Big Piney Float 4/10

[Kayser]

A friend in Rolla mentioned last week he wanted to float, so sweet made plans for Sunday morning. Mother nature had other plans, but that also canceled our evening obligations, and we hit the river around 11. Dropped a car at Mason Bridge and drove the kayaks to Boiling Springs to put in.

It started slow. I mean, really slow. But a nice 12" smallmouth on a jerkbait got things going. My friend started picking up goggle eye here and there, and I pulled a couple largemouth out of deep brush with a plastic.

Then the jerkbait bite turned on, but not for me. I watched 6 fish get pulled from a barren looking shallow hole with moderate current, the biggest about 15". I finally caught a goggle eye... 

My friend kept picking up fish on his x-rap, but I stuck with the craw out of loyalty. It eventually produced a 16" smallmouth from a rootwad, but not much else, not even a wayward goggle eye.

I eventually switched back to the jerkbait until my arms got tired, but picked up smallmouth here and there.

Kept paddling, and came across some good looking largemouth water. The water was clear to about 6-8', but we really couldn't see anything. On what was going to be my last cast, I stuck a good fish on a 6" worm. 19.5", and about 4lbs according to the scale. Great color, and super chunky. 

After that, we saw some fish cruising, but they wouldn't take. Picked up a couple more smaller fish in thick timber, and some smallmouth out towards the current. The clouds cleared, the sun came out, and it turned into a beautiful day. 

We fished out the float, picking up more smallies on the jerkbaits with an odd small goggle eye, but no giants. Pulled out around 7, packed up, and got the other vehicle. To top it all off, I was treated to a great lightning show all the way back to Rolla. 

Great day to be out. Not the best fishing I've ever had, but had a lot of fun. I can't believe I hadn't floated the Big Piney yet (lived in Rolla for 5+ years), but I hope it's not my last time out there. 

[Mitch f]

That's a dandy fish!

[DADAKOTA]

Love to float and fish.  That is a dandy.  How difficult is it to work a jerkbait from a yak?  No sure I could work one from a canoe let alone a yak.

[Kayser]

I was using a shorter spinning rod, about  6', and had to rest my elbows on something. But if you could get the bait to do a 180 on a double twitch, they seemed to like that.

No fish on cranks or spinnerbaits. Odd day. 

[Al Agnew]

Great fish! We all love smallmouth, but I've grown to really appreciate big stream largemouth almost as much.

I've never had really good luck with either crankbaits or ordinary spinnerbaits in water that clear, so I'm not surprised they didn't produce for you.

[Kayser]

Thanks Al. I'm not used to clear water for smallmouth, really- most of my experience is on the Bourbeuse, which has more mud than sand on the banks. Anything big, loud, or with lots of motion seems to catch fish there in the summer.

This was new to me, but it was fun- especially watching the fish slash at the husky jerk. I normally don't get to have that kind of fun. Unfortunately, I think this is it for Missouri bass fishing until September- they're spawning, and I've got finals followed by a summer job in Wisconsin. Maybe I'll get after the smallies there, see if they like poppers. 

[Sharps4590]

Well done Kayser!!  The Big Piney is nice but even as close as I am I don't spend much time on it.  Take your fishing gear to Wisconsin with you.  Beautiful country and water.