Whiskey Joe

I'm considering taking my Dad in a canoe from Laubinger Ford to Peter's Ford this Saturday. There was an old post that said this was a good float. He's 70 and I'm concerned it'll be too far or too long of a day for him. About 7 miles is my limit for a day float on the Bourbeuse. I love this river and usually get on it 4 or 5 times a year. This year, I haven't been once! Spring floods canceled two trips in early June and it seems we've been busy every weekend since. Any comments would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Joe

Hey folks, I just wanted to comment on my 10+ year old tent. I got it with Marlboro Miles back when I smoked, okay, I still smoke, but hate it and hope to quit this year. Anyhow, It's a Coleman "umbrella" like tent. I do mostly overnight floats and being able to set up the tent within a minute is great! I was wondering if they are still available. I've about worn out the cover for it and was wondering? I'll get in contact with Coleman. Anyhow, if you do ANY tenting, I'd strongly recommend this thing. Whiskey

It's a hot hot Sunday, so I figured I'd finalize about my float last Saturday (7/19/08): Took the Devilsback float. I didn't realize how floating with non-fishermen would hurt my fishing. They got on and paddled fast through the good stuff and slow through the long slow areas (gar water). I only caught a few and really small (just bigger then my lure). Swam with a cool leech, though. My kid likes leeches and this was a winner at about 4" long and an inch across. Real pretty dark green with specs. Last part of the float is a lake! I didn't realize how much Noser Mill dammed the river. I intend to try crappie fishing there in April. Busy until Sept, so I'll chime in after the next one. I'm looking at a day from Laubinger to Peters or maybe an overnighter from Wenkel to Peter. Whiskey PS My sister had a drug problem, so I went beerless. Big mistake - headache all day! Also, I'm thinking about adding a trolling motor to my canoe. Would have come in handy on that trip.

Thanks for the information! I'll try those later this summer. I tore up one of my canoes, so we've decided to go to Devil's Back. Back at ya: About 3 miles downstream from Mint Springs is a low water bridge on Koenig Road. That's a nice family float. About 7 miles downstream from Koenig is a rough access that used to be an old suspension bridge. That's my favorite stretch, but it's a long day and rough access, so I haven't done it in a few years. There's a guy on the forum that fishes near the Meramec. I hope to get with him this summer too, but I like the little stuff better. In my opinion, the best stretches of a river is when the skinny stuff (dragging) is just long enough to balance the holes (ying/yang). Too much deep or draggin all day are the same in my book. Whiskey

My sister is in from Madrid, Spain and wants to go floating with a few of her friends (6 people, 2 - 17' canoes). We're in St. Louis. I typically go to a friends place near Anglers by Beaufort, MO. Or I go up between Cuba and Owensville. I would like to try something different. Looking somewhere between MDC's Tea Access and Noser Mill for about a 5 mile float. Would like to have 5 miles between accesses for the bike ride, but could bring another car. Is there any access on Juedeman Rd or CR-533 south Tea Access? Shawnee Ford? H-Bridge? CC Bridge? A few years ago I took my Dad from Mill Rock to Wenkel (7.2 miles) and we snuck off on the CC Bridge after only 4 miles. Wasn't a very scenic trip. Dad did tie into a nice largemouth that broke him off though which fulfilled my Father's Day present. Looks really nice downstream from Tea, but can't find an access. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Whiskey Joe PS I've floated Mint Springs to Tea and Noser Mill to Reikers many, many times. Would like to look in between. PSS I strictly abide by the river rules: Only leave your footprints, clean up after others, and eat the spots!

It's here! I'm so excited I can hardly sleep. Tomorrow morning we're leaving, should hit Gene's around 3PM. INFO PLEASE: SHAD? Sure would like to know if shad are coming through the Norfork dam. Or at least if any are in the White? Last report said "coming through in spurts". The "webcam" shows a steady high water. Looks like boat fishing all weekend. Have they turned off the water at all in the last week? I'd really like to get some wading in. THURSDAY AFTERNOON PLAN: Fish the downstream side of the split for a couple of hours. Then, running down to the White to drift some shad along the deep bank. I'll post some pictures (hopefully of fish) next week. Joe

My old group quit this year after 12 years. Seems the youngin's with their all night hoot-n-hollerin poker playing upset the old guys who'd keep me up just 3 years ago. Luckily, my 27 year old neighbor goes annually with a group, I believe there's 15. I'm not a big trout fisherman, unless I'm hungry, but Gene's is extraordinary! I'm blessed to have experience 4 AMAZING fishin trips in my 30 years of fishing: One at Gene's - big shad kill, wading under the deck, hollar up for a beer and 'spash' here it is, catching nice fish every 3rd cast or so, ring of boats around the hole, EVERYONE having fun talking and joking, out of nowhere a bald eagle flies over us hushing the crowd, passes us, dives and grabs a 12" trout, the whole place erupts in applause! Another - crappie in the lilly pads at Reelfoot, can not believe how many fish were there. Another - lazy afternoon on the Bourbeuse, swimming and playing with my kid, guy caught a nice bass on a buzz bait, started catching only big ones and a bunch, fished going downstream till too dark, no flashlight, 5 year old kid almost as scared as Dad (me), storm moved closer and distant lightning lit our way back, didn't pour until we were in the barn. Lastly, catfish on Kentucky Lake, skunked Thur-Fri-Sat day, NOTHING but a few bluegill for Sat night mandatory "eat what we catch" fish fry, Sat late afternoon anchored off rip-rap point, one guy thowing a little jig caught a big shad, 4-poles of fresh cut shad rigged, 8lb channel, 12lb channel, another jigged shad, (3) 3 lb channels, ate like kings! Sorry so long. Last thoughts: Like Mr. Williams says: All my rowdy friends have settled down. AND Can't wait for #5.

Going down next weekend and was wondering if shad would work?

Why not try it? Several years ago while smallmouth fishing on a stream. It was slow and ALL my standard crawdad imitations were not doing much. I had some 7" Culprit jerkbaits (flukes) and thought, why not. Since then, it's become my favorite. Go figure! Crawdad eatin river fish being caught on a shad bait. I used to canoe down a river fishing the rocky with current areas and deep holes. Now, I've added jerking around the trees along the banks in slow deep stretches with good results. It's best when they are just not aggressive enough to catch a buzzbait (boiling close, but not getting it). Best thing about the fluke is it's only a hook and a hunk of plastic. You get in the zone where you are the fluke and you make it do exactly what the fish want. It's nasty outside and I'm itchin for fitchin real bad!

Nasty cold front coming in. Wishing it was summer. Pick of Jac & I from a Bourbeuse afternoon and Jac with "something" from the Meramec (under the old Gravois bridge near Denny Dennis). Can someone identify that fish? Buffalo? Joe PS Hope photo's upload? Hitting "Post" now. . .

Welcome I eloped to Paris about an hour west. We'd visit my grandparents there as a kid and fish Cove Lake. I'm in St. Louis. You Arkansas boys are alright.

Thanks for understanding the hoosiers (aka jaw yankers). Recipe: Nothing new. Best I ever made was laying whole gutted fish directly on bbq grill with only fresh picked strawberries (sliced) in the gullet (forgot butter & salt/pepper). Joe

Tarpon 120 is a kayak. How do you camp out of it?

Here to take my lumps. . . Walker Lake Kirkwood, catch & release till Feb 1st, after that ANYTHING goes (fish in a bucket style, 3 poles, can-o-corn). I took off Monday 2/4 to recover from a probable hangover after a Saturday Mardis Gras and Sunday Superbowl. Didn't feel that bad (guess I'm smarter then I used to be), so went over to Walker Lake to hoosier fish some trout for dinner. I at least used power bait (no corn, yet. .). What a beautiful day it turned out to be! 70+ degrees and easy fishing. Caught my 4 trout, cleaned, ice & water in the frig for Ash Wednesday fish night. Delicious fresh trout! Of course, very white meat, not the orange you get in the rivers. I don't know how many are left, but it would be a great place to bring a kid, catch a few fish, bring home, clean and eat. I enjoy trout fishing for the food. My policy is to NEVER freeze fish, so I don't take too many. I appreciate you "sporting trout fishermen" supporting something you like to do so I can yank a few dinners a year. I sport fish on small rivers for bass and only keep the spots (they screw up the smallies). So, go ahead. Yell at me in your cool trout vest, tying fuzzy things on little bitty line that make your fingers double in size, whipping your flyrod while wading with hemostats hangin. GOD LOVE YOU GUYS!

Are you guys using these niblets for trout fishing? I've used them successfully for crappie, but never thought about trout.

See attached pictures of my grumman canoe anchor. See attached pictures of my grumman canoe anchor.

Wow! didn't know I opened such a topic! I remember wading dry fork creek between Rolla and St. James and seeing a huge over abundance of tadpoles. As I fished, I thought "hmmm, bet the snakes love this". Looked down the bank and saw 4 water snakes eating tadpoles on the bank! Honestly, 4 simultaneously! Venemnous: I've seen 2 cottonmouths in all my 25 years of fishing. 1 on the big creek near Troy. 1 at little prairie lake near Rolla. Only 1 live copperhead on way to get married in Paris, AR. I clipped the flower off the rose I gave her and used the stem to push the snake off the road before it got squashed and she STILL married me (sucker!)

I typically cook them on the grill (charcoal, not gas). Take a gutted trout, salt and pepper the skins, put some fresh fruit in the gullet (best ever was freshly picked strawberries), and lay it right on the grill. I used to put butter in there also, but forgot last time and they were better without.

Big John Access. . . Brings up a sad memory from 1995. Parked my 1967 Bonneville there for our take-out of a 2 night float. Rained 5 inches Friday night and Ole Bonnie was underwater for 3 days. Turns out the road on the other side of the gravel parking area runs through the old river channel. There was about 6' of water in it and we couldn't retrieve her. Did the same float the next year. Nice river.

I fish the Bourbeuse a lot. I notice there are very few snakes on it. I wonder why that is? I see plenty of frogs, tadpoles, and minnows, but why no snakes compared to the Meramec, Lake of the Ozarks, or Dry Fork Creek?

A guy gave me an old Grumman Canoe Anchor a year or so ago. I couldn't find a picture on google, but I really like it. It's about the size of a tallboy beer can with fins in. top is an eyebolt. Bottom is a heavy female threaded, 3-1/2" dia, thing. You unscrew it, fins flop out, and screw-in to hold the fins out. Do the opposite to hold the fins in. Very light weight and holds well.

Of all my hobbies, fishing the streams is my favorite! I mainly bass fish the Bourbeuse (friends gotta place between Noser and Reikers), but I go other places too. Got a 11 yr old kid I take out close to Crestwood, MO (Meramec, Simpson Lake, or Suson lake for winter trout). He really likes Meramec springs, so we go down there a few times a year. River Bass tips: 2 rigs with 6lb test. One big worm hook (gamagatzu), other jig head (lately the "spot remover"). Worm hook has white jerk worm by Culprit or lately the YUM fork tailed dinger. Fun to jerk it on top until I see a log and let it flounder down. Jig has a grub on it, typically black powerbait. Of course, I throw others (buzz, crank, popper, etc.) but these are my favorite. Catfishing: SHAD, SHAD, SHAD! I castnet a bunch in the fall on Lake of the Ozarks (missed this year). Freeze them flat in a ziplock and use all summer. Lake fishing isn't my forte. It's like a big puddle to me, but "beer" fish off the dock with shad. Also, make an annual lake trip to various places (Reelfoot the last couple) and to the Norfolk river under the lake for trout. That's me! A photo from this year attached. Joe