Several Night Float/fishing Trip

[jbhunter]

I have been wanting to have a floating/fishing trip with me and some buddies for a while. I have been on small float trips in Missouri at Black River and Meramac River with max of 10 miles in a day. I get frustrated with all of the stopping and partying. I would rather paddle in a canoe and stop and every spot that looks good for a smallmouth. I mean come on! I am only 23, or wait am I? I lost count after 21... I just like to get out on my own and have good a time, and am sick of the 6-10 mile float with seeing people all day! I am from Illinois and don't get to experience the smallmouth everyday over here, so the fishing would be a big portion of deciding where to go. I am looking to plan a trip for me and some buddies, maybe 3,4,5 canoes, 6-10 people, that would include camping out at least 2 nights. We would bring all of the equipment on the canoes. This make me think of the movie Deliverance, without all of the problems they run into. Anyone got any good ideas on where we could go for this? Once again, I would like to get out on a place where we could spend 2-3 nights on our own just camping out with equipment we bring on our own and that has some decent fishing. I am up for going anywhere, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, just let me know. I would sacrifice a good drive for a great time! Anyone have any similar trips or any good ideas?

[Brian Sloss]

You could come over here to the Eleven Point. You could definitely float Cane Bluff to Riverton (27.5 miles) all inside national forest. There is smallmouth and trout fishing on that stretch. If you come this spring while the water is higher, you could start further upstream at Thomasville to add another 9.5 miles of prime smallmouth water. My web site is www.11pointcanoe.com for more info.

[Brian Jones]

How about Big River? Since you have floated the Meramec and Black Rivers, I assume that you are fairly close to the Big. Lots of good fishing, and only one commercial canoe livery which minimizes the party traffic. Other choices might be the Piney, upper Gasconade or James; depending on your location and how far you want to drive.

[Guest]

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[eric1978]

If you don't own your own canoes your options will be much more limited. After Memorial Day, all the rivers with liveries are going to be choked with stupid people. If you want to avoid them you should float during the week if at all possible. Most liveries offer 2 or 3 day floats. If you had your own canoes your options become limitless, and you can shuttle yourselves anywhere you want to less popular rivers and be alone (for the most part) even during the weekends. I'll assume you're near the St. Louis area since you mentioned the Meramec and Black Rivers. If you're looking for solitude, after Memorial Day, on weekends, you can pretty much scratch off the list: Meramec, Huzzah, Courtois, Current, Jack's Fork. There are plenty of others that won't be nearly as crowded, but many of them don't have rentals available.

[ozark trout fisher]

I would highly reccomend the Eleven Point, even though I've only floated it once. The crowds were about as small as you'll find on any river that has canoe rentals, and the scenery is awesome, not even to mention the fishing.

If you really want a great time on a relatively secluded river, I wouldn't even think of going anywhere else.

[ColdWaterFshr]

You didn't say WHEN you want to make this trip. Memorial Day weekend thru Labor Day weekend is high sesason for party-floaters and especially on weekends.

But there are plenty of rivers that are less crowded, and even some of the more popular ones, like Brian suggested with the 11 point, has sections that are less overrun - maybe not for the whole length of the float you are planning. But you can occasionally have a river to yourself if you go in the middle of the week.

Do yourself a favor and buy a copy of "A Paddlers Guide to Missouri" from MDC. Bryant Creek, upper North Fork, Osage Fork of the Gasconade, Big Piney, and a half dozen others in certain sections won't see heavy traffic. But the other problem is if you don't have your own boats, this will limit you to certain rivers and certain sections.

[cnr]

If you are willing to go into Arkansas then Crooked Creek would be a good option. There are no commercial canoe outfitters and the creek holds a good population of smallmouth. The one time I floated it we only saw 2 people in 3 days of fishing.

[Al Agnew]

Like the others said, if you're limited to weekends and renting canoes, it's not easy to get away from the party idiots. However, there are some options even then. The Gasconade is served by only a few canoe rentals, and most of them can do 2-3 day floats. Gasconade Hills also can put you in on the Osage Fork with prior arrangements. The St. Francis is a possibility...only one canoe rental, at Sam A. Baker State Park, and you might be able to get them to put you in pretty far upstream, again arranging it in plenty of time beforehand. Big Piney is another possibility. There's a canoe rental up at Boiling Springs, the only one I know of that serves the upper river.

One idea to avoid the crowds of rental canoeists on a more popular river is to make arrangements to put in out of synch with them. Some canoe liveries are willing to do this, others aren't, just have to call and talk to them. What I mean is, have them put you in about mid-afternoon, float til evening, camp, float the next day. You'll be behind the people who put in the first morning, and ahead of the people they put in the next morning.

Of course, if you have your own canoes and shuttle yourselves, your options are unlimited. If it's on a weekend, just look for the rivers that don't have many canoe rentals.

[KCRIVERRAT]

If you cannot float mid-week, leave on a saturday, float sunday and monday, then come home tuesday. Saturday is the worst day to float and fish any river.