Smallie slam

[Johnsfolly]

On 8/15/2022 at 1:16 PM, Prifish said:

 

Looks fun. I would love to try for that slam and maybe go back and do the trout slam over again.

[Johnsfolly]

2 hours ago, Johnsfolly said:

I don't recall if the one rainbow that I caught in each of the White ribbon sections of the Current or Hickory creek were longer than 12 inches.

They were not. I also did not catch a >/= 12 inch trout in Mill creek or the blue riboon section of Little Piney 🙄

[Gavin]

If you want to 🔥 your gas to check a list, go for it. Seems like a fun goal. Seeing  new places is always fun. 

[Devan S.]

3 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

I think you should have to catch a legal limit before scratching one off the list. Or at least 2 legal keepers.

Kinda gives you a more realistic feel of the fishery......ya know?     

I felt the same regarding the Trout Slam.  

Is there any such thing as a limit if you advocate for CnR on fish like smallies?

I would agree doing it my way doesn't give a realistic feel of the fishery or the river. Based on what I saw, I wouldn't waste my time fishing the SMA's on the Big, Joachim, Tenmile, Gasconade. They might have good fishing or scenery somewhere but I didn't see it and what I did see I'm not willing to go back and float to find it. I would/have fished the Elk, Meramec, Jacks, James on a nice day in the deep off season or with water too low to float by the party crowd. 

That personally leaves Mineral Fork(which had multiple people at a single access every time I was there), Big Piney(I enjoyed due to the access I used had multiple catches and species), Eleven Point(which I fished a section wayyyyy down a dirt road and caught multiple fish but like the multiple species aspect down river), and Osage Fork(fished a very small section but was secluded) as sections that intrigued me.

Again in most cases I only saw 1 or 2 access points except for Gasconade, Elk, and James. The latter 2 I've fished or floated or lived nearby. My opinion only....but the smallie slam isn't nearly on par with the trout slam. There are smallies all throughout the state. There self supporting in every place they are found....bigger fish a lot of places....more fish a lot of places....streams on par with other SMA in a lot of places. I was effectively checking a box and fishing some places I wouldn't normally. It was a lot of driving but I took my car(minus the last trip) so costs wasn't bad. Worst part was by far the waking up super early to be across the state by daylight. 

[fishinwrench]

2 hours ago, Devan S. said:

Is there any such thing as a limit if you advocate for CnR on fish like smallies?

Sure there is. 

Nothing says that you have to cook them for a shore lunch. But proving that YOU and THE STREAM are capable of at least ONE legal limit seems like a worthy goal to seek.  

I mean c'mon !     When I came home from prom night with a case of the crabs, my brother made sure that I knew I hadn't accomplished anything to be proud of  😏  And even threatened to set my junk on fire if I didn't tell Dad. 

[Gavin]

Shore Lunch is pretty awesome. I would not gripe about anyone keeping some small bass for that. Let those 14” + smallies go though! 

[Al Agnew]

Well, since the smallie limit on most special management streams is 1 fish, 15 inch minimum, you don't need to catch many to catch a limit!  You just need one nice one.

Sorry to say I haven't fished all the special management sections; still missing the Elk and Tenmile Creek.  But...as near as I can remember, I've caught 18 inch plus smallmouth from most of those I have fished.  Don't think I caught any good ones from the Osage Fork, the biggest I caught on the James was maybe 16 inches (though I did briefly hook a much bigger one), and the biggest from the Eleven Point was also about 16 inches...but have caught 20s from Gasconade, Big Piney, Mineral Fork, Big (of course), Meramec, and Joachim. 

[Harps]

Late to this party, but how is this ‘slam’ defined? Maybe I missed that.

[tjm]

12 hours ago, Harps said:

Late to this party, but how is this ‘slam’ defined? Maybe I missed that.

https://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/trophies-certificates/smallmouth-slam