Tough Trip and Note on Boiling Springs Resort

[TroutRinger]

Floated Sand Shoals to Boiling Springs yesterday. This was my first trip to the Piney but I could tell the river was up from normal levels. Fishing was very tough. I got one 10" smaller right at the bridge by the put in and then nothing else. My friend didn't catch anything. I've had some tough days river fishing but even my worst on the Jacks Fork, Meramac, Huzzah, Elk, Current, and Bufallo have produced at least a half dozen fish. Not sure what happened but such is life. 

Evidently Boiling Springs has new owners. I really don't want to be hard on new business owners, but if they don't get their stuff together before the holiday weekend, it may be their last. It took them 15 minutes just to process my payment for the cabins. Saturday morning I went to the shop to schedule our float. They said the van would take us in 10 minutes. My friend and I scramble to get ready and then end up sitting outside for almost 2 hours as the owners and staff walk back and forth looking lost carrying a paddle or life jacket or two at time to various different vehicles. Several other guests were visibility upset and had similar complaints about being told to get ready right away while ending up having to wait over an hour. This morning when I went to check out, I stood in line for another 15 minutes while they checked out another guest who hadn't paid yet. When he was finally done, they started chatting and took another few minutes to finally end the conversation. I hope they get their processes worked out before the season really gets going. 

[Al Agnew]

I'd like to get some more reports from the upper Piney from the last few years.  The last time I floated above Boiling Spring was probably 8 or 9 years ago, and I had exactly the same luck you guys did, and that was in mid-summer with low, stable water level when the fishing should have been good.  And the worst part of it for me was, the bottom was just crawling with crawdads.  On almost any stream, you just don't see crawdads during the day unless you turn over rocks, but they were just out in the open crawling around all day long on that section of the Piney.  There have only been two other places I've seen this phenomenon.  One was the nearby Roubidoux Creek when I floated it maybe 10 years ago and had very poor fishing...the other was on a friend's lake when it was new and had no predators capable of eating full sized crawdads.  Does that mean that the craws only roam around like that during the day if they don't have enough predators (bass) to keep them hidden?  Does it mean they somehow "know" that the bass are so inactive that day that they don't have to worry about getting eaten?  Has something happened to the smallmouth population on the upper Piney?

[DADAKOTA]

Saw that exact thing on Turnback Creek way above Stockton lake several years ago.  Crawdads everywhere.  Did not catch much in the way of SM or LM.  Terrible float and never repeated it.

[TroutRinger]

We did see crawdads out in the open in one spot about halfway down where a feeder stream came in. Funny you mention it because I thought it was odd too. 

Don't know if it is relevant or not but the last half was absolutely riddled with turtles. Must have saw a thousand. Every log had 6 to a dozen from babies to steering wheel sized. 

[Gavin]

Had slow fishing between Sand Shoal and Mason Last spring. Might have been a bad weekend...but who knows...Seems like good habitat.

 

 

[Gavin]

Water was up & falling on that trip too.

[TroutRinger]

10 hours ago, Gavin said:

Had slow fishing between Sand Shoal and Mason Last spring. Might have been a bad weekend...but who knows...Seems like good habitat.

 

 

Ya. There were plenty of holes where you were just like, "oh yea, I'm going to catch one here FOR SURE"...and then nothing happened. 

I even broke from my normal (and usually successful) tube bait bottom bouncing in current strategy and started fishing the slower water with spinners and rebel craws and faster water with heavier jigs...nothing. 

[Gavin]

Slower water near fast with the Ned or tube maybe? Usually punch the log jams if it is tough. Daves heads usually make it out of a log pile if you have a good feel. Mitch jigs no worries. Fishing down that way after the holiday will post a report.

[joeD]

TroutRinger: Did you tell the outfitters what you told us? If not, please do.  It will help them, really.  Do it in a calm, non confrontational manner, and be specific on what you disliked, but also try to say something positive too. As anglers, we want businesses to thrive, helping all of us. 

[Phil Lilley]

I'd send an email and say exactly what Joe said to say.  If they're new, it's totally understandable BUT that excuse only goes so far and it won't make any difference to many who stay there.

This business is very hard, especially if you're not the right personality to do it.  Sooooo many people buy resorts and marinas that have no business being in that business...  they see it when they stay there and think it would be fun - to fishing and float all you want.  It does NOT work out that way.  And then there's the people who are your customers...  you gotta love people and bust your butt for them 24/7.