mzrealfish

I don't know but I always keep a lot of 1/8, 3/8 and 1/4 in my tackle sleeve.

Those sliders look great! With those I'd just use a a swimbait jig head. I used to fish slider style all the time. I guess it is time to get back to em. Thanks The swimbaits we were using were the 3 and 4 inch storm wild eye. I didn't mention it the 1st post but red craw rattletrap caught some smallmouth as well. Good luck out there. I haven't floated since this trip and I don't think I'll be going any time soon. I will have to live vicariously through you.

Good looking trip and great looking fish

I think most put in at Hootentown. 21 miles back to Galena. The canoe companies don’t like going above there unless you are just floating back to Hootentown. Kenny at highway y canoe shuttled us. 👍

sorry I didn’t do better with the walleye pics

I need to take a course of fish photos from you. I’m hideous!

looks like I hit max mb on photos. I will add more later.

We had a great time on the James! 1st 15 miles were loaded with hazards but it got more manicured once we were in waters “normal people” canoe. Fishing was slow day 1 and 2. Quality over quantity. Texas rig tubes were the 1st lures to work. Then crankbaits took over. Anything craw crank they were nailing. We met some great people at the Finley. We were out of ice as it was our 3rd day and lots of people were willing to donate ice to our 4 day trip. A couple boats got paid very well for their surplus ice🤨. We caught 2, 4 lb largemouth, 3, 3 lb (ish) smallmouth and probably 2 dozen 2 lb smallmouth. 40 1 lb class mixed bass. 1 goggle eye, some beautiful sunfish, 1 sucker, and a 3 ft “gwar” as my Canadian buddy Josh called it. Catch of the trip went to Josh with the massive walleye on day 4! I will definitely float this trip again. More photos coming.

My 2 friends and I were down the last weekend in April. Floated Hootentown down to Galena. They were in 1 canoe. I floated solo. We caught about a dozen goggle eye on various lures. They caught some sunfish. We mostly caught smallmouth as a whole. Between the 3 of us about 50 in 2 days. Firetiger swim baits took the prize on most and biggest. Quite a few in the 2 lb category and not many under 1 lb. I used the firetiger, white spinner, Ned with hi def craws 😁, senkos and a couple of other craw lures. I cast way more than most of my fishing buddies so I out caught them about 2:1. If I had stuck with the swim bait it probably would have been a much more successful trip. I am headed back down Friday-Monday with another buddy. Floating Tailwaters access to Galena. Can’t wait to get there.

That was a great read. Thank you for sharing. If he is as passionate about hockey as he is about fishing, then the sky is the limit for him. He sounds like a rare breed that will succeed in everything he does. Be proud of him and be proud of yourself as well. You have had a permanent impact on his life. Congrats. As the father of a high level high school soccer player, I struggle often with some of the decisions my daughter makes both on and off the field. I want so much for her, but I want her to make her own choices for her future. Mark

Good morning all, We are planning a float trip for Friday-Sunday. We are considering: Gasconade Big Piney Niangua James Been on USGS site (a lot) watching levels and flows. I need some input from anyone closer to the rivers on clarity. We don’t mind high rivers but we are looking to avoid muddy water. How are these 4 looking now? Thanks as always for your input. Mark

That is 1 heck of a log. Awesome video. Thanks for sharing

Good stuff JD. congrats to you all. Best looking 7 pounders I’ve seen

Good stuff! Thanks for the report

Best of luck and definitely hope you do well!

Truly laugh out loud!

866-494-1993. The gentleman on the phone always answers and generally has what you need Are his initials CA? if so he's a fishing budy of mine. Outcaught me for the 1st time in history like 5 weeks ago. I still haven't heard the end of it. darn good attorney though 😅

Guapote Central America. My dad just bought a place in Costa Rica. I'm hoping to cross this 1 off my to do list next year.

No I'm in KC but always looking to get out. We're doing 2 rivers to Van Buren next weekend. Then my teaching job starts back up. Busy season is upon me again.

If you're going to be a bear be a grizzly. but all the same I'd float with anyone any day. MZ

Crane is 1of my absolute favorites. Their Beet Weiss is incredible as well. Everyone I have from their brewery has been very friendly, very knowledgeable, not snobby like many in their craft and most important love their jobs. I wish more people did what makes them happy. Too many crabby people in this world.

I had a string of craft beer success tonight. Won't upload my Tallgrass brewery Manhattan KS Key Lime Pie photo. Doozie though. Get it if you see it. All were good. The cucumber saison and the watermelon kolsch I probably won't target again. The others are definitely on my frequent flyer list

In the immortal words of Emo Phillips "the party was great...from the sounds of the letter"

So we got on about noon on Friday and finished Sunday about noon. The river was moving fast but water color was great. There was massive flood damage throughout most of the trip and in certain areas apparently a tornado had hit a couple of days after the flood had subsided. All said and done, we had 2 dicey runs. The 1st was at an island. The main channel appeared to have a tree down across the entire width of the river. Current was strong enough that we knew we couldn't get down to investigate and get back up if it was blocked. We chose to float, drag through the off channel side. It was cumbersome with 2 fully loaded canoes but was definitely the safe decision and we never questioned our decision. The 2nd we had no choice but to run it. It was at least an s-curve...felt like a double or triple. Both of us float with the Spring Creek Outriggers so we are sluggish and wide loads. We made it to the last downed tree relatively unscathed but Kevin got tied up in the last tree. I fortunately cut wide enough on the bend prior, so I was able to push outside of him and hit the run. Fishing was good Friday, better on Saturday and then I got shutout on our 4 mile float on Sunday. Kevin had success on Texas rigged hula grubs and craws in watermelon or green pumpkin and caught a few on fluke shad. I had the majority of my catches on green and brown jigs trailing a green pumpkin slider and a texas rigged 4 inch green pumpkin "senko imposter". I also caught a few on a 1/2 oz. white rooster tail and white and black 3/8 oz. Willow spinner. Nothing big but tons of action and all very healty fish. The guys at Rich's were very good to us and were busy with flood cleanup when we showed up and when we got back. They will be at it for a long time. Here are a few photos from the trip. We can't wait to get back out as soon as possible.

I just ate and that made me hungry again!