Did you ever watch "The Hunt for Monster Bass" with pro angler Ott DeFoe? His shallow boat is a 1740 Tracker Jon boat, (He's sponsored by Bass Pro), single console, equipped with a 65 horse Mercury jet outboard. He's had it modified with a hydraulic jack plate on the transom where he can raise it up and still keep the pump working. There was one series where he fished the Upper Mississippi in Minnesota for monster smallmouths, and aerial camera shots, (either from drone or chopper) showed him blasting up the river and you could easily see the bottom as he was mostly in 12" to 18" of water and he wasn't the least bit concerned. (Of course, if he takes out a lower end, I'm reasonably certain he can afford a new drive unit).
Last year, I talked to a guy down at the Freeport launch who has two boats, one of which is a jet. He said he's been up the Kiski river and caught some huge walleyes up past Leechburg. I know there's places that only has about a foot of water on the way up there from the Allegheny.

EMitch
Last year, I talked to a guy down at the Freeport launch who has two boats, one of which is a jet. He said he's been up the Kiski river and caught some huge walleyes up past Leechburg. I know there's places that only has about a foot of water on the way up there from the Allegheny.

I tried going down the Kiski river a few weeks ago, my shallow water alarm started going off right after I went under the bridge.

FishinGuy
I took my old 14"Carolina skiff w a 9.9 Honda up to Emlinton once many years ago. Had to trim the motor up all the way, leave the throttle pinned, and my buddy and I jumped out of the boat to push it up a long shallow stretch. Sketchy AF in hindsight, wouldn't do it again. But the fishing was pretty good, once we could get back in the boat. Would be much less risky to take 2 cars and float the stretch/shuttle back up to the next ramp in a car.

I’ve pretty much made up my mind to try this at some point this summer, although I may end regretting it.

I’d rather float it too but that’s a long drive with two cars. For me anyway.

Maiden voyage of the year for The Big Lake tomrw. 🤞💪 🐟 🙏😆 report to follow

I got to fish Monday and Tuesday up in Dunkirk, Biggest Walleye was 27" Smallest was 17" also got my first jumbo perch trolling. The fish were spread out in 55-65 FOW, worm burners, and short shallow bay rats on the down rigger's were my weapons of choice. 

Fished the Gunnison below blue Mesa reservoir today. Took a little while to figure out how to catch ‘em but ended up getting some nice rainbows just swinging panther martins.

They were so different than the stocked trout in western PA. Way prettier. More vibrant color. If trout fishing in PA was like this I might have to reconsider my devotion to smallmouth. I didn’t keep any but I’m sure they would have been fantastic for the table.

We’re camped here another night and I’m hoping to get some fishing in on the reservoir in the morning. I guess Kokanee salmon and lake trout are a big deal on these high elevation reservoirs? I won’t be getting into any of that but I’m hoping to get into some browns or whatever along the shoreline.

Any Amish around? They might take em. They sell nightcrawlers here abouts.

 Think I'll spread the garden however deep 10" -- 12" with a tractor and the rest have a 8' wide 12' long and 3'-4 high pile out of the way in the shade. Would like to have fresh worms for Perch, Eyes and Sunfish whenever needed and not have to worry about storing them to keep healthy. It is gross how many are in that crap. Thought maybe I just hit a lucky spot when shoveling so tried many different spots so not to be grossed out with worms but they were thick everywhere I tried.
 
 The old lady and my son left at 4:30 am this morning to go pick up 3,500 new hard baits. They get back at 11:00 and the truck company with his tackle delivery calls and says they are in Mars and will be at his shop in a half hour. He then has to leave to go to a concert in Pgh. at 3:00. I don't even want to go feed my baitfish outside. To be young again. The old lady is still helping him so I really don't have a excuse for being lazy this week.
 
 Pork,
Are you going to have a chance to fish for Peacock Bass? How are the bikini babes treating you down there?
 

  Justin,
 
 They are my son's piles of crap he got delivered in mid May and hasn't touched them 
 Thank goodness I was up there that day. The farmer down the road was going to deliver 6 loads. I had to argue with him a little and say "well it is not Matt's property" He was telling me "'well look at all the produce you will have". Pretty cool long flatbed that had a large blade that would raise up and move back then lower and slide the crap off then move back another 6'-8' and slide then repeat again and again. Their mother lets them get away with using us. Although my Durango is loaded with lures now from his trip this morning.
 
 Tim made two trips to Staten Island 2 weeks ago to buy out a sporting goods store. One more box trailer in my driveway now. Said he has another delivery truck of tackle on the way next week. Do your guys kids give yinzes headaches? The 2 storage units in the photo are Tim's not mine   You guys have to be tired of me complaining for years now. 
 
 Wouldn't mind going for slabs this fall sometime with you.
 
 
 

Now that my kids are older, in mid to late 50s and oldest soon to be 62, I suppose I cause them more grief than they do me. But back in their younger days things were a little different. Not with the daughter so much, but those boys sure got my hackles up now and again.

Anyone on the upper Allegheny fishin?  Hoping to take some kids monday IF the weather holds up!

crappiefisher
 Pork,
Are you going to have a chance to fish for Peacock Bass? How are the bikini babes treating you down there?

No chance on peacock bass. No fresh water on our resort and too chicken to leave, besides about 100 yard walk along the coast area.

The resort was much more bikini babe friendly than fishing friendly. There was a large group of 18 year old girls from Spain on a graduation trip. 99% of them in thongs/semi thongs from breakfast til dinner time. Well over half of the other ladies wearing the same. So many that it made it a little easier to not be creepy staring…

The resort was not fishing friendly at all. They allowed fishing at a rocky shoreline area that was snag city. Same with the walk that I took off of the property. I ended up fishing three mornings for maybe an hour or two each time. I caught fish every time, but all small. But all fish that I have never caught. Got a few blue striped grunts, a bar Jack and an orange spotted grouper. I had a few nice hits and a surface strike on a popper. Right after that, something about 4’ long shot into the knee deep water that I was wading and crushed a baitfish or something about 20’ from me. Guessing barracuda. I failed in my attempt to catch one, but didn’t really try hard. Didn’t even tie on the $15 cuda lure that I bought. Maybe hit some FL water at some point to use it.

The resort was mostly catered to snorkeling. At least for outdoors. Mostly catered to the dining, drinking, swimming pools and sunbathing crowd. The beaches that were off limits to fishing were completely loaded with fish. There were 7-8 coral reefs that held a ton of Caribbean reef species. I did a ton of snorkeling. Saw some really cool fish. Trunkfish, sea turtles, sting rays, barracuda, snappers, and many other. About half of this list. I was there 18 years ago (different resort), this one was much better for snorkeling. We were going to do a snorkeling excursion to Puerto Morales, which I did 18 years ago. That is “world class” snorkeling there, but not much better than we had access to. That was a 20 mile or so van ride and they require you to wear a life vest, which doesn’t allow you to dive down and get right with the fish or grab conches. So we gave up $250 in excursion credits that we had. Oh well. Kind of kicking myself, since it would have paid for a half day deep sea fishing trip for me. It is only about 2-3 miles off shore that they get into marlin, sailfish, tuna, etc. The marina was two miles away too. My son wasn’t into it, so I didn’t want to leave them all for the day. The wife gave me the green light, but figured that I’d just chalk this up as a vacation without much fishing.

https://www.rivieramayasn...ral-reef-fish-species/

Most of the shore has a sand flat beach sections before the reefs. Not sure if the flat areas were natural or not or if they shipped in and covered some of the rock reefs with sand? Kind of felt manmade to me. Regardless, those were loaded with steelhead sized bonefish and permit (not really big ones). The bonefish would come relatively close when snorkeling the shallows. The permit would eat out of your hands…. It was big down there to feed the turtles bananas. Which I guess had 1/4 of the fish hungry for bananas. To lure the turtles in you break off small pieces of banana. Which usually brought the ballyhoo in first. Than the permit and Bermuda chubs. Once you had a feeding frenzy it would draw in the turtles and barracuda. It was pretty cool seeing all of those fish and would allow you to swim right with them. Hard to touch them, usually would dart away.

The snorkeling was great. My son really enjoyed that part, not much of an angler, so was great to enjoy that outdoor activity with him. The food was really good, but I am not the type to go out to eat for every meal. That got old to me rather quickly. Not tipsy, but starting to drink at lunch just about every day, I need a good detox week or two. Every one of my family got the Mexican runs at some point too. My daughter was out of it for 2 days. It was complete torture on the way home since everyone had some sort of left over stomach issues and ended up being 11 hours from our room to our driveway. Pretty much the same as NC/SC drive. I’d rather be driving than sitting in and uncomfortable plane seat and sore neck from trying to sleep, wake up 10 minutes later and repeat for 3.5 hours. The room was really nice, but no privacy from the kids, which gets old on weekend trips. We did the premier level, ocean front room with jacuzzi (that was used to dry bathing suits). It would have been perfect for a couple, but not for a family. The kids also need that down time on vacation, so having basically a hotel room for that kind of stinks. Add in the stomach issues and overall doubt that I would do it again. I am much more of a vacation house type person. Condos are doable as well, but much more prefer the ocean front house with pool type thing. Fish whenever I want. Go out to dinner a few times. But we have an extended family that we go with and I have to concede to them at times. Hopefully next year, back to a more fishing friendly place. That I will likely catch the same amount of small fish….

Nice consolation prizes! 
 
Sounds like a good trip regardless.  I'm sure if you put in the time in CO that you have put in locally, you would be crushing them there.  Those minor details and adjustments from knowing a water are hard to figure out in a limited time.  Unless you get lucky and they are just on fire where you are going, it is hard to really have a banner day in a few days trying.  But is fun trying to figure out those puzzles in that short of time.  Gives you something to daydream about at work if nothing else!