Mdc Chouteau Claim Access

[Mitch f]

Fished there the other day and found a bunch of hybrid smallie/spot mixes. About 50% of the "smallies" I caught were hybrids. I'm slowly getting the point about the spots. Still love to catch big spots but they are few and far between. 2 years ago I caught an 18" hybrid (2nd Pic) in the exact same access. Now the area is just full of these little 10" fish(first pic). The smaller one was probably 50% smallie/spot. The bigger one was more smallie. I think I've posted the pic of the bigger one before, sorry to repeat.

This stretch probably marks one of the lowest points that I will ever fish the Meramec.

ps. dont make fun of the fishing shoes

[MOsmallies]

That 18" hybrid is an awesome looking fish! The spots though are an unfortunate deal. If all the hybrids looked like that 2nd pic then I'm sure people wouldn't be as upset. Thanks for the pics and I see nothing wrong with your shoes

Paul

MOsmallies

[Al Agnew]

Interesting pics, Mitch...when I was just looking at the thumbnails I was thinking Mitch has gone off the deep end...the one looked pure spotted bass and the other pure smallmouth. But when I enlarged the pictures and got a good look at them, I saw that you are exactly right. You have a discerning eye for bass, which comes from catching a lot of them and knowing what you're looking at. I'm often surprised when people mistake fish that are obviously largemouth for spotted bass, or obvious spotted bass for largemouth. But those fish are not obviously hybrids--but they are hybrids none the less!

[Smalliebigs]

Both hybrids are cool and horrible in the same sense. I'm with Paul, I wish all the hybrids were like the second one that would be nice. I can always tell when there is a little Spotted bass in there if you look at the eyes....Spot's eyes are different to me.

Sweet pics!!!! bummer deal with the Meramec but, all the people that have commented on this thread know full well there are areas on the MEC that hold some real brute Smallies though. I know Mitch had a freakish one on his line earlier this fall......I just wish he could have got some picsbut, we know they are there......just not as many.

Mitch, let's go hit some different Hybrids????....let me know

[Mitch f]

@Al, with the low level of these rivers right now, going off the deep end would probably be a good thing actually the picture of the smaller one didn't capture the color very well. The first reaction when you saw those smaller hybrids was WOW, look at this bronze colored spot!

@smalliebigs-Im ready in about a week!