RB?

[Limbshot]

You gonna do any river fishing this year? This rain is killing me. We have our first Gasconade float planned for the first weekend in June and a Piney trip planned for the last weekend in June. Other than that, we will probably hti the G-nade anytime we are down around the farm...IF THE RAIN SLOWS DOWN!!! Anyway, just curious to see if I'd be bumping into you anywhere on a stream this year.

[RB]

LS, we are trying to put together a Gasconade trip this year and also one on the Piney. Don't know when we'll get them in, probably July. We had a great trip on the Piney last year and caught goggle eye and smallies with everything we through. One grandson caught his first smallie on a night crawler and snoopy pole. Also looking to do a wade trip on the Jacks. This year we have more trips planned than we have time so we'll pick and choose. Post up what you come up with.

[Limbshot]

Sounds good buddy. Keep me posted on your dates, and I may just swing by with a beer in hand! I'll keep you posted on how we do when we go. Hoping to get out more than we did last year. Last year was about the fewest times I have been on a river in quite some time. I never even hot my favorite spot up here last year! That ain't right!!!

[RB]

LS, one of the things I would like to do is land a 20" smallie on my fly rod. That would be some catch.

[Limbshot]

Yeah, that would be impressive. I have caught quite a few 20 inchers in my lifetime, and they are a challenge on spinning tackle, I can't imagine what that would be like on a flyrod.

[Warmouth]

20" smallmouth is a damn impressive fish. I've landed a few that went 17-18" out of the Big, Black, and Meremac rivers, in the management areas, but haven't been able to top that. There aren't many options in this area for smallies, since I don't like fishing the MO.

[Limbshot]

A 20 inch smallie is definitely an impressive fish. I am fortunate to know the whereabouts of 3-4 very good sections of the Gasconade that don't get a lot of pressure, but are full of fish. I'd say I have probably caught a total of 6 over the 20 inch mark, but numerous in the 17 to just under 20 mark. Heck a few years ago on a float with Rafe, I landed 3, 19 inchers on 1 float. That was probably the best float I have ever had for quality bites. We have landed some absolute giants out of that river. My largest fish to date measured just short of 23 inches. I had the experience of measuring a fish for my Dad one time that was between 24 and 25 inches long! Had that fish been healthy, I have no doubt it could have been a new state record, but she was very thin and probably on the way down. ALL fish we catch, especially in that size range, are immediately returned to the water as soon as possible. I fisheries biologist once told me that fish that size in a Missouri stream are likely well over 15 years old. That blows my mind!

[RB]

LS, a 24+" smallmouth would be a load with any light tackle. We don't keep any smallies, there are plenty of other skillet fish in the river. We do however, take pictures of the trophy fish before releasing. Your dad had to be pumped up over that fish.

[Limbshot]

Rb, that was quite possibly a once in a lifetime fish. When I lipped that thing for him and pulled it out of the water, it just kept coming and coming. He landed it on 8 pound test, so we had quite a trolling motor on the old canoe for quite awhile. It was amazing, like I said, if it was still healthy, and fully muscular and fat, it would have been really close to a state record. It was a gorgeous fish for sure. We really need to just keep a camera in the canoe just for that reason, you just never know when that big one is gonna attack! I am hoping it will slow down a little on the rain so we can start getting after them here before too long!

[RB]

LS, get one of those underwater throw aways that float. you can have them processed to cd and prints. Better than dropping a digital in the river. That was a lifetime fish for your dad and you for lipping it. Would have been nice to be a record but I'll bet you never started that trip looking for one so the fish was a bonus.

[Limbshot]

We have talked about the disposable camera a few times. Just need to buck up and buy one to keep in my river box. We never expect to catch a fish like that! Anything 20 plus inches is a huge bonus! He caught that fish in the last really dry summer we had (seems it was about 5 years ago now). We had an amazing run that year. We both caught our biggest in the same summer. In fact we had a streak going on 6 trips in a row with at least one fish at or over 20 inches. The day I caught my big one, we actually landed three over 20, and I missed another absolute giant on a topwater bait. We both saw him come completely out of the water for it, but totally missed it. He was another one in that size range for sure. I don't think the river has been that low since, but man when it gets that way, they are so predictable, it is almost easy to catch them, well not the big ones, but smallies in general. That was by far the best year we ever had for big fish by a long shot. Love to see it get low like that again.

[RB]

I had a couple of areas we use to fish on the Meramac that were 4 or 5 miles from any put in place and only reachable by canoe. The best time was low water in the pools between the riffles. We used to throw beetle spins and catch some huge goggle eye but about everything would hit them. Those are some great days on the river for sure.

[Limbshot]

Love being out there for sure. There are few things i enjoy as much as sneaking out in a canoe and being on the river. The places we fish are typically pretty unpressured. It is not uncommon for us to make our 7 hour float and not see another body on the river, and that is just the way we like it!!!

[RB]

LS, I could not agree more. We usually try to do those floats on weekdays to avoid the aluminum hatch on the river. Of course some of the show all girls in canoes do add some flair to the weekend trips on the busier rivers.

[Limbshot]

LMAO, yeah, there are definitely perks! If the rain stays at bay for the rest of the week, we may be hitting the old G-Nade for the first time this weekend. Keeping my fingers crossed!!! It will be a little high, but if it is clear enough, it should be good, and the spinnerbait bite is usually on when it is like that! I'll keep you posted.