Two specific blue holes -- Bird's Blue Hole and Thirty-four Corner -- are both in Mississippi County. The former is southeast of Route 62 at the junction of County Road 301 and Levee Junction, while the latter is 10 miles east of East Prairie on Route 80. Both have concrete boat ramps. The areas flood when the Mississippi spills over its banks.

"The river restocks these holes when it floods," said East Prairie fisherman Tim Eledge, "and the fishing can be really good in spring after the water goes down."

APPLE CREEK CA
This small tributary enters the Mississippi River north of Cape Girardeau. Exit I-55 at Fruitland; then, travel seven miles north on U.S. Route 61 and six miles east on state Route CC. A boat ramp is available.

"Apple Creek provides good bass fishing opportunities," started Mark Boone, MDC fisheries biologist. "Too, Apple Creek can handle big boats for a good ways. However, boaters should take it easy, because there is a lot of timber in the creek."

Sunfish and shad make up the bass forage base for Apple Creek. The food supply is plentiful, allowing bass to grow to respectable sizes quickly.

"Creeks up and down the eastern border of the state, which dump into the Mississippi, are productive bass waters that many fishermen ignore," said Boone. "They are really underutilized. With a little investigating and work, fishermen can find some new fishing spots for themselves."

MERAMEC RIVER
The Meramec River is one of the larger streams entering the big river, meeting the Mississippi near Arnold. Fisheries biologist Kevin Meneau wasn't bashful about providing specific information about bass fishing on the Meramec. "I would concentrate my efforts in the Six Flags area around Pacific and Allenton," he advised.

The Meramec is an urban stream this far down. There is a lot of agriculture in the area, and rock and concrete have been dumped to help stabilize the banks. "The rock and riprap along the banks make good cover for crayfish and other aquatic insects and small baitfish," offered Meneau. "Bass key on these spots.

"Largemouth bass are an overlooked species in this stretch of the river. Anglers concentrate on big smallmouth in this area, and their largemouth cousins often go unnoticed. Anglers can expect to catch largemouth in the 12- to 18-inch range fairly consistently, with an occasional fish over 20 inches.