Where's the closest slab hunting to St Louis

[Raintree]

I am looking to go out and then get home for dinner that night so I don't agrivate the wife too much.

Thinking about MTL, Wappapello or Rend Lake over in IL. Unless there is something considerably closer.

I have tried Bush lakes and they are too crowded and I want to take my boat out also and I can't use it there.

Anyone fish Simpson lake in Valley Park? I hear Bee Tree is hot but again no boats unless you can carry them in.

[TAE73]

I would say unless you like to really fight the crowd for some crappie tomorrow sat (4/2) go to MTL. Stay away from Wappapello, they are having the crappie usa tournement tomorrow. According to the Water Patrol regatta's they forecasted 100 boats in that alone. Also there is a 50 boat green carp tourne also.
(4/2/2005 1 6:00AM - 3:00PM Chaonia Landing Fishing 50 Bass Quest
4/2/2005 1 6:30AM - 3:00PM Randon/Redman Hwy T Fishing 100 Crappie USA, Inc. )

Good luck to ya, I am going tomorrow to LOZ for a bit.

[Bruce Carp]

I would go to LOZ! Hands down choice right now. Give MTL another week, little ones there, big ones still out in deep water.

[TAE73]

Is that close to St Louis?

[jolle]

MTL when it gets good and drive is about 2 hours. They aren't doing well yet, lots of shorts and slow at that.

[Bruce Carp]

Close is what? Two hours is and three is not? agree with Jolle, MTL is still several days from good fishing. My two cents. I will drive the extra hour for better fishing! bunch of 8-9 inchers or a bunch of 11-14 inchers, doesn't seem like much of a decision. But that will change shortly!

[TAE73]

I am looking to go out and then get home for dinner that night so I don't agrivate the wife too much.

Thinking about MTL, Wappapello or Rend Lake over in IL. Unless there is something considerably closer.

I have tried Bush lakes and they are too crowded and I want to take my boat out also and I can't use it there.

Anyone fish Simpson lake in Valley Park? I hear Bee Tree is hot but again no boats unless you can carry them in.

Bruce thats not what he asked "Either these or something closer" Yes LOZ is better but did not fit his criteria for a day of fishing and driving to be home with his wife for dinner. Just becuase fishing is poor, doesnt mean a guy cant go fishing to that lake, thats not what its all about. Yes its nice to bring home some fish, but just being out is more important to most. And yes 2 hours is more than 3, its a total of 2 more hours of driving that trip.

[TwainGang]

RainTree- you are in the same position I am. I came to STL from Columbia and there were a lot of smaller lakes to hit after work for several hours- Ashland Lake, Little Dixie, Strip Pits, Rocky Fork, Binder and then MTL was only an hour away.

As far as STL goes, there is a little lake in Whiteside up in Lincoln County that I caught a few little bass in about a year ago- never crappie fished it. It does have a ramp. There is a Creve Coeur Lake too, but from what I've heard (and seen just by driving by) it is a shallow mudhole that has had problems with toxic chemicals in the fish. Has anyone done any good WRT crappie out of the Busch Lakes? I work about 2 miles from there and I aim to give them a work out this year- even if it is in a rented boat I have to empty the TRASH out of before I get in. A guy could make a mint opening up a pay fishing spread of lakes for bass, catfish and crappie. They do it for golf- why not fishing?

[jolle]

Twain, I grew up on DD basically right behind Busch so I was over there all the time. 10 minutes on the bike and I was at Lake 33. However, the fishing at Busch is pretty lousy. Of course I fish a lot and know what good fishing is, but most of the city folks think it is alright. Basically it is overfished and the fish aren't of good quality. You can catch crappie in 33 around the beds but most are very small fish. I've never gone out in a boat to try it. The only quality fishing that I have enjoyed at Busch were one or two catfish ponds and the winter trout fishing. The trout are pretty good when recently stocked but can be very slow at times also. I just fished it b/c it was close, but I wouldn't spend a Saturday there when there are much better options within a few hours.

[Raintree]

I did go to Busch today on my lunch as its only about 5 min from my work (Chesterfield Bottoms) and I did get a nice 3lb bass out of Lake 9 right by the high school.

And I did get a crappie last year from the lake right off the outer road by the research park.

But I am looking for something a little less crowded. I have property at Goose Creek Lake in Ste Geneveive but that place is really getting nuts and is turning into a baby LOZ with big boats and its only a 600acre lake.

I do have a wedding to go to at LOZ in a few weeks so hopefully they are turning on by then but I still would like to know of more lakes 1-2 hours away.

I heard Simpson Park in Vally Park right behind I-44 is pretty good but its a really trashy lake looks almost like the built it on a landfill because the shorelines are just full of garbage.

Keep me posted on the St Louis hotspots.