Ozark Outdoors

[ohmz138]

My wife and I and some friends are heading down to Ozark Outdoors to camp and float this weekend. I have floated the "bluffs" float I know for sure... Does anyone have any suggestions for specific floats for fishing. We won't be doing any real serious fishing but I'd like to put my group on some fish, not for keeps or nothin. Thanks for any help.

Matt

[eric1978]

Matt, it's gonna be a zoo on any of their floats. All those stretches will be packed this weekend and they're a pretty big livery to boot, so you'll be put in among dozens of others. If you want to do some fishing instead of bumper canoes, I'd call Skip at Greene's and have him take you somewhere above Hwy 8 on the Meramec. You'll probably have a few jams to deal with, but you'll find much more solitude up there...if you're interested in solitude.

[ohmz138]

Matt, it's gonna be a zoo on any of their floats. All those stretches will be packed this weekend and they're a pretty big livery to boot, so you'll be put in among dozens of others. If you want to do some fishing instead of bumper canoes, I'd call Skip at Greene's and have him take you somewhere above Hwy 8 on the Meramec. You'll probably have a few jams to deal with, but you'll find much more solitude up there...if you're interested in solitude.

Thanks for the input. Yeah I know it will be jammin. We are going mostly for the fun this round anyway but I will still bring a rod. Dad and I have floated the rivers many times in the past but it's been awhile since I floated and just wanted some feedback where some good fishing might be in the area.

[Al Agnew]

The "Bluffs" float is probably your best bet with Ozark Outdoors. The other main float they do is putting in on Courtois Creek a couple miles above its confluence with the Huzzah, which gives you two miles or so on Courtois, a mile on Huzzah, and 3 miles or so on the Meramec down to Ozark Outdoors. That one is even more crowded, since the stretch of Courtois is almost all within a camping area and also gets a LOT of canoes from Bass Canoe Rental as well as Ozark Outdoors. If you are limited to weekends and putting in with the rest of the rental crowd, you CAN catch a few fish--the fish are accustomed to the canoe traffic and still feed. But the quality of the fishing experience leaves a lot to be desired.

[Shores]

We go down there every year on a couple float trips. Just try and catch craw dads while your stopped and drag them through the deep pools, you will catch a few decent smallies. Thats usually the only luck I have with the "zoo".

[405z06]

The Bluffs float won't get too busy until you hit the Huzzah, in my experience. And the fishing can be hit and miss. I have had some really good days on this float, including my personal best smallie.

I prefer this float, like most floats, in the middle of the week. I don't like the weekends mainly because of the the jets, but other canoes have never been a huge issue for me on this stretch.

On the other hand, once during the middle of the week I floated from Ozark Outdoors to Blue Springs ranch. You would have thought it was Memorial weekend. I literally could not believe how busy it was for a weekday. I love that stretch, but will never do it during the weekend during warm weather months.

[ohmz138]

Thanks for the input guys. We will probably go on the bluffs float. More than likely. Like I said we will be going mostly for the floating fun but I will be doing some fishing. I have had good luck fishing that float at least with smaller fish. Still fun though.

[hank franklin]

405z06, you say you were swarmed from Oz Outdoors to Blue Springs. Do you remember if the crowds were above or below Campbell Bridge (Highway N)? In my experience the Oz Outdoors to Campbell Bridge section is generally pretty peaceful, especially if you hit it later in the day. You definitely don't want to be below Campbell bridge en route to Blue Springs, or really anywhere above Oz Outdoors. Crazy.