TroutRinger

Looks awesome. If you want to do a similar but different trip in the future, check out Hilton Head. It is a very unique beach town, unlike any I have seen...much more natury. Has all the family stuff your wife and kids will like...beach, biking, Harbor Town, etc., lots of kayaking fishing opportunities, and lots of fresh and brackish water spots you can walk to or drive in just a couple minutes.

https://springfield.craigslist.org/boa/d/12-ft-aluminum-canoe/6268473088.html Thoughts on this? Never seen one like it. I'm guessing it is pretty old.

What big brands are even left?...Skeeter? There's Bass Cat, Phoenix, and others but they probably make up less than 5% of the market once you take out the brands he owns and Skeeter.

Sounds amazing!

You have seen "solo" canoes on STL craigslist?

I know this is a long shot, but if anyone has one they are willing to part with, I would be very interested. I just cannot stomach spending $6-700 plus tax on a new one. I live in Columbia and am at LOZ many weekends. Willing to drive a bit too.

I paddle up 0.8 miles from Swinging Bridge last Friday. Caught several small largemouth bass plus some nice drum and sunfish. Saw a kid catch an 18" LMB. Wasn't much current yet but the water was clean and it's a pretty area. I checked the access at HWY C on Deanne creek. Shoulder parking is very limited. You'd almost need someone to drop you off for that to be viable. I also waded at Toronto Springs for about an hour on Wednesday. Caught five smallies. One was actually about 12", which is promising considering I did not go far from the access. The area was basically skinny riffles followed by long pools. Tough to wade. Tough for a kayak but you easily walk one through. This was before we got any rain so I don't imagine it gets much lower. The creek picks up several springs and creeks starting at a mile so I think it is promising. I've talked my friend and her husband into trying to float from Toronto Springs in early Sept. I will throw it out there again. If anyone wants to give it a go, I'll be available the last two weekends in August. Shoot me a PM. I could be wrong but think this place is a hidden gem.

Bring a chainsaw lol.

I just called Gasconade Hills about planning a float. They aren't doing their 10 mile run because the river is blocked upstream from them. Not the same location you're talking about, but I bet they'd know if you called them.

Thanks all. I think I've decided on the Gasconade for this trip. I will knock out a couple of the others next year with my friend and his family since we all have kayaks and trucks and can self shuttle. Just need to decide between Boiling Springs and Gasconade Hills. May come down to cabin availability. BS intrigues me because of the ability to float the Piney and Gas in one day. We had a less than spectacular experience floating (fishing and outfitter service) on the Big Piney upstream at Boiling Springs Resort (in Licking) last May. It has left me with a bad taste in my mouth for the Piney, which I know it doesn't deserve.

Distance depends on the river flow. Eminence to Two Rivers (7-8 miles) is an all day (10am to 7pm) float for us because of how much we fish, just to provide an example. But I've also done Williams Landing to Two Rivers (11 miles) in less than 5 hours. So I'd say anywhere between 6-12ish is the target.

Looking to try a new river the first weekend in September...or the weekend after since I just realized it's Labor Day. I've floated sections of Big, Maramec, Huzzah, Elk, Jacks Fork, Current, Big Piney, Niangua, James, Finley, Buffalo, and have a Little Niangua trip planned. Off the top of my head, that leaves the Gasconade, Curtois, Eleven Point, Bryant, North Fork, St. Francis, and Black (probably missing a couple) as the "mainstream" rivers left to cross of the list. My wife and I will probably use our kayaks, but my brother and his wife will need to rent a canoe so an outfitter is required. My three companions are all inexperienced canoers/kayakers btw. Need some help deciding. My main criteria other than an outfitter are fishing quality (trout or smallie), scenery/quality of river, and reasonable self shuttle distance...need a cabin or campsite nearby as well. My first thought was 11 Point or North Fork, but I know those rivers gets crowded and I kind of want to save them for a weekday next July or August when it is good and hot given the cold water. Second thought was Bryant as I understand it is not as crowded as most on the list, but not sure what outfitters service the creek? Gasconade was my third thought. It was the first river I ever wanted to float since a friend's dad told me about it in 7th grade and somehow I've never made it there. Seems like I'm between Gas and Bryant but could be talked into others. Let's hear it!

Another great day at my happy place. Fished from 10am to 7:30pm. Numbers were less than we normally catch but quality was excellent. Big fish were all caught on bitsy tubes except for one on a small buzzbait.

Thanks for sharing. I need to do way more exploring on the upper Jacks than I have done so far.

Awesome. I'm down here for a conference Wednesday through Friday afternoon. Think I might try wading a couple spots on Wed and Thurs then paddle up from Swinging bridge on Friday since I get done at noon and will have more time if anyone wants to join.

I have had that thought too Do you paddle up from Swinging Bridge/Brumley? I tried looking on Google Maps and did not see any accesses between Toronto and there other than a road off Glaize Holler Rd below Deane creek but I think it is private.

You live or make it down to the lake often?

Has anyone ever floated or fished the Grandglaize from Toronto Access to LOZ? What was it like? Anybody want to try it with me? I think the self-shuttle would be easy. I just don't want to float a somewhat uncharted stream for the first time solo.

Looking for a river I can float and fish for some smallmouth about an hour from Columbia. What is the Gasconade like around this area? I could self shuttle to Rollins if I had a friend available but are there any places that will shuttle me around? Open to other rivers a similar distance away from COMO.

Wow. I have never seen a bass with those dimensions. That is crazy.

The guy from the accident today is alive and at the hospital with unknown injuries. The two guys from yesterday were in a 2013 MTI (44' I think) and both bodies have been recovered.

Do you have some available for sale?

On Friday morning, I also started noticing fish following the jig up to the boat as you mentioned so I changed my retrieve to try and get a reaction bite. I would let the 1/8 or 3/32 jig sink casting downstream then rip it hard and fast in a sideways motion with the rod tip low followed by immediately giving the line slack. That technique caught the two 20" fish and one 15". The 18 incher was caught right after the jig hit the water about 10 feet off a gravel bank. I have had some great days fly fishing below the dam in college, but I don't think I have ever caught two 20" trout in the same day before.

Great post as always. Are you wearing wool socks? If so, are those for the cold or the rocks?

We only kept 12 total. We kept the first couple stockers but when we realized how good the fishing was we started keeping only bigger fish.