Looking for Smallmouth on the middle meramec

[Jim Spriggs]

Hello fellow fishermen.  I am new to this forum. I recently bought a jet boat (17' Blazer with a 90 hp Evinrude E-TEC), and I've received terrific advice about running it on local rivers from the Intruduce Yourself forum.  

 

I plan to go fishing for smallies this weekend, and forum participants suggested the River Round, Sand Ford, or Sappington Bridge accesses as good places from which to jet upstream  and fish for smallmouth.   

Have any of you been to these locations recently?  Any advice on either running the boat there (I'm a novice) or locating fish?

Thanks in advance for your help. I want to be safe on the water and, I hope, catch (and then release) some fish. 

 

 

[Gavin]

Slack water eddies near or in the wood. Fish small weedless plastics or suspending jerk baits. Wear a blaze orange vest for the next two weekends. PM Hog Wally, he lives on that stretch.

[Al Agnew]

I was on the river today above and below Campbell Bridge.  First of all, it's low and VERY clear.  I made it up the split channel about two miles above Campbell Bridge but it isn't easy...both channels are flowing about the same amount of water but the right channel going upstream is too wide and shallow, and the left channel has a log at the upper end that requires a very sharp turn on plane.  There were a couple of very wide, shallow riffles below Campbell Bridge that are difficult to read in the low sunlight and are only about 5 inches deep at the deepest.  So expect to encounter similar spots wherever you go.  I don't mind risking running shallow, GRAVELLY riffles...about the worst that can happen is that you slide up onto a shallow bar and have to work at pushing the boat off it.  But the ones with rocks are scary.

As for fishing, it was slow because of the clear water.  Caught about 15 bass in about 3.5 hours of fishing (spent the rest of the afternoon bowhunting on our land), but the biggest was only 14 inches.  The only things I tried were jerkbaits and Mitch's craw.  Both caught fish.  There are still some fish in small, deep pockets near fast water, but most are in or around the bigger, deeper wintering pools now...water temp was right around 50 degrees, 10 degrees colder than this time last week.

[Jim Spriggs]

Thanks for the information, Al.  I think the flow is too low for my current comfort level with my boat.  I'm going to wait for some rain before hitting the Meramec.  

[Thomas Rogers]

Jim I put in yesterday in St Clair ( 30 Bridge)  which is a little more down river from were you are talking about went down about 5 miles and then up about 2 miles from the bridge I had no trouble at all navigating the water ,Water temp was 49/50  yesterday when I put in very very clear fishing was good steady all morning from 7 till noon 17 fish to the boat biggest was 15' spot 11 spots 1 white and 5 small mouth all small mouths  were in the rocks biggest though was 14' the spots were in the deep rocks or under cover most action was on slow retrieving crank baits 300 series or wiggle warts did have a few on 4" chomper and several on ned rig just when I got bored but most success on crank baits

[Jim Spriggs]

i've never fished that part of the river. I'll have to try it. I'm hoping to get out on Sunday, and fortunately this rain will have the water level up a bit. 

Last weekend, I went to the Gasconade near Jerome, since the water was flowing better than on the Meramec. Caught some decent smallies on slow-moving jigs. They we're hitting on a Bomber 6a, too. 

[mjk86]

On 11/13/2015, 9:07:09, Al Agnew said:

I was on the river today above and below Campbell Bridge.  First of all, it's low and VERY clear.  I made it up the split channel about two miles above Campbell Bridge but it isn't easy...both channels are flowing about the same amount of water but the right channel going upstream is too wide and shallow, and the left channel has a log at the upper end that requires a very sharp turn on plane.  There were a couple of very wide, shallow riffles below Campbell Bridge that are difficult to read in the low sunlight and are only about 5 inches deep at the deepest.  So expect to encounter similar spots wherever you go.  I don't mind risking running shallow, GRAVELLY riffles...about the worst that can happen is that you slide up onto a shallow bar and have to work at pushing the boat off it.  But the ones with rocks are scary.

As for fishing, it was slow because of the clear water.  Caught about 15 bass in about 3.5 hours of fishing (spent the rest of the afternoon bowhunting on our land), but the biggest was only 14 inches.  The only things I tried were jerkbaits and Mitch's craw.  Both caught fish.  There are still some fish in small, deep pockets near fast water, but most are in or around the bigger, deeper wintering pools now...water temp was right around 50 degrees, 10 degrees colder than this time last week.

Isn't bow season closed during rifle season?

[moguy1973]

24 minutes ago, mjk86 said:

Isn't bow season closed during rifle season?

Bow season ended the 13th, gun season started the 14th.

 

http://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer/deer-seasons-hours

[mjk86]

Shows what i know.  I hate deer hunting so much, i spent all weekend in the woods rifle hunting (not friday...like it would have mattered), and two weekends so far bow hunting...nothing to show for it, only to literally run deer out of my driveway most evenings on the way home from work. 

[Al Agnew]

Keep in mind too that you can hunt with a bow during rifle season as long as you buy rifle tags.  I don't do it, though...just as soon avoid being in the woods during rifle season.  A friend who lives out in the woods near public land had a rifle bullet come through her wall last Saturday.