One Day Smallie Float Advice Requested

[jgentile]

Thinking about taking a break this week from the trout to chase some smallies. Looking for a short one day float that consists of more fishing, wading then floating.

Are any of the rivers in good enough condition to safely float and wade right now? The recent rains have the Meramec and I would suspect its' tributaries blown out.

I should say that I will be coming out from St. Louis. Any advice on which water to hit and the name of a reputable outfitter would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all in advance.

Joe

[Gavin]

It's a mess right now, and there is more rain in the forecast. Looks like its gonna be awhile before the smallmouth fishing gets good.

[MOsmallies]

Yeah I was supposed to go this past weekend and had to cancel my trip due to 2" of rain last Thursday. Raised the river from 45 cfs to close to 7000 cfs in half a day. I'm dying to get out.

[Jerry Rapp]

this is just a random question. When the smallie streams get flooded, has anyone tried fishing for them back in the flooded fields in the calmer water? I wouldn't think they would stay out in the high velocity areas and have to move somewhere. I am sure some of you have tried it.

[cwc87]

I caught some smallies on the Huzzah today using chomper s on a 3/8 head. Fish were near a eddy but out in the swift current break. Fish a creek that dumps into the meramec near birds nest and got bit on spinnerbait and brushhog. If u want to rent a canoe call me or message me. I'll put you on fish. 573 259 3124. Corey.

[Al Agnew]

Never tried for them in flooded fields. I've caught smallies when the river was flooded, though it's pretty dangerous to get in a boat or canoe then. Some of the places where I've caught them are atop submerged gravel bars on the inside of bends, in the mouths of small creeks coming into the river, up against big tree trunks near the edge of the normal banks, and in the willows on the downstream end of islands. But there's a LOT of water that could hold them when it's up.

I had a guided river trip on time on the Androscoggin in Maine. When I got there the river was up a good 5 feet, but still reasonably clear. The guide admitted he'd never fished the river when it was that high, but was willing to give it a shot if I was. We put in and he immediately went out into the middle of the river. He said, "Now this is a big rocky flat that always has a lot of fish. It's usually about three feet deep." I was thinking, "This ain't gonna work." The current was really honking, and that water had to be eight feet deep at that stage. Sure enough, we fished it for the better part of an hour, with him working himself to death on the oars of the raft trying to hold us there to fish, and never got a bite. He said, "Well, I don't know what we should try. The fish are always here." I said, "Why don't we try in against the banks in the little eddies around the tree trunks?" He said he never caught much along the banks in this stretch, but he was willing to give it a try.

Using crankbaits and spinnerbaits and hitting the little slack water eddies formed by tree trunks and rocks, I caught a pile of nice smallmouth.

[cwc87]

This one that ate it.

[cwc87]

Above is first pic uploaded ever. I'll try to put some more up.

[Justin Spencer]

Eleven Point?

[cwc87]

The first pic is at a spot on meramec and the second is at huzzah valley ( the store is n background) Justin I haven't been beating the eleven point since last August.