on the seen, smallies began declining. I don't want to lose the Meramec basin to 10" non-native spotted bass. I say do anything to protect the smallies. Here's what I would change the regs to.... Throughout the Meramec and lower Gasconade basin, catch and release only for native black bass (smallmouth and largemouth), and catch and keep only for non-native bass (kentuckies). Also, any and all spotted bass electro-shocked would be taken out. This may not fix the problem, but it would certainly help. I think we're too far along the line to entirely fix the problem.

I'm glad people are fighting that. I hope they win the lawsuit.

Sounds like a good trip.... A seven pound brown on a stringer. All I can say is yuck.

Here in a bit.... I'm gonna go up there and get some of those spotted bass and bring them home. I'm thinking a two day float=24 dead spotted bass.It probably won't help anything, but it will make me feel better. I don't like to kill bass, even pesky little Kentuckies, but if it makes room for one more smallie, its worth it. I really think the MDC needs to start taking out the spots they shock. I don't think they understand that their kinda just throwing the Bourbeuse (and its smallmouth) out to the dogs here. It's sad to watch one of your favorite rivers die right before your eyes, with no one trying to save it.

Trout Park courtesy........ Uh, well its kinda lacking. Some of those people at those parks just shouldn't fish, sorry to be negative but its true.

You're right. The smallie fishing is better on the upper Meramec.... Probably worth the drive. But I really do like the like the Bourbeuse, although I don't really know why. Not so much for the fishing I guess as the solitude, especially in summer when the Meramec is what it is then. The fishery is definitely in complete dissaray right now though. It's pretty sad.

Yeah, I've heard it has to do with the hellbender as well. On another note, I doubt if the browns would reproduce... Missouri spring-water is just too warm at the brown trout spawning time. Their eggs grow so fast in the comparitively warm water that the eggs cannot support themselves, and they die. Rainbows can sometimes successfully spawn because they spawn when the water is colder. Or so I've heard anyway.

A 17" smallie on the Bourbeuse is a really good fish for this time of year... The amount of spots you caught that far upriver is more than a bit concerning.