Headed that way in mid October
anybody here had any experience they care to share...anything useful appreciated
Will be wade and canoe fishing
Thanks

Always wanted to go do this. Interested in what you find out. Seems there were several outfitters/camps along the river.

Have been a few times south of St. Joe. Stunningly gorgeous on the river. St. Joe to the north and Marshall to the south are your closest towns. Both roll up the welcome mat early so don't expect to fish until dark, clean up and then drive in for anything substantial (unless things have changed from when I was there last).

Pay attention to the weather and rainfall upriver. If they got a toad-strangler 20-30 miles upstream it could affect your float-wade and possibly not in a good way.

It's a National Wild and Scenic River so there's not a lot (or hardly any) development. Private lands here and there but for the most part it's federally protected land on the shores, like national park land. So if you got downriver and had a broken leg or heart attack or floodwaters pushed you up on the bank somewhere to safety, the local (and very good) rescue teams would likely be your new best friends.

Good folks, reliable, etc. -- https://www.silverhillfloatservice.com/


Fishing ... smaller is better. Smaller grubs on jigheads, smaller spinnerbaits and crankbaits, smaller topwaters like a Pop-R or Baby Chug Bug. I've tried larger, thinking "bigger bait, bigger fish" and that chit didn't work. You'll catch a bunch of smaller fish, granted, but also some better fun ones, too.

My largest smallie was pushing 20 inches and it hit a Pop-R at just-before-dark while we were waiting on my pal in his truck to get us at Grinders Ferry. Low light, high bluff wall, eddy water and perfect feeding time. Bright sunlight during the day and that fish probably wouldn't have hit. Unless maybe you were hucking a Tex-rig lizard or finesse worm or grub in there.

Downsize, though, and have fun with the ultralight and smaller baits. Maybe some 4-inch lizards on Texas rig, too. LOT of gravel and sand. That said, if you're driving and can take the bigger stuff, do so in case you find out there that my advice is a load of bear scat.

I spent over a week on the BUFFALO back during my Boy Scout days. If I caught one I caught over a thousand sunfish. Till this day they were the freshest, sweetest pan fried fried shore meal fish I have ever had anywhere. I just threw a beetlespin. Only 1 time did I get crushed by a stud smallmouth. The Buffalo is deserving of it's national river designation.