Big Piney Float

[LarrySTL]

One day this past week I was fortunate enough to float the Big Piney with Gavin and Smalliebigs. I had never been on it before, and hadn’t floated as opposed to wading, anywhere in many years. We did a one day, there and back, with Gavin and I in his canoe and Smalliebigs solo in his yak. We floated most of the day, and took out a few miles upstream from I-44. Once again guys, I really appreciated everything.

I thought the fishing was ok; they both felt it was pretty slow. They are a lot more used to what results are reaslistic than I am. Consensus was that the BP could use more depth and more current, which is probably true of lots of places lately.

Spinnerbaits by two of us and a swimjig by Gavin didn’t do much. After a while I went back to a small jighead with a 5 inch finesse worm on it and had some action though my biggest on that was about 12“. Mr Bigs caught some on 2 or 3 different topwaters and some on an assortment of bottom baits. Gavin got some action on a topwater and occasionally on bottom baits and I put on a Spook, the smallest size one ( 3” ¼ oz ) The SM that hit it were really aggressive although a lot of them still missed the bait. I got a couple 12“ fish on it and one 16” with those coming in or within a foot of current, and either big wood or big rock in the water. I had just enough fish hit it to not put it down the rest of the day.

Other assorted adventures were that I had my first time dumping a canoe despite Gavin’s best efforts; we all got to see a nice shiney big yellow truck drive across the river through about 2 feet of water; despite some slight anxiety we did find the take out point and the road back to the put in. Last but not least, the methheads who siphoned my gas tank while we were on the river did leave me (barely) enough gas to get to a gas station. Overall I had a blast, and I now own several more small and medium size Spooks than I did a week ago.

Fish porn by Gavin attached, if I can figure out how to do that !

Larry

[Gavin]

I had fun! Some good laughs & stories...great scenery and some fish caught...Did 11 miles...didnt have time to pick it apart. Larry got the best one...Made a great presentation to a great spot...and bingo! Sorry for getting you wet.

Thought about getting a pick of the heads plates...but that thought left me. Remember what they were driving? Yellow tent..silver beater..younger dude 25ish. 6'1 or so with black hair and a buzz cut. The woman looked like heck.5.9" ratty blond hair and sores on her face..probably 30 going on 57. Might want to call it in to the Pulaski County Police. Still need to call game thief for those out of season smallmouth remains we saw at the takeout.

[Flatbottom Boy]

I've been floating in and around the fort for the last couple weeks. It seems there are a bunch of people breaking the law, some very uneducated and some just flat out poaching. I've corrected every one that I have actually seen and most seem to appreciate the info, but two days ago this gentlemen had a bunch of goggle eye and 2 smallish smallmouth on his stringer. When I asked him if he was aware of the regulations on black bass in flowing waters he just asked if I was a game warden. I told him no and he shrugs me off. I made a phone call but I'm sure he was long gone by the time they made it. I hope he had 3 flat tires when he got back to the truck.

Caught this one on my lunch break the other day. I've been doing really well on the baby brush hog and the white fluke. This one fell for the fluke.

[LarrySTL]

PM sent about our new friends.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Thanks for the report. Wished I coulda joined you guys.

[Smalliebigs]

Larry and Gavin it was sweet hooking up with you two for that float. Meeting other dudes with same passion I have for the rivers was pretty cool. I was kinda in my own world out there on that Coosa, I wasn't a s chatty as I would normally have been if I would have been drinking and fishing.

I have already contacted the Pulaski County Sheriff and Conservation agent for the BigPiney about the hacked Smallie at the take out and the Methheads that got us. I should have know better but, I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. All I can say is are rivers our in great hands with the "locals" from taken fish out of season to driving your stock Silverados across the river all to matained by Methheads camping on the public acess boat ramp who will siphon you after you kindly give them a jump for their dead battery. They had been up all night tweaking on the ramp trying to cram a thought thru their methed brain on how to get this Crown Vic out of the river bed. Then we show up......city boys with vehicles,canoes,kayaks, and gas.......I should have done all of society a favor and walked them into the woods and put them down in the creek.

The Piney thru there as Gavin so poigantly put it will not be on my Bucket List......the habitat is less than desirable and the locals just beat the living dung out of the Piney there between ignorance and gigging. It is very pretty but, the river was very lacking in life general....there just wasn't many fish in there....I stood half the time looking for fish and trying to scare fish from rootwads and not many at all. The topwater bit was okay and the biggest I caught was about 16 inches. We saw people driving trucks across the river, keeping Smallmouth out of season and cow farms with access to dung and piss where they want and destroy their side of the river. We saw a group of fatties with ofcourse one chick with a good body....all in all a fun float just not a good fishing float.

I would float anywhere with Gavin and Larry as they both have the same passion about smallmouth fishing I do and love the rivers, so in that sense it was great to meet two really fine individuals that I would enjoy to float with again

[ColdWaterFshr]

So you gave them a jump and you think it was the same folks who siphoned your tanks?

[Smalliebigs]

So you gave them a jump and you think it was the same folks who siphoned your tanks?

Andy, yes it was the same people.........we were not to smart about it. I should have gave them my story.....that goes like this. Hey you seem like nice people so I am going to let you know ahead of time before my uncle gets here. when I go floating here my uncle who is the chief of police of whatever the closest town is and he checks my vehicle when I'm on the river. We are running late and he should be here real soon....he's kind of a dick and will check you guys on everything from your plates to your license.....if you want to go thru that your more than welcome, I'm just telling you he's comming here real soon if you want to get out of here before he gets here..........it seems too work everytime....the hoosiers usually leave with in 5 mins.

We were naive and too trusting but, I learned my lesson.....again.....I hope

[Greasy B]

The behavior of some is so pathetic and predictable. I know its not fair to use stereotypes but gosh some folks make it so easy. What access did the crimes take place at?

[ColdWaterFshr]

I like that story. Gonna have to remember that one.

Floated the Big Piney with the family last year and we were sitting there eating our lunch on a small gravel bar while the kids were swimming when some meth-heads floated down and pulled their kayaks right up on the same gravel bar and sat down to eat just 20 feet from us like we weren't even there. I think the girlfriend was just drunk, but the dude had these crazy wild eyes that looked like he had been up for 4 days. I wanted to go over and say to him, can't you eat on that gravel bar down there?? (about 200 yards away), but we just quickly finished our lunch and moved along.