The daily creel limit is one trout (either brown or rainbow) over 18 inches long. Anglers serious about big trout probe the river's depths with weighted wooly buggers, salmon-sized streamers or hard-plastic diving crankbaits; the rest of us match the hatch or float a highly visible generic dry fly down the runs and through the riffles. We catch lots of chunky, hard-fighting sublegal fish and, once in a while, a lunker

White bass really turn on at Truman Lake this month. At worst, this fishery rates good; in most years, it's excellent. And Kansas City metro anglers don't have to travel any farther than Longview Lake to find good walleye action this month.

NOVEMBER
Mississippi River Blue Catfish
Some historians maintain that blue cats weighing more than 300 pounds were sold in St. Louis fish markets in the early 1800's. That might be a "fish story" -- but there's incontrovertible evidence that blue cats weighing well over 100 pounds still swim in Missouri's portion of the Mississippi River.

Anglers who pursue these whiskered giants think big from the get-go. Most locals opt for saltwater boat rods or, at least, heavy-action muskie rods mated with heavy-duty baitcasting reels large enough to spool at least 200 yards of 50-pound-test or heavier line. Terminal rigs vary, but all include weights in the 4-ounce to 1-pound class and heavy wire circle, octopus or Kahle hooks. Bait choices are simple: fresh shad or herring, either alive or as cut bait.

To find trophy blue cats, first find the deepest water in a mile-long stretch of river. Use your boat's electronics to search the entire hole for breaklines or for schools of blue cats. Anchor upstream of the fish and present your bait right in front of their noses. Failure to see action in a half-hour is a signal to search for another hole or another location in the same hole. However, be sure to try your original spot again later in the day.

There's also excellent walleye and sauger action to be found near the Mississippi River locks and dams north of St. Louis. And while Lake Wappapello doesn't get as much publicity as many other Missouri lakes, it's a good place for tangling with largemouths this month.

DECEMBER
Table Rock Spotted Bass
If you're the type of angler who lives for the chance to face bass fishing's greatest challenge every time out, this trip isn't for you. On the other hand, if you'd like to end your bass fishing year with some of the best, and definitely the most laid-back, bass catching of the year, you'll have come to the right place.

The lake's many river-channel bluffs set the stage for this late season action. Submerged standing timber, the tops of which may be 50 feet or more beneath the surface, form the backdrop. Huge schools of spotted bass suspended within or just above the submerged treetops are, of course, the actors.

A jigging spoon weighing from 1/2 to 1 ounce is the most popular lure. However, jigs of similar weights tipped with soft-plastic grubs, tubes or minnow imitations are always worth a try.

The only important secret to this fishing is to bring the fish up from the depths slowly. A too-fast ascent can kill a bass hooked 50 feet or more beneath the boat.

Trout anglers who want to be free to choose their angling method and to take a few trout home to eat need to sample the Niangua River's excellent rainbow action this month. Also, Lake Wappapello sports some good late-season crappie action along the edges of the river channel.

Obviously, 36 fishing trips aren't enough to last a redblooded Missouri angler an entire year. Feel free to add some of your own, or to repeat the ones here as often as seems necessary.