Floating The Lower - Need A Few Bits Of Info

[hoglaw]

I've been watching the highway 65 guage. I've done pretty much every part of the buff...except for this last one. If we're going to be blowing through there at 8mph, I don't want to go. I know how to get a high water bite, but I want this to be a fun trip for everyone.

After the big rain today, everything looks blown out. It looks like rainfall is going to be sporadic and light from here until Thursday with slightly warmer temps. I can push this trip back to the next weekend if I have to, but I don't really want to (that's my fiancee's birthday weekend).

Is anyone in the area that can tell me the water color around the 65 bridge? If it's stained on Wednesday, I think I'm going to have to scrap this one and push it back a week. Of course, there will probably be monsoon type weather next weekend, but that's just my luck.

[Clay Goforth]

Hoglaw

I have floated this stretch of the Buffalo a number of times and you are in for a treat. I am actually headed over Thursday to get ready to float the same stretch on Friday, Sat, and Sun. Looks like it will be our two groups on the river. You really don't run into many people on this stretch because of the fact that it is roughly 25 miles between Rush and Buffalo City with no access in between. You will encounter people on the lower end from about Elephant Head down (the last 3.5 to 4 miles) because people come up the river from the White. This last rain should clear out of there and leave the water level nice for floating. Are you planning on camping on the river? This is a long haul for a one day trip if you are in canoes. This section may be slightly more crowded this time of year than other times because of the fact that it is turkey season and the lower buff floats right through the wilderness area. My group is going for a combo turkey hunt/smallmouth trip. The shuttle time from Rush to Buffalo City or Shipps Ferry is about an hour and 15 min. You do have to go back up through Yellville and over to Gassville then down to either take out point you want. Rileys is a safe place to take out as it is caddy cornered to the mouth of the buffalo across the white but if they are generating and you are in canoes, forget about it. If in canoes, your takeout should be shipps ferry, if in a boat with a 9.9, you can do Rileys or Buffalo City public access.

You can leave vehicles at Rush and I do not remember ever having to pay to camp there.

Something to note about the river...just after you put in you will float down a nice easy going section...There will then be a turn to the right and a chute you have to go down. If you all are in canoes (or river boats for that matter) be careful in this little chute. It use to be a nice easy little rapid until the floods last year and it turned into (depending on water level) a class III-IV. If you are in canoes with stuff you don't want to lose, there is no shame in portaging around this little area. We take our river boat down it and will end up shin deep in water before we get through. It is just a really rough, choppy section and you have to go right through the center of it.

Let me know if you all are going to go ahead and go. we are going for sure. we will probably see each other on the water, especially if you are planning on camping a night. We will be in one canoe and one supreme river boat, grey stripe.

Good luck and keep me posted.

ps. i won't tell you where he is but there is a place on this section of the buffalo where the next state record smallie could come from. I have seen him three times in the same spot. He is smart though...

[hoglaw]

I scrapped the trip for this weekend. 2700 cfs and 8 ft water level seems a bit high for the easy going trip we have in mind. The long term forecast looks good - stable and warm, so we're going to wait until next weekend. I'd have liked to run into you guys Clay, but I just think the water's too high and likely to be off-color. Next weekend it seems like they may be doing their pre-spawn thing. Good luck with that big guy.