From the Missouri Department of Conservation

With school getting back in session and fall sports underway, your opportunities to fish are going to be limited - the only problem is, you might not be able to catch anything even if you get a chance. According to this report, fish across the region are still slow to hit on most bait.

SOUTHEAST REGION: (573) 290-5858
LAKES

Clearwater Lake: 81 degrees, normal, clear; crappie good while trolling with crankbaits; largemouth bass fair on plastic or topwater baits; bluegill fair on worms or crickets; all other species slow. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

Council Bluff: 81 degrees, normal, clear; largemouth bass fair on dark colored soft plastics and topwater lures during low light periods; bluegill and redear sunfish fair on worms and crickets; all other species slow. (Report made on 8/25/2011)

Cypress Lake: 87 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish good in 2'-3' depths using worms and stinkbait; crappie slow using minnows and jigs in 3' depths; bluegill and redear sunfish fair in 2'-3' depths using crickets, small jigs, and small pieces of worms; largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits, jigs, and plastic worms in 3' depths or greater. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

Duck Creek: 79 degrees, normal, clear; largemouth bass good on topwater lures; bluegill, redear sunfish and warmouth sunfish good on crickets and jigs; all other species slow. (Report made on 8/25/2011)

Lake Girardeau: normal, clear; channel catfish fair on worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

Perry County Lake: 87 degrees, clear; channel catfish fair on liver; black bass fair on topwater lures; all other species slow. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

Robert DeLaney Lake: 85 degrees, normal, channel catfish fair on worms, liver, and stinkbait; all other species slow. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

Wappapello: normal, black bass good on spinnerbaits and plastic worms early and late in the day; bluegill fair on crickets and worms along shoreline; crappie fair on minnows and jigs in the lake in the river channel; channel catfish fair on trotlines and jug lines at night using live bait. Anglers should note the 9" minimum length regulation for crappie on Wappapello Lake. All areas around the lake are now open since the lake water level has dropped. Call the Wappapello Lake Recreation Hotline for updates at 573-222-8139. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

RIVERS

Black River (near Annapolis): 77 degrees, low, clear; all species slow. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

Castor River (above Zalma): low, clear; all species good. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

Lower Black River (Clearwater Dam): normal, dingy; black bass fair on topwater lures; channel catfish fair on live bait; crappie fair on minnows and jigs; walleye fair on crankbaits below the basin; all other species slow. There have been some instances of paddlefish being caught and hooked in the mouth while using traditional fishing methods as of late. Paddlefish are closed to taking by any method in the Black River except from March 15 through April 30. If a paddlefish is caught outside of those specified dates it must be released immediately. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

Mississippi (below Charleston): low, dingy; channel catfish fair on liver, worms and live frogs; all other species slow. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

Mississippi River (Cape Girardeau): 79 degrees, falling, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

St. Francis (above Wappapello): low, clear; black bass good on large minnows; all other species slow. (Report made on 8/24/2011)

St. Francis (below Wappapello): 83 degrees, low, dingy; channel catfish good on chicken liver and stinkbait; flathead catfish good on goldfish and small green sunfish; all other species slow. (Report made on 8/25/2011)

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Anglers are invited to send photos of their fishing trips to the ShowMe Times. Just email acato@showmetimes.com. Be sure to include the name of the fisherman, the date of the catch, where it was caught, weight and - if you care to share - what type of bait you were using!