The Gasconade In June With 18' Jet Boat

[Transplanted Hoosier]

I am a civilian contractor in Iraq and will be coming home for vacation in June and will only have 3-4 opportunities to get out fishing. We moved to Columbia just before I came over so I did not get a chance to explore the rivers. I have a Bass Tracker 185 jet and have been exploring using DeLorme's Topo program and downloadable aerial photos for places I could put it in.

I have been wondering about the river at Jerome, it looks like it might be big enough to handle my boat but was wondering what the opinion was of people familiar with the river was. If Jerome is still too small/shallow what would be the first point on the river I could put in? I would really like to get into some small mouth, but generally fish for anything that will tug on a line. What would be the most active fish on the river in June?

I appreciate any advice I can get, if not the Gasconade is there another river in the area that would be better?

[fozzie.]

You ought to be fine in a jet boat.

[ozark trout fisher]

You ought to be fine in a jet boat.

I don't know anything about jet boats, but that stretch of the G'nade seems like it would be fine for a jet boat. It's pretty deep water.

The bass fishing will be very good if the water isn't too high.

[Al Agnew]

Just one caution...there are several pools in that stretch that are wide and smooth and look plenty deep enough, but have scattered boulders out in the middle that at normal levels may be shallow enough to hit. Since it looks like smooth running and you'll probably be moving fast in such stretches, it wouldn't be pleasant to hit one. The water is slow enough that the boulders often don't form swirls on the surface, especially if there's a wind and chop on the water. You really need to be able to see well into the water as you're running.

In general that section is runnable up to the mouth of Big Piney, something like nine miles above Jerome. Above the Piney, it gets narrower and much trickier.

[Transplanted Hoosier]

Thanks Al-

I'm an old fart and we don't get this way by trying to stay young and dumb forever

I don't figure on even getting on plane for the first couple trips, I've been on some of those shallow Iowa streams and learned a thing or two.

The wife is going to drive my 4X4 pickup to get me at the airport then we are going to take a couple days checking out the Merrimac and the Gasconade, From my internet searches it looks like there is a ramp at the Boiling Spring Campground and that would put us right in the middle of where I think I want to be, check out that Piney/Gasconade junction.

[Kc River Ratt]

We fished that part of the river last year. Lots of Jets running the river in Aug. We had a 16' Jet. Hope ya have good fun, and fishing.