Helms landing fishing from a jon boat

[Rob1678]

Hey guys, I have searched numerous Cumberland River trout posts. I am wanting to put a 16’ long 6’ wise trailered John boat with a 50 lb trolling motor and a 5 hp gas motor. I see the average flow for the next day is 10,000 with flow starting “2 or more” generators. Is this good flow or too little/much. There is no flow from midnight to 8am. Then the open 1 gate from 8-10. Is this enough water to launch in? Is it difficult to troll or gas power back up stream. The boat will run about 4 mph in a lake with 2 people. Taking my daughter for a day trip. Was going to use spinners or live bait. Your feedback is very much appreciated.

[luvtohunt]

I won't launch without 2 generators going. When and if they switch to one you can watch the water levels go down over time. My boat is a bit bigger so not sure about how hard/easy it would be for you to motor back up. I would guess it will be a difficult task because with a couple generators going it is moving pretty good. Plenty of fishing to be had from the bank there at the ramp or in fish hatchery creek if you need a back up plan.

[stripernut1]

you will struggle to push a 16ft boat back upstream with a 5hp motor with 2+ gens running. my river boat is a 1648 grizzly with a 25hp and it will run back up just fine but I won't win any races.
there is a 60% chance of t-storms here tomorrow and I wouldn'twant to rely on that 5hp getting me back to the ramp before the storm hits

[peter]

you will struggle to push a 16ft boat back upstream with a 5hp motor with 2+ gens running. my river boat is a 1648 grizzly with a 25hp and it will run back up just fine but I won't win any races.
there is a 60% chance of t-storms here tomorrow and I wouldn'twant to rely on that 5hp getting me back to the ramp before the storm hits

Yeah. I wouldn't go in the river with a 5 or 10 hp. As mentioned 25 is enough. A 15 may be borderline at best on a slow day.

[Richmann]

I was down there over the weekend.....that average daily flow is misleading. It’s 20 CFS from midnight till 10 am and then they crank on as many as 4 generators, at which point the flow jumps to 17,000 CFS. We were floating downstream at 4 mph according to our gps. It would be difficult at best with the current release schedule. I have a 14 footer with a 15 Honda and with two people it only runs 12 mph back up against the current.

[Rob1678]

Thank you guys for great Advice. I do want to take my daughter on an adventure but it should be a positive adventure, I know she’s had plenty of not so positive adventures before with me regarding the boat LOL. If you had a bass boat, is that unheard of to put it in the river or does it need to be more of a river flat bottom style boat

[luvtohunt]

I launch my boat as long as two generators are running and it is an 18 foot tournament tracker with a 115. Not one of the narrow type boats but the 7 foot wide v bottom boat. When it drops to one I start heading toward the ramp with my boat though.