Smallmouth Management Area 7-31-08

[riverrat]

I floated ten miles in the management area today. The weather was nice, overcast all day. There was a topwater bite early and sporadically all day. We ended up catching 40 between us, with 35 smallies and 5 largemouth- no spots. The largest fish were 3 16" smallies and one 17" largemouth. Had a larger smallmouth come unbuttoned at the boat. Besides topwater, they were caught on a fluke. A lot of the gravel has been scoured out of the river. Most shallow chutes are now deep chutes and some of the shallow eddys now have a deep channel in them. As an example there was in the last several years a chute 300 yards long that was weed-choked and 6" to 2' deep. It is now 6-10 ft deep with no visible weeds. Riverrat

[Wormser]

Thanks for the report, that's a good number of smallies. I am going out there this weekend by Richland and I think it is the management area too. How are craw colored tube baits working? I have only been doing the Meramec lately and have had no luck with top water and been catchin the bass on 1/8 oz jigs with a soft crawdad along the bottom. How about inline spinners like a Mepps or Roostertail... any luck? Sorry for all the questions, but I have not been out on the Gasconade in years (since I was a kid) and don't want to get shut out.

[riverrat]

Thanks for the report, that's a good number of smallies. I am going out there this weekend by Richland and I think it is the management area too. How are craw colored tube baits working? I have only been doing the Meramec lately and have had no luck with top water and been catchin the bass on 1/8 oz jigs with a soft crawdad along the bottom. How about inline spinners like a Mepps or Roostertail... any luck? Sorry for all the questions, but I have not been out on the Gasconade in years (since I was a kid) and don't want to get shut out.

Any lure that works on the Meramec should work on the Gasconade. I don't fish the bottom in the summer, chase the more active fish-maybe to my detriment. Good luck

[jdmidwest]

Good report. Usually by August I have switched over to topwater baits also, rapalas, jitterbugs, torpedos, and poppers. Here lately I have started using the soft craws and been catching some nice ones in the deeper holes. Floating along I usually keep 2 rods rigged, one with topwater, one with a soft bait on a jig.