Mark

I'm hoping weekdays won't be too crowded although I don't mind the occasional bikini hatch. Man, I hate snakes, keep hearing "Watch Out" on the JF!! I sure hope to catch some fish, but am looking forward to the scenery more. And just to confirm with you recent floaters, I have been advised that most if not all tricky spots can be avoided by getting out and walking canoe thru the shallow side of the runs. We will be loaded although we plan on bare necessities and you all know how that goes, and even thinking of taking our old guitars. My buddy is more worried about tipping than I am, to me it's part of the adventure. Can most sweepers and such be avoided with due diligence? Are there any specific trouble spots that stick out in your minds? Anyone floating week of June 3-6 and see a couple guys playing guitars, stop on by. We take requests. How's the firewood situation at most gravel bars? We don't have a chainsaw. Man I am so psyched!!!

Thanks ColdWater. I hope the 200 canoe day was an abberation. I am so psyched for my first Jacks Fork trip in 2 weeks. Me and a buddy are going on a 3 nighter during the week so I assume we face much less river traffic than your 200 canoe day, but it will be the first week of June so I guess you never know. We are planning Buck Hollow to Alley Springs. Advice on here has been helpful but surprised you didn't catch many fish. It is still prime season for smallmouth, isn't it? Could the slow fishing been due to so much river traffic? Any other thoughts on poor results? I have read and heard nothing but great things about JF smallmouth fishing. I have had Harvey's recommended for shuttling. Will I need to call ahead to arrange a shuttle on a Monday or can I just show up? My only problem is I don't know the exact time we will arrive. But I have heard so much about the Jacks Fork being the crown jewel of Missouri streams, I'm excited to see the scenery and was hopng to catch fish.

Just wondering - you sit very high in the seat - isn't losing balance and getting tossed out a problem.

Looking forward to a report. I have just begun exploring the lower 11 pt. and curious to find out more.

Careful Al, you may end up with more guests than you figured. I never made it over to the Livingston area on my first and only trip to the Yellowstone area a couple years ago. There was just too much scenery on the Wyoming side where we stayed - on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, near the intersection of the Beartooth Scenic Byway. Spectacular scenery in all directions. Don't think I could handle the winters though. I love the mountains in the winter too, but just to visit. Think I would go Jack Nickelson in about a month.

Welcome George. Curious about the fishing there myself.

I, too, was under the impression that 200 years ago, the Ozark forest floor would have been covered in pine needles, and together with the canopy of the virgin pines, little growth took place on the forest floor. I have read accounts of early travellers passing through the forest floor in wagons, as the pine needles provided smooth routes through the forests. But I'm sure there would have been areas of open grasslands too, and fine pasture land for Elk. It's hard to imagine how beautiful the Ozark forests must have been with pine trees reaching to the heavens.

Should we be even talking about this?? No comment other than no comment.

Me too, Me too. Me and a friend are planning our first trip to Buffalo this summer. I have researched and posted on here, read all advice, printed off info, and still SO undecided. All help is appreciated. Scenery is top priority, fishing secondary, but certainly like to catch some smallmouth. I am torn between middle section and lower section right now.

A young 12-14 year old boy was fished out of the Big River over the weekend. He was wading with an adult and another teenage boy. He got too close to a culvert and got sucked into it. The adult tried to hang onto him but the current was too swift and pulled the boy through the pipe. Another rescuerer came to the aid and manage to pull him out of the other end of the drainpipe. The boy was unconscious and turning blue in the face. The rescuerer gave him CPR and resusitated him - luckily! Tragedy was averted. One lucky boy.

Fascinating post, Al. How in the heck do you remember such off the wall facts?

What is the fishing like on that stretch? I am interested in a short 2 day float as well with emphasis on fishing.

Sounds like the new owner is trying a bluff. I would love to have that conversation with someone trying to tell me that the former island/gravel bar is private property. I'm guessing that Hall Bay area is about where the private property starts. They have to know going in that they bought land on a public stream and they do not own the gravel bars. We camped for several days a couple years ago just a little bit above Boze Mill on the opposite side of the river. Sure enough, a farmer was working the field right behind us and was keeping an eye on us. We expected a run in with him at some point with him telling us we were on private property and to leave. But after a couple days, the guy and another fella came down to the river to inspect us, we started talking, and had a pleasant conversation. The guy knew we were harmless, not trashing the area, and left us alone.

I am interested in lodging on the Little Red also. A place on the river with a shoal and no public access would be awesome. If anyone knows of such a place, I would appreciate the tip.

I've always wanted to camp at Halls Bay, just too close to taking out at Riverton so we never have. Last year was the first time I have floated the Whitten to Riverton section in a few years. Amazing all the changes in the river. There was one hairy place just a mile upstream from Riverton with a narrow shoot between downed trees and a sweeper that got us. We had to bail out to save the canoe but only waist deep water. Of course the river was very low then so I'm guessing it's still tricky if Forest Service hasn't cleaned that shoot up.

Glad you had a great trip. The river is in great shape and good fishing right now.

Definitely a catch 22. I would love to be able to stay at a lodge on the riverbank or rent a cabin on the water. The boost to Oregon County economy would be tremendous if the EP became more of a tourist attraction. But we would lose the charm of the Eleven Point's isolation and solitude. From my conversations with most locals, no one wants to turn the EP into the Current River type of place like Van Buren or Eminence. I tend to agree for my own selfish reasons, but I don't live there and have to rely on the local economy to make a decent living. I respect the job that people like Brian Sloss and Mike Jones do, and all the hospitality and friendliness of the local business people and people in general in the area that offer such a wonderful outdoors experience that is affordable. At all the other places I have floated, you are treated as another customer. At the EP, everyone treats you like they truly appreciate your business. I could name numerous incidents where the people we have dealt with on our trips to the EP have gone above and beyond to help us out in any way to accomodate us. You don't always get that type of treatment at other float trips to other rivers. Love the Eleven Point!!

I have mixed feelings on the subject of brown trout in the Eleven Point. I enjoy the relative solitude of fishing on the EP. As a businessman, I'm sure you would like to see the boost in business on the EP. I am not a biologist either, but wonder what effect introducing brown trout would have on the other species. I would think there is only so much food to go around. I just think that the well known brown trout fishing waters are close enough that the brown trout fishermen already have their share of waters to fish. I kind of think along the lines of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" JMO

No problem. The river is in great shape. Plenty of water but not too high. Good clear water. I would think the smallmouth fishing would be good right now at Cane Bluff. Give us a report when you get back.

REPORT: Seven of us made the trip this year and all arrived Wed. evening at the cabins. We awoke Thursday morning with overcast skies and temp. in the hi 40s. After some coffee, breakfast, and a little recovery time from Wed. night activities, we were on the river by 10am. Since we had 2 jet props, we decided to put in at Whitten and head upstream to Horseshoe Bend and set up a base camp with the group. The river is beautiful right now and flowing about 850 cfs. Great floating conditions. We took turns going out in the jet boats heading upstream in pairs while the rest wade fished around Horseshoe Bend. Fishing was slim, as it was 2 weeks earlier on my previous trip. Obviously, no stocking in awhile. It remained cool most of the day with brief periods of sun. The group wading had very little luck, and the trips in the jet boats only produced a couple of fish. After a couple of hours, several of us pulled out the lawn chairs and hung out around the fire, starting happy hour. Our fishing enthusiasm waned as half the group were content to fish a little, sit a little. The jet boats stayed active with trips up and down the river, still not producing any fish to speak of. Maybe a couple of 14" fish, and the few other fish caught were in the 10-12" range. Late afternoon, as everyone was enjoying a beverage on the gravel bar, Jeremy was the only one fishing off our gravel bar. Sure enough, fish on! It soon became apparent that he had a nice one on the line. I grabbed a net to assist as he slowly reeled him in. The first sight of the fish, we knew he had a lunker. He played him in slowly and I got a net under him on the second swipe. Beautiful 23" rainbow. Quite exciting and everyone was back in the fishing mode. We decided to start making our way back, drift fishing along the way. Not much action the rest of the day as we were off the river by 6pm. On the day, maybe 9-10 fish for the entire group of seven. Since we didn't have a scale, we stopped at the new bait shop on AA to get it weighed. It weighed in at 5.2. We debated on how much weight a fish loses in the hour or so it took to get to a scale. Before all you purists scold us for keeping the fish, Jeremy is getting it mounted. And I agree with him, if I ever caught a nice lunker like that, I don't want a replica on the wall, I want the fish I caught mounted. And it's our legal right to do so. It was a once in a lifetime fish. Congratulations Jeremy! We found a wallet on the gravel bar with a driver's license and credit cards in it. I brought it home and found the owner's phone number. I called last night and talked to the young man's mom. She was amazed. He is a Mizzou student and lost it 3 years ago on a float trip. I'm sending it back to him today. Day 2 on Good Friday - we awoke to rain and decided to chill at the cabins until the rain stopped around noon according to the forecast. Sure enough, the rain stopped and we were on the river by 12:30. We put in at Turner Mill. By the way, the boat ramps at Turner are less than ideal. Short ramps and it is necessary to get the vehicles back wheels in the gravel off the ramp, always a tricky proposition. Not sure the Forest Service really thought that thru when they made the new ramp. Low water will make it tough to put in a boat at Turner. Easy way to break an axle on the trailer, right Snappy? Only five of us went fishing, as Chip and Terry were content to go sight seeing. On the drift right off Turner, we were pleasantly surprised to start getting bites immediately. We landed a couple fish in the first 1/4mile, with both boats having a double going at the same time. The sun was out, and it turned into a beautiful day. We made base camp at Stinking Pond, a great place with lots of wading water for the group. The difference was night and day compared to Thursday. We consistently caught fish, several in the 14-15" range. Short excursions upstream and downstream proved profitable. The rapids just below Stinking Pond were consistent with action. Joel had a phenominal day fishing between the island above Stinking Pond and the camp area. He put on a fishing display worthy of a video, landing somewhere around 25 fish on the afternoon. Everyone had great success. Why the difference between Day 1 and Day 2? We thought maybe they had stocked the Turner Mill area. But I really don't think so. Perhaps it was the overnight shower? Or a warmer sunny day? Our best conclusion was that fish are migrating down from the Blue Ribbon area. On my previous trip 2 weeks ago, we caught fish in the first mile down from Turner Mill, and then they just shut off. Same thing on this trip, downriver the fishing was slow, and just below the Blue Ribbon area, fishing was hot. A great trip, a wonderful time to float, and the river is in the best shape it has been in a couple years. Lots of water, absolutely no dragging.

We're heading out tonight for our 15th annual trip to the Eleven Point for Easter weekend. Easter came early this year so weather hasn't had much of a chance to warm up. But we're troopers!! Our group of 7-8 in our mid 50s from Ste. Genevieve County, Cape Girardeau, and Memphis have been making this trip for quite a while. In the past 15 years, we have noticed an increase in jet boats, more people on the river, and better fishing. Two of our group has made the switch to jet boats. We started out floating/camping in the beginning but discretion overcame the better part of valor and now we rent cabins. A big thank you to Mike and Wendy Jones at Hufstedlers for all their help over the past 15 years since we became regulars at the Eleven Point. Great people who go out of their way to accommodate us on every trip. Hope to report on a successful trip next week.

Fished the Turner Mill to Whitten section on Friday and Saturday. River is in great shape for floating. Fishing was a little slow since MDC hasn't stocked since last year. We fished very hard for 6-8 hours both days. I took my nephew for his first trip on the Eleven Point. I always enjoy taking someone for the first time knowing that they will be impressed with the water, scenery, and fishing. He landed a nice 15" rainbow on Friday early into the trip. We fished nonstop from 12:30 to 6:30. Beautiful weather on Friday although the wind did pick up in the afternoon for a couple hours. Glad to have the motor on the canoe. On the day, I caught 4-5 fish with one about 14", and the rest in the 10-12" range. Nephew caught 3 fish and only the one nice 15". On Saturday we went on with Delvis and his new jet prop riverboat. A little cooler with the high around 60 in the afternoon, and some wind to deal with again on and off. Results were about the same - bites few and far between, mostly nibblers - and we probably landed 3 fish in the 13-14" range, with everyone catching a few 9-11" fish. Not a great day of fishing but enough to keep our interest. Not much traffic for a decent 2 days of weather. Fish were not real active and not in the usual honey holes. Fish can be caught, but even asking the few people on the river, no one was tearing things up. Guess we get spoiled with the stockers sometime, so be prepared to work for your fish right now. All in all, a good first trip of the year. The weather cooperated, the river is in great shape, and my nephew was very impressed with the Eleven Point.

My memory isn't what it use to be. OK then, great fishing, great scenery, lots of work, not always alot of water if carrying camping gear, long shuttles! That should sum it up! Now about Snap floating it again...believe it when I see it!! LOL

It's so unlike you to disagree with me Snap! OK maybe the fishing was better than I remember. I do remember it was alot of work and the cows crapping. Still, you're too spoiled now with the jet prop, you'll never get in a canoe for a long trip like Thomasville again. But let me know, I'm in!!

sooner hunter - I have floated the Thomasville section once a few years ago. Water level was a little on the low side, but not sure of the exact readings. It was early June. The first couple of miles are tough. It is really just a small creek at the headwaters. We encountered several portages around debris and over logs. Expect a workout for a few miles and we weren't carrying camping gear.Several springs enter that are actually pretty cool - Posy Spring at 3.1 miles, Blowing Spring at 6.1, Roaring Spring at 6.5, and Graham Spring at 7.3. One of them and I am guessing Roaring Spring, came out of a bluff about 10 feet off the water and formed a nice waterfall with lots of water. We fished hard, and didn't have much luck. Although the portages and getting out in low spots cost us time, as did the looooonnnnggg shuttle, and we shuttled ourselves. Better get an early start. Admittedly, later in the float, we were just looking forward to getting done. Overall, not much luck fishing, but our trip was probably not a good indication of the fishing. Besides a lot of work, the biggest drawback was cattle in the river. The river isn't protected under Ozark National Scenic Riverways that far upstream. I was shocked to see a herd of cattle crossing in front of us, stopping to take a crap as they crossed. Lost my desire to jump in for a dip for several miles. From my experience, lots of work, fishing wasn't nothing special, and cows crapping in the water was a turnoff. We haven't had the urge to do it again. Too much better water, scenery, and fishing downstream. JMO