Anyone do any smallmouth fishing?

[kevthebassman]

I can't get enough of them.  My baitcasters are gathering dust ever since I discovered how much fun I can have tossing rooster tails into rivers I can spit across!

Tell me I'm not alone!

[hillbill]

nothing and i repeat nothing seems to fight like a cold water smallie. here in sw mo they have seemed to have died out due to the pollution in the small creeks. yur post reminds me of my younger days when we would catch them here in indian creek. they were the one fish i wouldnt eat. i turned every one of them bak. but they are all gone here, i dont think yu could find one within 20 miles of my home here near neosho bigger than a lb.even the goggle eye is gone in my home creek. makes me sad to think my son will never have the opportunity to catch the fish i did when i was a kid.if yur catchin them then more power to ya.
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[hillbill]

oh by the way, if you get any pics of the lil river smallies, be sure to post them.

[kevthebassman]

Mostly I have to drive 44 to at least Cuba to catch them but I do have luck in the Meramec closer to home, and some in the Bourbeuse river too.  I'm willing to drive just about anywhere in the state to get on top of some good Smallmouth action.  Have a tent and a cooler and a fishing pole and that's all I need.

[Mattkc]

Beware once you start chasing them it becomes additive, they are about the only fish I go after.  The only problem is your fishing in Missouri where the smallmouth fishing has been going down hill for years.  My favorite Ozark streams have been filling up with gravel for the last 20 years and spotted bass taking their place.  Some of the creeks I fish are so full of gravel the spotted bass are disappearing too.  If you really want to get into great smallie fishing you need to go north to MN, WI or Canada.  Besides large numbers of fish they have what can best be described as broad shoulders.  They grow very slow up north a 12" fish may be 8 years old.  They are much thicker then our faster growing Missouri smallies and they are much stronger.  My personnel best smallie was 22" caught in a small river in norther WI.  I hope to go back this year and see if he has grown another 1" in the last 5 years.