Lower Sac Float

[John H]

We did a float last week from Redding to Red Bluff. About 50 river miles and three days of floating. We camped one night on an island and one night on a sandy bend. Pretty nice weekend trip if you are into that kind of thing. We caught pike minnows, a couple of suckers, a bunch of trout, lost a nice steelhead and landed a nice steelhead. We worked the dries and the swing but the bread and butter on the Lower Sac is the indicator especially when you float 50 miles. The river got pretty flat at the bottom - I think we rowed 6 of the last 8 miles. The steelhead we landed came on the last day at about 4:30. The towel was about thrown in on the fishing so we felt like we really ran into some luck. Although you are fishing for trout, as you get further down river the thought of a steelhead grab is always on your mind. A couple of pictures below.


A nice trout near Cottonwood Creek
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa22/jhodgson55/Lower%20Sac/CCTrout2.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/jhodgson55/media/Lower%20Sac/CCTrout2.jpg.html)


A nice hatchery steelhead about 4 miles above Red Bluff
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa22/jhodgson55/Lower%20Sac/RBSH4.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/jhodgson55/media/Lower%20Sac/RBSH4.jpg.html)

[SeanO]

Awesome trip & cool fish pics.

I am interested in doing the same but from Battle cr. to Verona sometime in my boat, maybe next year?

Did you guys have a kicker on board? makes getting through the frogwater sections a little bit easier.

Congrats,

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

That is really cool trip.

Where did you put in?

Where did you take out?

Pontoon boats?

I think October is the best month to do that trip.

Great post......

[John H]

We put in at Bonneyview and took out right in the middle of Red Bluff. Posse to Bend would be a better 3 day float but you would need to start early the first day. We used a drift boat with the seat and leg rest taken out of the back and no motor. Drift boats move pretty well under oar power but a motor would make life easier. There is a 6 hp Nissan on this site I have given consideration to buying. There are a few rivers where a motor would be nice to have. The Feather being one for sure - that river is brutal for rowing plus there is not a shuttle.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks John

One spring Jeff Putnam and some friends did a 3 day float & camp trip down the lower Feather River a few years back.

They had 2 or 3 drift boats.

I think those grips sound like fun.

The Klamath River would be another possible destination.

.