SilverMallard

Well, I'd say it is "sporting" to try and avoid the going to prison part...fair chase and all that jazz. Despicable acts. And USFWS is actually getting better at investigating these and catching the hairbags who do it.

Hey! Didn't you read where I asked for permission to borrow that disclaimer and he said he thought we ALL should use it? Now, if he were of the historical-literary stature of Thomas Jefferson I MIGHT cite him in a signature tag. But let's face it, nobody really knows who jscheetz is except on this board. And we all already know he wrote it.

In my experience, being able to cast well and fish at longer distances becomes more important when fishing in certain conditions and for certain species. The saltwater thing was mentioned earlier. That's one example. BUT...there is a good trout example that comes to mind as well. I got to fish some high mountain beaver ponds in CO last Fall. They were full of wild native Brookies. The water was shallow, calm, and crystal clear. If you got within about 10' of the edge of these ponds, you could see the trout scattering, bunching up, and heading for "cover." Being able to cast 50-70' effectively enough to put a size 16 Para Adams gently in front of the nose of a feeding Brookie was a premium skill in that situation!

I have a friend who is freaking obsessed with his Big Green Egg!

Dude! Can I use that, please?

Hank Hill is gonna have to kick your butt. LOL

Randall, relax dude. This forum gets a little randy every now and then on contentious issues, but it is collegial. And you will eventually realize that a huge % of my posts are laced with sarcasm. I was just messing with you...sort of pointing out the flip-side. I do that a lot. What we all have to do is remember when we READ stuff that we might need to not get offended so easily because posts are rarely meant to offend. And they are very rarely a full disclosure of any poster's total thoughts on a given subject.

Oh, scheetz! That was funny.

You made a good point that many of us who have been around the BBS's on the Internet for the past decade or more have made many, many times in that first paragraph. But, regarding your second paragraph, I have a better idea! How about you decided what YOU should post and WE can all decide what WE post? That might prevent some of those dust ups you're worried about, too.

Actually, my reply was a joke. Maybe it isn't me who needs to be less sensitive, huh? I was merely continuing the theme. Yes, it was the last sentence that seemed to put a condescending tone into the mix. The Far Side thing was funny.

Oh, I could think of a few local characters in Branson I'd get a kick out seeing jump in the ring with Tonya Harding!

Orvis Clearwaters have a pretty good reputation, but I've never had any. The White River waders at BPS are OK for the price. Between the two, I'd go with the Orvis Clearwaters. Hodgman WadeLites suck...that's about all I can say about that. But the best sub-$200 breathables I've ever worn are the Cabela's Dry Plus breathables.

Yeah, I doubt hunters and Ozark natives want to spend much time around YOU, either.

Yeah, but on the brighter side, if PETA is getting all hot and bothered about Predator World, maybe they'll send some of those naked supermodels and actresses down to Branson for some demonstrations!

Morrison has been cleared to fight in the US again after passing a huge battery of exams which confirmed he never had HIV and the test which disqualified him was a false positive. Tonya Harding has been making a name for herself in women's mixed martial arts in Japan. It suits her better than figure-skating did. There are a LOT of people who are really into sport fighting and have been for hundreds of years. Boxing is pretty mainstream, and Tommy Morrison is a boxer. But the various MMA circuits are growing as fast as NASCAR and fights are now being sanctioned inside the US.

I've had some success on trout and panfish on Bull Creek. There are a few places with public access, but at Hwy F it's all private and has to be accessed off the highway and waded. Trout get pretty up Bull Creek on high water, but not in big numbers. But catching the plentiful panfish on light tackle can be fun yearround. Felt soles are highly recommended!

In order to sit for the exam, one must document about 300 sea service days (if memory serves) on board the class of vessel he/she will be operating under the supervision of another licensed captain, or proof of ownership of same. Also, Davy, you gotta admit that "Captain Davy" has a seriously "White River Pirate" ring to it! LOL

Yes, Dan. It is the right thing to do in immediate response. My point was not to overlook the big picture. TU and anglers should not HAVE to do this at that location. We are all paying good money to have state employees and/or contractors do it. We should be able to spend our volunteer time cleaning up un-managed stretches of the rivers and lakes OUTSIDE of the parks and small conservation areas. Over the years, I have had several occassions to think about this exact issue down there by the hatchery. It's BS. FYI, I am one of those guys who ALWAYS carries out more than I carry in. I formed this habit when I was about 15 years old under the tutelege of one of the greatest outdoorsmen I have ever met.

Not to suggest that volunteer cleanups are a bad idea AT ALL, but don't we PAY MDC to keep that area clean and in good repair? And wouldn't that be a good thing for the TU chapter to organize and facilitate if MDC is not doing their job and we can't get them to do it? And shouldn't the local TU chapter be hammering MDC about keeping that area clean? Might be a better battle cry than the old worn out one about shufflers. Just a thought.

2 points: 1. The "6 pack" deals with a LOT more than navigation rules and procedures. It deals with small craft operating SAFETY, which includes navigation...and emergency response training. The White River version that Bill has would test one's knowledge that the USCG deems necessary for safe operation IN THIS SYSTEM...not on the ocean or Great Lakes. 2. The "6 pack" is designed to insure a HIGH LEVEL OF SAFETY AND COMPETENCY AMONG COMMERCIAL OPERATORS...people who take money from the public to carry them around in boats. That is an entirely separate issue from the competency level deemed legally necessary for "Jim Bob" to put a boat in the water. It's equivalent to the requirement that a bus or taxi driver have a commercial driver's license with a passenger endorsement (used to be called a chauffeur's license) for commercial operators on the water. The commercial aspect demands a higher level of gov't regulation...that is the established legal attitude in general.

Real estate exams, securities license exams, bar exams, and insurance license exams are pretty much that way. They are designed to to pass only the "best," not everyone who can meet a minimum standard. And they monkey with the tests each cycle to adjust for the # of people passing vs. how many licensees they think they should have at a given time.

Some of the bird hunting places can be VERY good, but most are "farms" and it's like "hunting" barnyard chickens. But even a mediocre bird club is great for training dogs. And, let's face it, there just isn't enough good wild upland bird hunting left in this part of the US or East to keep a dog tuned up. We have enough public access for fishing in the Ozarks to give me serious pause about a membership in a fishing place. It would have to be stellar and fairly inexpensive. But it would be worth a day fee now and then to get on a pristine stretch of stream with some quality fish and nobody else around without the drive to Colorado.

Terry's right. To a good ole country boy these places seem kinda silly. But to an urban/suburban angler with a very demanding schedule and a good chunk of disposable income for hobbies, they make a lot more sense. Like he said, if they truly deliver quality: intensive management, low pressure, and upgraded facilities; they can be a good value for the dollar. Think of them like country clubs for hunters and fishermen instead of golfers. That's pretty much what they do and how they operate...the good ones, that is. Would I do it? It's not in my budget. But if it was, I probably would shop around for a really top notch bird hunting club and a top notch fly-fishing club. Being the "only one" on the stream or one of few with some others who actually know what they are doing in a duck marsh is worth $$$ to me.

Now THAT'S funny! I don't care who you are!

You've restored my faith in humanity!