Gasconade River Fishing

The Gasconade River begins its life in southwestern Missouri as a small Ozark stream. In its upper reaches, it offers good wade fishing for smallmouth bass, bluegill, and other small stream species. As the river grows in size, it becomes more amenable to float fishing, and other species of fish enter the scene, including catfish and largemouth bass. Still, from it’s headwaters to the town of Jerome, where it meets Little Piney Creek, the Gasconade is a classic Ozark stream. In this section, the water is very clear, and the river has many deep, rocky pools as well as fast, churning riffles. This is prime smallmouth bass habitat, probably the best in the state of Missouri. Both numbers and size of the fish are world class, with many fish pushing the three to four pound range. Smallmouth bass tend to live in the rocky pools and the faster riffles, where they feed primarily on crayfish and large aquatic insects. Largemouth bass lurk in the slower pools and backwaters, where they feed on minnows, frogs, and tadpoles. Channel catfish can be found in similar water types, and the panfish are everywhere.

Below the town of Jerome, the river begins to slow down and become somewhat less clear. It still is an Ozark stream, but it is more gentle and slow flowing. Below this point, largemouth and spotted bass start to become more common than the smallmouth. Also, walleye begin to show up in fishable numbers, making this lower part of the river a very interesting place to fish. And the smallmouth are still there, all the way to the river’s mouth at the Missouri River near Hermann. Although the smallmouth bass are fewer in this reach, they tend to be larger. They are also more concentrated, as they tend to live in the few areas where the current is faster.

Also, in this final reach of river, the Gasconade becomes an excellent fishery for large catfish. Both channel and flathead catfish can be found in large numbers, and some fish in the 20 to 30 pound range can really make things interesting. Worms, chicken livers, and small sunfish are all good catfish baits for the Gasconade River.

An article about the Gasconade River would be incomplete if it didn’t mention its tributaries. While the Gasconade itself offers fine fishing, there are hundreds of miles of tributary streams that offer fishing that is nearly as good. One fine tributary stream to look at is the Big Piney. The Big Piney flows through the heart of the Ozark mountains, and provides both fine scenery and excellent float fishing for smallmouth bass. It is a clearer, faster moving river than the Gasconade, and resembles a western stream in many ways. Another good tributary is the Big Piney’s sister stream, Little Piney Creek. Little Piney Creek offers some of the state’s best fishing for wild rainbow trout, as well as some good opportunities for warm-water species.

So the Gasconade watershed offers something for just about every kind of angler. Whether you are looking for a big water experience for large catfish, or a slow, easygoing float for smallmouth bass, or a day wading a small stream for wild trout, you can find water you are looking for in the Gasconade watershed.

By: Paul Marsh

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Paul Marsh is an a outdoor writer and website owner. His site is Family-Outdoors and further information on the topic of this article will be found at Gasconade River Fishing.