Which Section? 11 Mi Before Or After Wenkel

[Whiskey Joe]

I read the reports and you guys are killin' me! I haven't touched the Bourbeuse ALL YEAR. I had 2 open weekends in June, but it was 8' plus at Union, too high to fish.

I finally finished all the "family" weekends and have the next 2 weekends open (10/10 & 10/17). I was all excited, but now . . .

I plan to get on around 4PM on Friday, off Sunday morning. Which section would you recommend?

A. Friend's place to Wenkle (~11 miles)

B. Wenkle to Peter's (11 miles)

I'll keep & eat ALL the spots I can (may even cut a couple of little ones for the catfish, shhhh!). My impression of fall fishing is fewer numbers, but bigger fish. Of course it's not all about the fishing. I'm way low on "ME TIME". A gravel bar with a little fire, big whiskey drink, and waiting for the catfish poles to bend sounds AWESOME!

Maybe I should look at the Meramec instead. Can I still camp at the gravel bars like on the Bourbeuse, or will someone run me off?

Lures:

My default is a worm hook on one and a lead head on the other. Rubber is across the board (flukes, worms, tubes, creatures, crawdads, grubs, etc.). I'll also throw a buzz in the morninings & evenings, but mainly rubber. Favorites are Culprit fluke (white with blue fleck), Yum fork tailed dinger, Yum creature baits, black power worm.

I cast past where I think a fish is, reel in, then let it fall by the structure. In the fall, I slow everything down a bit. I don't fish the rapids a lot, I like past the rapids in the slower, deeper rock for weighted fishing and trees for flukes.

Sorry for going on and on. I'm excited.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Joe

[ozark trout fisher]

I read the reports and you guys are killin' me! I haven't touched the Bourbeuse ALL YEAR. I had 2 open weekends in June, but it was 8' plus at Union, too high to fish.

I finally finished all the "family" weekends and have the next 2 weekends open (10/10 & 10/17). I was all excited, but now . . .

I plan to get on around 4PM on Friday, off Sunday morning. Which section would you recommend?

A. Friend's place to Wenkle (~11 miles)

B. Wenkle to Peter's (11 miles)

I'll keep & eat ALL the spots I can (may even cut a couple of little ones for the catfish, shhhh!). My impression of fall fishing is fewer numbers, but bigger fish. Of course it's not all about the fishing. I'm way low on "ME TIME". A gravel bar with a little fire, big whiskey drink, and waiting for the catfish poles to bend sounds AWESOME!

Maybe I should look at the Meramec instead. Can I still camp at the gravel bars like on the Bourbeuse, or will someone run me off?

Lures:

My default is a worm hook on one and a lead head on the other. Rubber is across the board (flukes, worms, tubes, creatures, crawdads, grubs, etc.). I'll also throw a buzz in the morninings & evenings, but mainly rubber. Favorites are Culprit fluke (white with blue fleck), Yum fork tailed dinger, Yum creature baits, black power worm.

I cast past where I think a fish is, reel in, then let it fall by the structure. In the fall, I slow everything down a bit. I don't fish the rapids a lot, I like past the rapids in the slower, deeper rock for weighted fishing and trees for flukes.

Sorry for going on and on. I'm excited.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Joe

11 miles is too long for one day on the Bourbeuse... You could do it, but it would be daylight to dark with a lot of paddling through fishy water. I would either do a shorter float or make it a camp trip, and do it in two days. Good luck

You'll definitely find better fishing on the Meramec. I Would consider it, but the good news on the Bourbeuse is that you won't see other fisherman. But then again this time of year the Meramec won't be bad eithe.

[eric1978]

A friend and I did Mill Rock to Wenkel a few weeks ago. Be prepared to paddle or get nowhere fast. We wound up having to paddle in the dark for about an hour since we kind of let the day slip away on the first half of the float and the river doesn't move you at all.

I'm guessing that float was about 6 miles, and we did it in about 8 hours or so, the first half lots of fishing and screwing around, the second half HAULING to get back. So if you're gonna fish a lot, I would figure about and hour and a half to two hours per mile on that part of the Bourbeuse. Oh yeah, and lots of dragging. Seems like that part of the river you're either dragging your canoe through shallow riffles or paddling through slack water or sitting dead still.

We caught some fish, but about half were spots. I got a 17" smallie on a white spinnerbait, the best fish of the day. A few really chunky largemouth just shy of 15". The smallies were scarce, though.

If I was going by myself for a day and a half, I'd probably get out the waders and take the canoe way up high and put in at Mint Spring or maybe even higher and be prepared to do a lot of portaging. I think you'll find less spots up there. If that doesn't sound good to you my second choice would be to put in at Wenkel and float down to Noser's, or put in at Noser's and float down to Reiker. I think Wenkel to Noser's would be better. Less jet boats and less spots, although you'll see your fair share of both. That stretch looks to me about 12 miles or so, so about right for a long day and a half. You'll have to hope the river is up just a touch so you have a tiny bit of current to help move you. Otherwise, you'll be getting a workout.

You shouldn't have a problem camping on a gravel bar along the way. It's your right to camp there, and the locals are usually nice enough if you offer them a beer. I like to camp around places I can't hear or see any signs of civilization, so I can keep all my beers to myself.

Have fun and report back.

Oh, and by the way...yes, I would scratch the whole Bourbeuse plan and go with a Meramec float anyway. Better river, better fishing and you can get a shuttle.

[ozark trout fisher]

A friend and I did Mill Rock to Wenkel a few weeks ago. Be prepared to paddle or get nowhere fast. We wound up having to paddle in the dark for about an hour since we kind of let the day slip away on the first half of the float and the river doesn't move you at all.

I'm guessing that float was about 6 miles, and we did it in about 8 hours or so, the first half lots of fishing and screwing around, the second half HAULING to get back. So if you're gonna fish a lot, I would figure about and hour and a half to two hours per mile on that part of the Bourbeuse. Oh yeah, and lots of dragging. Seems like that part of the river you're either dragging your canoe through shallow riffles or paddling through slack water or sitting dead still.

We caught some fish, but about half were spots. I got a 17" smallie on a white spinnerbait, the best fish of the day. A few really chunky largemouth just shy of 15". The smallies were scarce, though.

If I was going by myself for a day and a half, I'd probably get out the waders and take the canoe way up high and put in at Mint Spring or maybe even higher and be prepared to do a lot of portaging. I think you'll find less spots up there. If that doesn't sound good to you my second choice would be to put in at Wenkel and float down to Noser's, or put in at Noser's and float down to Reiker. I think Wenkel to Noser's would be better. Less jet boats and less spots, although you'll see your fair share of both. That stretch looks to me about 12 miles or so, so about right for a long day and a half. You'll have to hope the river is up just a touch so you have a tiny bit of current to help move you. Otherwise, you'll be getting a workout.

You shouldn't have a problem camping on a gravel bar along the way. It's your right to camp there, and the locals are usually nice enough if you offer them a beer. I like to camp around places I can't hear or see any signs of civilization, so I can keep all my beers to myself.

Have fun and report back.

Oh, and by the way...yes, I would scratch the whole Bourbeuse plan and go with a Meramec float anyway. Better river, better fishing and you can get a shuttle.

The Meramec this time of year is more clear, prettier, better fishing, more flow, and it won't be crowded. I would highly reccomomend the Meramec. You'll catch fish in the Bourbeuse, but they'll be mostly dink Kentuckies. There are some big smallies on the Meramec, especially above Meramec State Park.

But a two day, eleven mile float on the Bourbeuse (camping on a gravel bar) would still be a very enjoyable way to spend a couple days on a pretty river. 11 miles in one day would be hell.

[goggleye]

My unreliable fishin' buddy and I fished up from Wenkel 4 weeks ago. The Water was low and we dragged more than we paddled. The problem was we had to drag back dowstream when it was time to go. But the Smallmouth and goggle eye were very aggressive. They hit everything we threw: beetle spins, soft plastic worms and craws, curlytail jigs and 3-4"cranks in minnow and craw patterns. Probably caught 35 fish in 4.5 hrs, largest smallie 2.5lbs, and goggleye 10".

If it were me I'd go down from Wenkel, but you will be dragging there too.

Good luck and enjoy.

PS the Meramec is good, but it sounds like you want and need some solitude and that is what you get on the Bourbeuse.

[Whiskey Joe]

Well, with 4+ inches of rain coming, the float is off. Looks like I'll miss the Bourbeuse this year unless it goes back down by next weekend. Can't do it 10/24 because I'll be on the Missouri in canoes (not as crazy as it sounds).

Section to do:

I believe I'll do the Wenkle-Peters section when I get the chance. I'd do the Meramec if I wasn't alone (better fishing). I feel a deep bond with the Bourbeuse. Heck, my license plate says BURBIS on it. I hope to do a winter float on the Meramec this year. I agree the Meramec is a better river in flow, scenery, and fishing. But this makes it more populated also.

Speed:

I typically figure 3/4 mile per hour when fishing on the river or 14 hours for an 11 mile float (2-Fri, 9-Sat, 3-Sun). And I typically won't go if the river is under 2' at Union.

Sections done:

For a couple of years, I lived in Rolla and worked in Owensville. I'd see the EE bridge (Mint Springs) and 19 bridge about every day. That area is my favorite, but you need 2 cars to run the canoes. We've done 2-night floats a few miles downstream from there, I believe Tea access was the middle point and did very well also. The last few years, I've been going to a buddy's place (see pic from last weekend) which is 9 miles down from Noser's, so I'm very familiar with Noser's to Reikers. Guess I'm trying to fill in the gap between Hwy AE bridge and Nosers. I don't like Peter's to Noser's since the last couple miles are like a lake.

Thanks for the opinions,

WJ

[eric1978]

Section to do:

I believe I'll do the Wenkle-Peters section when I get the chance. I'd do the Meramec if I wasn't alone (better fishing). I feel a deep bond with the Bourbeuse. Heck, my license plate says BURBIS on it. I hope to do a winter float on the Meramec this year. I agree the Meramec is a better river in flow, scenery, and fishing. But this makes it more populated also.

WJ

Both rivers have their own personalities and offer different kinds of enjoyment. My gut instinct tells me to prefer the Meramec because it's rockier, cooler, clearer and has more current, in my mind a classic smallmouth stream. But the Bourbeuse has smallies, too. It's of course slower, murkier, and warmer (except during winter) and has a less dramatic landscape. But it's pretty close to St. Louis, and if it weren't for the major spotted bass problem, I would probably go there much more often. The Meramec is really only about a half hour farther drive, and if the fishing is tough, at least you get to float through more scenic water.

For me the goal is always to catch fish, and if I knew somehow the fishing was better on the Bourbeuse for some reason, I would choose it happily over the Meramec. But all things being equal, the latter is always my first choice.

I understand how a particular stream can just feel like home. I cut my teeth smallmouth fishing on the upper Huzzah, and it remains one of my favorite streams to fish simply because I spent so much time on it. It doesn't hold the most or biggest fish by any means, but I developed a kinship with it over the years and it's always calling me back.

No matter where you go, the old saying continues to ring true: A bad day of fishing is better than a good day doing anything else.

[hank franklin]

Joe,

I did Wenkel to Peter's last spring in good flow and it was a nice trip. Fishing was slow but it was early and a bit cool, fish didn't seem active and we were moving pretty good so didn't fish thoroughly. I think this would be a good float once the river settles down after this rain. I prefer the upper sections however, Tea to Shawnee, Shawnee to Mill Rock, and Mill Rock to Wenkel. If it was me I'd do Tea to Shawnee or if I had the time Tea to Mill Rock. You shouldn't have any problem with camping, I never have.