Floating Report On The Big Sugar And Elk

[Phil Lilley]

My son's birthday was the 21st and we hadn't been floating all spring so we thought it was a great excuse to go. Russ has been reporting on some great conditions and fishing on the Elk and Big Sugar Rivers so we decided to head to Pineville.

With the party- Caleb (Cob), the birthday boy, Greg, his younger brother, Megan, the older sister and her husband Jimmy and Aaron our live-in college kid. We arrived at Hog Heaven at 9 am- it's a 2.25 hour drive from Branson.

Met Russ and his wife. Very nice people. Heaven is one of these places that is family operated and adds the "down-home personal touch".

We loaded a canoe, a 2-person kayak and 3 single kayaks on his trailer and headed up the Big Sugar.

Russ briefed us on a couple of spots to watch out for on the river. The flow was perfect and the water looked great. No one else at the put-in and ended up seeing only one other person on the river the entire time. Our timing was perfect.

I fished off and on as we floated. I threw a sculpin 3/32 oz jig and caught numerous smallies from 6 to 13 inches in the deep holes. Russ said he'd seen some fish on beds. I saw a few after we hit the Elk. Close to the end of the Sugar there were some man made chunk rock jetties along the outside bend of the river that held bass. Cob and I drifted inbetween these jetties- the bass weren't spooked at all by us. They were aggressive, chasing sun fish around like they were practicing for protecting their nests. They chased our jigs too. Caught my nicest smally there.

All and all a great trip. Would recommend Hog Heaven to anyone and the river is a great float and fishery.

The sign was just recovered from downstream, washed away by the flood. Russ showed me how high the water was... amazing!!

[ollie]

Hey Russ, where was that sign when we floated by? Glad you had a great trip. You did time it just right before this weekend!

[Phil Lilley]

That was the whole idea... we have to be back here to host the crowd coming in for the holiday. Of course... we don't even go to town unless we have to.

[chub minnow]

Great report, glad to see that everything is looking good up there. The Big Sugar is so nice when we have good flows like this. Also good to hear that they're finally going to the beds. I was beginning to wonder.