Riddle Bridge>>>>>Boiling Springs 10/14-10/16

[Pat Magee]

FIrst time to the Gasconade.  Made a rookie mistake right off the bat and talked myself into a long float (for this time of year anyway).  I was going to float for 6 miles on the B. Piney and the last two on the Gasconade but Boiling Springs couldn't get me out on the water until after 1030a.  I decided on the long float and had Andy from Route 66 shuttle my vehicle for me.  If I do this again in the fall, I will definitely takeout at Veteran's Bridge instead of floating all the way to our campground at Boiling Springs.

After Andy dropped us off at the Riddle Bridge boat ramp we ran into a really nice Army Sergeant  from Fort Leonard Wood who was down there running his boat one last time before he put it away for the winter.  He was a spiritual guy so he offered to lead me and my buddy in a prayer before we left.  Pretty odd but cool thing to happen right before you head out I guess? He prayed that we not encounter any snakes and I will be darn if we didn't encounter any out there on the water. Just wish he would have prayed for a 20' smallie for me though!

I tried to stay committed to top water for longer then I normally do on this trip but I soon gave up on it after my buddy nailed the first few fish (all dinks) and I had nothing to show for it.  He was using a Zoom Tiny Fluke on a shroom head and had also encountered a few nice smallmouth but couldn't bring them to hand.  I messed around with all the usual baits that people have success with but I decided to stick with Mitch's Craw and his flukes after awhile. I was immediately rewarded with a nice LM that I caught off the back of a wood pile I had great luck with both of Mitch's creations as well as the Zoom Super Fluke. I have a favorite color of mine that really seems to pay off when the sun is out better than anything else I use.

I think I pulled darn near every fish I caught off the backside of downed trees.  My buddy on the other hand pulled most of his fish off of large chunk rock on the banks or on the edges of some of the deeper channels. As is the norm, LM were in slower water in deep cover and SM were before and after the current.  I did take some pictured on my GoPro but haven't had time to upload them or see if I got anything decent on camera.

I can tell you the scenery both on the way down there and on the float were some of the most amazing things I have seen here in Missouri. We saw around a half dozen bald eagles, deer, and the beginnings of the fall colors popping on the trees.  I really cannot wait to go back out to the Gasconade again with some other people so I can learn a little more about how to fish it best.

In total we probably brought around 30 fish to hand before we had to haul butt back to the campsite so we weren't still on the water at dark. Floated over a lot of decent water that I would have liked to fish but maybe I will get to it next time.... 

I did want to say thanks to Mitch (for his fantastic craws and flukes) MoSmallies (for his great advice) Smalliebigs (who gave me the killer deal on the Coosa)  and Gavin (for sending me in the right direction about the Gasconade when I started planning).  I think I learned a lot about the river this time around and I can't wait to get back out there again.  

 

This was a car/truck laying in the water on its roof.  I wonder what the story is behind this? Looks to be a late 50's

 

 

[moguy1973]

That's a great float, but way too long for a single day in a kayak.  Did that last year about this time of year over 2 days and caught over 100 fish between me and my buddy.  My favorite part was the huge bus sized boulder in the middle of the stream at the base of the bluff on Portuguese Point.

[Greasy B]

Great report. Pushing vehicles in the water or off of bluffs was an acceptable method of disposal in years past. Take a look after all the leaves fall of the trees and you'll see many more. 

[Pat Magee]

You are kidding

2 hours ago, moguy1973 said:

That's a great float, but way too long for a single day in a kayak.  Did that last year about this time of year over 2 days and caught over 100 fish between me and my buddy.  My favorite part was the huge bus sized boulder in the middle of the stream at the base of the bluff on Portuguese Point.

I agree, the whole time I was floating I was thinking about your report! Andy said that is about the halfway point of that stretch. It's nice to have a giant landmark like that on a new river to give you an idea on distance.

[Pat Magee]

25 minutes ago, Greasy B said:

Great report. Pushing vehicles in the water or off of bluffs was an acceptable method of disposal in years past. Take a look after all the leaves fall of the trees and you'll see many more. 

I may have to do that. I was preoccupied going by that one but I find it fascinating that nobody gives a dung about all that oil, antifreeze, and gas just leaking into the water.

i will say that there are some days I want to drive my Jeep off a cliff like that! 

[Gavin]

Thanks for the report. Love the scenery on that float. East Gate on the Piney down to the G nade too. Did that one in about 8 hours on a 90+ degree day with Al A, Coldwater, and a guy named Jeremy from Joplin once. Was an excellent misadventure.

[moguy1973]

2 hours ago, Pat Magee said:

You are kidding

I agree, the whole time I was floating I was thinking about your report! Andy said that is about the halfway point of that stretch. It's nice to have a giant landmark like that on a new river to give you an idea on distance.

Actually that big rock is only about 3 miles into the float from Riddle Bridge.  Still 10 miles to Boiling Springs from there.  We stopped about 8 miles in and camped where there's a big sand bar on the south side of the river across from Camp Road.  Left a nice 5 miler for the 2nd day so we could take our time.

[Pat Magee]

I had borrowed a friends GPS but never took the time to figure out how to use it properly. The only thing I had to go on was what Andy had told me. 

That explains a lot actually, haha. I was like wow, we are making pretty good time.

[moguy1973]

Speaking of vehicles along river banks, this one is on the Big River.  Tree through the engine compartment and all!

[Coosa]

The upper Maries river has lots of cars too. When the water is right they are bout half in half out of the water.