Meramec Springs 8/18

[Haris122]

Finally made it down there again today. Got there around 1, started fishing around 1:30, and kept at it mostly fruitlessly until 6:30, at which point we had to leave. I only caught 1 12" size stocker rainbow, on a 1/24 oz single hook black with gold spots and gold blade roostertail, casting into somewhat turbulent water past a riffle. It took me a bit to get release that one since it somehow got the hook stuck in one of it's gill rakers (think that's what those slots in the back end of the mouth are called). After that I figured since we were most likely not going to keep much, I bend the barb to make it easier to release any other ones. Well, I think that came back to bite me a bit in the rear, as I got 2 other good bites later on where both fish got off pretty soon into it. Oh well, my girlfriend got 2 trout and a sunfish and hers kept escaping too, without the bent barb so maybe it didn't really matter. Anyhow, she got 3 fish total, a little sunfish, and 2 trout including a nice 15". All 3 on a white 1/24 oz roostertail with gold spots and gold blade. She got the 2 trout before I even had my first. Aside from that I tried a little kastmaster spoon, some trout magnets under slip floats, one a normal size, the other the extra small version, and a 2.5 or 3" silver minnow style crankbait. The kastmaster got a couple close passes by, and the minnow had a less enthusiastic follow too, but inside the park that was it. I cast out some of the hard lures in the red ribbon section a couple times too and got a bite from something on the crankbait for a second but didn't get to see what.

A few things of note...1. I could've sworn I saw a little pickerel of some sort halfway down the spring at one point. It was only about 8" or so, but everything about the shape of it seemed to look like it was a pickerel. Guessing probably a grass one because of it's small size. I tossed a few lures by it, but it never seemed interested, so I can't confirm with 100% certainty but I can't figure out what else it would've been. Do they have those in the Meramec?

2. I really wish I could figure out how to get some of those suckers in the park to bite a lure. I tried the trout magnets by them a few times, but they wouldn't have any of it. Any hints on that?

3. Also very surprising to see, but while casting in the red ribbon section just below the park, I saw a good size snapping turtle make it's way underneath the water. I also didn't think they had those that far up. I thought snapping turtles only live in warmer, dirtier water.

[Seth]

Yes, there are pickerel up in the park. I've seen a few of them and got a few to bite, but never have been able to keep the buttoned up long enough to land one for a pic. It has been a few weeks since I was down last, but the fishing was a bit tough for me as well. The noon flurry was ending about the time I showed up and I was able to catch one trout jigging a white trout magnet. After fishing a few hours, they picked back up and I was able to catch three more in short succession by slowly reeling a split shot rig with an orange wacky trout worm along the bottom through a school of trout. They wanted nothing to do with it for a while and then something flipped and it was a bite every cast.

I've had good luck drifting the trout magnets below a float in swifter water or when there is quite a bit of color. If it is clear, I don't do very well with that technique. If it is clear, the only way I fish a trout magnet is on 2# test and by slowly reeling and shaking the pee out of it. Sometimes it's lights out and other times they want nothing to do with it though.

[Ham]

Saw this guy on Norfork water. Water is quite chilly, but he's doing ok. 

[laker67]

Montauk has several snappers in the park. They like to hang out where people clean fish. Don't stand in one place very long if you are wearing trout colored wading shoes or maybe white sneakers. And for sure don't wade barefoot. They tend to get really brave if you have fish on a stringer. Just saying. Sounds like some tuff fishing over on meremac side of the trout water.

[Haris122]

Quote

Sounds like some tuff fishing over on meremac side of the trout water.

To be fair, I tend to struggle at Meramec Springs even on the good days, so who knows. I just didn't see too much action for others either, but I did have to leave earlier than I really hoped to. Either way though, that area frequently keeps things interesting. Aside from trout, with the water always on the clear side, you get to see and sometimes catch some fish I rarely run into down on this section of the Meramec. Always fun to see the variety of fish there seems to be. Just got to figure out how to catch them too. And yeah, the cold water has always deterred me from wading barefoot in there, but from now I'll try to be even more careful where I step when I do go wading.

Seth, you know what kind of suckers those dull gray ones in the park are? And ever get them to bite on anything?

[Seth]

4 hours ago, Haris122 said:

Seth, you know what kind of suckers those dull gray ones in the park are? And ever get them to bite on anything?

I am not sure as I haven't ever paid too much attention. I'm sure if you could get some to bite if you dropped a piece of worm or corn in front of enough of them. We always caught a lot of white suckers on Taneycomo with corn and worms. When the water was really clear, I would walk around the dock and sight fish for them. That was a blast.

[Haris122]

Corn huh, never thought about trying that for them before. Cool, thanks.

[Seth]

18 hours ago, Haris122 said:

Corn huh, never thought about trying that for them before. Cool, thanks.

Ii preferred worms, but the corn was easier to see for sight fishing:

[Mitch f]

When I used to go there as a kid, I remember you needed to be on the water as the buzzer was going off to really catch them quickly. The frenzy lasted for the first 2-3 minutes. I would always start out with a rooster tail so I could get the first 2-3 fish as quickly as possible without messing around with dough bait. I would always carry a bucket to put the fish in so I didn't waste any time putting then on a stringer. After a few minutes I would switch to Velveeta cheese.

It seems nowadays they don't release near the amount of fish they used to. You have to struggle a lot harder for the fish. 

[bkbying89]

Mitch F.

I believe they release more fish today than they did years ago. There are just more people fishing now so the frenzy ends faster. I get to the parks during the week and there are people everywhere.I haven't fished a park during the weekend in quite a while but I assume that they are crowded.