Middle Buffalo This Weekend?

[NoahTreat]

I'm planning on floating and fishing this weekend from Mt Hersey to Gilbert. About 30 miles. Weather looks good, but I'm worried about the river being muddy and high from all this rain. Now being muddy won't stop me from going because this a part fishing, part floating, part just getting away kinda of trip. But the river being too fast will stop me. So my question is. Do you think the river will be muddy come Friday Saturday??? If so, whats the best way to fish a muddy buffalo river? Or if it's muddy, should i just leave my poles at home?

Should I think about moving up or down river? Should I look at going to a different river all together.

Thanks

PS. It's obvious I don't have a lot of experience on the buffalo since I'm asking rather easy question. But I do have experience floating. Any and all advice is appreciated.

PPS. Pleas excuse any typos. I'm sending this from an iPhone.

[Al Agnew]

I'm planning on floating and fishing this weekend from Mt Hersey to Gilbert. About 30 miles. Weather looks good, but I'm worried about the river being muddy and high from all this rain. Now being muddy won't stop me from going because this a part fishing, part floating, part just getting away kinda of trip. But the river being too fast will stop me. So my question is. Do you think the river will be muddy come Friday Saturday??? If so, whats the best way to fish a muddy buffalo river? Or if it's muddy, should i just leave my poles at home?

Should I think about moving up or down river? Should I look at going to a different river all together.

Thanks

PS. It's obvious I don't have a lot of experience on the buffalo since I'm asking rather easy question. But I do have experience floating. Any and all advice is appreciated.

PPS. Pleas excuse any typos. I'm sending this from an iPhone.

Watch the USGS gauge for the Buffalo near St. Joe. Right now it's flowing over 4000 cfs and is several feet above normal, so right now, as of Wednesday night, it is almost certainly muddy and too high to be safe for floating. It goes down and clears fairly quickly, but if it was me, I wouldn't even think about going unless it gets down below 1500 cfs, and even at that it will be high and fast and probably pretty murky. Murky can be good...I like fishing a normally clear river when it has 2-3 feet of visibility. But when it's that high it will be tough to fish because the current is so strong.

[marcusearlt]

Al is right on with this one. We were also planning on the Buffalo, Ponca area, this weekend but it's looking like those plans will be postponed in favor of next weekend. Fast water is just not that much fun for me. Keep an eye on the USGS graph at this link: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/uv?site_no=07056000

If you are in NWA area and you have to go to a river for smallmouth, it seems to me like the Little Sugar in SW MO drops out and clears up a little faster than the Buffalo.

[NoahTreat]

I talked with Silver Hill canoe rental, and in their professional opinion, It will be safe to be on the river this weekend. They have several church groups that are still comming. I'm still planning on going and will make my own decision once I get there. May just camp in the same spot all weekend.

[Terrierman]

It will be perfect unless it rains more.

[NoahTreat]

What's the best way to fish a muddy/murky buffalo river?

[Terrierman]

It will be murky not muddy. I'm partial to chartreuse and blue or chartreuse and orange spinner baits with single gold Colorado blade this time of year in that kind of water.

[1969Larson]

Take a look at this page.... http://ar.water.usgs.gov/buffaloriver/

30 miles is a LONG float for a weekend... if you float like I do.