During winter months, check out Mossy Spring, which flows into a large deep pool about 3 miles upstream from state Route 28. This spring attracts both largemouth and smallmouth. I’ve found most largemouth across the river from the spring and most smallmouth just downstream.

The next two winter fishing areas -- the mouth of the Big Piney River and Boiling Spring -- are located downstream from the Route 28 Bridge.

The Big Piney River enters the Gasconade River at mile 142, creating one of the best smallmouth pools in this section. The river increases in size and flow here, and I’ve caught numerous large smallmouth in the Little Piney River mouth and just downstream in the Gasconade River. In fact, my largest Missouri smallmouth, which measured more than 20 inches, came from this section.

Boiling Spring, a large spring at mile 144, about six miles upstream from Jerome, influences two long, deep pools, creating great winter bass fishing. This section is also very popular with local tournament bass anglers.

The Big Piney River is my all-time favorite smallmouth stream during all seasons. I usually fish it at least once each winter because of the ease of access and the great bass population.

Unlike the Gasconade, the Big Piney River has a large number of springs entering the river throughout its length and public accesses about every 8 miles. It’s one of the MDC’s special bass management areas with a 15-inch length limit. Pick your section and float it either with a canoe, which I usually do, or a johnboat with a small outboard motor. Some anglers use a trolling motor to move through the pools.

Although you can experience great wade-fishing near the U.S. Route 63 access north of Cabool, this section becomes quite low in winter, making float-fishing difficult. Concentrate on the middle section between the U.S. Forest Service’s Paddy Creek access and campground to the MDC’s Ross Bridge Access, 14 miles downstream and west of Duke.

This section has good access, allowing anglers to tailor a fishing trip to a particular time frame. It has great bass habitat, an excellent population, and four major springs that create concentration points for winter bass.

The lower section of the Big Piney River from the Spring Creek Access, south of Newburg on state Route J to Interstate 44 north of Devils Elbow, provides some great year-round bass fishing. It receives less use than the middle section but has fewer springs than the middle or upper sections.

A bunch of other rivers that I recommend for winter fishing would be the Meramec, the Lower Current River, the Upper North Fork of the White, the Osage Fork of the Gasconade and the Upper Eleven Point River. But I’ll finish by recommending Jacks Fork River from the National Park Service’s Blue Springs Access east of Mountain View to the Rymers Access, and from the Rymers Access to the Bay Creek Access.

This section supports several major springs and is managed by an 18-inch special smallmouth bass regulation. During the winter, it receives little fishing pressure. On either float, you will catch numerous smallmouth and an occasional 18- to 20-inch fish. It also supports a great largemouth population.

If you’re looking to net some smallmouth bass, fish around the springs and in the deep pools near large boulders. For largemouth, fish the slow, deep areas. Most of the year, pools have areas with Lilly pads. Come winter, the pads disappear, leaving only remnants. Fish those areas for largemouth.

I rigged my spinning rod with a 4-inch red worm with a white curly tail on a 1/16-ounce jig and cast it gently upstream from where the spring entered the pool. I let it sink to the bottom and retrieved it slowly, bumping along the bottom. I felt it slide over a rock, then startle as a fish picked it up. I allowed a little slack in my line and set the hook. The small bass hung tight to the bottom momentarily, then tail-walked to the surface. It wasn’t large, but still a good start on the afternoon. I quickly released it and cast to a large boulder just downstream from the spring. The current carried the lure under the boulder. The second smallmouth was larger, nearing 13 inches. It provided a fun scrap before being netted and released.

As the afternoon lengthened and the snow increased, I caught and released 10 or 12 smallmouth bass, several large rock bass and a largemouth of about 2 pounds. The snow continued to fall as I returned upstream, pleasantly relaxed and ready to face the world again.

For more information about where to fish, accesses and maps, and for information on the fish populations in the different rivers, check out the MDC Web site at www.mdc.mo.gov/fish./” The MDC also publishes a wonderful book by Oz Hawksley -- Missouri Ozark Waterways -- that includes information (complete with maps and access information) about most float streams.