Slabtown - 6 X - Ross Question

[405z06]

This weekend a small group of us will be floating the Piney from Slabtown to Ross, camping overnight somewhere Sat. night. I have floated Six Crossings to Ross several times, but never floated above 6x.

Both Wilderness Ridge and Riches Last Resort list the Slabtown to Ross float at 15 miles & 6X to Ross float as 7 miles.

However, link below lists the total float at 15 miles, but indicate that is ~ 10 miles from Slabtown to 6X, and then ~ 5 miles fro 6x to Ross.

http://www.missouricanoe.org/river-maps/piney.html

The reason I ask is that we were talking about setting up camp somewhere shortly after the 1/2 way point, and assumed that meant somewhere past 6X. But the maps indicate that's not that case. Thoughts?

Also, I have always had good fishing from 6X to Ross. Is the fishing from Slabtown to 6X similarly good? Thanks

[ozark trout fisher]

This weekend a small group of us will be floating the Piney from Slabtown to Ross, camping overnight somewhere Sat. night. I have floated Six Crossings to Ross several times, but never floated above 6x.

Both Wilderness Ridge and Riches Last Resort list the Slabtown to Ross float at 15 miles & 6X to Ross float as 7 miles.

However, link below lists the total float at 15 miles, but indicate that is ~ 10 miles from Slabtown to 6X, and then ~ 5 miles fro 6x to Ross.

http://www.missouricanoe.org/river-maps/piney.html

The reason I ask is that we were talking about setting up camp somewhere shortly after the 1/2 way point, and assumed that meant somewhere past 6X. But the maps indicate that's not that case. Thoughts?

Also, I have always had good fishing from 6X to Ross. Is the fishing from Slabtown to 6X similarly good? Thanks

6x is well over half-way through the float...You'll probably want to set up camp before then. At least whenever I do that float I ended up setting up camp the first night anywhere from 2-4 miles above 6x. Plus you'll want to spend more time above 6x than below. Between Slabtown and 6x, the party crowd is really non-existent, there are days where you can have that whole stretch to yourself. Below 6x it is your typical Ozark party river, and both the experience and the fishing gets worse. Just something to think about.

[Al Agnew]

Yep, 6X is close to 2/3s of the way through that float. The canoe rental places always seem to exaggerate the distance on the floats they like to run trips on for some reason. I always found the 6X to Ross float to be about a half day unless you stop all the time and swim, drink beer, hassle other floaters, etc.

[The Kayak Kid]

This weekend a small group of us will be floating the Piney from Slabtown to Ross, camping overnight somewhere Sat. night. I have floated Six Crossings to Ross several times, but never floated above 6x.

Both Wilderness Ridge and Riches Last Resort list the Slabtown to Ross float at 15 miles & 6X to Ross float as 7 miles.

However, link below lists the total float at 15 miles, but indicate that is ~ 10 miles from Slabtown to 6X, and then ~ 5 miles fro 6x to Ross.

http://www.missouricanoe.org/river-maps/piney.html

The reason I ask is that we were talking about setting up camp somewhere shortly after the 1/2 way point, and assumed that meant somewhere past 6X. But the maps indicate that's not that case. Thoughts?

Also, I have always had good fishing from 6X to Ross. Is the fishing from Slabtown to 6X similarly good? Thanks

I would also recommend camping above 6X. Of course, ask me (or GloryDaze) sometime about our close encounter with some locals, at 6X. Crazy.

Anyway, you will find the fishing above 6X equally productive or better (better, from my personal experience) than below. I've put in at several points upstream , including Mason Bridge and Boiling Springs, and stayed quite busy with smallies and goggle-eyes.

Something to consider (pretty sure you'd have enough water, but you could double-check with Rich's LR)...there is a great little camping spot where Paddy Creek meets the river. A few boulders underneath create a nice rapid...we've caught several nice smallies here. As you know, the rapids are few and far between on the Big Piney (rowing, anyone?). Of course, you really have to move slow the next morning...because Slabtown comes quick.

The other guys are right...6X is definitely past the "half-way" mark between Slabtown and Ross. Also, your chances of seeing river clowns increase significantly...compared to above 6X.

[ozark trout fisher]

I would also recommend camping above 6X. Of course, ask me (or GloryDaze) sometime about our close encounter with some locals, at 6X. Crazy.

I don't know what encounter you are talking about, but I bet you that I've experienced similar things. On our last float on the BP, for lack of a better way to put this, it was an absolute freakshow from 6x to Ross...Not just lots of people and the usual party crowd but some stuff that sort of brought Deliverance to mind. Really it was to the point that I will have to think twice before floating the stretch below six crossings again.

I will just say that it is not a "family friendly" stretch of river and leave it at that.

[The Kayak Kid]

I don't know what encounter you are talking about, but I bet you that I've experienced similar things. On our last float on the BP, for lack of a better way to put this, it was an absolute freakshow from 6x to Ross...Not just lots of people and the usual party crowd but some stuff that sort of brought Deliverance to mind. Really it was to the point that I will have to think twice before floating the stretch below six crossings again.

I will just say that it is not a "family friendly" stretch of river and leave it at that.

No, not exactly family-friendly. This was at night (for whatever reason, we chose to make camp right around that big gravel bar at 6X). I believe it was our first BP trip...I doubt we realized it was an actual put-in. This was several years ago. Let's just say we had unexpected guests visit our campfire...and one (let's call her Tonya) was rather outgoing. I'll always remember one of my buddies (new to the multi-day canoe camping trips) asking "Does this stuff always happen?" No, never ever, I said. We usually just catch fish, drink beer, and tell stories. Well, ever since that trip, we've had another good story to tell.

[dennis boatman]

What happens on BP, stays on BP...

[405z06]

Well, fishing was really tough for us this weekend. We did the 15 miles over 2 days and didn't catch much worth talking about. We didn't measure a single fish nor have one worthy of getting the camera out.

The weather was nice, and the float was beautiful, but my buddy and I were disappointed. Back in June we hit 6X to Ross back to back days on a weekend early in the month and absolutely tore 'em up. Not cooperating this time though. Oh well...

[ozark trout fisher]

Well, fishing was really tough for us this weekend. We did the 15 miles over 2 days and didn't catch much worth talking about. We didn't measure a single fish nor have one worthy of getting the camera out.

The weather was nice, and the float was beautiful, but my buddy and I were disappointed. Back in June we hit 6X to Ross back to back days on a weekend early in the month and absolutely tore 'em up. Not cooperating this time though. Oh well...

Well, I'm sorry to hear the catching was off. But it's dang near impossible to have a bad time on that stretch of river with how pretty it is. Fall can be a little tough on rivers like the Big Piney. I was down there just a little later than this time last year and had my toughest trip ever on that river, all the fish just seemed to be hiding in the deep holes, and fairly difficult to catch. But that's just the Big Piney for you. Sometimes it's just off and not cooperating no matter what you do, but sometimes it'll give you a day that you're not likely to forget for a long time. I like rivers like that.

How were the crowds? Any sign of the the aluminum hatch letting off at all below Six Crossings?

[405z06]

we had the river pretty much to ourselves. We ended up setting up camp below 6X and got an early start, so we really didn't see anyone on the stretch from there to Ross on Sunday, either.