Photo by Mike GilesKayaking the Chunky River makes for a great fall outing with plenty of wildlife, a few historic landmarks and lots of fun.

Carefully navigating the steep, slippery bank I maneuvered to the safety of the solid rock shoal and cast a spinnerbait slightly upstream in the murky river water.

Wham! A bass smashed my lure and almost tore the road from my hands. I held on for dear life and fought the lunker bass with all my might. A few minutes later I landed my first Chunky River bass. But something was very strange about this diminutive bass. He fought wildly, much like a 4-pounder, but he was only average sized, but the strangest thing was that he had RED EYES! I’d never seen nor heard of such as that.

Rounding the bend, I nailed yet another Kentucky Redeye spotted bass and started hollering for my buddies. I was sure that this was a monster bass. But this one was almost a twin of the first redeye bass and taught me a lesson in their ferocity.

Those two Kentucky redeyes were caught some 40 plus years ago while I was on a Boy Scout outing with my Scoutmaster Blanks Jones at Leon Jones camp on the Chunky. Several of my buddies were camping there with us and it was quite a trip.

The memories came flooding back when we rounded the bend and I spotted the bend of the river and the spot where I caught those strange looking bass.

You don’t have to go too far to have a great time kayaking, fishing, or just playing in the water. The Chunky River is close to home and makes for an exciting adventure almost anytime. My bride and I ventured forth to the metropolis of Chunky on Labor Day and enjoyed a daring kayak adventure. Along the way we encountered a few snakes, hawks, cool water and made plenty of good memories with a few reminders from yesteryears!

The folks at Chunky River Canoe and Kayak dropped a couple of kayaks for us and we quickly launched the yaks. We paused a moment for a couple of photos of an old metal bridge that was once state of the art but relegated as a monument from the past now.

The Chunky River is full of legend and lore and many vintage landmarks of bygone days, some of which are obvious, and others passed down from generation to generation.

We’d only gone a short way when a pair of hawks sounded off in the tree tops over the river. Their piercing calls served as a wake-up call to all rodents, birds and small prey, but they were music to our ears, alerting us to their presence in time for us to spot them swooping over the river.

The great thing about floating the Chunky is that you never know what you will encounter around the next bend. You can have a leisurely float and take your time, or you can make a race out of it. As it was we took our time and we made the 7-Mile bend in about 3 hours.

Rounding one bend we saw a group of kayakers navigating the shoals. While passing through the shoals one of our Lauderdale County deputies introduced himself to us, and not in a professional capacity, as he was also enjoying the river with his family. It was comforting to know that we were in good company.

We continued to another shoal’s area, just below Redeye Bend, and stopped to take a dip in the cool, swift water flowing over the rocky shoals. Recent thunderstorms had the river up a bit and it was refreshing to say the least.

We floated the shoals with our life jackets on and enjoyed the leisurely pace while another family watched from a nearby sandbar as they took a lunch break.

The Chunky River is home to all manner of wildlife and is full of big catfish and a few redeye spotted bass too. Stuckey Bridge is an historic place farther down river that is a legendary place with many riveting stories from bygone times.

If you want to shift gears and enjoy a little rest and relaxation this fall then you might want to spend a few hours on the Chunky River, away from the hustle and bustle of civilization. While there are a few good outfitters on the river the folks at the Chunky River Canoe and Kayak took care of us. They can provide everything you need to enjoy a day on the river in a canoe or kayak. Give Dusty Jones a call at 601-527-6462 or on Facebook at Chunky River Kayak and Canoe Rentals LLC.

Call Mike Giles at 601-917-3898 or email mikegiles18@comast.net.