Smallmouth Forage In The Gasconade

[Al Agnew]

Don't worry much about matching the forage. Smallmouth are opportunistic feeders that will take anything they think they can eat, and they aren't usually very critical of color or even pattern. Putting the lure where they are, profile, and movement are the important things.

In the time period you're talking about, finding the fish can be the most difficult thing you will do. Water temps and weather trends are all-important in the late winter/pre-spawn time period. In February the fish will still be in winter mode, which means they'll be in places where the current is very slow and it's deep enough to hide them. And not all such places will hold fish. The fish tend to congregate in relatively few wintering pools. By March, they'll be starting to move a bit, but will still be close to their wintering water until mid to late March. Then they start spreading out and moving toward spawning territory. By mid-April, weather cooperating, they will be in spawning mode and can be just about anywhere in the river.

So during that time period, it can be a rapidly changing game. As a general rule, if the water temps are below 40 degrees, you should be mainly using jigs and plastics low and very slow on the bottom. Between 40 and 50, the jigs still work well but you can begin using suspending jerkbaits. Between 50 and 60, spinnerbaits and crankbaits can be added to your lure selection, and over 60 degrees, anything will work. As for colors, just use colors that, as siusaluki said, resemble the bottom of the river when using jigs and bottom bumping lures, and generalized minnow and crayfish colors in the hard baits.

And a certain percentage of the time, you can throw all that out the window because you never know for sure what they'll be taking.

[EddieRay]

At some point you'll have to cross the Niangua in the shortest route to the Gasconade, you might want to consider stopping and fishing it.

Yes, there are some rivers that are closer. I read an article in Missouri Game and Fish Magazine awhile back that the Gasconade was one of the best Missouri rivers if one is looking for larger smallmouth. That is why I plan to go there. Depending on time constraints, I may look at other waterways that are closer to my vicinity.

I appreciate all of the responses from everyone.