Smallmouth for Dummies - Need a Recommendation

[mic]

Could someone give me a recommendation.  Feel free to reach out privately if you prefer.  I'm looking for a floatable river about equal distance from Kansas City and St. Louis with a rental service.  My best friend and I are looking to set up a fishing weekend in the spring.  I have fished for smallmouth a bit, and he as never done it.  I was thinking may the Niangua River maybe... half trout/half smallmouth.  Any recommendation would be awesome.  

Thanks in advance... MIC

[Al Agnew]

I wouldn't depend upon having decent smallmouth fishing in the trout section of the Niangua.  Nice float, plenty of outfitters, but lots of people as well.  In the spring, however, you could float above Bennett Spring and get into all smallmouth.  Your other choice would be the Gasconade...fewer outfitters but also fewer party floaters.  

[mic]

On 1/1/2023 at 10:40 PM, Al Agnew said:

I wouldn't depend upon having decent smallmouth fishing in the trout section of the Niangua.  Nice float, plenty of outfitters, but lots of people as well.  In the spring, however, you could float above Bennett Spring and get into all smallmouth.  Your other choice would be the Gasconade...fewer outfitters but also fewer party floaters.  

Thanks Al.

[fishinwrench]

This last cold snap resulted in a sizable run of Niangua Smallies up into the spring branch, as happens every winter.   

What I've never been able to figure out though is whether they come from ABOVE or BELOW.    My gut says that they come from above. Because there's plenty of other places for the lower Niangua bass to go.   If I'm right, then Moon Valley to hwy.64 would be the best early spring float......and honestly I've never fished that stretch during the early spring (before memorial day).  

[tjm]

Fish coming from above in fall makes sense to me. The studies would indicate that  some smallmouth go downstream in fall looking for deeper or warmer water, while others stay put if the stream doesn't freeze. That spring branch must stay about the same temperature year round, so that fish moving downstream would find it warm enough to overwinter there. Fall travel in one study  ranged from 3.1-20.8 km with  the mean at 6.5km (~4miles).  If that is true there the overwintering bass could be from as far as 14 miles upstream. Any upstream migrations apparently are in spring for spawning.

[fishinwrench]

There's another "trout stream" that flows into a great smallmouth river.....that also loads up on better than average size Smallies during the winter.  I won't name it for fear of outing someone's favorite winter/early spring spot......But on THAT ONE I'd say that the Smallies come from BOTH directions.   

That section of the bigger river would also be a great choice for an early spring float I bet.   

I never get real serious about chasing Smallies until late-May or June though, so my early season experience is kinda lacking.

[tjm]

I imagine that every "trout stream" in Mo. was once a great smallmouth stream.

In the past I've taken smallmouth from the same spots in most months of the year on a C&R basis, and every year I see nonresidents taking them to eat  during the closed season (March-April-May)  at low-water crossings. Which makes me think of why the season is closed in those months, isn't  mid-March when bass start returning to the spawning areas? So, then,  about when do they leave the spring branch, or the other trout river?

[fishinwrench]

3 hours ago, tjm said:

I imagine that every "trout stream" in Mo. was once a great smallmouth stream.

In the past I've taken smallmouth from the same spots in most months of the year on a C&R basis, and every year I see nonresidents taking them to eat  during the closed season (March-April-May)  at low-water crossings. Which makes me think of why the season is closed in those months, isn't  mid-March when bass start returning to the spawning areas? So, then,  about when do they leave the spring branch, or the other trout river?

Smallies don't seem to be attracted to heavy spring water inflow except for during the coldest period of Winter.    And really only then...if they simply have no place else to go.  

Another observation of mine is that I've never seen scads of little smallmouth make those runs into areas near spring inflow...... it's always the more mature ones (over 12-13") along with the more mature Goggle-eye.

As for when they leave and move back to where they came from......They don't seem to remain in the spring area for very long at all.  Possibly just during the coldest period (shortest days?).   They probably evacuate during the next high water period, and by that I don't mean "a flood", just a decent rise.   Rainwater runoff during late winter is about the same temperature as spring water, I would imagine.

[MObassin95]

I'd go James River. Call Hootentown Canoe Rental. Ask to float from the campground to Mccall Bridge.