Fun On The St. Francis

[Gavin]

Had a long but fun float on the St. Francis last Friday. Put in with 2 buddies at MDC's Coldwater access and floated back to our camp at Sam Baker last Friday (11 miles). It is a river of contrast. Mostly long stretches of deep frog water mixed up with some short boulder gardens and one boulder garden ledge drop. Good fishing for numbers and variety...Smallmouth, Spotted Bass, Largemouth, Crappie, Channel Cat, Goggs, several sunfish species. Nothing big...My buddy got a 15" greenie...Measured my first...14" greenie, nothing bigger..Most bass in the 10-13" range. The pattern was wood in moving water, brown and down...maybe 2 miles of that...caught a few bonus fish trolling cranks through the froggy stretches with a headwind blowing upstream...Thinking 25-30 bass per person, plus a few bonus fish. 11 miles in about 7 hours.

Our wives and kids were waiting in the swimming hole at Sam Baker when we got back at 3pm. Time for short boat rides and more swimming.

We wanted to float our kids down to 34 on Saturday...but the douche bag canoe rental at SAB only allows 3 per canoe and they were very adamant about it. They ticked us off and lost half their rentals for the day....More swimming and boat rides instead.

Our wives really wanted to float....so they took the boats and did SAB to 34 on Sunday. Dad's took the kids down to 34 for lots of swimming and some fishing lessons. Came home Monday...Fun weekend!

[fishinwrench]

The pattern was wood in moving water, brown and down...

That pattern appears to be statewide right now.

...Fun weekend!

Sounds like it! Well done.

[Old plug]

Ahhhhh Wrench right down there in my old stomping grounds. I had many friends down there. All gone now except one. I was wondering what route you took down there. A big part of SE Missouri is all that is left of the real Ozark's and the culture of the people. That river used to be known for big walleye as much as the Black. I never been on the river up as far as Sam Baker. The Greenville bridge is about as high as I have ever been.

[jdmidwest]

I was just thinking about Saco to Coldwater access on Sunday. That is a full day and usually paddle half of it to get there by dark.

I have never been on the stretch you floated, How long was the float? I have wanted to see the boulder garden that I have always heard about. That is why we were told not to float it in canoes.

[mic]

Gavin,

I wonder if they had insurance restrictions....

Saturday...but the douche bag canoe rental at SAB only allows 3 per canoe and they were very adamant about it. They ticked us off and lost half their rentals for the day....More swimming and boat rides instead.

[MOsmallies]

Awesome! Sam A. Baker was the first place I ever caught a smallmouth (When I was 9 or 10 years old). It hit a 3 inch white grub and was about 10 inches long. That trip literally got me hooked on fishing. I believe I actually caught it on Big Creek as opposed to the St. Francis. I just remember loving that place but have never been back.

Any size to the bass Gavin?

Paul

MOSmallies

[Gavin]

JD...the worst spot was just a 50 yard long boulder run with a 2' ledge drop at the end of it. Nothing scary. We paddled like heck to make it in 7 hours...All day or overnight would be required to do it right. Yes the concession at SAB has some insurance issues...but you aren't going to rent many boats to family's if you cant toss two small children in the canoe with you. They encouraged us to rent rafts...No way...Will bring my tandem canoe in addition to my solo next time...No real size to the bass (15" was best). If there are better fish up there we didn't find them. Wanted to float Big Creek...but way too low.

[Tearin Up Topwater]

Yeah, all the bass I get from that area are 12-14 inches. Beautiful though.

[jdmidwest]

JD...the worst spot was just a 50 yard long boulder run with a 2' ledge drop at the end of it. Nothing scary. We paddled like heck to make it in 7 hours...All day or overnight would be required to do it right. Yes the concession at SAB has some insurance issues...but you aren't going to rent many boats to family's if you cant toss two small children in the canoe with you. They encouraged us to rent rafts...No way...Will bring my tandem canoe in addition to my solo next time...No real size to the bass (15" was best). If there are better fish up there we didn't find them. Wanted to float Big Creek...but way too low.

There is another access at the Scout Camp unless they have closed it. It takes some time off of the float. I have never fished from the Scout Camp down because of that boulder field. But we sailed thru several of them on the Big Creek float from Brunot a few years back. Water was up and it was still a pain. Too cold for snakes still when we did that float.

They have picked up some water in the last few days, I need to check gauges and see. The float down to the MDC access is a great float, but it is a daylight to dark float with some paddling. The GPS units are great, I can read the water ahead and paddle the holes to make up time. My memory is getting so weak that all of the streams are looking the same now. Electronics are a real plus.

This weekend is looking really nice, temps in low 80's. I am leaning that way pretty hard now.

[joeD]

11 miles in 7 hours? Oy. That's not floating. That's not fishing. That's paddling! Whew. Makes my arms hurt just thinking about it. Well, you got out and about anyway, always a good thing.