Reikers To Mayers

[ozark trout fisher]

I have a question that I've wanted to ask for awhile about the float from Reikers Ford to Mayers Landing. I've floated that section quite a few times now, and even though Southwest Paddler and Missouri Canoe's sites say that is an 11 mile float, I have always had a hard time believing that. 11 miles is a long day's float on a river that has considerably faster current (if you're fishing hard)-and on the Bourbeuse, that should be really tough. But I've started that float late morning even in the summer when the water is down, and it's always been very manageable, even with some stops to wade fish, eat lunch, etc. Long story short, I think that mileage is way off. I know what an 10 or 11 mile float feels like, and this one doesn't fit the description. Anyone think the same thing, or am I totally off here??

The only reason why I ask is that I am considering doing a two day, 20 mile float on the BB next week, even though my gut feeling is that this is way too far. But if that, a fairly easy one day float, is really 11 miles, then this should be fairly doable. I have my doubts...

[Smalliebigs]

It sounds a little long OTF but, it sounds pretty friggin sweet!!!! planning and organization would help. It sounds like you have been hitting the Bourb like I have????

[Greasy B]

20 miles is a about 8 miles too much for a two day trip for me on BB. I think there's one pool up from mayers landing that long enough to water ski on, I wouldn't do it without a trolling motor anyway.

[ozark trout fisher]

It sounds a little long OTF but, it sounds pretty friggin sweet!!!! planning and organization would help. It sounds like you have been hitting the Bourb like I have????

You know, I haven't been on it in awhile, unfortunately. Last spring and summer I hit the Bourbeuse like crazy. For a couple months there, it was to the point where I was on it 2, 3 days a week and I wasn't really fishing anywhere else. It's a special stream, for sure. But ever since I've moved out to the central part of the state I've been fishing streams out there. I do really miss it.

I know it'll probably be longer than I want, but I think I'll go ahead and try this anyway, just because it's pretty hard to find two day floats on the BB that are the right length. The accesses tend to be at really inconvenient intervals for whatever reason. I think I should be able to make this work with really early starts- and a whole bunch of paddling.

[Al Agnew]

Yep, it is 11 miles according to the topo maps as well. I always found it to feel like every bit of that, even though it's basically a lot less than that as far as actual fishing water is concerned. That one pool that Greasy mentioned is nearly two miles long, and if the wind is blowing up the river that pool will make the float feel like 20 miles.

20 miles is no big deal for me for a two day float, though, because I paddle through quite a few of the longest pools and just fish the areas with current.

[ozark trout fisher]

Yep, it is 11 miles according to the topo maps as well. I always found it to feel like every bit of that, even though it's basically a lot less than that as far as actual fishing water is concerned. That one pool that Greasy mentioned is nearly two miles long, and if the wind is blowing up the river that pool will make the float feel like 20 miles.

Interesting. Guess I was completely wrong. I don't know why that float always seems shorter to me. Maybe it's because I don't get out and wade-fish as much on the Bourbeuse as I do on other streams, so it just doesn't take as long. But this is encouraging as to feasibility of the float I want to do next week.

[Fish Ogre]

The float actually measures 11.39 miles according to my mapping software. Any Bourbeuse float right now will seem longer than normal. The water is starting to get very low and slow. Which 20 mile section are you considering floating?

[ozark trout fisher]

Which 20 mile section are you considering floating?

Reikers to Union.

The more I think about it, the reason why that distance seemed wrong to me is probably that I tend to paddle more through more dead water and get out to wade less on the Bourbeuse than I would on other rivers. A 14 or 15 mile float on the Big Piney or Meramec is long for me even for two days, because the fish tend to be spread out through a greater percentage of the water, and those streams are very conducive to getting out and doing a lot of wading. That's not really true on the Bourbeuse. So for me, despite the slow current, I guess floats on that river take less time for me than they would elsewhere. If that makes any sense.

[Whiskey Joe]

I agree 20 miles is way too long for an overnighter. The most I'll do in a day is 7 miles, but I fish hard & slow. That why I like the Bourbeuse. I can guess the 20 miles - Nosers to Reikers, right? That'd be 2 nights for me.

[Al Agnew]

Just depends on how you like to fish. You could say there are two different philosophies...one is to do short stretches, fish with slow moving lures, and really fish the good spots hard and long. Other is to cover a lot more water, fish fast moving baits, and give every possible spot one or two casts. The first way, you are giving a limited number of fish a real good chance to take your lure, the other way you are giving a whole lot of fish a look at it. In the end, you probably catch about as many fish either way.