Greasy B

Not MDC accesses, not unless some else pays for the service.

Gasconade Hills Resort is just upstream from Hazelgreen. Even if you float above or below their usual rental floats they may be willing to make the long trip for your troop. On some stretches of the upper G. gravel bars a little harder to come by than on other rivers but you should be fine. Most of the surrounding land is private but it's lightly developed and I have never had a bad encounter with anyone. This trip would be best before late summer when waters levels can drop to a point where you might drag a bit.

The upper Gasconade is the only fifty mile float where you won't have to tolerate jet boat traffic. The upper two thirds of Big Piney would be a good choice too.

Rim Shoals: good cabins, central location, good folks.

Words of wisdom.

I could easily bend the rule for Alison Kraus, and under the right circumstance for any quality music that didn't interfere with conversation. That rule came about back when my buddies would play head banging rock all night long.

One key ingredient to gravel bar camping is timing. On most trips I want to maximize my time fishing and pull up to the bar about a half hour before dark. All I need is enough daylight to pick a tent site and gather a little wood, everything else can be done by head lamp. Some things have changed over the years. I no longer carry a lantern, moonlight, starlight or a head lamp is much easier on the eyes. I no longer insist on three elaborate meals, breakfast and lunch can be simple but the evening meal still needs to be based on meat cooked over an open fire, preferably the meat is a fine rib eye. One of the most enjoyable things about gravel bar camping is leisure the next morning. No early rising, no alarms, just the gradual burn off of fog to wake by.

Yeah, the ball game is the only exception to my no radio rule.

Beautiful fish. I love that spot.

A timely topic, I'm thinking about upgrading to a 24v system. I beat the day lights out of my 12v motors and seldom get more than three years service before they fry. The only disadvantage I see is the the bulk and weight of the second battery. well that and the cost of an upgrade. I figure if I can cut my visits to Tri State Trolling Motors for repairs I can justify the cost. The next question is remote control or hard wire?

A gravel parking lot and ramp with parking for two rigs would have been more appropriate for such a small lake.

I was surprised I had never heard of Port Hudson Lake. A 55 acre lake, no more than a half mile from one extreme corner to the other with parking for 40 rigs, Peculiar.

It's been almost two months since I've been out, I needed some encouragement. Thanks for the report.

That a tough one. You and me are both 50 miles from the nearest good float stream. Gas up and hit the road is the only advice I can offer.

For me the perfect gravel bar is free of all signs of previous occupation. If you can find a bar that doesn't even have foot prints especially later in the season you not only found an ideal camp site but you have picked the perfect float stream as well. On my favorite overnight floats, the ones I do two or three times a season my camp sites are already picked out and usually meet the perfect site requirements. A couple of my sites are only a short distance from places the land owner frequents, one is an island a short distance up stream from from a private pavilion and picnic area. Every time I past this fellow and his family they give me a friendly wave just as I cut the motor and pull behind the island. Never have I felt unwelcome or threatened. To that land owner and others I am grateful.

I fished Lamar valley In the northern part of the park before and just as the wolves were introduced. It was wide open, shallow with the banks beat down from the heavy grazing. I wonder if it has changed and the fishing improved. At the time we always did better up or downstream from the meadow.

Polar Bear, As a general rule the river is navigable by jet from the mouth of Big Piney downstream. Above the confluence with Piney the flows vary a great deal and you really need a good understanding of the volume of water required to get over the shoals if you don't want to rip a hole In your hull. The public ramps from piney on down are: Jerome, Bell Chute, Paydown, Rollens Ferry and Helds island. There may be one or two I missed as well as a few pay to launch private ramps. Directions and other information on the ramps is easy to find on the MDC web site. My fishing time is limited to weekends so i mostly avoid all these areas due to the crowds. One clear difference between Current and Gasconade is the lack of public lands, all gravel bars are private land and many are posted. The gravel bars that are accessible are that way either because the land owner has better things to worry about or has graciously excepted public use. Please keep in mind that many people on this forum have strong opinions about issues we have with our rivers, me included. I for one welcome other opinions because I learn nothing when I only listen to myself.

Welcome, Gasconade is a great river and can provide some pretty good fishing at times. I'm afraid it suffers from many of the same problems as Current. The fishery gets pounded, the boat traffic is heavy, partiers and rowdies can be awful obnoxious. Law enforcement is almost nonexistent. But there are times even on weekends that you can have a quality experience just not everywhere, you just need to feel it out.

Under ideal circumstances Hank and Al have the perfect gravel bar dialed in. On heavily floated streams these prime camping spots are heck holes of garbage filled fire rings, poo piles and urine. No way am I going to camp at jam up cave. On streams like JF I prefer the obscure hidden gravel bars, the ones that are about 4 ft high and behind a thin line of willows.

Oops, I just got home from work and broke the law. In the burbs we don't have very big trees but hey, a man has to make do with what is available.

Good grief, I guess I break the law every time I go fishing, probably a half dozen times a day. Of course I'm discreet but my goodness there isn't a male alive who hasn't. Just think about it, I'm only one generation removed from no indoor plumbing. I guess my father, grandfather and all my ancestors were criminals. Frankly I wouldn't associate with anyone who hasn't pissed on a tree, how could you possibly trust someone so dysfunctional. On top of that I'd have to give up golf.

Real nice fish, it looks like the belly on that brown is stuffed with 6 inch cutts and brookies.

Your correct, only once have I seen a truly effective bluegill fisherman on my favorite public lake. It was kind of scary but as long as people like him and I tread lightly the lake should hold up.

That brings us to rule # 3: never reveal how you are doing. It doesn’t matter whether you are having the best day of your life when another fisherman asks the standard response must be: not too good, it’s been slow.

I never had a pair of neoprenes but have taken plenty of swims in regular waders. Never was a big deal swimming or getting back on my feet. I wouldn't have even got wet if I could have turned myself upside down to drain the water between the top of the waders and the belt before I stood and exhaled. Yes, very nice fish.