Coosa

I feel like I can fit the same in my regular Coosa as my HD. But the HD storage in the back has a tiny opening. Most of my stuff goes in the front where as with the Coosa the gear is more spread out. It's taken me a few trips to really figure out what I really need and what i don't, but I got I down now. I think if I can go for 2 nights I can go for 4. Ice is the issue but I can always pack food that doesn't need to be cold and drink cooler temp water. I have even drank the cooler water through a lifestraw when I run out.

When I lived in Clinton I always put in at Windsor Crossing

I thought about not posting this in fear of nobdy believing me but screw it. When I was 12 yrs old I caught a fish which my dad and I believed to be a bluegill. An abnormally large bluegill. Dad thought it might be a state record so we took it home and weighed it. I'll never forget seeing those numbers on the scale 2lb 2oz and hearing my dad say, "14oz short." As I got a little older and learned my fish I realized what I caught was a green sunfish not a bluegill. I have always joked with my brother about me being the state record holder. Man, why is everything always just another fish story!! Wish cameras were everywhere then like they are now.

So after getting away for a 3 day 2 night trip last weekend I was lucky enough to have a surprise couple days off work this week and decided to head out again. I was quite surprised my other half was ok with this. Went 24 miles 2 days 1 night. Fishing was great and size was pretty good. Lost some good ones as always, just fish stories now. Biggest was 17 3/4". Just couldn't get him to stretch another quarter inch.

So kevthebass man, how was your trip? We kept an eye out for ya but don't think we ever crossed paths.

Just found out I'm going to be off work today and tomorrow. Think I'm headed back for a solo overnighter!

So this year our annual Spring (more like summer this year) trip landed us on the upper jacks fork. We have been wanting to do this river for quite some time and glad we finally did....it was a blast!! We set up our shuttle with Harvey's Thursday afternoon and they were great. No driving around for a shuttle, we just paid over the phone put ourselves in and the truck was waiting for us when we got done 2 days later. We decided to leave from Linn, MO at 2am Friday morning. A quick stop at Wally World in Rolla on the way and we were all set. We were at Buck Hollow and in the water by bout 6:15am. The plan was for a short float of 6 miles on day 1 to jam up cave. 12 miles on day 2 and finish with six miles on day 3. Day 1: June 9th Got on the water at 6:15 with high hopes of some good fishing. That was not the case. Fishing was about as bad as it can get and I think we only caught maybe 10 combined. Major downer. We got to jam up cave around 1pm. There were people there setting up camp and exploring so we just floated on by and found a nice gravel bar to set up camp about a mile down river. After a nice river bath and a good meal of pork loin and potatoes we called it a night. Day 2: June 10th Since the fishing had been do poor on day 1 early in the morning we opted for a later start day 2 and let the sun come up a bit before we headed out. After paddling out of the first hole we camped at I threw my first cast into some nice moving water while going around a sharp bend. 2 twitches on the wtd and BOOM....a nice 13 incher. Jeff comes around the corner next and I look back to see him hook up in the same spot. This trend would continue through out the day. Nothing big but at lest they were aggressive. We ended up catching what I would guys to be around 40-50 fish with the biggest being 15 1/2". Got one all the way to the yak that I'm guess was 18 but he shook off right at the boat. Funny how the big ones seem to do that! About 5pm we found the best gravel bar I think I have ever camped on. It was very small and shaded with more wood to burn than we ever needed. 7pm.....This is where I thought the trip was going to suddenly take a turn for the worse. So as we are standing at the edge of our small but beautiful gravel bar throwing a few casts and in the middle of a pretty good laugh (don't remember what about) a man and a woman in a canoe come around the corner and the guy says "hey, you guys mind if we share a gravel bar with you?" Now me having a slight buzz and thinking he is joking because of the very small size of the gravel bar, hollers back while laughing, " sure, if you think you can find a spot." My heart sunk when he said, "man we really appreciate it. We are in hammocks and everything is just f+++++.". Then he starts to paddle over to the bank. I have never had so much of a swing of emotions so fast. I mean it's not like we are sharing a gravel bar....we are sharing about a 30' x '50 camp site. Jeffs tent was already set up and I was not using a tent, just sleeping on the gravel. Fire already going and all set up so just giving up the gravel bar wasn't much of an option. Now I'm a pretty nice dude but was really not looking forward to camping with another couple that already didn't look happy. I looked at my brother and whispered, "W.T.F.?". He replies back, "This sucks." Not sure what happened and don't really care but when I turned around they were on their way down river. I don't know if they heard us or just decided it was a bad idea but I sure was happy to see it . Maybe im an a hole I don't know. Day 3: June 10 The third day was pretty much the same as the second with fishing not quite as good but still good enough to stay fun. About halfway through jeff landed an 16 1/2 incher that would be big fish of the trip. That was kind of disappointing because it seems someone usually lands a good one at some point but it never happened. All in all it was an awesome time. I was completley amazed at how few people we saw. I bet it was less than 10 not counting campgrounds we passed.

Did you end up on the huzzah or courtois? Hoping to make way that direction end of the week if it works out

Nevermind....I see your other post now.

What day did you put in at the prongs? I never fished upper jacks b4 and i will be headed that way friday. The guy at Harveys didn't act like he wanted me to put in at the prongs....he said it was getting pretty low up there and recommended putting in at 17 bridge. I'm ok with that but if it is floatable up there i would like to do it, don't mind doing some dragging. Would just like to do a little more than 24 miles over 3 days. I could add six miles by putting in at prongs.

see you there....my brother and I will be going either prongs to alley or 17 to alley same date. We will be in a couple coosa hds.

Same here slothman

I banned flip flops from my home! Got so sick of trips being ruined because the kids and wife don't have the sense to wear real shoes. I finally said no more flip flops!

Ya we really didnt catch a darn thing that weekend either. Honestly in the 3 times I've fished the big piney it had been extremely poor for me every time. Just bad timing I assume

Ive caught lots of smallies on the big spooks but still seem to do better on the medium size ones. Cant stand to throw the small ones. Watched my brother on the big piney catch a 13" smallie on the bbz 1 rat 50 then shortly after he caught a longear sunfish on the same rat. Not sure what that sunfish was thinking! I think that was the day I saw you gavin down at boiling springs.

Spot on seth. I fish with a few guys that are perfectly happy catching 50 small fish. I on the other hand would much more prefer to catch a few pigs. If I fish all day and catch lets just say fir example 50 fish but none are at least 17-18" then I was unsuccessful.

Thanks guys! I will stick to morels for now. Ive already found more than I can eat in a season so now it's time start giving them to family. I would like to start learning about fall mushrooms though

These were growing off trees. Think ill stick to morels

Like these?

I don't know much about wild mushrooms besides morels. Ive been seeing a lot of these. What are they?

Im all braid all the time on both my baitcasters, but I fish mostly topwater. I have never used a leader. I been using it since I was 15 and now I'm 36. I use mono on my spin cast.

Fishing was pretty slow. We put in at Coffman beach. We managed about 10 LM total with the biggest being 4.2 lbs. All the rest were under 15 in. Whopper ploppers and buzzbaits was all we could get bit on. I wanted to slow down and try some bottom stuff but my trolling motor man was moving a little fast. Good time though....Fishing in the middle with 3 people in a 17' boat sucks