Hello!

[Missouribassman95]

Hello everyone in the Smallmouth Bass forum! I discovered Bass Resource when I was first figuring out how to catch largies from farm ponds in Central Missouri over ten years ago. I moved down to Springfield for school in 2015 and got away from bass fishing. In fact, I almost sold my gear on a few occasions. Well, two summers ago I decided to get a canoe and start fishing the numerous rivers in Southern Missouri for Smallmouth. I got hooked into bass fishing all over again! But this time it's in the rivers for the brown fish. There's something so amazing about pulling a smallmouth out of crystal clear water. I don't think I can do any other fishing. I thought I would hop back onto Bass Resource and "meet" some other smallie anglers from around the country! 

[Susky River Rat]

Welcome back! 
 

You broke a major rule. Never sell fishing equipment unless it’s to get more fishing equipment.

 

I am glad you are on the dark side of fishing. Remember the river rat life chooses you.

[Swamp Girl]

18 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

Remember the river rat life chooses you.

 

If you're in a car and you drive over a bridge and feel the current tugging at you, that's the river choosing you. It is an honor. 

[PaulVE64]

I admit to checking river conditions everytime I cross a bridge.

[Jig Man]

So what are you floating?  Several floaters hang around Phil Lillies Ozark Anglers site.

[Missouribassman95]

On 12/11/2023 at 9:45 PM, Susky River Rat said:

Welcome back! 
 

You broke a major rule. Never sell fishing equipment unless it’s to get more fishing equipment.

 

I am glad you are on the dark side of fishing. Remember the river rat life chooses you.

Indeed

3 hours ago, Jig Man said:

So what are you floating?  Several floaters hang around Phil Lillies Ozark Anglers site.

Oh yes that site has been a gold mine of information for me. And, I mainly float the James River outside of Springfield and Beaver Creek down by Branson.  My goal this summer is to learn the Buffalo River down in Arkansas.  

 

I also try to make a trip or two up to the Namakagon River in WI. Incredible fishery. 

[Blue Raider Bob]

Spent a couple summers near Ft. Leonard Wood when my sister was a nurse in the Army back in the 70's. Got to fish the Big Piney, and the Gasconade all summers long!

[Missouribassman95]

On 12/21/2023 at 11:24 AM, Blue Raider Bob said:

Spent a couple summers near Ft. Leonard Wood when my sister was a nurse in the Army back in the 70's. Got to fish the Big Piney, and the Gasconade all summers long!

Those are two rivers I really want to explore! Especially the Big Piney. Saw one of my buddies pull an absolute dinosaur of a Smallie out of the 'Nade. 

[Bankbeater]

Welcome to the forums.  There are a lot of nice smallie streams down in southern Missouri.

[PaulVE64]

Catching smallies is the best and there are some d**n fine sticks on Bass Resource.

Tight lines.

[Missouribassman95]

On 12/30/2023 at 9:34 AM, Bankbeater said:

Welcome to the forums.  There are a lot of nice smallie streams down in southern Missouri.

Indeed! 

[12poundbass]

Welcome to Bassresource 

[JimB1]

On 12/22/2023 at 3:03 PM, Missouribassman95 said:

Those are two rivers I really want to explore! Especially the Big Piney. Saw one of my buddies pull an absolute dinosaur of a Smallie out of the 'Nade. 

I see that you were a MP!  As was I, I retired 15 years ago.  I have caught some big smallies out of the Big Piney! The best river is the Gasconade for big ones for sure I have caught some in the 5 lbs range!  Lake Taney Como has some nice fish in there too, my first time fishing it I caught an 8 lbs large mouth.  

 

 

[Munkin]

On 3/11/2024 at 3:02 PM, JimB1 said:

I see that you were a MP!  As was I, I retired 15 years ago.  I have caught some big smallies out of the Big Piney! The best river is the Gasconade for big ones for sure I have caught some in the 5 lbs range!  Lake Taney Como has some nice fish in there too, my first time fishing it I caught an 8 lbs large mouth.  

 

 

 

Spent 17 weeks at Ft. Leonard Wood for MPOBC and usually fished 6 days a week. The Big Piney is great except being from Maryland I was not ready for the Cottonmouth encounters. I fished every pond and lake on FLW along with the Big Piney. Actually caught several meanmouth bass while I was there that I had to ask the game warden what they were?

 

Besides my time at FLW I had a job that sent me to St. Louis for like 3 weeks at a time. Fished the Meramac and caught my first flathead on a Team Daiwa jerkbait.

 

For all the guys that live in Missouri it is a fishing paradise. Rivers, lakes, and ponds everywhere just full of bass. I remember driving down some small country road seeing doublewide trailers on 4 acres of land with a 2 acre pond. One of the FLW Game Wardens I befriended while I was there invited me to his house for some fresh fried bass. He had about a 2 acre pond in his back yard told me we needed 8 bass and gave me a rod with a buzzbait on it. Told me to go catch 8 bass, throw back anything under 12" and over 16" while he got everything ready. He was right about the buzzbait as I had those 8 fish in about 20 casts.

 

Allen