Single best smallie canoeing section

[2sheds]

I've been thinking that I know a little bit about trout hunting this time of year.

What do you think is the best canoe/kayak River/creek segment in the Ozarks for a fun day of smallmouth bass.

[fishinwrench]

The Osage fork, but you'll have landowners and the law to deal with.

[2sheds]

My brother is very law abiding; what could possibly go cattywampus ?

[Gavin]

Any will do.looking at low tide Ft Meyers Beach right now and grilling chicken. Stormy the last couple days. No way to sight fish Snook. Bigger water will a long way between access points is usually better.

[Coosa]

The Osage fork, but you'll have landowners and the law to deal with.

Really been wanting to try this stream out for about a year now.

[Al Agnew]

Most Ozark streams of comparable size and access are similar in quality. Of course, the key is access and thus fishing pressure. The bigger jetboatable rivers are seldom as good, mile for mile, as the smaller, floatable but not jetboatable streams. More anglers can fish effectively from jetboats, so the jetboatable river fish get more serious pressure. Fewer anglers can effectively fish from a canoe or kayak.

Rivers with lots of rental canoes and other watercraft on them are not necessarily worse than the ones without canoe liveries. The vast, vast majority of renters don't fish, and of the ones who do, few are good at it. Go to one of those rivers in the middle of the week and you'll often find great fishing...it might even be great on busy weekends, but it's just too tough to deal with the doofuses.

Small, wading size or marginally floatable streams can be terrific, but are more inconsistent. It doesn't take much fishing pressure or other factors to make serious dents in the bass population on these small streams, so they might be great one year and not so good the next.

We all have our favorites, and probably most of us don't want to advertise them. But just to list some in that optimal category where I've had excellent angling at times:

Tavern Creek

Osage Fork

Upper Gasconade, above the Osage Fork

Upper Big Piney, above Slabtown

Upper Meramec, above Maramec Spring

Huzzah Creek

Courtois Creek

Mineral Fork

Big River above Blackwell

Bourbeuse River above Noser Mill

St. Francis River below Sivermines

Big Creek

Upper Black River

Upper Jacks Fork

Upper Eleven Point above Greer Spring

Upper North Fork above Twin Bridges

Bryant Creek

Beaver Creek

Those are just some of the ones in Missouri...some other good choices in Arkansas. And on any given day, any of them could furnish some of the best smallmouth fishing in the Ozarks.

[2sheds]

Thanks Al,

Great info