Perfect Weekend

[24KGold]

I floated the Kings from Trigger Gap to the 62 bridge for an overnighter. The water level was perfect. I took my daughter and her friend. They used my canoe and I rented a fishing kayak. I wish I would have had more time to fish, but just had to fish as I floated.

I hadn't been on the Kings since all the floods and was really impressed with how clean of trash the river was and also all the new holes since last year. The holes and fast water were really holding fish. Friday, I caught only small ones, but on Saturday, I caught a couple of 15 inchers and nothing under 12. We just barely got our tents up on Friday afternoon before the storm hit. Gave me a good excuse to take a long nap.

I was dissapointed with the crazyness at the bridge at take out. lots of stupid people doing stupid things, like blocking the public access road with their cars. We had to carry our canoes and gear almost all the way back to the blacktop. Also had everyone asking if we caught fish and then were dissapointed when I said I didn't keep any and released them all. I wish the Kings river was catch and release for smallies......at least along some section anyway.

I'll definately float that section again this year if I have a chance, I'll just try to do it during the week instead of the weekend. ( arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh )

Terry

[RiverRunner]

Welcome to Arkansas, my home state. I'd like to say that kind of activity is rare, but it seems to go on just about everywhere. I've had people give me dirty looks on several occasions just for turning a smallmouth back.

[hoglaw]

I went from the farm to 62 on Sunday. Fishing was really slow from about 10-3 or so. Once some of the clouds rolled in, the action started heating up. I caught all of my fish on hula grubs and horny toads, with the latter catching the most. I hooked an absolute monster in shallow water about a mile above 62. She was barely pinned in the tounge, so when I got her beside the canoe, I gave the line a quick pop with my hand and off she went. Never got a chance to measure her, but she was a 3lb plus fish for sure.

The water was amazing. Great current, great temperature. We swam and played so much that I almost forgot about fishing. I would echo your sentiments about the crowd at the 62 bridge. It was awful on Sunday night. I had to leave my canoe unattended while we went to get the truck because I was afraid to leave my girlfriend down there by herself. We got my little brother's truck stuck in the gravel bar downstream of the bridge. Fortunately, a couple of guys were glad to help me out with a group push. The language barrier was pretty high, but apparently a half burried tire and a big "oh $hit" is universal. It's not the migrant workers there that bother me, it's the local resident rednecks that grafitti the bridge with racial slurs and apparently discard all of their beer in the river.

Has anyone ever floated Osage or waded it to any extent? That last pool looks nice but I'm sure it gets pounded. Maybe a float from the berryville bridge down to 62 would be good, even if you had to drag quite a bit.

[24KGold]

I agree with you about the people trashing up the gravel bar and the racial grafitti below that bridge. People never cease to amaze me. It makes me sad to go to a place like that and to see that some people still haven't moved very far along socially. I'm sorry if that sounds bad, but it's a fact. Trashing the river, being obscene and racially intollerant is not acceptable.

Now, back to the fishing. I caught all of my fish on a green with black flake "Bitsy Tube." I also dyed the tip of the skirt Flourescent orange and that did even better. I love the Kings river. I just wish no one kept the smallies they caught and then we would catch more of the big ones like you hooked. I've even started fishing barbless and it sure makes the release a lot easier since so many of them get the lure deep.

Terry

[vacation]

I floated the Osage on Sunday, I live in Branson and was a guest of a farmer down there and dont know where he put us in at, but we caught lots of fish, nothing huge, but quality all around. Flukes were not working, but green/watermelon grubs were. The wife and I had a blast and did not see a soul in 6hrs of floating.

Regards

[Guest]

I've caught one of the biggest largemouths of my life and possibly the biggest of the kings river a few years ago.

It weighed 8.03lbs.

I can still see hear the splash of the bass engulfing that buzzbait.

It had been chasing shad for 20 minutes before I decided to throw my buzzbait.

That fish had eaten a half dozen gizzard shad before I hooked it.

I noticed a very large, forked tail protruding from its throat.

I feel very blessed to have caught such a large bass anywhere.

I probably wouldn't beleive that the river holds bass of that size, but it does.

I turned the fish loose after snapping a few photos.

I totally agree with the catch and release idea.

If somebody gives you a dirty look for releasing a smallmouth, then you know they are probably the same folks who trash the river and leave graffiti.

They are the reason why private land is posted.