I am taking the canoe out this weekend from hwy 16 to hwy 4 below PK this weekend. I have never fished this stretch before, except for trout near the 16 bridge. I would love to catch a small mouth or striper but would be happy just getting into any kind of fish. What kind of lures or techniques would you suggest because I won't have room for the whole tackle bag.

Take light equipment, the water can be very clear, Small plastics, inline spinners, small gold spoons. It's usually an overnight trip, about 20 miles, but you can do it in one day if you don't fish a lot. The bends in the river are best. There's a good overnight spot across the river from the Boy Scout camp.

Thanks Twotoes - I will be taking the tent and staying overnight for sure - I want to fish as much as possible. Anybody else have any suggestions?

Hey Jake,
How did your trip, go?

Gray

It was alot of fun - didn't catch a smallmouth but did catch a couple of largemouth, one was probably close to 3 pounds the other close to 2. Didn't fish as much as I would have liked didn't have a map and couldn't tell how far we had come - so did more paddling than fishing. Very nice scenery - I will be doing it again for sure!

i dont know if they have smallmouth below PK
they do at Whitney though
that is a nice trip

Jake, sounds like you had a good time. Good to hear. I recently found the following website. <www.MyTopo.Com>. You can sign up and create your own maps online. Then you can order them. And they will print and mail you a personalized copy. Looks like they are based on the latest USGS maps available. An by personalized, they will set up the map based on your preferences, as far as presentation. They can print on waterproof, tear-resistant paper. They can fold the map or ship it rolled in a tube. They can even print a personalized title on the map. Like Jake's Brazos Trip. Hopefully, I will do that float sometime during the month of April. And I will be sure to post my results.

Regards,

Gray

Yeah the trip down the river below Whitney is a blast and there are alot of smallies!

The float from Whitney dam to Dick's Canoes is a great day trip, you really don't need overnight gear, which is nice. The places where the rock ledges overhang the river are beautiful spots.

Hey Guys,

I just sent in my deposit to Rochelles. A buddy and I will be doing the Hwy 16 to Hwy 4 trip in early May. Can't wait! We are stretching the trip out a bit. We're putting in early Friday and getting out on Sunday. The plan is to fish, fish, fish. Neither one of us has been on a canoe before so that should be interesting.

Based off TwoToes post I figure we can camp out near Chick Bend on Saturday night. (across from the boy scout camp ?)

Any suggestions for Friday night? Maybe Fortune Bend?

Any other suggestions regarding fishing equipment? Other then "Small plastics, inline spinners, small gold spoons".

Two nights may be a bit of an overkill for 18 miles but we'll take it slow. I'll be sure to take some pics.

If you want some fun while camping overnight make some doughbait out of Wheaties and red soda and do some bank fishing. There are many carp and buffalo and they are a blast to catch. Tie your rod down or be prepared to lose it.
Use a cut piece of carp or buffalo and catch some gar. Same drill, tie your gear to something.

Jeff

If you really want to fish all of the nice holes you see thoughly you will be glad to have the extra time. If the river is not way up you will spend alot of time paddleing. There are plenty of places to camp all along the river. I always have good luck in rivers with small roadrunners - thats what I used on this trip.

Have fun its a nice trip!

Roostertails work great for catching rainbows, at the bridge. And the seemed to work very well for my lady, as we moved down river. Strongly suggest you get in the river as early as possible, on Friday. Lady and I did it over 2 nights and 2.5 days. It is a s___load of paddling. I am a very good paddler, and it was a hell of a lot of work for my. There are many wide open streches of river on this section. If you have to paddle into a head-wind, it can be a real momma bear, to keep moving forward. My suggestion is to break camp early each morning. Otherwise, you will spend more time paddling, than fishing. This is why I want to do the float over 3 nights and 4 days, next time. That way, I will only have to paddle an average of 5 miles per day. Also, storms can come up quickly and this stretch of the Brazos is completely private on both sides, with zero bridges between put in and take out. Tent stakes do NOT hold well in the loose gravel found around most good gravel-bar campsites, on the river. So, take plenty of utility chord. This can be used to lash the corners of your tent to the bases of bushes, when the wind starts to blow. And this will help to prevent having your tent blown over. And yes. On all of the above suggestions, I speak from experience. Also be sure to bring a cell phone, that has been fully charged. Coverage is very spotty on this stretch of the river. But you never know when you might need help, or a weather update, from someone with Internet access. Again, I speak from experience. Now I just have to find a charger attachment for my cell phone. We have a winding radio, flashlight, radio, cell phone charger. But none of the attachments fit our phone.

All that said, it is a beautiful stretch of river. Enjoy. And please let us know how your trip goes.

Regards,

Gray

I have taken this trip several times over the past couple of years. And yes it is a lot of work if the river is low. We actually bring our kids. Our group usually consists of about six canoes. My son and I use roadrunners mostly. This allows us to catch a few small stripers and largemouth bass. Earthworms will catch carp and catfish. We also take chicken liver for catfish.

We usually do about 13 to 14 miles the first day fishing a little here and there and just float and fish the second day until we get to Rochelle's.

All in all it is a great trip for the family.

I appreciate all the advice.

We're definitely going to try the wheaties and red soda idea while we're camping at night. I'll also stock up on roostertails and roadrunners along with the other suggestions.

I also appreciate grays advice. I think I may have under estimated the paddling effort, especially if the water is low plus the fact that this is our first time on a canoe. I definitely don't want to get stuck paddling fast and furious for hours on Sunday. Your other suggestions are great too.

I will defintely send an update on how the trip goes. Only about a month away!