Post-dispatch Article

[Al Agnew]

This is my first time on this site and it is a pleasure to read comments from people that are not mean and degrading like some of the other forums out there.

The 6.2 smallie I caught was caught in the Meremac and I weighed it on a new scale that I bought that day. I was going to have it mounted but I couldn't kill it, so I released it after taking some pictures of it. The fish was the thickest, fatest smallie I have ever seen before. It did measure 24" but its length wasn't what was so impressive but how thick it was and the drop of its belly. The second 5.9 smallie was actually caught in the Gasconade. Kathy made a small error when she said they where both caught in the Meremac. She had ask me so many questions throughout the day and just got things mixed up. The 5.9 was a freak of nature and without a doubt the coolest looking smallie I have ever caught. Its is really long and had the biggest tail I have ever seen on a smallie. It had the longest distance between its tail and it main body which accounts for it long length. I caught this fish on a small crank bait and I thought I would never land her. She pulled like a train, like all big smallie do, but this one took forever to get in.

I have been hearing a lot about how people measure fish. Some measure a a fish by it length and some other like myself like to weigh them. I don't think it matters either way. I have this crazy dream about catching the next state record smallie out of a Missouri river, not a lake, so I like to weigh them to keep track of just how heavy one can get in our rivers.

I am not a guide and I am not looking for more business. Mrs. Etling had asked me to take her and her husband Bob fishing and it was my pleasure to do so.

Kathy and Bob are the nicest, down to earth couple I have ever met. Not to mention they are really acomplished fishermen. This is really cool forum and I hate to say it but I never seen it before. It is sure nice to see people sharing information on fishing and to see so many people who love stream fishing.

I know by now everyone would like to see the pitcures of the two smallies and I will send them soon. My boy's will have to help with this. Rick

Welcome, Rick! Can't wait to see the pictures, and I'm glad to see another fanatic river smallmouth angler on this site.

Shawncat, no fair showing pictures of fish caught up north somewhere!

CWC, I agree totally on the gigging thing. I just don't know that anything can ever be done about it. In my opinion, it is a very significant factor limiting the number of really big smallmouth on Ozark streams. And I too would like to see the gigging season pushed back, not only because of accidental gigging due to murkier water, but also because early in the season the big fish are more active at night, and more likely to be in shallower water where they are easier to gig.

Steve, very nice fish from the Jacks Fork!

[shawncat]

How about posting some Smallmouth pics from you folks out there.

Sorry Al,should have known I could'nt get that one by you.

Rainy Lake,Canada

In my defense..........It is a Smallmouth.

[joeD]

Bell bottoms and feathered hair!! Bring on Sabbath and my Chevelle!!

[shawncat]

That's funny you say that.My buddy[the guy with the big bells holding the fish]Kurt's ring tone is an Ozzy song.

[joeD]

CNR- This is what you should have posted

[joeD]

I'm 6'2" and overweight. I remember the cigar was excellent.

Big River above Hwy 21 1998

[shawncat]

Nice one!

[Rick Bruder]

Thank you for welcoming me to this forum.

The two smallies above are the fish Kathy Etling mentions in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch story. The fish on the left was caught in the Gasconade River sometime around February 2001. The fish on the right was caught in the Meramec River in February 1996.

The Gasconade River fish weighed 5 lbs. 9 oz. and measured over 24” long. The Meramec fish weighed 6 lbs. 2 oz. and measured 24” long. When I caught the 6.2, I thought I had a state record but it was shy by one pound. You are probably wondering why the 6.2 photograph is taken in the summer months instead of February as stated above. Well it’s a very long story but here is the short version.

I caught this fish as mentioned above in February on the Meramec River.

I tried to weigh the fish in my boat but the scales I had where not working so I ran by the local tackle store on the way home and bought a new electronic scale. I couldn’t wait to get home to show my wife the new possible state record. We weighed the fish and it came up short by one pound. I was a little disappointed but I was still in shock that I caught such a massive smallie. I could not decide if I wanted to let her go or to have her hanging on the wall. I decided to sleep on it. The next morning I went out to look at the fish and she tried to jump out of the live well. At that point I knew I could not kill her so I asked my wife to get her camera. We took enough pictures to use up a whole roll of film (this was before the digital age) and I jokingly ask if there was film in the camera. She replied that she just had it cleaned and a new roll of film installed in it. The next day I took the fish to a friend’s lake and released the fish. I went fishing that day and when I returned my wife was sitting on the front porch and she seemed upset. I then found out that the man at the camera store did not install any film in the camera. She felt terrible and asked me to say something. I told her, “you better hope that the judge is not a fisherman”. I had just caught the biggest smallie in my life and had no photograph or record of it being caught. I had to catch it again so I told my wife I don’t care how long it will take me but I will catch this fish again. She replied that I could go anytime I wanted and she wouldn’t say a word. It took me well into June but I finally caught her again and that is the photo you see above. Hard to believe, but it’s a true story.

The Gasconade 5.9 smallie was without a doubt one of the most beautiful fish I have ever caught. I don’t think I have ever seen a smallie with a bigger tail or one as long. The fish was just as powerful as the 6.2, and to this day I have never caught two fish that fought as hard as these two did. I understand that most fishermen would have had them mounted, but I feel that one smallmouth removed from the river could change the future of the river.

I would like to mention that it is not a good idea to release any fish into a private lake, and I would never do that again. All the fish I catch are released in the waters that I catch them in. I wish everyone could understand just how important it is to practice catch and release. I have seen fishermen load their live wells full of small and large bass and put the filet knife to them. This would be ok if there where just a few people fishing, but today we have a lot of people fishing. I would much rather take a photo or have a fiberglass replica made, but I understand that it is everyone’s right to take fish, or if they choose, to have it mounted. I think that we need to take the first steps to preserve a great resource so someone else can enjoy catching them. A long time ago I started fishing for smallies and now I’ve caught the greatest appreciation and admiration for smallmouth bass.

Rick Bruder

Here are the photographs of the two smallmouth.

[joeD]

Great fish, great story Rick. I stand corrected. My apologies for doubting you.

Now where on the Gasconade did you say?

What happened to your hair?

[Rick Bruder]

Great fish, great story Rick. I stand corrected. My apologies for doubting you.

Now where on the Gasconade did you say?

What happened to your hair?

Thanks, To many rides in fast boats.

Rick