Pleasant Day...

[Al Agnew]

I don't usually fish the Smallmouth Management Area on the Meramec. I think that other stretches of the river actually have more potential for big fish. But I hadn't fished the SMA for several years, so my wife Mary and I floated it today, from Riverview Access to Birds Nest.

Wonderful weather, warm but not sweltering, nice breeze but not enough to make paddling difficult, some of the trees beginning to turn color a bit, followed an eagle downstream for more than a mile, saw hundreds and hundreds of turtles of several different species. The river had gotten a slight rise from rain the day before, and was just about perfect for the upper Meramec, visibility about 4 feet and that slightly milky green color. We put in just ahead of a couple in another private canoe, and there was one raft with several people in it in sight downstream. But neither group was fishing much, and both soon went out of sight ahead of us. Near Hwy. 19 we caught up with two rental canoes of non-anglers. That was it for people.

I immediately started catching some fish, but nothing much over 12 inches, and more largemouth than smallmouth. I was using my homemade crankbait to start, but soon switched to another home made bait, the sinking walk-the-dog lure that I modeled after the Rapala Subwalk. I also was casting my homemade spinnerbait in faster water areas...the Subwalk doesn't work well in strong current. Everything was catching a fish now and then.

We came to a long stretch of fairly shallow, moving water with a solid rock bottom, with several riffles and one drop that could almost be called a rapid. The small smallies were scattered throughout this stretch, and at one good spot I caught a 15 incher. But it was looking like the big fish weren't coming out to play today.

We were approaching a riffle, and there was a nice pocket around a log on the off bank (the other bank was rocky). The current swung a bit into the log. I didn't make the cast until we were well past the spot, because that was the only angle that would allow a good cast. I was twisted around in the back of the canoe trying to play the Subwalk (I'm going to have to come up with a name for my lure, since the only real resemblance to a Subwalk is in the way you fish it...hey, I think I'll call it the "Sinking Swinger".) Suddenly there was a huge swirl. I set the hooks and felt a heavy fish. I was sure, from the great bulging wake as the fish took the lure, that it was a really big one, though in that spot I figured it was a largemouth. It tangled me in a small limb, but came loose. Mary had the camera ready. And then I got it to where we could see it. Largemouth alright, but not as big as I would have guessed. Still, it was a nice fish of around 18 inches:

Just about the Hwy. 19 bridge, another real nice largemouth inhaled my crankbait. It was about 17 inches. Still no big smallies, though.

Finally, in a shallow, rocky run, I happened to look up ahead and saw a wake from what appeared to be some kind of fairly big fish, in water that looked to be no more than 18 inches deep. I couldn't see the fish, but thought just maybe it would be a bass in that spot. I made a long cast with the Sinking Swinger and sure enough, this is what the fish was!

It was 19 inches. A fish like that always makes the trip a good one.

[KCRIVERRAT]

Looks like a great day Al! Did ya catch any spots?

[eric1978]

Looks like a great day Al! Did ya catch any spots?

Al,

I'm sure you've covered this before, but can you explain why MDC chose to implement the SMA on only 15 miles of the Meramec, when there is well over 100 miles of river that would potentially benefit? And why did they choose that stretch? You would think they would try a section that is somewhat farther downstream.

Nice fish. Looks like a great day on the river. I'm sure it was better than my day of working.

Your Sinking Swinger looks like a baby Spook. Is that right? Is there a reason you chose a Spook over a Sammy? You don't have to say if it's supposed to be a secret weapon...just curious.

Edit...on closer inspection I suppose maybe that is a Sammy. Still curious...

[Al Agnew]

No spots. Up that far, and that close to the cold water from Maramec Spring, spots don't do well. I've caught a couple up there, but that was probably 10 years ago when the local bass club was releasing tournament caught fish willy-nilly and inadvertently putting spotted bass wherever they had their weigh-in, even if the fish were caught 100 miles downstream.

That section of the Meramec was one of the first three SMAs. Back then they weren't sure the concept would go over with anglers. I've been told off the record that the ONLY reason it was chosen was because it was just below the trout management area, and they hoped that anglers in the region would already be accustomed to the trout management concept and would be less likely to oppose special smallmouth management restrictions in an adjoining section.

Now, there is a built in constituency that might be opposed to downstream management areas--the tournament anglers. They might not want restrictions limiting the number of smallies they could weigh in. There may be biological reasons why the lower Meramec AND the other stream sections across southern Missouri that are big enough for lots of jetboat traffic and tournaments are unsuitable for special management--but it is an interesting coincidence....the closest thing we have to a larger river section that has special management is the Gasconade management area.

The lure I was using today is a wooden one I make myself, about the size of a Super Spook Jr., but weighted so that it sinks slowly. It also is shaped a bit differently, with a bulbous head section, a somewhat narrower "neck" about a third of the way back, and then wider again, with a feathered rear treble. It walks the dog underwater, usually running about 6-12 inches deep if you're working it fairly quickly. I didn't shape it like a Sammy because I simply turned it out on a lathe, and making it "Spook-like" with a narrower neck was a lot easier than shaping it more like a Sammy. I also made a horizontal stabilizer fin at the rear (which is what Rapala did with the Subwalk), which keeps it walking horizontally and not zig-zagging up and down. I've since made some without the neck and a little smaller yet. They are tricky to make because the mass and placement of the weight is critical to getting them to walk well...about half the ones I've made don't work very well.

[eric1978]

On a lathe, huh? Hmmm...

I suppose you've messed around with different wood species? Have you tried denser exotic woods like teak or ebony? It seems like they would respond better to the WTD action...the heavier wood would probably offer a smoother and longer "glide per twitch," and a better "roll" than lighter woods. Also seems like they would be easier to balance because they are closer to neutral buoyancy.

I was thinking about doing some surgery on an old scratched up Sammy with a drill and some solder, but the lathe version sounds like a lot more fun.

[joeD]

Al- Stay off my section!!! I was there first! There is no potential there!

Seriously though, I,and my partners, have caught a lot of big fish in that section ( we usually stop at hwy 19 ). I did a Sunday- Monday overnighter two weeks ago, I caught a 19 incher above Indian Springs, and my buddy caught a 20 1/4 " er about a hundred yards below Fishing Spring, in the slow water ( I haven't figured out how to post pictures ). I vouchsafe that the water between Fishing Spring and Hwy 19 is extremely productive. I used to paddle through there in days of yore, but not anymore.

A couple notes: The 20 inch fish weighed 3.6 pounds. According to my stream thermometer, the water temp throughout the trip was around 65 degrees. Thought it curious that late in August.

Thanks for the report Al, but you might have better luck in St. Gen., I hear drum are on the feed on the Mississippi.

[Bman]

Thanks for another great report!

[Gavin]

Al, thanks for the report and the info...I've never been a fan of the Scott's Ford to Indian Spring section of the Meramec...seems like its a dead zone from Diving Bluff Down to Indian Springs. I've never done that well for trout or smallmouth in that section.....Kinda reminds me of Akers to Pulltite on the Current.

[DoctaJ]

Nice report Al, when you put into riverside access of of o, the first rapids you come to, that's my wife's family farm on the left side. Her farm is all along till the second set of rapids. It's a great place to smalie fish =)