Hybrids On The Lower Meramec

[Smalliebigs]

I just now am realizing there may be a fish I like to catch than Smallmouth Bass.......Hybrids my new fav and I just caught some for the first time on the Lower Meramec.The spot I fished on a lunch break to just really kill some time and try to get my mind off my dying dog was one of the most dirty, trash laced pieces of water I have ever encountered and really just made me plain sick to say I was of the same species that could comit such stupid acts as just blatently dump trash into the river.What can you do other than try to pick other peoples trash and try to explain to them not to litter but, I digress.

The spot I fished, alot of you have seen from the HWy 141 bridge and is a rock shoal where Fishpot Creek flows into the river just below the bridge.People have been fishing there forever and it shows as it is disgusting. I had my Medium wt Crucial rod with a smaller curado on it with only 10lb mono and was just screwing around as I like to say.When I thought I had snagged a Bighead or Asian Carp in the back.Whatever I had hooked into was running me up towards the begining of the shoal at a rapid rate and screaming line off my reel.Then it came down stream into a little deeper water and just bulldogged me for a bit and then ran upstream for a bit.......this was a blast whatever it was. The local tweaks who were fishing from the shoal around me began to gather in anticipation as to what was on the end of my line. I must admit I felt some pressure to not let this get off for the tweaks and really was trying best not to loose this fish when a big silver flash before me appeared and I thought, aw man it's a huge Drum!!!!! oh well they are still fun too.Thats when this fish took off again screaming upstream and I admit I was getting a little excited. I finally coaxed the fish into some more shallow water to see it and it was a Hybrid???? I was floored!!! It was a nice one too a little over 6 lbs maybe a little bigger. I gave the fish to the head tweaker on the beach as his mouth was watering looking at the fish. I didn't have a camera and this allowed me to go to the truck a good distance from where I was. I threw out 5 more times before going to the truck and caught 2 more both were quite a bit smaller about 3 to 3 1/2 lbs. I had to get back to the office and wanted a shot of the poor bastard I had just gave to the tweakers so I ran to the truck and brought a camera back.I appologize for a fish on a stringer shot but, I needed proof for few dudes on here who will question me.

The water temps were 78 degrees with about an inch of visibilty and a slight poop odor, but the fishing was good.....really good and I found my new favorite fish.Although I have now learned from experience and from others that Hybrids can blow up a mans ego....they are crazy.....no ryme or reason. I went back to the same tweak shoal and not a bite or a sign of life anywhere. I will be enthusiasticly fishing the lower Mec for Hybrids now as I had no idea they came up as far as my house in Kirkwood from the Mississippi.Anyone who has caught a Hybrid will know why I am so excited....probally for nothing though

[Bird Watcher]

Welcome to the dark side. I quit fishing for all other fish after my first 5#er. Btw, my favorite fish to catch was the smallmouth at one time too.

Remember, they can and will travel up tributaries up to 100 miles without flinching. Nothing is ever too far up river for a Hybrid. "They quit swimming when their back comes out of the water" is what an old timer told me one time and it's true. Nice fish btw.

[eric1978]

Dude. That's awesome. Temperate bass are the shnit. Try it on a fly rod!

Sorry about your pooch.

[moguy1973]

Nice fish Scott. I've fished under that bridge a few times with no luck. Nice to know something like that is lurking in there.

[Al Agnew]

Where the heck are those things coming from? I've caught white bass out of the Meramec in many different places, but never a hybrid.

[Feathers and Fins]

Now thats a well fed Hybrid. nice catch and great eats.

[Guest]

 

 

 

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[Mitch f]

Scott and Andy, great fish, I've never caught Hybrids like that on the Meramec, only whites!

[Wayne SW/MO]

I believe Essox Niger catches a few somewhere around STL, but I don't know anymore than that.

I wish they would put them in Bull Shoals, but it doesn't seem likely.

[Smalliebigs]

Dude. That's awesome. Temperate bass are the shnit. Try it on a fly rod!

Sorry about your pooch.

Eric, everyone is saying that about Hybrids.....I'm finding alot of the Hybrid addicts like to get them on the long rod. Jesus man I have a 7 wt not sure if it would be enough but, it would be fun to try.....not sure if I posess the skill required to do it with a flyrod.

Welcome to the dark side. I quit fishing for all other fish after my first 5#er. Btw, my favorite fish to catch was the smallmouth at one time too.

Remember, they can and will travel up tributaries up to 100 miles without flinching. Nothing is ever too far up river for a Hybrid. "They quit swimming when their back comes out of the water" is what an old timer told me one time and it's true. Nice fish btw.

Birdwatcher, you seem to know more about these than I do also Andy. My questions are many 1) these come from the stockings in the Mississippi and other lakes where they were stocked and then they swim after food their whole life and swim up the Meramec????

2) do they reproduce????

3) do they ever stay in an area or just move on???? they seem to be a hard fish to get a pattern going on.

Andy you're making get my boat ready to fish the Mississippi down near S. Illinois