Beautiful Saturday At Sand Ford

[Flyguide7]

I enjoyed a great day on the river Saturday. Warm weather, leaf color on the river banks at or very near peak and 15 smallies made for a great day. Fish were 10-14 inches but offered a lot of fun on light tackle on 4lb line. I did have to clean out the intake on my 35 Hp outboard once. But the leaves floating in the river weren't too bad.

[Haris122]

What types of lures were you throwing? Also, did you get any other species going for it?

[Flyguide7]

I used 3" gizit chub colored ( light brown black flake)

tube jigs. I caught one spot and one hybrid smallie spot. Never saw a carp or sheepshead.

[Haris122]

I headed out to the Meramec for a few hours myself finally, a couple days ago, but down here near St. Louis. First day when it was warm and foggy, I had that feeling i would hook a good one. But instead I just got a missed bite (as in a fish went for it but missed). Not certain what it was, but it appeared fairly small. The other day there wasn't even that. That area of the river near Sand ford looks real nice. I've seen it a few times, but never fished it when I went out that far.

[gramps50]

Is there enough water there for a small prop? Got a jon with a 20 hp on it.

[Haris122]

Gramps, I can't help much from direct boating experience, and I might be wrong on this, but when I was checking it out from the boat ramp a few weeks ago, I got the impression the average depth, at least right there by the access and just upstream by the Meramec Caverns, is around 4-5 feet once you get into the main channel portions of it.

[Mitch f]

Is there enough water there for a small prop? Got a jon with a 20 hp on it.

No, a jet can barely get thru