Missour River 2020

[45acp]

I'll use this thread to report our successes and failures on the MO this season.

 

We launched at Perche Creek ramp Friday afternoon 5/8/20.  Jeff City gauge at 13.7' - ten foot lower than what we had to deal with most of last year.

Historically, the wing dams are peeking out at 16' - two years of high water has blown the tops off of almost all of them between Perche Creek and I-70.

There were a few of them showing out a couple or three foot like they should be.  Most of them are just making really nasty riffles with a big rock showing here and there.

Makes for very dangerous conditions - it's no place for inexperienced boaters right now.

Friday afternoon we set 24 diddy poles, a couple limb lines, and one anchored jug line.  Mostly hand sized live bluegills for bait, with a few 4" sized mixed in.  Used 4" cut bluegills on the jug line.

Went back Saturday morning and ran em.  14/15 diddy poles set within five miles of Perche Creek mouth were stripped clean.  Caught an 8lb channel cat on the other one.

Upriver from those most of them were untouched, baits still kicking.  Found a couple of baits that looked like they'd been turtled.  The cut bait on the jug line was untouched.

Water temp was 63°  Friday afternoon, 61° Saturday morning.

Not a lot of guys out there this weekend.  We saw maybe a dozen other diddy pole sets and one jug line on the 12 miles of river that we fished.

Two 10lb-ish silver carp jumped into my boat.  Took them home and chunked em up to use for cut bait later on.

Met a guy coming out who had a 100lb+ blue in his boat.

There's a cruiser boat hung in the trees on the south bank just downstream from Lupus.

 

 

[Terrierman]

When I lived in Jefferson City we fished the Missouri a lot targeting flatheads and secondary, blues.  I used throw lines - 30' or so main line, 5 x 18" drops with big circle hooks.  Window weight on the river end.  Piece of inner tube at the top of the main line really helps.  My favorite bait was live carp that we bought at Taberville.  Had a great homemade bait tank.  Kept stuff alive very well.  We would try to go during the dark of the moon in June.  Caught a lot of nice ones.  Carried and used a really big net and a 4' gaff.  Really big ones (30+) the gaff is the deal.  Quick and very certain.

The Missouri is a very underutilized resource.  Duck hunted it a lot too.  Had the right boat for it 18'6" x 54 semi-vee with 50 HP Yamaha with tilt and trim.

Nice post, brought back some good memories that involve a dear friend who I lost a few years ago to cancer.

Thanks!

[liphunter]

22 minutes ago, 45acp said:

I'll use this thread to report our successes and failures on the MO this season

Are you pretty much limited to catfish and carp on the river, or is there other species to target? I ask because I don't have a clue about that river.

[Johnsfolly]

15 minutes ago, liphunter said:

Are you pretty much limited to catfish and carp on the river, or is there other species to target? I ask because I don't have a clue about that river.

I never fished it when I lived in Columbia. In my opinion most banks were too slick to safely fish and I didn't have a boat. Pretty much heard that most river species, carp, buffalo, catfish, sturgeon, etc. being caught. Heard about lots of oddball "non-river" fish like smallmouth bass and others being caught in the scour holes at I-70 crossing near Rocheport. Had to have come from the Missouri. After the last few floods, those holes should be restocked.

[45acp]

14 minutes ago, liphunter said:

Are you pretty much limited to catfish and carp on the river, or is there other species to target? I ask because I don't have a clue about that river.

On the MO we are generally looking for catfish, but there are a lot of different kinds of fish in there.

There are three species of sturgeon - pallid, lake, and shovelnose.  Shovelnose are legal to take.  Pallid and lake are protected.

White bass and hybrids.  Good luck finding them.

Walleye.  Good luck finding them.

Common carp/buffalo.  Not really my thing, but there's a lot of them and they get big.

Gar.  These are a lot of fun on rod and reel, and good to eat if you don't mind the work of butchering them.  Make some rope lures and hang on!

Silver Carp.  They jump in your boat.  Cut em up for catfish bait or just kill em and toss em back for the turtles.

White drum.  Does anybody catch drum on purpose?  I've heard they're good eating but I've never tried one.

Crappie.  Hard to find but when you do they're usually going to be jumbos.

[45acp]

25 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

I never fished it when I lived in Columbia. In my opinion most banks were too slick to safely fish and I didn't have a boat. Pretty much heard that most river species, carp, buffalo, catfish, sturgeon, etc. being caught. Heard about lots of oddball "non-river" fish like smallmouth bass and others being caught in the scour holes at I-70 crossing near Rocheport. Had to have come from the Missouri. After the last few floods, those holes should be restocked.

You'll need a 4x4 ATV to get to the blew hole at I-70 crossing.  The access road was destroyed by the flooding last year.

https://www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?id=2147617700

Back in March my buddy put his yak in the hole northwest of there by the train track.

Thought he might find some crappie, but he didn't.

[snagged in outlet 3]

My buddies son caught this yesterday in Mississippi.  He loves big river fishing and lives in Alton IL.  Thanks, I enjoy you reports.  I like the picture   

 

 

[ness]

12 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

My buddies son caught this yesterday in Mississippi.  He loves big river fishing and lives in Alton IL.  Thanks, I enjoy you reports.  I like the picture   

 

 

Way to hot spot!  

[snagged in outlet 3]

5 minutes ago, ness said:

Way to hot spot!  

Doesn't say he caught it there.😁

[Terrierman]

20 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

My buddies son caught this yesterday in Mississippi.  He loves big river fishing and lives in Alton IL.  Thanks, I enjoy you reports.  I like the picture   

 

 

Was that fairly close to St. Louis?