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Top Fishing Spots Near St. Louis Missouri

Catfish Fishing, Fishing Spots, Rod and Reel

My grandfather was an avid fisherman. I remember rummaging through all of his fishing stuff in the attic when I was a kid. He had a tackle box full of artificial lures and fishing flies, wading boots, nets, minnow buckets, and several Styrofoam containers to keep the fish in after he had caught them. I remember him relating one story about a lake over in Illinois where he caught so many fish that it almost drowned him. He was in his waders, (big rubber boots and pants that went all of the way up to your chest). He was out in the water waist deep and whenever he caught a fish he would hook him to a line that he had around his waist. After several hours he had so many fish tied around his waist that they almost pulled him under the water.

I’ll never forget the first time that I saw him clean some of the fish that he had caught. I was about 3 years old. There was an old picnic table out in the back yard and he put this giant catfish up on top of it. The fish was still alive and looking right at me with a look of fear in his eyes.

Then my grandfather took one of those two pronged barbeque forks and plunged it into the fish’s neck. The fish let out a loud grunt and was still. I soon forgot my concerns about the catfish though after my grandmother battered him up and fried him and I got a taste.

We all have our stories about the one that got away. My brother and I used to go fishing quite a bit at a small lake near Hillsboro, Missouri. We usually got there about 10 in the evening and would stay overnight.

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We had bells that we put on the end of our fishing rods so we could hear if we had a bite. One time I had just bought a brand new rather expensive rod and reel and made the mistake of nodding off with the rod and reel in my lap. The sound of the bell ringing woke my up but I couldn’t react before my new rod and reel went zipping out of my hands and into the lake. I’m sure it was a record size fish. Now I use a pole holder.

Here are a few of the best fishing spots around St. Louis to go to this summer when the fishing bug bites:

Pacific Palisades Conservation Area is a couple of miles outside of Pacific, Missouri on highway F. This is one of my favorite areas to fish, (probably because I used to live out there). There are two abandoned gravel pits as well as well as three miles of lower Meramec River to fish in. Hint: try fishing around the old sunken barge.

Missouri Conservation Areas are scattered throughout the state and can be located on the latest outdoor Missouri map or by calling 573-751-4115. Many of these areas have great creeks to fish in when the water goes down.

The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers have some of the best blue and flathead catfish fishing in the country. There is a catfish at the St. Louis Zoo that weighs well over 100 pounds. How would you like to hook him?

Bee Tree County Park’s seven-acre lake is located south of Telegraph Road near the Mississippi River in South County. Call 636-300-9651.

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Spanish Lake Park has 37 acres of very good bluegill and bass fishing.

Carlyle Lake is located in Illinois off of Highway 64. This was the lake where my grandfather caught all of the fish. I can’t say that you’ll have the same luck today, but it still is a great place to fish for bluegill, channel catfish, and basss.

Silver Lake in Highland, Illinois and Horseshoe Lake off of highway 111 in Illinois are excellent bass fishing lakes.

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