steve l

I think the 1/4 oz rooster tail is too heavy. While I use jigs mostly now, when I used spinners I went 1/8 oz, just let them get down. I go with 1/16 oz jigs as well as 3/16. Just get 'em deep. A good technique on the spinner is to back reel through runs. It slows the relative speed of the spinner and lets it get down. Note if you're not hanging up from time to time you're not deep enough.

Took a couple of minutes, but know the spot. Yup, always walk as well - just looks like a no win spot, especially with a loaded canoe.

Nice report, sounds like a good trip. The food sounds great. And ditto on Mike & Wendy - they always do well by my brothers & I.

Gonna somewhat hijack the thread, although its along the same lines. Or at least that's my story. My wife is learning to use plastics, but is still trying to get the hang of it. She, and I from time to time do end up with fish swelling the hook. I usually just cut the line, assuming what I thought I knew about the fishes gastric juices dissolving the hook. But I'm just not seeing that. So anyone able to chime in. Am I just ending up with a fish dying slowly by cutting the hook/ jig, or is there a chance the fish will survive?

OK, just gotta chime in. Let's start off that yes, the jetboats are legal and that not everyone who drives one is an inconsiderate jerk. That said, enough are. The incessant whine of the engines even when the boats are far up or down river. A lovely sound after looking forward to a wilderness experience. The lovely aroma of exhaust lingering in the air long after the boat has past. The boat that zips back & forth by you 4 or 5 times in 30 minutes, cutting donuts in the water up in front of you. The boat that, at 6:30 in the morning at Stinking Pond, motors up & down the run there multiple times dragging powerbait. The boats that leapfrog you as they motor up and down a run dragging powerbait or corn and then head to the next. The boats that run past you at high speed making no effort to slow down while you have a kid in the canoe. The boat, that as I'm maneuvering in a run, comes blasting by about 10 feet away at full speed. It is to the point it is a pleasant surprise when a jetboat does slow down as it passes. Those things are a blight on the river. I find it hard to believe that this is what the Forest Service or whoever runs the river had in mind when the engine limits where put on the river however long ago. And sooner or later some drunk jerk is going to run down a canoe. Sure would like to see them banned from the 11P, at least in the upper stretches. I know that isn't likely to happen, but can always dream.

The wife & I floated Buck to Alley last week. As usual, the fine folks at Harvey's treated us well. As has been mentioned, the river is low. Running at 1.35 on the Buck Hollow gauge (or what, high 30s cfs for you cfs folk). Having to do several stretches of dragging/hauling between Buck & Jam-up. That is with a pretty loaded canoe - we really don't travel light. Jam-up to Bay really not too bad. There were for sure sections that had to be walked, but overall quite doable. Below Bay was low - lots of walking. I really prefer the river low, but another inch or so would have been nice. That is all in the eye of the beholder, as we had one group pass us a bit before Bay saying another foot would be helpful. Great trip, no rain for the first time in four years. Temps low to mid 80s, few clouds. Always like the nights with no moon - always forget how cool the stars are away from the city. Fishing was fairly good where there was enough water to hold fish. Lots of smaller fish, but the highlights being a 2 lb, two at 2.5 lbs and a 19 incher that scaled at 3.4 pounds. I always like it when the first number on the scale is a 3! Plastic craws during the day, rebel craws at dusk. Some pics, leading with the 19 incher: The first confirmed cottonmouth I have seen on the JF. Have seen snakes I thought were, and almost stepped on one last year I'm 98% sure was, but this one is - check out the cat eyes. My favorite beer - sure glad it comes in cans! I bring three a night, one for dinner & two to relax with. But to my unending horror I spilled one. Note to dummy - bring an extra. And just a pic of the river. Get to float the JF one time a year. Always look forward to the next.

Correction: have options and take out at bay, not Rymers.

Just gt off the river this morning. Will post a nice fish later - cause I can. Was on for here nights. Buck to jam-up had some dragging over longer stretches. That is with a fully loaded canoe. But quite doable. Jam-up to bay really not too bad. Some dragging here & there, but no long stretches. No reason not to do this stretch. Bay to alley a lot of getting out & walking. if you're not sure what stretch and have options maybe take out at rhymes. Have fun.

Yeah. What that guy said.

IMO Chalk yes, Leatherwood maybe not so much for a down day, unless you're planning on walking up the creek. Chalk Bluff a cool looking spot with nice water, and the bluff is pretty darn impressive. There is (or was last year) gravel across from Leatherwood, but the water isn't all that interesting & there is nothing special about the views.

Ditto to ColdwaterFshr on the wet towel - credit that to keeping the ice good last summer! Also, I always leave the car at Harvey's. A little walk up from the access at the end of the trip, but there won't be any worries about the car if the river comes up.

just saw the last post. A decent cooler should hold ice for 4 nights using block ice. I have a 70 quart cooler that can hold 5 blocks and it kept the ice for 5 nights in the middle of the summer on the 11P last year. Of course it will also depend on the cooler & how you use it (opening &closing all the time etc). although you may have to search to find the block ice. There is a gas station I know of just off I55 in St James.

Four or five days = 3 or 4 nights? Three nights is perfect for me from Buck Hollow to Alley assuming the river is floatable. My reference point on the gauge is feet instead of cfs. My preference is 1.5 to 2.0 feet. Below 1.5 & you will start dragging quite a bit. The gauge gets to three feet & the river is moving along a somewhat better clip. Much less time will be needed on the river. I think it is closed at 4? My wife I do Buck to Alley every year in three nights, and and we paddle basically not at all & fish it pretty hard. We also set-up camp in the late afternoon - just nice relaxing days. Go from the Prongs & one more night works out. Of course add another night & take a down day - not a bad idea. I agree with Gavin - the motor is not needed. Again, no paddling really needed with the time on river your talking about. And there are not really any long slow holes - I just don't see it, but then have never used one. So as far as the utility of going back upstream to fish or to gather fire wood, just don't know. We go mid-May and rarely have problems finding wood, although we do have to work for it from time-to-time (Ie, digging it out watching for snakes & poison ivy!). By mid-June I guess its possible the wood has been picked-over. Would also depend if a flood has recently occurred - essentially restocking the fire wood. About the only "must see" location on the river to me is Jam-up cave. Really a spectacular entrance. OK, the mill at Alley also. Have been using Harvey's for years. Have never had an issue. And the echo Gavin's comments on the river flooding. The JF comes up FAST. My wife & I had fun with that a few years back (somewhere back in the forums is a post from me w/a link to a video on Youtube). If there is rain be sure to camp high or where there is escape. And by high I mean rises at Buck Hollow pushing 10 feet or more are not unusual. And again, the river comes up fast. Still two months from our trip, so nice to be able to think float for a bit! Enjoy.

Ditto - the Caldera IPA is pretty darn good

You know, I rarely comment on others postings. But what is the point of posting this? Especially parachuting in a month later and dropping this little nugget?

Looking at the USGS site I see a new gauge on the river. It reads as though it is measuring the spring, although that wouldn't seem as useful as measuring the flow at 19. It also looks like there is quite a bit of historical data. Any one (uh, Brian?) know what the deal is w/the gauge?

I have only followed Olliefest from afar these last several years, but it has grown to the point the event should be referred to as Olliefest V?

My wife & I floated Slabtown to Ross last week, taking it slow & doing it in 2 nights. I have no other experience on the river, so can't comment on better or worse. Couple of comments on the trip. The first few miles below Slabtown contain some of the most utterly uninteresting water I have seen. Shallow for long stretches with bottom land mud banks. The scenery does pick up the further you go with some really good bluffs. We floated Thur-Sat & saw 1 person in a kayak and maybe 5 people on horses, so that was good. Gravel seems to go in spurts - from quite a few together to none for some distance. If you're getting close to camp time & there is gravel, grab it. The river was not as clear as the JF or 11P, but was surprisingly (to me) clear. It also flowed pretty well, with only a few long pools. We found fishing fair, but then many reporting on the forums in the same time period on other rivers reported the same with totally clear skies. Plastics ruled the day. The gravel was not very "used" given it was October, and we were able to dig out quite a bit of wood. Overall not a bad stretch of river. Not as nice as the JF or the 11P in my opinion, but a good I would go back as a change of pace. Look forward to your report. Oh, just saw your comment on going w/family - the gravel tends not to be large, although there are some larger bars.

The wife & I are putting on mid-morning Thursday & will take out late afternoon Saturday. We don't really paddle but drift with the current, although that may have to adjust, as we're used to the JF & 11P. We'll basically be fishing & relaxing. So reading through the postings it seems for scenery & fishing the Slabtown to Ross stretch would work, as well as the Mason to 6x stretch. Haven't been on the Big Piney since like 1971 (being 11 or so I don't remember too much!), so those of you who know the river - one better than the other on the scenery & fishing? Seems we're more likely to see people in the stretch going into Slabtown? Appreciate any insights.

First off - nice fish! Haven't caught a tagged fish in the JF in a long time - I think 2005. Unless there was a more recent tagging effort that fish may have been carrying it for a long time. And at 19 inches maybe so. Assuming the MDOC still sends a short history of the tagged fish (where & when tagged and how much it weighed) upon receipt of the tag please post the history when it comes in. Would be curious to hear how long that fish has been around.

Seriously?

I'd say toss in a Husky Jerk or deeper diving rapala type lure & then jigs for the trout & you're right on. Although I prefer the Wee craw over the Teeny craw.

You know, I would much rather be putting a post out saying packed & ready to go than reading of someone else packed & ready to go! Have fun, always like to see pics.

Way back in the mid-late 60s & into the 70s when my mom & dad first took us boys (and my sister) canoeing my dad was insistent on bonfires. That has stuck with us - gotta have at least one FIRE every trip - you know, the kind that melts the gravel. By time late July rolls around it can be a bit tough to find wood on some of the gravel bars. But in a lot of cases if you're willing to scavenge and work a bit you can get there. First the wood Leading to the marshmallows Leading to the S'mores Leading to the FIRE! Leading to all that is left the next morning...

The concoction is known as calico chicken. My wife decided she wanted to start using a dutch oven this year vs the usual make ahead & freeze & reheat meals we typically eat. Troutringer hit it pretty close. Chicken breasts wrapped around some kind of white cheese I can't think of and then coated w/a corn flake mixture and cooked for a while. Pull the chicken once it cooks, add the tomatoes & corn & black beans & olives & green chilis & trying to remember if I missed something & then mix in some taco seasoning and mix really well & then add the chicken back in & finish cooking. It is a really (really) good meal. The other dutch oven meal of the trip was a mushroom stuffed beef tenderloin with some kind of bread stuffing. Gotta love the wife's cooking! It is a great hat. Been looking for one like that for some time. Finally found it this year.