Kayaking on the Fox

[njk361]

Just purchased a kayak (Perception Pescador Pro 10.0, if it matters...) that will hopefully be delivered within the next week or so. For those of you that kayak on the Fox, do you guys do one way trips or float one way and paddle upstream the other? If you do paddle upstream, what is the river flow rate you're comfortable doing so in? Thanks in advance.

[Aux Pleins]

I'm a 1 way float guy on the Illinois fox. If you launch above one of the big dams flow isnt that bad for paddling upstream. But the further you get from the dam the stronger the current becomes. That and fishing stinks right above a dam.

[billebob5]

I always paddled or waded my way back up stream. If in thick current just get out and walk that baby upstream. I had the same yak as you, just the 12. If I recall correctly I was most comfortable with anything below 1800 CFS but again it depends on the spot. wide river at 1800 no problem. skinny neck river or current between islands, usually that's where I'd get out and walk.

[polishfly]

Fox can be a hell of an upstream paddle, especially in a SOT yak. Doable, but you will be tired and you will float back past where you started faster than you think. I have done it maybe 2 times though and in only one stretch of the river where it gets pretty skinny

[njk361]

Kind of what I figured. Thanks for the replies

[Rambler]

Check out Ayers Landing in Wedron. They'll ferry you & your boat upstream for either 6 or 4 hr float. Prettiest stretch of the Fox.

[njk361]

Sounds good thanks

[Aux Pleins]

Check out Ayers Landing in Wedron. They'll ferry you & your boat upstream for either 6 or 4 hr float. Prettiest stretch of the Fox.

Ferry? So they use a boat to tow your boat upstream?

Or is it just a shuttle service?

[Rambler]

Ferry? So they use a boat to tow your boat upstream?

Or is it just a shuttle service?

Picky, picky, picky. Perhaps I should have said that they offer a service by which they will transport you and your craft on a 1987 Type B Blue Bird school bus with a GMC diesel engine to an appropriate point on the river from which you can float back to their location. Your options include either 4 hour or 6 hour floats - 8 hours if you really like to drag your ass.

BTW - potential targets include smallies, catfish & muskies.

I apologize profusely for my lack of specificity.

[Aux Pleins]

Do you remember the shuttle fee?

[Rambler]

Do you remember the shuttle fee?

Used to be $25. But these days who knows?

[Skifish1]

If you paddle a lot and are in paddle shape you can paddle up the fox in high fast water. You just need to be experienced with when to tuck into shore areas for short areas to recover a bit then back into fast current and start digging again. Most of these fat SOT yaks are poor paddlers unfortunately and fast current will expose an inefficient hull design. What a huge difference it makes depending on your yak hull design.