Float Trips For Smallmouth! 2024
conorsixtakc reply :
As everybody probably already knows, float trip season is upon us! This year I plan on seriously pursuing smallies in the small rivers of Missouri, and I was hoping to get some advice on presentations. Can anybody provide insight from personal experiences fishing these smaller rivers for smallmouth from canoe or kayak? I plan on starting with the North Fork of the White River later this month. I was planning on starting with 1/4 oz rooster tails and small plastic craws from May-June, and then switching over to topwater frogs as things heat up in July. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!
-tight lines
Mr_Scrogg reply :
Ive only fished the Elk in SW Missouri from a kayak. Tubes and Grubs was on the dinner plate. Put 40 in the yak and one Largemouth that went 19.5"
conorsixtakc reply :
On 5/6/2013 at 10:57 PM, Mr_Scrogg said:Ive only fished the Elk in SW Missouri from a kayak. Tubes and Grubs was on the dinner plate. Put 40 in the yak and one Largemouth that went 19.5"
Nice! I floated the Elk last Summer with friends on a party trip, it was pretty hard to watch them busting on top without a rod in hand so I might have to get back down there. What color tubes and grubs?
Mr_Scrogg reply :
Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon. I would paddle through swift water, turn around and cast back to the eddies, or pull the lure from the swift water through the current seam to the slack water.
It was a awesome day.
conorsixtakc reply :
On 5/6/2013 at 11:35 PM, Mr_Scrogg said:Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon. I would paddle through swift water, turn around and cast back to the eddies, or pull the lure from the swift water through the current seam to the slack water.
It was a awesome day.
Thanks Scrogg! Sounds awesome, my most memorable summer days have been spent floating the emerald waters of SW MO. Am I correct in assuming that the bite probably starts picking up early June?
cbass12 reply :
During late spring we've always done well on rebel crawdad crankbaits in those rivers.
Mr_Scrogg reply :
I was down in April of last year. Still kinda chilly water.
Did see many fish in the slower pools.
Ive always been told. The fish will either be in the rocking chair or the grocery store. Meaning low current "relaxed" areas. Pools or eddies. Or at the tail end of pools where swift water starts, or beginning of pools where swift water empties.
Mr_Scrogg reply :
I floated from Hogs Heaven to Mt Shira access. 4 mile float I think. Russ @ Hog Heaven followed me to drop my car at Mt Shira and took me back to launch from his place. Nice guy.
conorsixtakc reply :
On 5/6/2013 at 11:43 PM, cbass12 said:During late spring we've always done well on rebel crawdad crankbaits in those rivers.
Good to know, thanks cbass12! I'll make sure to bring a couple
conorsixtakc reply :
On 5/6/2013 at 11:46 PM, Mr_Scrogg said:I was down in April of last year. Still kinda chilly water.
Did see many fish in the slower pools.
Ive always been told. The fish will either be in the rocking chair or the grocery store. Meaning low current "relaxed" areas. Pools or eddies. Or at the tail end of pools where swift water starts, or beginning of pools where swift water empties.
Makes sense to me, either passively waiting for a meal or actively searching. All great info, much appreciated.
cbass12 reply :
Hopefully the North Fork has come up with all the rain we've gotten. We were there last year around the first of June and it was the lowest I have personally ever seen it. The launch at Hammond was so low that we had to walk the canoes the first 30 or 40 yards.
conorsixtakc reply :
On 5/7/2013 at 12:12 AM, cbass12 said:Hopefully the North Fork has come up with all the rain we've gotten. We were there last year around the first of June and it was the lowest I have personally ever seen it. The launch at Hammond was so low that we had to walk the canoes the first 30 or 40 yards.
The party float on the Elk that I mentioned earlier ^^^ was the same way, worse yet it was scheduled by my fiance's girlfriend in July 
... algae for days + lots of dragging = pass me another beer. Needless to say
I can't wait to get back on the North Fork after the Spring rains! I've heard you can find some big brown beaks in there too...
moguy1973 reply :
We are going tomorrow. Wanted to float the Meramec but the rains have swelled it beyond what we feel will produce fish. Going to have to settle for one of the smaller creeks that is showing more water than usual but still floatable...
Craw colored tubes, grubs, white weightless flukes, rebel craws, topwater baits. That's what catches them in the ozark streams.
conorsixtakc reply :
On 5/7/2013 at 2:51 AM, moguy1973 said:We are going tomorrow. Wanted to float the Meramec but the rains have swelled it beyond what we feel will produce fish. Going to have to settle for one of the smaller creeks that is showing more water than usual but still floatable...
Craw colored tubes, grubs, white weightless flukes, rebel craws, topwater baits. That's what catches them in the ozark streams.
@Moguy1973 Thanks for the feedback! Btw how does the Meramec compare as a fishery to the North Fork? I've heard great things but so far I've only floated the North Fork and Elk. I'm looking to explore other SW MO fisheries this year.
moguy1973 reply :
The Meramec is a great smallmouth river, but it has been started to be taken over by spotted bass in the last decade or so. Still lots of smallies in it though. The Gasconade also has a great smallmouth population and big ones too since there's a smallmouth management section on it that produces some large smallies.
I've never fished any other ozark streams in the SW corner of MO though so I really don't have anything to compare to.
conorsixtakc reply :
So I just found out soft plastics are prohibited from the stretch of the North Fork I'll be floating, which means I'll be doing more cranking than anticipated. Anybody have suggestions on what'll legally pull big smallmouth out of the deeper flow other than a rebel craw?
weekendwarrior reply :
My go to has always been green pumpkin or watermelon senkos and white power grubs on a jig head in all the ozark streams and rivers. A rebel craw is probably going to be your best bet as far as crank baits go. Rooster tails are probably a safe bet also.
weekendwarrior reply :
Any of you guys float Eleven point? I have a trip planned for the end of the month. Its one of the few Ozark streams I have never floated. Just wondering what the fishing is like there.
conorsixtakc reply :
On 5/9/2013 at 7:15 AM, weekendwarrior said:Any of you guys float Eleven point? I have a trip planned for the end of the month. Its one of the few Ozark streams I have never floated. Just wondering what the fishing is like there.
Never floated it, but it's been mentioned to me as a good fishery. I'm planning multiple float trips in SW Missouri this Summer, let me know what you find! I'll provide an update on the North Fork when I get back, we're floating it 6/1-6/2. Wish it was sooner.
Gavin reply :
The North Fork of the White usually fishes well for numbers of smallmouth in its upper reaches...and there is a good trout fishery inbetween Rainbow Spring and Dawt Mill. Bryant creek is just over the ridge and it offers decent smallmouth fishing. Were are you staying? If your at Sunburst Ranch talk to Justin...He can hook you up if smallmouth fishing is what you want to do...Might be hard to find an outfitter to run a special shuttle on a busy Saturday, but the will usually accomodate on weekdays.
kanasbassfisher08 reply :
well i second elk river. bluebasser and i went last year and we killed them on the trip i had over a hundred in the weekend starting with a little spook and poper and then flukes and shaky heads. threw just about everything we had we were even fishing right under people and they were laughing at us saying fish wont bite with all these people and we continued to set the hook and drag them in. i also heared big piney was good too more of a quality then quantitiy in my opinion but have not fished it so maybe im wrong
Mr_Scrogg reply :
You and Clayton rent a canoe?On 5/27/2013 at 9:09 AM, kanasbassfisher08 said:well i second elk river. bluebasser and i went last year and we killed them on the trip i had over a hundred in the weekend starting with a little spook and poper and then flukes and shaky heads. threw just about everything we had we were even fishing right under people and they were laughing at us saying fish wont bite with all these people and we continued to set the hook and drag them in. i also heared big piney was good too more of a quality then quantitiy in my opinion but have not fished it so maybe im wrong
Im keeping one of my yaks so I still can fish the Elk and other inaccessible areas.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 5/27/2013 at 12:45 PM, Mr_Scrogg said:You and Clayton rent a canoe?
Im keeping one of my yaks so I still can fish the Elk and other inaccessible areas.
Yeah we did. We actually caught more, bigger fish when we were wading though. Areas with just inches of water that was moving pretty fast was where the bigger fish seemed to be at while we were there. Crazy numbers of smaller fish in the pools and around the log jams, some big fish too, but those ones weren't as interested in eating. When the fish get in that skinny, fast moving water they're only there for one reason 
I really should get down there more. I probably have as much fun catching those small river smallmouth as just about any other kind of fishing out there.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 5/7/2013 at 9:36 AM, conorsixtakc said:So I just found out soft plastics are prohibited from the stretch of the North Fork I'll be floating, which means I'll be doing more cranking than anticipated. Anybody have suggestions on what'll legally pull big smallmouth out of the deeper flow other than a rebel craw?
Stock up on some small hair jigs
Mr_Scrogg reply :
Hair jigs, little pop Rs, smaller spinnerbaits, 1/4-3/8oz. Heck even the 3/16 Booyah Pond Magics. I know a guy that kills Shenandoah River smallies with Manns Minus1s in West Virginia.
conorsixtakc reply :
On 5/27/2013 at 11:46 PM, Mr_Scrogg said:Hair jigs, little pop Rs, smaller spinnerbaits, 1/4-3/8oz. Heck even the 3/16 Booyah Pond Magics. I know a guy that kills Shenandoah River smallies with Manns Minus1s in West Virginia.
Rapala just came out with a countdown xrap that flutters on the fall, picked up a 1/8 oz in rainbow trout and really looking forward to tossing that one into the pools. Aside from that, everything you mentioned i've got so that's good to hear.
On 5/27/2013 at 4:25 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Stock up on some small hair jigs
Will do
rubba bubba reply :
On 5/9/2013 at 7:15 AM, weekendwarrior said:Any of you guys float Eleven point? I have a trip planned for the end of the month. Its one of the few Ozark streams I have never floated. Just wondering what the fishing is like there.
I floated it for 2 1/2 days last year in the summer blast furnace heat and the river was still too cold to be in it (swimming) for too long but it sure made the heat bearable. Rainbows dominate on that river as I caught a ton of them and only 1 smallie (I was fishing for smallies).
micahthorlawson reply :
I have done well on the Elk and will be floating it tommorrow. Would love to get to Big Piney and the Gasconade. Always wanted to trout fish on the Eleven point as well!
cbass12 reply :
On 6/28/2013 at 5:15 AM, micahthorlawson said:I have done well on the Elk and will be floating it tommorrow. Would love to get to Big Piney and the Gasconade. Always wanted to trout fish on the Eleven point as well!
If you can, post a report. I'll be on the Elk River tomorrow with my wife and a couple friends. I'm sure it will be crowded, but I'm going to give it a try anyway. Plan on throwing a shakyhead most of the time and might try a small crankbait or popper.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 6/28/2013 at 9:13 PM, cbass12 said:If you can, post a report. I'll be on the Elk River tomorrow with my wife and a couple friends. I'm sure it will be crowded, but I'm going to give it a try anyway. Plan on throwing a shakyhead most of the time and might try a small crankbait or popper.
Every time I've been to the Elk the fish preferred a small walking bait like a 85 Sammy or Super Spook Jr over any other topwater. FIsh it anywhere that the water is moving a little faster, even if it looks like it's 6" deep, they'll surprise you.
kanasbassfisher08 reply :
spooks where its at and really early is the best 4 to 5 am was really fun for a spook
hooah212002 reply :
On 6/29/2013 at 8:37 AM, kanasbassfisher08 said:spooks where its at and really early is the best 4 to 5 am was really fun for a spook
Nothing better than a smallie slamming a spook as the sun is barely rising and the fog is just rolling off the water.
kanasbassfisher08 reply :
heaven!
micahthorlawson reply :
On 6/28/2013 at 9:13 PM, cbass12 said:If you can, post a report. I'll be on the Elk River tomorrow with my wife and a couple friends. I'm sure it will be crowded, but I'm going to give it a try anyway. Plan on throwing a shakyhead most of the time and might try a small crankbait or popper.
It was not as good as I had hoped. and we had some equipment issues that cut the trip short. but when we fishing we were cathing em. Mostly on jigs, t-rig creature baits, ned rids and shakey heads. I caught 1 largemouth and the the rest were all smallmouth. The largemouth was a decent fish but most of the smallmouth were 12 inches. If I wouldnt had my boat/trolling motor crap out on me we probably would have had over 100 smallmouth and hopefully would have sprinkled in some decent ones.
cbass12 reply :
I wasn't able to fish as much as I would have liked, WAY too many people on the river. Honestly that river is not big enough for the amount of people that float it on the weekends. Despite that I was still able to catch a few fish. We stayed at shady beach and I caught about a dozen at first light right in front of the campground. 1 on a spook and the rest were on a paca craw on a shaky head. I caught 4 or 5 on the river, all of them except for one came from the railroad bridge just upstream from the campground. Nothing big but they were still fun.
conorsixtakc reply :
Sorry for the delayed update - floated the North Fork a few weeks back, found only browns. I'm pretty sure that we were floating water that was just too cold for smallies, although I had heard of people doing well on them further upstream from where we launched. That being said, those browns were fun! I had the best luck on a small deep diving rebel craw, in light green/orange. My biggest went 16".
conorsixtakc reply :
On 7/1/2013 at 9:30 PM, cbass12 said:I wasn't able to fish as much as I would have liked, WAY too many people on the river. Honestly that river is not big enough for the amount of people that float it on the weekends. Despite that I was still able to catch a few fish. We stayed at shady beach and I caught about a dozen at first light right in front of the campground. 1 on a spook and the rest were on a paca craw on a shaky head. I caught 4 or 5 on the river, all of them except for one came from the railroad bridge just upstream from the campground. Nothing big but they were still fun.
We stayed at Shady Beach mid-July last year, and I was blown away by how many people pile into that river all at once. I think if I went back it'd have to be during the week. Last year the river was super low, with minimal current, and a couple locals were talking about some 18"s being caught on green/red flake frogs.
Mr_Scrogg reply :
I floated on the Friday at the beginning-mid April. 2 canoes came down. Water was still brisk. Id say low 60s.
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