Flint River help

[vowell462]

Hello all,

I have an interest in catching mainly shoal bass. I kayak the Flint and rural parts of the hooch in search of these guys in particular. To me, they are a unique fish and when i do get the time to get out, they are what im after.

My son is getting older now and starting to be with me everywhere i go. Hes only 10, so im not really wanting him in a kayak on the Flint just yet for safety reasons. Safety is big with me, and i wouldnt dare take a chance getting him hurt.

I have a 1436 Lowe jon with a 9.9. Im looking for areas to launch and explore in it with him in search for shoalies. I have only floated the areas from Goat Mountain to Froc near Thomaston Ga. I dont know where its really safe to run a small outboard.

Im not asking for spots in particular, just launch points that are safe for a jon boat where im not jumping rocks lol. Ill do the exploring, i just dont want to do it propless and a hole in the boat. I live near Columbus so its not a short ride for us to anywhere on the Flint, so kinda wanted to get some ideas of where to start. Im open to really anywhere along the Flint that may hold some shoalies.

Appreciate any help guys!

 

[basshappy]

@vowell462 if y'all wanna fish the Hootch up closer to West Point with my boy, also age 10, and I shoot me a message. We yak fish and bank fish. You can judge for yourself the water with knowledge of your boy's yak skills but we got areas I think are safe for young paddlers. Sometimes the yak is just used to get us to terra firma to fish from as well.

 

[vowell462]

@vowell462 if y'all wanna fish the Hootch up closer to West Point with my boy, also age 10, and I shoot me a message. We yak fish and bank fish. You can judge for yourself the water with knowledge of your boy's yak skills but we got areas I think are safe for young paddlers. Sometimes the yak is just used to get us to terra firma to fish from as well.

View attachment 1205951

Great pic! Looks like Langdale or Crow Hop. I paddle up there some. Thats gives me a little more confidence on the yak. Thanks!

 

[Bananaslug22]

I appreciate anybodys concern for safety. However, We’ve taken our kids on the Flint at 3 yrs old and didn’t think twice about it. Running Sprewell Bluff to the 36 bridge. Light rapids under normal water conditions. Even high water conditions on that run allows you to just float over rocks and actually makes it boring.

 

[GA BASS ODYSSEY]

Hwy 128 bridge and ramp east of Roberta GA. Go north up the river to find the shosls and rocky banks. Take my 1436 with an 8hp Yamaha up it all the time. Big Alabama bass in this section too.

 

[ebryant]

Put in at Montezuma bridge. Go north. good fishing. go on normal water levels.

 

[fireman32]

There’s access below the power dam at Lake Blackshear. It’s fairly rocky between there and Hwy 32 though. You can float it in a kayak, there are gators on that stretch. I’d call to see how many gates were open before I made the trip too. It’s a pretty stretch of river.

 

[Nicodemus]

There’s access below the power dam at Lake Blackshear. It’s fairly rocky between there and Hwy 32 though. You can float it in a kayak, there are gators on that stretch. I’d call to see how many gates were open before I made the trip too. It’s a pretty stretch of river.

The treasure of Southwest Georgia. God`s Country.

 

[WranglerSS]

I'm interested in taking my tin boat on the Flint myself. Is the river deep enough by River Ridge campground and Sprewell Bluff area?

 

[Bananaslug22]

I'm interested in taking my tin boat on the Flint myself. Is the river deep enough by River Ridge campground and Sprewell Bluff area?

I wouldn’t suggest that option personally.

You can go there and Wade at the bluff or take side trails down to the river on the way to the bluff and Wade along those trails to get a taste of that area.
Boat ramp at 18 bridge and ramp down at Po Biddy road. Water deeper at those spots but will still have current so hopefully you have a motor of some kind.
Water lower right now so current not as heavy.

 

[Scorpio]

I've fished it from HWY 362 to US19 from a 14' jon boat and 9.9 or 15 hp outboard. If the USGS gauge at Big Branch is less than 6 ft, it can be a tough float.

 

[WranglerSS]

Where is Big Branch? Can you give me a pin drop or coordinates? I plan on putting in at White Oak Creek Sunday morning and going up river to start.

 

[Scorpio]

Flint River Below Big Branch, Near Molena, GA

Monitoring location 02344872 is associated with a Stream in Pike County, Georgia. Current conditions of Discharge, Gage height, and Precipitation are available. Water data back to 2004 are available online.

waterdata.usgs.gov

 

[Studawg170]

The treasure of Southwest Georgia. God`s Country.

I concur....Just spent a weekend fishing for flatheads between the shoals. Really productive even in the middle of the day. Such a beautiful river. We fished from Lake Cheehaw up to almost the 32 bridge.