Gasconade Smallies North Of Hwy 44?

[MaxDrown]

My buddy and I have been wanting to learn the Gasconade River north of Hwy 44 because we live in Columbia, MO. How's the smallmouth fishing in the Gasconade north of Hwy 44? Can you recommend some access points for us?

[Outside Bend]

The big thing about the lower Gasconade is finding decent habitat, but there's good smallies at least as far down as Fredericksburg Ferry.

Bell Chute's a good start, you can find many of the other MDC accesses here:

http://newmdcgis.mdc.mo.gov/Boat%20Ramps/

There's a lot of private ramps on the Gasconade, it may be worth your while to play around on Google Earth, too.

[Al Agnew]

There is a LOT of smallie water north of 44. Lots of public access in places. The stretch from Riddle Bridge to Jerome is a special management area, with a one fish, 18 inch limit on smallies. I've never been overly impressed with any one stretch over and above any other. Here are a few nice floats:

Hazelgreen Access right at the I-44 bridge to the site of the old Hwy. 133 bridge--9 miles--a few very long pools but some nice water.

Hwy. 133 to Hwy. 7 (Mitschele MDC Access)--8 miles, good water.

Schlicht Springs MDC Access to Hwy. 17 bridge--10 miles--don't do this one when the water is low. Part of this stretch is a losing reach...a major part of the Gasconade's flow sinks underground above Schlicht Springs and comes out six miles downstream. The river in that stretch gets too low to float easily in very dry weather.

Hwy. Y (Riddle Bridge MDC Access) to Hwy. 28 bridge--10 miles--there is about a three mile section in this float that is really, really bad water, dead pools and shallow, coverless runs. The rest of it is very good, however.

Hwy. 28 to Jerome MDC Access--the special management area. Gets a LOT of jetboat use on weekends, but nice water.

Bell Chute MDC Access to Hwy. 42 (private access at the bridge)--12 miles--long float but nice water.

Hwy. 42 to Paydown MDC Access--8 miles--good water, but it's a long way on a gravel road to get to Paydown.

[bottombeater]

There is a LOT of smallie water north of 44. Lots of public access in places. The stretch from Riddle Bridge to Jerome is a special management area, with a one fish, 18 inch limit on smallies. I've never been overly impressed with any one stretch over and above any other. Here are a few nice floats:

Hazelgreen Access right at the I-44 bridge to the site of the old Hwy. 133 bridge--9 miles--a few very long pools but some nice water.

Hwy. 133 to Hwy. 7 (Mitschele MDC Access)--8 miles, good water.

Schlicht Springs MDC Access to Hwy. 17 bridge--10 miles--don't do this one when the water is low. Part of this stretch is a losing reach...a major part of the Gasconade's flow sinks underground above Schlicht Springs and comes out six miles downstream. The river in that stretch gets too low to float easily in very dry weather.

Hwy. Y (Riddle Bridge MDC Access) to Hwy. 28 bridge--10 miles--there is about a three mile section in this float that is really, really bad water, dead pools and shallow, coverless runs. The rest of it is very good, however.

Hwy. 28 to Jerome MDC Access--the special management area. Gets a LOT of jetboat use on weekends, but nice water.

Bell Chute MDC Access to Hwy. 42 (private access at the bridge)--12 miles--long float but nice water.

Hwy. 42 to Paydown MDC Access--8 miles--good water, but it's a long way on a gravel road to get to Paydown.

Do you use a shuttle service?

[Seth]

I've caught a few out of the Rollins Ferry access, but mostly just get largemouth and kentuckies. It seems the smallmouth fishing gets better the closer you get to 44. With that said, there was a smallmouth caught in a tourney out of Rollins Ferry last Sunday that weighed almost 4 pounds. It was a nice one!

[Mitch f]

Al is right, a lot of good water north of 44. I think Paydown area is the heart of smallmouth fishing.

[Family-Outdoors]

Headed to this area today with son...dodging rain and thunderstorms

[UnCivE]

I was out yesterday and the fishing was great. . . if you can find some deepwater with current. Very concentrated.

[moguy1973]

I was out yesterday and the fishing was great. . . if you can find some deepwater with current. Very concentrated.

Same as what we found yesterday. They were all in moderately fast deeper water. Nothing tremendously big although a rather large one broke me off.