Pacemaker Fishing Forum

The section we floated was an Arkansas trophy small mouth section of the Kings river. We spent five days floating the river. Camped on gravel bars every night except one where we stayed at a camp ground where my car was so we could restock beer & fresh food. We ate good every night.

Didn't catch any trophies - I think. Did catch a few 15.5" smallies, and for as small as that stretch was that could have been a trophy? Also caught an Arkansas bass - which is basically a google eye or red eye on steroids. It was about 10' long - pig for a panfish. We had to fish hard for the fish because the river was unforgiving if you messed up navigating her. Everything on minnow style bait - we used mostly soft plastic minnow patterns - grubs, small swim baits, stixbaits, flukes. No topwater - needed some lead to get down but not much.

But the paddling was phenomenal. We had a thunderstorm the night before we started our float that put the river at flood levels and the outfitter was reluctant to put us on with a loaded canoe, warned us, told us to camp at the first gravel bar we came to, asked about our experience, then let us go our way. He gave us a 17' Wenonah and put us on the river, but called the office and told them to cancel anyone else who they were shuttling. We did about a third of the trip in the first day in four hours, then the river dropped and caught good numbers of fish the rest of the trip. Got skunked the first day, but that was expected. I never wear my life vest and I did on most of this trip. Very pushy river.

Saw two wasted hippie chicks paddling 1/2 (or maybe all?) naked but they new their stuff in the canoe. Kinda shows you the caliper of people who float rivers in Arkansas. It was very hillbilly with an eclectic mix of bikers, hippies, and baptists. We were in the bible belt in Eureka Springs, AR - Baptist churches not only on every corner, but also in middle of the block.

Had a blast, the drive was long. 2,500 miles round trip.

I'll post some pix when I download them