Big Piney/g.nade Float 6/29/12

[Gavin]

Went down to Boiling Springs CG on the Gasconade on Thursday Afternoon...Really hot setting camp, but my friends Larry, Mike, and Marc arrived just after. Nice evening under the stars around my battery opperated lantern in lieu of campfire...The temp fell fast after 7pm...and it got down right chilly on Thursday night. Should have brought the sleeping bag, but two beach towels made do.

We had considered floating the 14 miles from Riddle Bridge back to camp on the G. Nade..but the concensus was to do a shorter 11 mile float back to camp by putting in on the Big Piney. Got a good start. Hit the water by 7:30am...Had a 14" smallie, and a 14" Largemouth on a walk the dog plug before we left sight of the put in...Mike landed an 18" largemouth on a baby brush hog soon. Topwater bite died around ten, but the fluke fishing was pretty good till noon or so...then it slowed to one or three a mile on a jig & chunk before it flat out died around 4pm. Wicked hot, but frequent swims made it pretty comfy. Made it back to camp around 5:30pm..Mike and Marc loaded up and sampled the BBQ at the Elbows Inn before heading home. They said it was good BBQ but the bar was very smokey. Larry & me had cold fried chicken and some smoked ribs for dinner...followed by a few watery beers.

Larry and me had our camp broken down by 7:30 and drove over to a nearby wade creek. We had some fun topwater action on the way upstream, nothing spectacular landed...but I did lose a really nice one on a new topwater plug....hook bent straight...need to change those out..tried a few more new baits on the way down...but the tried and true curly tail grubs worked the best. Off the water by 11am and headed home. Fun fishing in spite of the heat.