Best of July kayak bass fishing...Stockton, Beaver, Dardenelle, and Lake Sherwood

We have not had a lot of posts in regards to kayak touring over July...It has been so hot, the only way for me to do it is to use my Moken 13 SOT fishing kayak and get out and fish....and beach it on occasion and swim.
July was a great month in bass fishing....enjoy the video.  We have some trips planned with the sea kayak once it starts to cool down a little on us

You can see some cool fishing stories at www.fishmissouri.org

Paddle ON!

Mike

Kayaking the Arkansas River, SE of Little Rock, Arkansas June 2012

This was a really nice paddle trip on the Arkansas River just south of Little Rock, Arkansas.  I put in at the Willow Beach Public use area (Corps of Engineers site) and spent the first half kayaking the slough/lake.  The Arkansas River is very interesting in this part of the state.  There is a lock and dam system (much like the Mississippi River near St. Louis), however, the current has an appearance of being very dosile.  I always use the word "appearance" when making this description.  I am sure there is some main current.  In a large river, however mild the appearance, we should anticipate it is there.  The biggest challenge you may have kayaking a river like this is the commercial barge traffic.  If you watch the video, you can see the barge go by, then see how it effects the river.  It seemed like there was a choppy wake even after the barge was long gone.

I pulled off where the slough meets the main river and allowed the barge to go past.  It was a really nice spot and I was able to walk into the water for a spell.  I found a hatched turtle nest right on the point (making sure to avoid it as not to disturb it).  When I got back on the main channel, the wind really started to whip up as well as the continuing barge wake.  It was an outstanding trip!  There is a submurged old wing dike where the river hits the Corps area.  I paddled over it (I could not tell where the channel was) which is a risky endevour in a sea kayak.  The one "sensation" I do not like at all is to have some object lift up the kayak from the bottom.  My next trip I will be sure to stay on the channel.

Paddle ON!

Mike

Kayaking the Arkansas River east of Little Rock

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Missouri River Kayaking- Weldon Spring to St. Charles June 2nd, 2012

The trip was outstanding!  Ray and I have been wanting to do a "big river" trip for the last couple of weeks.  The Missouri River stage is really down right now, so it is a very quick and fun paddle.  Stage when we went out Saturday was about 12' gauge hght. and 66,000 flow (cfs).  I am marking this and saving it....I have paddled this river at different stages and this one had to be my favorite.  I think if they had the Race for the Rivers today, some records would be broke.

If you watch the film, when Ray comes up on the Page Extension Bridge,  I caught an Asian carp flying across his bow.  He had a couple of major carp come flying in front of his kayak, but unfortunately, my camera was off when it happened.

The slough that we went through just past the 40 bridge just beside the Chesterfield bottoms was outstanding.  It had a real nice flow running through it (we clocked about 4 mph) the entire stretch.  There is something about paddling the big rivers that just excites me.  I am already planning another trip, possibly the Alton Lock and Dam to the Gateway Arch.  Maybe this will be the summer we make it happen?

Paddle ON!

Mike

Kayaking the Missouri River- Weldon Spring to St. charles, Missouri

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Kayaking the Maumelle River, Pulaski County, Arkansas March 2012

The Maumelle River in Pulaski County is a great trip that really is close to the Little Rock metro area.  The put in is the ramp at Pinnacle Mountain State Park.   I was using the sea kayak on this trip, and working on doing a little fishing as well (I "0-fered" on the fishing, but the paddle was well worth it).

The Maumelle is dammed up river, so there is little or no current, which makes it an easy paddle for those new to the sport or sea kayakers that just want a serene, calm kayak trip.  There is a lot of timber and sites in regards to blooming dogwood trees, kingfishers, and blue herons.   The river almost runs parallel to the Arkansas River.

I will be back soon to fish this stretch a little more intensive with my SOT fishing kayak.



Paddle ON!

Mike

Kayaking Maumelle River near Pinnacle Mountain, Arkansas

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March Kayaking on the Little Red River, White County, Arkansas: Great 5 mile paddle to the falls!

The kayak has been grounded for a month or so due to some costly car repairs, so this trip was much needed and appreciated!  Our last kayak trip was on December 31st, which is way, way too long to wait to paddle.  Glad to be back!

This river is one of my favorites in Arkansas.  If you are looking for extreme kayaking or that kind of stuff, this would not be the river for you.  I have found it to be very calm with a slight current, and an easy paddle to get some milage in, as well as some fishing.

I decided to take it all the way to the dam/falls from the put in point (see map below for details).  The weather in Arkansas/Missouri has been incredibly mild this late winter.  The temps were in the 70's.  I decided to wear my Kokatat dry suit, due to the fact that I know the water temps are not that warm yet.  I brought my fishing rod, but did not have much success....still early in the season.  I spoke with a gentleman on the ramp who said they had walleye in the river, which sounded real intreging!

Life is better on a kayak!!

Paddle ON!

Mike

Kayaking the Little Red River, White County, Arkansas

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Team kayaking on Dardenne Creek/Mississippi River, St. Charles County, Missouri December 31st 2011

What an amazing last day of the year in the St. Louis area!  I am usually a solo paddler, however, on this trip we had a nice team of friends.  We put in at an old boat launch next to the new bridge by Kampville, MO.  Evidentally, the launch point used to be a really rowdy biker bar  that burned down (in other words, I do not know if it is really a public access point proper).  We paddled a mile or so up the creek.  There was a log jam that we just could not get around, or else we would have gone farther. 

We then proceeded to turn around and head back and kayak the Mississippi River.  The day was so incredible weather wise.  We get some pretty incredible days in Missouri sometimes in the winter time.  The Mississippi part was gentle...we had a little chop due to wind, but nothing major.

Ray and myself are thinking of doing this paddle again in spring/summer, and kayaking around Dardenne Island (refer to map below) and camping on the island for a day or two this upcoming year.  I think it would be great to set out from the launch point, kayak around the island, and set camp.  This seems like it would be a great, close, incredible adventure.  I have something for the Mississippi River...must be all the Mark Twain books I read as a kid!

Paddle ON!

Mike

Trip Miles: 5.7 miles

Kayaking Mississippi River/Dardenne Creek on the last day of 2011

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Little Dixie Lake, Callaway County, Missouri, December 27th, 2011: Windy winter paddle on a stumpy lake

snow= time to kayak!

We woke up on December 27th with about 2 inches of wet snow on the ground.  I decided that snow would not stop us from another winter paddle.  I was really dying to get out and try out my new Kokatat dry suit, so I was determined to get out.  Little Dixie Lake is located in the Little Dixie Wildlife area just before you get to Columbia, MO. off I-70.  I have fished this lake in the past, and it is a good lake to do so.  Incredible catfish lake, as well as a nice largemouth lake.  The lake is chock-full of stumps.  As you paddle to the back of the lake, it gets more shallow and has a lot of timber.  I am not the biggest fan of stumps since my experience with the sea kayak on Lake Conway in Arkansas (I got caught in a stump field and centered up on several stumps, almost tipping).  Especially in cold weather with cold water (dry suit or not)

View while eating lunch...amazing!

Took a quick lunch break and packed some soup.  Quick cooking tip:  if you have some instant rice cups, put them into boiling soup, seal up, and by the time you get ready to eat it, the rice is cooked into the soup- yum!  As I was taking in the scenery, I got a chance to watch a family of bluebirds as well as a red-headed woodpecker in action.  As cool as it was, the day was beautiful. 

The winds really started to kick in, and that provided the biggest challenge on this paddle.  I originally was going to go to Mark Twain Lake, but the winds were even more intense up that way.   I left the house when there was still snow on the ground and the winds were in my guess about 7 mph....by the time I got through the paddle I would say they were about 18 mph.  This difference really effects the lay of the lake.  Towards the end of the paddle, the lake really started to swell up, but not enough to white cap.  I decided to take it in and call it a day....this trip was a short one.

my new Kokatat dry suit

This is a great lake to kayak fish. I look forward to coming back with my SOT fishing kayak and doing some fishing here in the spring

Paddle ON!

Mike

Winter kayaking on windy Little Dixie Lake, MO.

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