Looking for Long Distance Pontoon Trip recommendations

[BH Spey]

My son is due to graduate from college in the spring and I was looking to plan a long distance pontooning trip/expedition as a graduation present for him that he and I would do together next summer. I'm looking for any recommendations on where we could go to do a four day fishing / three night (give or take a day) camping float. We have fairly limited pontooning experience with only about a dozen days floating the Bighorn, the longest trip being a 21 mile day in June when the flow was at 10,000 CFS, so I would like to try to keep it to class II rapids at the most. With our limited experience though we have had to deal with both a punctured tube and a broken oar lock all on a 13 mile float on the first day of our trip this past June.

I was thinking we could average 20 - 35 miles per day depending on the current and fishing, and was hoping someone here would have some recommendations on where we could do something like this. I see the camping part I see as the most problematic with the varying trespass laws, then there is the logistics of how to get back to the car or get the car spotted to our destinations.

Any suggestions you could offer in terms of where to go or websites to check for information would be greatly appreciated..

Thanks in advance for your help!

Mark

[MontanaMoose]

Hello BH Spey, would it be too far to travel for you were you to come to Oregon? There's a few rivers that could meet your criteria and i have ideas about spotting a vehicle and/or picking you up at float's end.

Let me know if Oregon is too far.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[Jack Hise]

Mark;
Take a look at the Manistee River over in Michigan. A great deal of it runs through State and Federal land offering a lot of overnight options. Also look at the Pere Marquette River out of Baldwin, MI, there are a couple of fly shops that would probably spot your vehicle. I worked with a couple of brothers that did some week long canoe/camping trips up in the Boundry Water right in your back yard.

[BH Spey]

MM, thanks for the response and suggestions but Oregon is a bit too far. I can make it to the bighorn in about 10-11 hours; it looks like Oregon would take about 30 which translates into 4 days of driving leaving only 3 days to fish.

Jack thanks for the suggestions. Michigan has a lot of great fishing and my son and I have made many trips to the PM, we have also done the Boundary waters. At this point I was hoping for a new adventure in the Rockies somewhere. Ideally I'd like to drift and fish an 80 to 120 mile stretch of river over a four-five day period fishing from the pontoons as we drift, stopping to wade fish along the way and camping stream side in the evenings.

[MontanaMoose]

Sure BH Spey and i can relate to the 4 day drive and that's why i haven't visitied my uncle on the MI UP lately. Maybe i'll buy a Volt, at least i could get 93 mph !
I wish i knew more about the east slope Rockies and the rivers that would be suited for a 5 day float....somebody here must though.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[bugman]

I left you a pm Mark....

[Stede]

Spey, a float trip of the duration you describe would be impossible to achieve on the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies... four days will take from put-in to the Kansas border! The first day would be trout; the rest of the trip carp along the flat expanses of the 'Great American Desert'...
...some BIG carp, perhaps- but probably not the trip you're looking for.
Good luck with what sounds the trip of a lifetime. Best, Steve in Colorado

[BH Spey]

.... Maybe i'll buy a Volt, at least i could get 93 mph !

MontanaMoose

LOL ... making the trip in a new Volt at 93 mph sure would shave some time off the trip! Cut it dwon to about 20 hours or so Minneapolis to Oregon. Now if I could do that without getting a ticket AND average 93 MPG I'd be all over a trip to the west coast!

Tight Lines!

Mark

[BH Spey]

Thanks for the input Stede, its not looking good at this point.

Mark

[MontanaMoose]

Well at least i gave you a laugh....notice the g is next to the h on the keyboard but hey, 93 mph, 93 mpg....it's all the same ain't it? Wow, just wait till someone comes up with a car that will do both and without getting tickets !

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

LOL ... making the trip in a new Volt at 93 mph sure would shave some time off the trip! Cut it dwon to about 20 hours or so Minneapolis to Oregon. Now if I could do that without getting a ticket AND average 93 MPG I'd be all over a trip to the west coast!

Tight Lines!

Mark