Current or Jack's?

We are going paddling this weekend for the first time in a long time. I was WAY to pregnant last year, but now the boy is big enough to stay with granny. It will be an over night trip, with 3 canoes. All of us are experienced canoer, campers. We are leaning towards the current, because of water levels. We don’t want to drag bottom. Has anyone been on these 2 rivers recently. If the Jacks Fork is floatable, I would much rather float it. I’m just worried about water levels.Fishing is much better on the Jack’s, not to mention the hoards of drunken boaters on the Current, which I loathe. Thanks

Pnetter gathering
There’s a p.net gathering happening right now on the Current River - see Getting Together forum; Ozark Rendezvous. They are at the Pulltite campground and they started to arrive yesterday. Stop in and talk to them and they will have first hand information on both rivers. They are a great group to paddle with.

If you don’t want to
join the P.netters and want to avoid crowds but still have decent fishing, I would suggest the Eleven Point. Good water levels below greer Spring and good fishing plus more of solitude.

On the Current last week
We floated the Currrent from Akers Ferry to Pulltite a week ago Friday … had a wonderful time. We used Current River Canoe Rentals for our shuttle service (2 yaks). I think the p.netters gathering at Pulltite are also considering a side trip to the Jacks Fork. Here’s a link to the river levels at various points for both rivers:

http://www.missouriscenicrivers.com/riverlevels.html



Hope you have a great paddle, both of those rivers are SO beautiful!

Avoiding crowds
I went on the P.Net gathering down there last year and this same time, and there were no crowds on the current river. It was very nearly empty. Whether I make it down there this time depends on my work situation…

Current & Jacks Fork
Not too busy on either of those rivers now.

By the end of May that will change “dramatically”. Take advantage of those 2 beautiful rivers before the mob scenes start to occur…



BOB

Thanks to all
who responded. I’m so excited about next weekend, I can hardly stand it. Thank you especially for the link to river levels. Though I had been on the site for river levels, I really didn’t know how to interpret the data.

We have floated the Eleven Point once, and while it is a beautiful river, my husband received a ticket there years ago, and swore never to float it again. We didn’t realize we had reach the trout protection area, (our first time down the river.) The conservasion agent pulled us over, and not only searched our boats, but confiscated a lot of our tackle, and gave my husband a $100 dollar fine, for fishing with a hard lure. Instead of dealing with the drunks and druggies, he got us, while we had a bagful of other peoples trash we had picked up along the way. Left a sour taste in our mouthes. Had he explained the situation, we would have been more than glad to use different lures for the rest of our trip. I realize that ingorance doesn’t beget tolerance, but still…

If we decide on the Current, I will definatly look forward to meeting some of the Pnetters. I don’t mind a bit of a crowd, just the sometimes drunken hoards that occupy the Current in the summer.

That said, I definatly prefer the Jack’s, now that I know I can float it without dragging bottom. I remember the first time I floated it, seeing my first otter in the wild, rustling through the bushes, then, for a moment, swimming along side our boat. And the absolutly huge gar, in schools, staring at the water, watching them swim by. I swear our lines would barely hit the water before we had a bite. It is where my husband taught me to take my OWN fish off the line; and I was so pleased to be able to conquer that task!

Last year we planned a trip when I was 7 months pregnant, and were unable to go, do to bathroom needs, I was so disappointed. This year, it has been so long, I am so ready! For the peace at dawn while you build the fire to cook breakfast, lunch on the go, sandwiches and pineapple, dinner of baked potatoes cooked in the sand.

Thanks again, to all the responses.

I floated the Jack’s Fork River…
two weeks ago on April 7th and 8th. We went from Buck Hollow to Alley Spring, it was a beautiful trip, and we were able to float the entire way. However, the river flow is currently about 100+ cfs lower than it was then, and I would expect that certain sections could be a little scrappy (especially the section above Alley Spring). Enjoy Paddling the Ozarks!