mic Posted September 26, 2011 Posted September 26, 2011 Well...as some of you know, I've been planning my first real Ozark float and fish going back an forth on where to go. We ended up on the Huzzah and put in at Harpers Slab and took out at Scotia for a total of 12 miles. We used Huzzah Valley for rentals as they were at the half way point. Water level at Steelville was two and half feet. I'm a newbie to the Ozarks, but the upper half of this float was the prettiest place I've been in the Ozarks. I could just complete that float without fishing and enjoy the views. I saw hawks, eagles, ducks, teal, some sort of ferret, and other small wildlife. The water is gin clear and you can see 15 feet down. I never had to get out of the canoe due to low water. I just caught a couple of fish on this section on rebel craws. The only regret I had was not bringing my fly rod. If you throw line and like to get out and fish from the bank, bring it. About a mile upstream of the resort, I lost both my rebel craw and Rapala minnow so I switched to a curly tail jig. Below the resort, the float wasn't as nice, but the fishing got a little better. I pulled in a few smaller fish above "the narrows". However, we got out of the canoes in the narrows and I caught a couple of twelve inch small mouth and a nice 14 to 16 incher. I understand that is a good one for that stretch of water. Ended up catching 15 or so with a mix of smallmouth, largemouth, and google eye. We ran the full 12 miles in around eight hours. Overall, a great trip for the first time with the boys. I can't wait for the next one. Al, thanks for all the inputs. Good luck and better casts, Mic
moguy1973 Posted September 26, 2011 Posted September 26, 2011 Love the Huzzah... I would have been going down there today if I didn't have to go to the doctor with my wife and have to have my car damage appraised...looks like it'll be a great day for some smallie fishing... -- JimIf people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles. -- Doug Larson
TroutRinger Posted September 26, 2011 Posted September 26, 2011 Sounds like you are hooked (and rightfully so) on Ozark streams. There's no going back now. I know you had a good time on the Huzzah, but I would highly encourage you to float a few different rivers before repeating any one. They all have their own unique features. "Of all the liars among mankind, the fisherman is the most trustworthy." "There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot."
mic Posted September 26, 2011 Author Posted September 26, 2011 I just figured out what I saw was a mink...not a ferret. I didn't even know there were mink in MO. http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/mink
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