Seth Clarkson

Definitely doable, or at least move quickly, but I had someone hollering at me for doing that one day by the ramp, and said there was a ramp I needed to use it.

Don't have to, but unless the narrative has changed (doubt it with still being owned by City Utilities) since you have to get a permit they say you can only put in at the ramp area (what that means to individuals can vary I'm sure). I got chewed out about this once, but didn't pay too much attention to the reasoning since it wasn't very logical. Same thing with being open at "sunrise" or whenever the guy wakes up from an early morning nap and see that his phone says it has passed sunrise. I live close to Fellows and have a kayak, though it would be a place I frequented, but has always been too much of a hassle. The off limits areas are a joke, not due to the water source needs, but I assume legality/liability concerns.

Depending on how fast it drops, we put in off the road at kdock Saturday. I made a note previously that it was doable off the road at 673 but you had to get way out in the water. Didn't do any good fishing wise though. Tried shallow in some flooded stuff we had been doing good on but no takers. Spent some time around spots like this with nothing doing. Am I looking at this right? Looks like a bait ball with some kind of fish below, but couldn't get a bite. We are terrible at reading graphs so maybe I am just misreading it, but there were baitiballs in the area.

Fished kdock area today, lake level was 688 and you can put in off the road still without having to back all the way down the hill, just limited parking of course. Lots of fog starting out so didn't go far, got on the water about 630. Got lucky today and ran into a group back in a cut that wanted the spook. Caught a dozen or so largemouth and a random walleye. Most all on the spook, couple on a spinnerbait and a Swimbait. Couldn't buy a bite flipping the flooded brush. They weren't all the way to the back, but pretty far in and between 5 and 10 ft deep. There were a different balls of shad around, they got busted a few times but never a flurry. Had bass following in when you hooked one on the spook multiple times. I think the best area had a shad ball we couldn't see in the vicinity of a large tree. Best 5 would've went something around 13-14 lbs. Not long after the sun burned off the fog everything all but quit. Biggest one was 20 inches, and probably 4lbs or so, recent post spawn.

How deep of water did you find that school? We went on Saturday up beaver but it was absolutely pitiful. Saw a ton of boats parked right next to each other around trees, but never saw a fish brought in. Eventually left and tried for largemouth, but it was just a rough day for us.

Nope not too high, its still slowing down too. Of course it will probably rain again before you get the chance to go though.

We ended up doing cox access to blunks. Had a good day everyone caught fish, mainly 8 to 10 inches spotted bass, biggest was a 12 inch smallmouth on a ned rig. Didn't run into any Whites but ppl have obviously been catching them because blunks was an absolute zoo. Ran into a bunch of flat bottoms that had put in at blunks and cox. A purple slider, finesse swimbait underpin and a yellow rooster tail did the damage. Water pushed us through just a little too fast to fish comfortably at times and the wind didn't help. Towards the bottom end of the float it really died off, probably because it had been hot so many times already through the day. We had a good day, was a little warmer than we expected to start, got a late start after meeting for breakfast. Didn't hit the water till 1030 ish and got off about 5.

I think based on the fact that we have a guy out of reeds spring we will probably be going to more of a central location in James River. However, this is great in for for a future float for me. It's a lot closer from Strafford.

Definitely will! Hopefully I will have good news to report back.

Nevermind, bonehead mistake on my part. River flows North into Stockton doesn't it? Not south out of it.

Thanks, I think we have decided to go ahead and do Kerr down to Cox Access and then depending on how fast we get pushed through, we might move a vehicle down to blunks and do that section also.

Thanks for the heads up. I am trying to look at the put in and take out, but I'm not confidently able to determine where the Taylor bridge is. Can you help me as to where the take out is if you put in below the 215 bridge.

Thank you for the offer. I will have either 4 in 2 kayaks and a canoe or 5 in 3 kayaks and a canoe. Would hate to put too many people in your general area. If that wouldn't bother you or us to follow along behind you I will discuss it with my other guys.

I've never been on the sac, floating anyway. I have 1 in our group that is a little inexperienced and at least with the James there is still a decent amount of water flowing from the rains we've had the last few weeks. I didn't want to put them in a position that may be less than ideal, especially without me knowing what to expect. Thanks for your response.

Would floating from 215 down to Taylor be a good/safe option currently? Trying to decide between taking a small group on James River, Flat Creek, or the Sac.

I think I ask this every year and still don't really know what would be best to do. Some guys from work and I have this Friday off and want to do a fishing float. Water is not slowing down as much as I'd hoped as always for this time of year, so wondering if a section of James would be better than another especially with one less experienced floater. I'm open to another river, just not sure if there would be another one fairly close that would be much better. Flat creek is another option I had considered but not sure how it would be by comparison. If anyone has suggestions for a river less affected by the previous rains or a specific section of James that would be easier to fish and float based on the spees I would appreciate it. Will report back as well if we end up getting to go. I've had the most experience on James from Galena to blunks and think it will be manageable if it keeps dropping but I haven't floated it above 1000 cfs which looks like it will be still by Friday. Thanks Seth

True, guess I was just subconsciously hoping that the rain would stop and it would return to about the level it was prior. I'm supposed to go on a Good Friday fishing float and last year we had to cancel because of all the rain, year before that it was fast enough that it wasn't easy to fish.

How was the depth and flow in the the 2 river sections? Did you have to drag at all?

I had been doing fairly well, but it's tapered off the last few trips. Going to try something different the next time if water levels allow.

Floated Galena to Blunks on Saturday, fishing was tough. 2 little smallmouth and 2 perch for me, my buddy had 1 17 inch smallmouth (chatterbait I think), a nice largemouth that came off on a wacky rig, then a couple other little smallmouth. Something about the day just seemed off, it was almost too quiet and a bluebird sky type day for most of the float. Ned rig and rooster tail is what I caught mine on, also tried a whopper plopper, swimbait, and a glide bait, but was getting caught up in the leaves. We did get to see some wildlife though, at least 2 eagles (not sure if we saw the same one as we moved down the river), a couple minks in different sections that had just grabbed a fish, one had an almost 7 inch shad I would estimate that it drug up the bank and another was running along the bank with a perch in its mouth, then we also saw a flock of turkeys fly across the river in front of us. It was nice to be out and enjoy the beauty away from everything. Wish I had taken some pics that turned out decent, but I didn't.

Do you have recommendations on what stretches to float on Shoal Creek? I am in Strafford and typically float James River, but everything is pretty low. In your pictures the water doesn't look too bad, granted it's been a couple weeks I know.

What stretch would be the best bet right now in terms of flow for non stagnant water and less dragging on the James? Would it be Galena down to Blunks, or is there a stretch farther up that has flow coming in that would still have decent height? Or is it all kind of a lost cause right now?

Would it be doable to float from Bennet down right now without having to drag long stretches? Having to drag across a couple riffles isn't too bad, but I wouldn't want to have to drag through a section.

Definitely agree fall is best. The guy you're talking about I believe had a crazy youtube handle, winkiedoodles, I feel like he changed it though. He move somewhere in Northern Missouri I believe so you have to go back a few years for lake springfield.

@MNtransplant I've always done best heading East from the 65 ramp past the walking bridge when it's not winter time. In the winter going west towards the boathouse and deeper water can help.