basska

Thanks for the report. Been hearing mixed things on the rivers right now. This has been a weird month with the dry, cool spell we had, followed by this hot weather and isolated storms... I have no idea what this could possibly be doing to creek fish behavior.

Thanks so much! Was planning on trying to really tune in to a Fluke bite, but you never know.

Fun stuff. I'm thinking about going up way up river to target Smallmouth next weekend. Probably will wade around Charity and Big John. Hico doesn't look like a great place to park a car.... If the water is too skinny, I have a full day planned exploring the Osage Fork.

Jeez, one of my favorite lures... Once hooked a duck who dove to grab my hotdog while catfishing. Thankfully, hook came lose while he was peeling drag flying away.

Happened to me for the first time last week. I'm not as strong as you all. I went to the ER. Barb was almost a half inch deep in my middle finger.

Cool topic. Snakes (venemous or not) have always fascinated me and I probably don’t have enough of the natural human repulsion of them (Spiders on the other hand…). I’ve seen Timber Rattlers near KC before. Seen a Copperhead once near Truman Lake. Have yet to see a Cottonmouth and that’s one I really want to encounter on a float trip. It would be cool to see a scientific survey of watersheds that support Cottonmouth. I’ve heard they are pretty much non existent in the Meramec system, but fairly common on the Gasconade, Niangua, Black, and Upper White River systems. I wonder if they are around The Elk? Another snake of southern Missouri I would love to see is the Pygmy Rattler. Barely a Rattlesnake, and extremely beautiful.

This footage is just incredible. Scariest flood I have ever seen.

The more I look and call around, the more I'm leaning towards the 6 mile float with Froggy's River Resort. Should be busy, but not like the Niangua or James. Don't know much about that upper portion of the Gasconade above Hazelgreen, but should be a good time, and hopefully, good fishing.

Trying to work together a short float trip on July 3rd. Top option right now is the Niangua due to the shorter distance from home. The issue is, while I know the day before the 4th is going to hold a lot of floaters, I'm looking for an experience where it won't be so congested fishing becomes a chore. That's where Moon Valley comes in - I know there are floaters there, but not to the extent below the spring. Besides, I hear Smallmouth fishing is best above the spring. Does anybody know a kayak service that consistently shuttles floaters to Moon Valley? Last weekend I did Big Sugar with Sugar Island. Great people, but that float was packed. Still managed to catch half a dozen little Smallies (Neoshos?) and some Longears. Looking for something just a bit less busy. Other options right now would be the James (probably worse crowds) or the Upper Gasconade somewhere. Thanks.

Congrats! Glad to see people still pulling out 20s from the creeks!

They are doing well - heard they have become a not uncommon sight in Taney, Ozark, Shannon and Reynolds co.

It would be great right now with Caglianone still down there. He won't be in NWA for long...

Thanks for the info. I guess we will have to see after today's rain.

Thanks for the report! Great, healthy-looking fish.

Hey all, This Saturday, I am thinking about doing a short (4-8 hour) Smallmouth float along the Gasconade or Big Piney River, as I won't be too far from the area for other reasons. I have limited down my Outfitter options to either Boiling Springs Campground, Froggy River Resort or Gasconade Hills. Just posting here to see if anyone has any recommendation on these, and if anyone has any opinion on the stretches of river they float, both for fishing and scenery. The gauges look good now and the time of the year is right, so I'm not so worried I won't catch some fish. Obviously, the stretches I would be floating are either the Gasconade above the Osage Fork or the Lower Big Piney. Thanks