PDA

View Full Version : Info on Floating from Betty's Island to Gordonsville.


Alphahawk
08-12-2012, 08:01 PM
Anyone ever make that float and have any info. Time to float...during low water is there much dragging of kayak....how does that stretch of river fish. Thanks in advance.



Regards

Travis C.
08-12-2012, 08:26 PM
It's only about a mile further than from the Dam to Happy which usually can be made a half day (not much getting out or too much time at a spot) or typically a day float covering holes a little better.

So I'd say they would be about the same. If I remember right there is more deep water in that section you are talking about so you may only have a drag issue at Betty's Island if that (not Betty's access the actual island downstream of that).

I will have to pm the fishing part.

tkwalker
08-13-2012, 01:06 AM
I had a cabin in Lancaster for 20 years and my guide operations was out of this location ... Sold the Cabin last year ... :o

I ran the Caney twice ... It is 28 miles from the Dam to the Cumberland being the take out point at the Carthage ramp ... (this was before the North Carthage Ramp was built) ...

Now I have done a lot of Guiding from both ends but it is not feasable to try to make the total run in a day with any type of boat and fish ... To clarify depending on Gen sch .. I use to run my Guide boat (23 foot Bay boat /225 merc) on the upper and lower end during certain gen sch's ... But to make the complete run with what you have (yak) will work great ... But plan on spending the night if you are going to fish ...

Fact: it is 5 miles from the Dam to happy ... It is 8 miles from the Dam to Betty's Island ... We started from Bettys both times ... 16 foot flat bottom with a 25 HP Merc ... (20 mile trip)

First off things are great as well as fishing ... the second I-40 crossing you will come to (there are 5) is right below the rest stop On I-40 ... Then you reach the Seebow Wishee area and the Congo bottom ... The Smith fork enters at this point ... You will have I-40 crossings but after the the 5th and last one there is a lime stone rock shelf that you will have to drag drop about 2 feet ... Now there are others but this one is the worce for 16 foot flat bottom ... you should not have any problems with a yak .... (note this is from my old feeble memory of about 20 years ago) Gen has changed probably for the worce...

What hampers things is if it is a one day trip you really don't have time to fish ... But since you are taking out in North Carthage above the pump station your trip will be cut by almost 10 miles ... So you are really only dealing with a 10 mile trip from Betty's ...


If I had the opps .. I would make a two day trip of it and go the whole trip to the Cumberland ...

Randy, Thanks for the memories !!! <'TK>< :)

MNfisher
08-13-2012, 05:08 AM
Anyone ever make that float and have any info. Time to float...during low water is there much dragging of kayak....how does that stretch of river fish. Thanks in advance.



Regards

I floated from Bettys to South Carthage ramp once. We started around 5 and were done about 3 I believe. That was all on no gen last summer. I don't believe there was much dragging at all! Good Luck!

Alphahawk
08-13-2012, 10:45 PM
Thanks for the info guys......will post about my trip. Got caught in the storms.


Regards