St. Louis Area Fishermen

[Hawghead]

St. Charles guy here, I-70 and Cave Springs. Used to live off 94 & Harvester.

[Fishing Doug]

Thanks for the reply, Needemp. That is interesting feedback on Baldwin. We have been out there 3 times and as luck would have it, there were 25+mph winds. And with that lake being a rectangle with little to no way to get away from the wind, we had a hard time staying on the water. We may have to give it a shot again this year.

FD

Check the forecast. Anything over 15mph, forget about it. It is a schooling bass lake. When you find a school of them, you can whack 3 to 4 pounders on nearly every cast, with the occasional 5 pounder. Of course, you don't always find those schools. But I do usually find one of those schools every other trip. That's more than I can say for LOZ, MT or any other place I fish.

I went this Saturday and had 4 prespawn fatties over 19". My smallest one was the smallest LM I have ever caught out of there. It was 16" and I weighed it just out of curiosity. 2.2 pounds.

Unfortunately, the best areas of the lake are off shore. That's when you find the schools. Some areas are directly in the middle. Wind that high eliminates those spots. I obviously don't have that lake figured out yet, but what I have found has kept me going through the winter. Let me know how you do if you decide to go.

I'll keep you posted if we make it out there.

FD

[Taeben]

Fenton- Gravois and Hwy 141 area.

[LAURASDAD]

Do any of you guys fish Simpson Lake in Valley Park?  Is it worth it?  thanks

Larry

[jarhead1970]

I live in Chesterfield.  I fish the Meramac...mostly for SM.  Just wondering if Baldwin Lake is big enough to take a boat?

[Siebert Outdoors]

Balwin is big enough for a boat.  I think its 50hp max. 

[Needemp]

Do any of you guys fish Simpson Lake in Valley Park? Is it worth it? thanks

Larry

Simpson has been a very very tough lake. I fished it a lot a couple years back. There are not a lot of bass in there.

[Needemp]

I live in Chesterfield. I fish the Meramac...mostly for SM. Just wondering if Baldwin Lake is big enough to take a boat?

Hey, I fish the Meremac on weeknights as well. Best local fishing there is IMO.

Baldwin is plenty big. In fact, it is so big, that if the winds are too strong, they say it can be dangerous to put a boat in. I haven't experienced that yet, but I believe them.

[Needemp]

Hey, I want to put this out there. On weeknights I fish locally here in St. Louis from a boat. I have a couple of guys I plan on fishing with, but I would like to meet a lot of different fisherman. It's weeknights starting anywhere from 430 to 530. That gives us a couple of hours of fishing. Let me know if you are interested.

[Bass XL]

St. Charles guy here, I-70 and Cave Springs. Used to live off 94 & Harvester.

I70 and mid rivers...right off of mexico by spencer...smalll world

[cart7t]

Do any of you guys fish Simpson Lake in Valley Park? Is it worth it? thanks

Larry

Fished it for a couple years on and off.  Caught fish up to 4lbs out of it.  Not a lot of bass in that lake.  There are some decent fish though and I have had a couple trips of catching 5 fish that averaged around 2-3lbs each but that is not the norm.

I have no idea how that lake has been since the big flood a couple years ago.  The Meramac completely engulfed the lake.  Don't know if the bass stayed or went.

The boat ramp sux. 

[Bassin_MO]

St. Charles guy here, I-70 and Cave Springs. Used to live off 94 & Harvester.

I70 and mid rivers...right off of mexico by spencer...smalll world

Ha, it is a small world. I grew up on Mid Rivers and Hwy N and now I live a minute or two from Mexico and Bryan Rd.

[Bassin_MO]

I live in Chesterfield. I fish the Meramac...mostly for SM. Just wondering if Baldwin Lake is big enough to take a boat?

Hey, I fish the Meremac on weeknights as well. Best local fishing there is IMO.

Baldwin is plenty big. In fact, it is so big, that if the winds are too strong, they say it can be dangerous to put a boat in. I haven't experienced that yet, but I believe them.

I have always wanted to try the Meramec but never have. If I can ask, what kind of lures/techniques do you guys use and how well have you done there? Oh yes, where on the meramec do you fish...more towards Eureka or more towards Fenton? Thanks fellas.

[Taeben]

I live in Chesterfield. I fish the Meramac...mostly for SM. Just wondering if Baldwin Lake is big enough to take a boat?

Hey, I fish the Meremac on weeknights as well. Best local fishing there is IMO.

Baldwin is plenty big. In fact, it is so big, that if the winds are too strong, they say it can be dangerous to put a boat in. I haven't experienced that yet, but I believe them.

I have always wanted to try the Meramec but never have. If I can ask, what kind of lures/techniques do you guys use and how well have you done there? Oh yes, where on the meramec do you fish...more towards Eureka or more towards Fenton? Thanks fellas.

I was wondering the same thing

[cart7t]

I live in Chesterfield. I fish the Meramac...mostly for SM. Just wondering if Baldwin Lake is big enough to take a boat?

Hey, I fish the Meremac on weeknights as well. Best local fishing there is IMO.

Baldwin is plenty big. In fact, it is so big, that if the winds are too strong, they say it can be dangerous to put a boat in. I haven't experienced that yet, but I believe them.

I have always wanted to try the Meramec but never have. If I can ask, what kind of lures/techniques do you guys use and how well have you done there? Oh yes, where on the meramec do you fish...more towards Eureka or more towards Fenton? Thanks fellas.

The river has a pretty decent population of bass in it. Where you fish depends on what you're fishing out of. If you're wanting to fish out of a standard bass boat, fiberglass or tin, the only reliable year round launch site is at George Winter park in Fenton. In low water conditions, even George Winter can be dicey to launch from. The marina is on the opposite side of the river from GW and up river about 1/4 mile. It's always accessible though the ramp is steep and there is a fee. Getting out of the chute from marina area into the river might find you poling as the entrance is often silted in. Because Winter Bros. harvests sand much of the year, they keep the channel dredged from their facility down river to the entrance to the big circle coves (you can see those on google earth). Beyond that you're on your own and a jet drive is mandatory in low water as there are a number of shallow shoals at certain points both above and below GW park.

Standard bass lures have always worked for me. Spinnerbaits, cranks, RatLtraps, jigs, etc. My best success has been from the Flamm City access (Telegraph Rd) up river.

Right now, with the river up due to Mississippi flooding, you can launch from the Marshall Rd access all the way down to the Flamm city access which is off of Telegraph road.

With the river at it's current level, I've run from the confluence of the Mississippi all the way up past Castlewood State park in my Champion bass boat.  The river narrows quite a bit beyond Castlewood and going up to say Eureka isn't doable without a jet drive even in high water.

[jarhead1970]

I normally put in the Meramec River about five miles North of Steeville (place called Birds Nest....Canoe w/trolling motor) and go upstream to Hwy 19th.  It's about 4-5 hour trip depending on how much you stop.  If no trolling motor float downstream, and stop at some of the deeper pools and turns to fish.  There are several very good deep spots and excellent SM fishing.

For bait this time of year I might throw small hair jigs, or Bitsy Bug jig w/craw trailer, or grubs (kalin) until the water warms a little more and the SB show they are willing to chase something.  A little later in the season I think the Zoom Ultravibe Craws are excellent as are Shaky Head Worms (Berkley) both fished on a light 1/16oz jig head.  Maybe a craw style of Crankbait...although these need to be selected carefully as hangs-up are everywhere.

[Bassin_MO]

Thanks for the Meramec info guys. One last question: is there any hope for a shore-fisherman like myself? In other words, can you have success throwing from the shore out?

[Needemp]

Thanks for the Meramec info guys. One last question: is there any hope for a shore-fisherman like myself? In other words, can you have success throwing from the shore out?

Yes you can. I fished from shore all the time. That was for about 20 years. Fishing from shore is an art in itself. Being quiet, sometimes casting angles can be interesting. Personally, I use to like to fish where there was some tree clutter on land. Open shores get hit by everybody. So if you can maneuver through brush and other obstacles, you improve your chances.

Also, be sure to be creative. The walkable, local shorelines can get hit pretty hard. Bass get very conditioned. I have personally experienced the fish getting conditioned to specific lures and not biting them.

I had a public pond with a bunch of nice bass. They wouldn't hit SB or CB, or any commonly used lures. I would catch one here or there, but nothing consistent. So I started throwing a Yum Crawbug one evening and I caught quite a few off of these 2 little points that are right next to each other. I had more than a dozen keepers. Went back the next night and they wouldn't touch the Crawbug. So I threw a GY Senko. It was my first time ever fishing a stickbait. I immediately started catching them off the same spot I was fishing the Crawbug at. Two nights later, I went back with both the Senko and Crawbug but I didn't get bit. So I started throwing a Storm Wildeye swimbait and, again, I whacked 'em that night. A week later, I couldn't hardly get a bite on any of those 3 baits and I started throwing a Chatterbait and caught some better quality bass.

None of those 4 baits were ever as productive on those spots for the rest of the year. My point is that shore bass get used to the same lures. If you change it up, and try to fish in harder-to-walk areas, you can find productive shore fishing in and near St Louis.

[Bankbeater]

I need to check this more often.

Lived out in St. Charles now since '81. Before that I use to live in St. John. I use to do a lot of fishing at Spanish Lake.

[siegs38]

I'm new here as well.  Just bought a Bass Pro Pond Prowler.  Where can I use this in the St Louis area?  What lakes/ponds are close by?  I have a 40lb trolling as well.

Thanks!

[Fishing Doug]

Figured I would post an abbreviated fishing report on Coffeen from today. Put 31 in the boat today with most of them on trick worm/split shot or creature bait/shakey head. All of them caught either in the hot water discharge or the rip rap closest to the hot water discharge. About 1/3 of them over 15 inches. Good day on the water.

FD

[joe the red]

First post here. Hi guys, I'm from St.Charles hwy70 and first capital and mainly fish busch wildlife since they rent out boats. I want to get more into smallies.

[Bass XL]

I need to check this more often.

Lived out in St. Charles now since '81. Before that I use to live in St. John. I use to do a lot of fishing at Spanish Lake.

I used to fish spanish lake back in the day as well. I lived right off of Bellefountaine.

[cufishin]

I'm from Fenton, close to 141 & 44. I've fished the Meremac a few times and made my first trips to Baldwin and Coffeen this year. Had better luck at Coffeen but our day on Baldwin was a short one and a windy one so probably not the best for comparison. Got a little 14' jon w/ a 7.5 and a trolling motor so a windy day on any big lake can be a bit risky . I'm trying to get back to Baldwin soon and learn a little more about that lake, anyone interested in going along shoot me a PM. I work a lot of nights and weekends so my days to fish don't line up with most of my friends.

[Needemp]

What parts of the Meremac do you fish?