Eminence Trip 8/11-8-17

[Gavin]

We booked a last minute trip to Eminence this week. We got a nice full hookup RV site at Circle B, and it looks like the run a good CG. We were hoping for a Jacks Fork float, So I did a solo recon from Alley Spring down to camp in Eminence on Monday. Not enough water,, but I caught a bunch of 8-10” fish and a few decent ones in the 14-16” range. We decided to float Two  Rivers to Powdemill on Tuesday. Great float, but we got caught in rain. Wednesday was a rain out, but we visited Alley Mill, ate out, toured the junk stores and visited Rocky Falls. On Thursday we opted for Round Spring down to Jerktail. Great float and hardly anyone out (3 jet bats and. 1 other family in two canoes and kayak on a 13 mile float). Fishing was decent on the Current, , but we skipped ALLOT of good water to chase down our daughters zipping downriver in their kayaks. Packed it up this morning, followed by lunch at the Dairy Shack before the drive home. Good times!

[jdmidwest]

It's always nice during the week and fall.  Akers to Round Spring is transitional water between cold trout and warmer bass.  Pretty part, but never fished well.

Alley to 2 Rivers is the float for this time of year.  If you want solitude an fishing, Buck Hollow to Alley is fun if you can catch a shuttle.

[Gavin]

We were hoping for the Jacks, but the Current was fun. You can see our two daughters standing on their kayaks in the background on one of those photos. They have no desire to fish, they just want to paddle and swim. We would fish a bit, then hit the trolling motor to catch up. 

[jdmidwest]

Jacks would be pretty skinny for the paddle jon most of the year at any port.  Too long for most of the runs.

[Gavin]

JD, I get ya. This was an all DIY family float. Never rented a boat or paid for a shuttle. Just adapted to what we fell into. Made it an adventure, but not a drag a thon. I don’t think I’d want to float the JF below Eminence. I checked out two access points down there and both smelled like horse shart. Lots of Horse facilities down that way.

[Ham]

On 8/16/2024 at 5:45 PM, Gavin said:

 we skipped ALLOT of good water to chase down our daughters zipping downriver in their kayaks. Packed it up this morning, followed by lunch at the Dairy Shack before the drive home. Good times!

time with your daughters is even harder to come by than time to fish. Enjoy those opportunities while you have them.

it’s nice you had family time 

[Al Agnew]

20 hours ago, Gavin said:

JD, I get ya. This was an all DIY family float. Never rented a boat or paid for a shuttle. Just adapted to what we fell into. Made it an adventure, but not a drag a thon. I don’t think I’d want to float the JF below Eminence. I checked out two access points down there and both smelled like horse shart. Lots of Horse facilities down that way.

Still way too lax with regulations on horse facilities down there...the locals make money off all the horse people.  I do kinda like that lower section, though...seems like it doesn't get a lot of fishing pressure from people who know what they're doing.  Sometimes I drive down the afternoon before I do a multi-day trip on the upper river and do the short float from Shawnee Creek to Two Rivers.

[Gavin]

Shawnee creek looked like a good access, but it definetly stunk of horse poop. I think everyone got most of their boxes checked, and the girls are going back to school tomorrow. It's time to get out there midweek if you can!

[WestCentralFisher]

17 hours ago, Al Agnew said:

Still way too lax with regulations on horse facilities down there...the locals make money off all the horse people.  I do kinda like that lower section, though...seems like it doesn't get a lot of fishing pressure from people who know what they're doing.  Sometimes I drive down the afternoon before I do a multi-day trip on the upper river and do the short float from Shawnee Creek to Two Rivers.

A few years back, I got suckered into floating from Eminence to Two Rivers on Labor Day weekend. It was one of the most insane river environments I've ever experienced and was kind of dreadful from that standpoint. But from a pure fish catching perspective, it was really quite good, though I am legitimately surprised at no point did I unintentionally hook someone.

As someone who is always careful to be extra quiet wading, realizing that the fish in these types of rivers simply do not care at all about hundreds of the loudest canoers in America paddling directly above their head is endlessly strange to me. 

Strange experience, overall. I'm sure it would be a nice stretch to float on a week day.