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Missouri has some of the best
smallmouth bass fishing in the country. This fact cannot be debated. Countless
rivers, streams, creeks, and reservoirs hold excellent populations of
bronzebacks, so finding a place to fish shouldn't be difficult at all.
While the best smallmouth bass fishing is usually found south of the
Missouri River, smallmouth bass can be found across the state.
As stated above,
smallmouth bass can be found across the state, but your best
opportunities will be found in the Ozark
Mountains in the southern half
of the state. Any water that holds a modest permanent flow will
probably hold a least a few smallmouth, but generally the bigger the
water, the bigger the bass. Streams that are at least moderately
spring-fed are usually best, as they tend to have a more stable water
flow and the water tends to be cooler. Some excellent smallmouth bass
streams in Missouri include the Big Piney River, Current River, Jacks
Fork River, Meramec River, Bourbeuse River, Big River, Gasconade River,
and the upper Black River. Excellent smallmouth bass lakes include Bull
Shoals, Norfork,
Stockton, and Table Rock Lake.
In Missouri streams,
fishing methods don't vary a lot. Small tube baits, rubber worms,
crankbaits, and spinnerbaits tend to be the most popular artificials.
Nightcrawlers, crayfish, and minnows work are excellent live baits.
Cast upstream, and drift (or retrieve) your lure downstream. If
you are using live bait, bounce it along the bottom, but don't weight
it
down so much that it doesn't move with the current. If you are using
minnows, you should use a bobber. Fly fishing is also productive for
stream smallmouth. Woolly Buggers, Clouser Minnows, Muddler Minnows,
and various nymphs all work quite well. When spin fishing, use a light
action rod and four to eight pound test. When fly fishing, a
rod weight
of five to eight, with a leader size of 3x or smaller.
- Threats to Smallmouth in Missouri
Smallmouth Bass have a
lot of things working against them here in Missouri. The most
threatening is the spotted bass. This species of black bass is native to
streams in Southeastern Missouri, but was introduced into the Meramec
River some time ago. Since then, they have ruthlessly invaded
historically excellent smallmouth bass habitat throughout the Meramec
basin. The Meramec River below St. Clair, and the entire Bourbeuse and
Big River have been hit the hardest. Spotted bass have almost
completely taken over these areas. As a response, the Missouri
Department of Conservation has increased the daily limit, and removed
the length limit on spotted bass throughout the Meramec Basin.
Fisherman are encouraged to keep all the spotted bass they catch until
they reach their daily limit. (Note: These special regulations which
encourage the harvest of spotted bass only apply in the Meramec Basin,
and nowhere else in Missouri.) Another threat to the smallmouth bass in
Missouri is over harvest. Some streams just can't handle fisherman
regularly taking the legal limit of smallmouth out of the stream, and
poachers only make the situation worse. You can help by releasing most
or all of the smallmouth bass you catch.
If you have never fished for smallmouth
bass here in Missouri, you need to try it. They fight, pound for
pound, as much as any fish you will encounter, and they are abundant
throughout the Ozarks.
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Last Updated 01/17/10 |
 
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