First Float

[MObassin95]

Wife and I floated the North Fork for the  first time today. Floated from Hammond to River of Life Farm. Man, it is a beautiful river. The smallmouth habitat was awesome. Boulders, current, and cool water. The fishing was surprisingly tough. Didn’t get a whole lot of bites and didn’t see a lot of smallmouth.  I hope it was a fluke because it would be a shame if such great habitat didn’t support a good population of smallmouth! 
 

Also, there were schools of HUGE stripers downstream of Rainbow Spring. That can’t be good for the trout. 

[fishinwrench]

"Schools" of them ? 

That far up?

In September? 

 

Interesting!

[MObassin95]

6 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

"Schools" of them ? 

That far up?

In September? 

 

Interesting!

Yes. Probably saw a total of thirty or so. Impressive fish forsure. Maybe they don’t come up the river to feed. I would hope not because they could eat anything they wanted. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

7 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

"Schools" of them ? 

That far up?

In September? 

 

Interesting!

Uh oh!    Someone is about to drive across the state.   I bet you have a wild look in your eyes.  
I used to get that but I kept the gas receipts and pictures of scenery to remind me what it was really like😂

[BilletHead]

56 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Uh oh!    Someone is about to drive across the state.   I bet you have a wild look in your eyes.  
I used to get that but I kept the gas receipts and pictures of scenery to remind me what it was really like😂

                  Too far from home. He won't budge. He would walk a mile for a Camel but won't drive a hundred miles for a huge striper. 😁

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, BilletHead said:

                  Too far from home. He won't budge. He would walk a mile for a Camel but won't drive a hundred miles for a huge striper. 😁

Because I know exactly how that would work out.  

I would drive down, find a place to stay, organize a float, load the canoe, and not witness a single striper. 🙄  

I can do Fall trout/smallmouth way closer to home.   

[trythisonemv]

4 hours ago, MObassin95 said:

Yes. Probably saw a total of thirty or so. Impressive fish forsure. Maybe they don’t come up the river to feed. I would hope not because they could eat anything they wanted. 

In Georgia they run up the Savanah in the summer to get food and cool water access and it oxygen rich. This could be a similar scenario 

[MObassin95]

51 minutes ago, trythisonemv said:

In Georgia they run up the Savanah in the summer to get food and cool water access and it oxygen rich. This could be a similar scenario 

Oh that makes sense 

[fishinwrench]

Running up to the first few sets of shoals during a rise (maybe as far as Patrick) is common behavior, but running up that far is only common during an attempted spawn. Especially in masse.

Or so I would expect. 🤔

[snagged in outlet 3]

2 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Because I know exactly how that would work out.  

I would drive down, find a place to stay, organize a float, load the canoe, and not witness a single striper. 🙄  

I can do Fall trout/smallmouth way closer to home.   

Stripers and hybrids are impossible to pattern.  They’re either eating or they’re not.  Most often, NOT!