Smallmouth Fishing Around Bird's Nest

[Gavin]

Sounds like a fun adventure!...Fishing bottom from a moving canoe is pretty hard to do...the boat has to be going slow or stopped for you to make good presentation..Works well if you can hold the boat on a log or a rock, anchor in a safe spot, or eddy out on the bank below and cast back up. Its allot easier to fish a faster moving bait if the boat is moving at a good clip....Spinnerbaits, Buzzbaits, Flukes are great fish finders and they move well through the junk...and if the fish dont commit hit em with some plastic. Cheers.

[Scott25.stl]

Siusalumi, you're right wind does suck. It was great until the wind kicked up.

I have some jigs with weed guards, but man they seem way more expensive! I actually threw my small white spinnerbait for a while right before the front came in. I lost it when that bigger fish I hooked wrapped around a tree and broke it off. Kinda wish I would have thrown it earlier. I might have caught better quality fish. Those goggle eye LOVED the grubs I threw. There was one hole with a fallen tree where I caught like 10 in a row on about as many casts.

Smalliebigs, that is a great idea! I'm fairly confident in my fishing skills in general, but adding current, wind and a managing a canoe by myself is a horse of a different color. My next trip was going to be on the Gasconade, but I may put that on hold until after I do a bit of wading around. I'd like to pay a guide for a trip but there's no way I could get my wife to go for me dropping that kind of dough on one day of fishing! But, you ever want to put me on some nice smallmouth, I'm your guy!

[Scott25.stl]

Ozark trout fisher, for my next trip I'm going to hit up a place like you mentioned. But I agree if I'm catching smallies, I ain't complaining.

No doubt, Gavin. That makes sense.

Just curious, any of you guys Missouri Smallmouth Alliance members? I think that's something I'd like to get involved with.

[Greasy B]

I enjoyed the report Scott. I think there are a fair number of MSA folks on this forum including myself. Joining would be a great way to gain friends and knowledge. One of the most enjoyable aspects of stream Smallmouth fishing is that it can be such a challenge. I'm looking forward to more of your reports.

[Guest]

Ozark trout fisher, for my next trip I'm going to hit up a place like you mentioned. But I agree if I'm catching smallies, I ain't complaining.

No doubt, Gavin. That makes sense.

Just curious, any of you guys Missouri Smallmouth Alliance members? I think that's something I'd like to get involved with.

I am a proud member of the MSA. Great organization. I would suggest joining, you will find some good folks to fish with and learn a lot.

[Gavin]

Just renewed my membership.

[Scott25.stl]

Looks like I just missed the last MSA meeting, but I'll try and make the next one.

Well, I'm at a real computer now, so here's the pic of my first Meramec smallmouth. Just a little guy, but I figure it's like framing the first dollar you make in your business. Right? haha.

[ozark trout fisher]

Pretty fish

[Al Agnew]

Just a little hint that sometimes works...if you are bucking a headwind in a canoe by yourself, take enough of your gear and put it up in the front end of the canoe (or, of course, if you're fishing in a tandem canoe from the "back" seat turned around backward, put it in the "back" of the canoe. Anyway, to make it simple, you want the end that's pointed into the wind to be heavier. A word of caution, though...this will make the canoe more difficult to turn when you need to maneuver through riffles.

[Mitch f]

Ozark trout fisher, for my next trip I'm going to hit up a place like you mentioned. But I agree if I'm catching smallies, I ain't complaining.

No doubt, Gavin. That makes sense.

Just curious, any of you guys Missouri Smallmouth Alliance members? I think that's something I'd like to get involved with.

I have been a member for years, great group of guys. You should join, would be glad to have you as a member!