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cad...crick..you were right!!! Just spoke with Delvis and Mark via cell and they caught plenty of bows...little to no other canoe traffic and zero jet boats!!! Great weather on the river but with the rain coming.....2-1 odds they get out of Oregon county!!! My only hope is that this river does not experience a 3rd major flood this season!!!

River is up a little from week or so but coming down fast.....fish deep...in the shaded areas...brown rooster tails, maribou jigs (black and yellow), minnows, crawfish, shrimp, egg patterns, and corn will catch rainbows in this section.....keep your tip up and your boots off and you should have an enjoyable trip on this lower end.

I am familiar with the spot across from the bluff....have camped there a couple of times! Very good fishing and a wonderful view. Probably my 4th favorite site...saw a guy catch a 22 inch bow there a few years back as I was floating through. Try to always stop and wade if no one is there.Thanks for the info on Halls Bay!!!

thanks for the info Al. Was afraid of something like that! Love to wade anyway...guess I will have to stay close to home and continue with the Fouche de Clue and Brushy Creek. Keep the posts coming!!!

very enjoyable reading Al!!! Have been wondering for a while about putting in at Frankclay off Hwy 8. Where could we take out? any ideas or help would be appreciated. Pass the river often on trips to Potosi and like the way the water looks...just have never had the chance to float it.

jd...you were going to check into the possibility of wading above Halls Bay. If I were to camp there, could I spend a couple of days wading??? what do you think after seeing it???

jd....how is the wading above and below Halls Bay? The times I have stopped at this island, it didn't seem like there were many spots to wade? If you have some tips, I would surely appreciate it!

I know the beatles stayed on the 11 point river years ago...did not know they stayed on the current also....did recently read where ted nugent was buying land on the current. IMO...we are all equals on the rivers!!! nobody more famous than the next guy!!!

I see no problem with that!!!...that would be heaven!!!

IMO, there are some great campsites on this river for those who like to rough it. My favorite is the gravel bar at the left hand turn just upriver from whites creek. Shade all day, lots of sand, and lots of holes to wade. #2 would have to be horseshoe bend. More shade all day but not as many holes to fish. The sound of the rapids 24/7 is hard to beat....not as much sand as before spring floods. #3 is what we call the sticks. Located 1/4 down river from horseshoe bend. The island or the gravel bar. The island is loaded with sand now...could probably put 6 tents on it. A great pad of sand at lower end of the gravel bar with shade all day. Wading fishing on both sides of island and from the front end of the sticks sticking out of the water to a good ways below. All of these sites or between Turner and Whiten. Have always been intrigued but have never camped at Halls Bay...fishing would be tough !!! Any one else have any favorite campsites....Mark....??? Summer Cottage??? your site of choice???

Have camped many days and nites on the 11 point over the last 10 years....on occasion, you will have a rowdy group come down the river. For the most part, IMO, and from what I hear by talking to people on the river, those who float this river do it for what it is!!! I also think they pass too many party spots(current, huzzah,) to get there so the partiers don't see a need to travel so far too party. Recently spent a couple of nites camped up river from Whiten. While at Whiten, heard from an oldtimer that a couple of big fish (8 lbs) were caught the week before the 4th of july.

It was a nice fish...I agree with fish caught on corn. Hate to be the bearer of bad news!!! It looked to me that his plans were to keep it from being caught again. I might add that numerous fish I landed had been in the water a while. They had that certain colorful tint to them. The camping spots also looked to be better than I can remember...plenty of firewood, lots of sand, and, this early in the year, very little toilet paper in those idea spots to put up a tent!

the gravel bars are still around....just in different places. Horseshoe bend, always one of the best gravel bars, has more rock than sand. Whites Creek, my favorite, has more sand than before. Camp sites are still there, just different!!! ...cream style....lol..that is a good one!!! Do not know any of the names of the group!

Spent Sunday and Monday on the river and found the fishing to be exceptional. Sunday we shuttled to a favorite spot just below Whiten and Monday floated Turner to Whiten. The river was high and the current was swift, but the holes that usually produced rainbow did just that. Came across a group of five men. One of them had landed a 22 inch rainbow. Weighed it for him and it was 6 lbs and 4 ounces....very nice fish. He caught it on corn!!! They had other fish, and watched them catch a few more, all on corn. They told me that was all they ever used. Egg patterns bounced on the bottom worked for us. Had to find the right amount of weight, more than normally use, to get the bounce. Really wanted to stay longer but had to go! Can't wait for the next trip!!

Delvis from the land of Elvis??? ksir10, that was a jab shot at someone else....I do believe!!! Welcome to the forum and looking forward to the next trip. The way things are looking, the trout may be hard to slay.....maybe not!!! Since I posted, therefore the edit,I was in a local meat shop where an employee makes an annual trip with a group...was told two in their group made a midweek trip in the last 10 days and caught plenty of trout between Turner and Riverton....!!! That is the kind of news been waiting to hear!!!

Great to see this river dip under 5 feet for the first time in a real long time!!! The fishing will only get better!!!

ksir, You do not want to do the Huzzah on a weekend in June unless you are looking for a party on the creek. The Huzzah isn't a bad smallmouth stream during the week, but IMO, it is a very overcrowded river on a weekend. It is bumper to bumper with rafts and canoes. Use to take my family to float only, but that won't happen there anymore!!! The new laws have made it better, but, there is no comparison between the Huzzah and the 11 point when it comes to fishing, scenery, cleanliness, beauty of the water, cost, ..........We have been doing the 11 point for 10+ years now driving 4 hours 4-5 times a year and have yet to have had a bad trip!!!

kslr10, are you planning on camping two nights on the river? If you are, I would suggest you put in at Greer and fish/float the blue ribbon area Friday ....approx 5 miles.....and set up camp 1/2 mile below Turner across from the bluff where the river makes the first 90 degree turn to the right. This is a deep hole before the first shoals below Turner. Good fishing in the evening and the morning from the campsite through the shoals. You would then have 7 miles or less to float/fish to Whiten or 14 miles to Riverton. If you fish at my pace, horseshoe bend would be a great 2nd night with a take out at Whiten on Sunday. If you are making too good of time, due to your pace or the rivers, you could camp below Whiten. There are many nice gravel bars....I guess I should say there were...2-3 miles below Whiten. Most are where the river makes those 90 degree turns. There are also numerous float camps but I don't think they have good fishing....whereas most of the gravel bars have good fishing!

Brian, we are thinking of you guys down there and feel your pain!!! I checked the guage.....again....and the past month looks like the stock market!!! We were hoping to get on the river in two weeks, but, we are afraid it will be too high and still not able to be fished. A number of years ago, when the river was around 4 feet, we floated Turner to Riverton. It was a quick trip and the fishing was tough. At what height do you think one could safely float and fish this river???

Forsythian,.....You need to make that float!!! Been to a lot of rivers here over the last 15 years and have come to the ultimate conclusion that there ain't nothing like this one!!!

The Hufstedler store and canoe livery is still there. No longer owned by anyone in the Hufstedler family, but still goes by that name. In fact, if you were to walk in that store tomorrow, IMO, you would think you were back in 1973!!! There are pics and a story on the wall about the making of those john boats. I have been told that there are relatives of the Hufstedlers in the area. I believe Mark or Brian might be able to give a little more insight on that !!! Neat stuff on the fab four!!!

Great stuff fellow fishermen and women!!! I thought I heard or read somewhere that the Beatles spent the day on the river a number of years ago. Kind of hard to get that picture in my head...seeing those guys fishing or floating....but you never know!!! Had also thought I heard something about an outing with Bobby Knight on one of our rivers ....don't know enough about it so I best leave it at that!!!

Thanks Brian! Our group rescheduled for later in April. The lake was definitely an option, but our biggest concern was getting there. We travel through Piedmont and reports indicated that was not going to happen. We are looking forward to seeing how the river has changed. When you get on it, give us a preview of some of the changes you notice, especially those from Turner downriver. I might add that we often talk about checking the lake out, but always have a hard time getting away from the river and its beauty!!!

a few questions....how would this help the walleye?...and, what happens to the fish, especially trout, during a fast high rise of water like this??? do they bunker down or do they take a ride down river ???

I have fished the St Fran at the Silvermines. It is a difficult wade! What you actually have to do is jump big round rocks. Truly a different type of fishing adventure! While there, talked to someone associated with the grounds and he told me where a couple of guys come every Sunday from Fred'town to fish. Tried it and caught many 12 inch smallmouth. The hole at the campground on top of the hill produced the most fish. Also caught some nice smallmouth before the bridge. Below the bridge the water got ugly due to a hog farm across the river. I have spent a lot of time in a canoe and the whole time fishing the silvermines I kept thinking there is no way to get a canoe through these rocks/boulders. Finally, I have to agree with everyone else, Al. A great report on the St Francis River. You had to have been sitting in the front row of that Earth Science class at Semo while I was in the back row !!!