Rainy Day Fishing

[Al Agnew]

Shoulda seen the 16.5 incher, it was even fatter. I wish I'd taken a picture of the drum I caught, it was probably a five pounder. The crappie, however, was about six inches.

[mark hedger]

Nice report and nice fish. Fishing in the rain can be a rewarding experience.

[MOsmallies]

Al... How much you think that Walleye weighed? 5 or 6 lbs?

[Al Agnew]

I haven't had much experience weighing walleye. I'd guess 5 pounds, but I could be way wrong.

[Old plug]

When i used to fish the 25 mikes above Onandaga. I used to catch walleye with a fair regularity. I was about the only one doing so. I still do not know really the reason except as I recall i caught about all of them on the bottom of the deepest bluff holes in that area. I used to love that River. I wrote a story for MDC magazine called River of Surprise back then. And a short one in the old hunting and fishing weekly. Yeah I know that sounds hard to believe the way I type and communicate this day in age. But its true. I have written reams of government things.

[Mitch f]

Hey Old Plug... in your opinion, what year did the big decline start for the Meramec river with regards to the bass fishing?

[SmallyWally]

Thanks for sharing your day with us Al.

[Old plug]

MITCH I stopped fishing down there must have been in the late 70s from then on I was spending most my time on the lakes in Southern IL an SE Mo. I mentioned on here one time thst the first time I had been to Leasburg ( my wife peoples area) was just a year or so ago. When. I seen the campground and all those people down there i left and vowed i will never go back. It made me sick to see it. But when i left it was till a good fishing stream. I fished form Birds Nest to Onandaga. I Imagine as soon as the float tubes got popular thats when things changed.

[Old plug]

Want to add ------- I would say from the last couple of reported trips by Mitch and AL that just maybe there has not been a real decline in the Meramec. Some of you guys I think have the feel of fishing be it river or lake. And thats what really does it,is a feel for it. Almost all of you however, still have a lot of responsibility in life and are working 40 hrs a week and can not pick and choose your times like I and some others some others can. That can make a difference in success rate thereby reflecting on a streams fishing quality. Often when you can get out you got to compete with all that floating and stuff going on and it is going interfere with your fishing. Also the majority of the smallmouth anglers that just are just out there pitching lures around with no idea of what they are really doing they in turn bad mouth the stream.

[lee G.]

I think there has been a decline, Old Plug, but that said, You certainly made a good point there!