High Water and Big Smallmouth Bill Cooper for 4-18-19 Recent rains have swelled area streams, but that hasn’t deterred dedicated smallmouth fishermen from hitting the rivers and streams when water levels subside to safe levels. Facebook followers have enjoyed the products of area fishermen who chase smallmouth bass on a regular basis. They have caught some big fish in the last few weeks. Tommy Bench, of Gasconade Guide Service, knows heh upper Gasconade River like the back of his hand. “Bass on the Gasconade began breaking out of their winter patterns a few weeks ago,” he said. “Bass tend to group up in deep holes during the winter months. Usually in late February they tend to disperse, often for many miles up and down the river.” Bench grew up on the Gasconade and has decades of fishing experience on the river under his belt. “Experience certainly helps me find the bass each year,” he said. “Fish tend to hang in the same areas every season, unless their has been a major change in the river, due to flooding.” Rivers do change with every major flood. Gravel bars shift, major holes fill in, and structure, such as downed trees and rock rubble get moved around by the powerful forces of flood currents. A river is a living thing, constantly in a state of change. Those fishermen who consistently catch fish, in tune with the river and the changes that occur throughout a given year. “Change in the river is a constant thing”’ Bench said. “It is amazing what the powers of nature can do to a river. And that has been especially true in the last decade or so. We have seen major floods in recent years, the likes of which I’ve never seen before.” Record floods have redesigned area rivers to the point that they often don’t seem to be the same rivers when anglers get back on them after long periods of absence. “You don’t have to go far to see the changes in the Gasconade,” Bench said. “Look at the Jerome Access . Not only is the huge concrete access gone, but the parking lot is completely destroyed. Homes which had been alongside the river for decades are gone. Whole islands disappeared and new ones formed, as did gravel bars. It’s like a whole new world out there, particularly if you haven’t been on the river in a while.” Despite the changes in the river, Bench steadily caught smallmouth bass throughout the winter months and continues to do so. “High, stained water can make fishing a little more difficult, but I’ve been at it long enough, I can find fish on a regular basis.” Being on the Gasconade River is as normal to Bench as eating is to most of us. A full time guide, he is on the river several times a week, and is great source of information about the Gasconade. He is the host of “Wild at Heart Outdoor Radio,” on ESPN 107.3 FM each Wednesday evening. You can follow the show website at www.espn1073.com, or follow Bench on his Facebook page. Not only do you get the latest fishing information about the upper Gasconade, you also have the visual pleasure of seeing the huge smallmouth bass which Bench posts on a regular basis. Anyone who loves smallmouth bass fishing owes it to themselves to follow Tommy Bench. He is a topnotch smallmouth fishing guide and tournament fishermen. His information will improve your fishing game. Further south in the Ozarks, Billy Smith has Scenic Rivers Guide Service and Tours. He guides on the Jacks Fork and Current Rivers. Smith grew up in the area and worked maintenance for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways for decades. Now retired, he devotes his time to guiding fishermen and conducting river tours. Damon Spurgeon, of Cardiac Mountain Outfitters, and I fished with Smith two weeks ago on Current River below Eminence. The river was two feet high and slightly stained. We put in at the Two Rivers access, just below where the Jacks Fork enters Current River. The river flow clipped along at a stiff pace. “The river is high enough that the park service has closed this section down to canoe traffic,” Smith said. Despite the high, murky waters Smith felt confident that the could find fish. “I’ve been chasing walleye for the last few weeks,” Smith said. “However, I caught good smallmouth all winter long. Now they have transitioned out of their winter locations and have dispersed up and down the river. They are in the pre-spawn and are staging near their intended spawning areas. Smith stopped at a shoal where he had caught lots of smallmouth over the years. He instructed Spurgeon to cast towards a visible line where the shallow water of the shoal dropped to deeper water. “There he is,” Spurgeon said. “I’ve got one, too,” Smith responded. “We’ve got a double.” And so the day went on tthe Current River with guide Bill Smith. The fishing pair caught numerous smallmouth in the 17-to-19-inch range, with the largest weighing about 3 1/2-lbs. To schedule a trip with Billy Smith look him up on facebook.com/scenicriversguideserviceandtours, or call him at 573-225-3390.