Ranger Dave

It is my understanding that an annual pass is good at all Corp owned and operated ramps. My pass does not indicate any particular lake or ramp. It simply states it is a Corp Annual Pass.

I guess I have a different opinion on the ramp fees. I don't see the ramp fee as a charge to use the ramp but a charge to maintain and operate the ramp. I agree that the ramp was built with my tax dollars and indirectly I am part owner of the ramp. But just like our cars, boats, and houses, the expenses don't stop with the initial purchase. I think we would all agree that the ramp would not be fit to use after a few years if someone didn't come and clean the rest rooms, maintain the loading dock boards in the loading ramp, and to move the loading ramp in and out to adjust for water level. Yes we could simply raise our taxes to pay for these services but the government has proven that they can't manage things like this so the tax increase would be far more than a ramp fee of $3. I just went to the St. Louis Arch on vacation last week. My tax dollars helped build the Arch but they still charge $10 per person to let me take a tour and ride the elevator. There were so many people willing to pay the $10 that there was a 2 hour wait all day long. Is it fair to charge the tax payers a fee to take a tour? Someone has to run the place, pay for the electricity, and keep the place clean. What would the Arch look like today if we just built it and let everyone come for free? There would be no one around to coordinate the place and it would rapidly become a dump and not a place to visit. Are the Corp ramps any different? Do I like paying $3 at the ramp? No I don't. I usually pay the $30 fee every year just for convenience even if I don't make the 10 trips to break even. However, I don't like the alternative either. I like going to a nice clean ramp with a loading dock. I have used gravel ramps with no loading docks (like at Alrich) and I don't like it. I have also used the ramps at Mutton Creek which are private and the bumper rails on the loading dock were half ripped off and there were exposed nail heads scratching my boat. I would gladly pay $3 per trip to use a nice ramp like at Cedar Ridge or High Point. Now I agree that the ramp fee needs to be fair. $3 to $5 does not seem unfair to me. I spend more than that on a trip through McDonalds on my way to the lake. If the ramp fee became unfair then I would definitely be writing my congressman. Lake of the Ozarks is a private lake and I have paid a $5 fee to use their ramps.

I may be misunderstanding your statement, but it sounds like you are saying you can't use the Cedar Ridge boat ramp unless you are camping at Cedar Ridge. This is not true. Cedar Ridge has a boat ramp inside the camp area for camper use. The ramp we are talking about here is the ramp outside the camp area and open to anyone using the lake. They wouldn't have a fee box at the top of the ramp if it was for camping use only.

It is just common sense that you don't park on the ramp next to the pay box or anywhere on the ramp. No one in his right mind would think this is an acceptable place to park at any time. There is parking on boat sides of the ramp that will hold at least 60 or more trailers and that is where everyone else parked. I don't think the problem is a lack of training as Wayne suggested. People who do these things are un-trainable. They already know the rules they just don't think the rules apply to them. They feel entitled to park any where they want. Letting the air out of their tires doesn't help anything, it just brings you down to their level. I agree we can't let someone else's in-appropriate behavior run our day to the lake. However, I do feel like something should be done. I suggest calling the Corp and let them deal with it. I don't know if they would issue a fine but at the minimum they would talk to them or leave them a note. Perhaps someone will read this post and recognize the truck and trailer and let the owner know about his in-appropriate actions.

Oklahoma changed their license for non-residents this year. In the past you only had 2 options; 6 day for $35 and annual for $55. Starting in 2014 you can get a 1 day non-resident for $15.

Just wondering if the white bass run had started in the Spring River yet.

Technically this is called Lake of the Ozarks or the Truman Tail Waters area.

How are the white bass doing on Spring River?

Are the white bass still biting up Springriver?

If you think they taste bad then I must ask how are you preparing them? Are you cutting the red meat off? The red meat tastes very bitter but the white meat tastes almost as good as Crappie.

Check with the Marine Repair Center over on Belcrest just north of Chestnut.

Several posts have indicated how tricky it is now with the low water. They have especially indicated the area between High Point and Alrich. I have made the trip between High Point and Alrich many times and never had a problem or noticed areas that would be bad during low water conditions. I had to stay in the main channel but I didn't notice the main channel being that narrow. Have I just been lucky? Is it really that shallow between High Point and Alrich? I have always fished for whites in the old river channel "east" of the Alrich bridge. It sounds like this area is not going to be reachable this spring in my boat. Are there good opportunities for whites between High Point and Alrich? Where?

Bird Watcher, How long will it take for the water to clear up after the recent rain.

Hey Sandbc, was the Skelly the station that used to be owned by Al Dunning wher Golden Corral is presently? I used to attend church there at the junction at the First Assembly of God.

How shallow is it up at Alrich? I usually go up the river on the other side of the bridge at Alrich in early April. I have a 17' deep-V aluminum boat. It is safe to go on the other side of the Alrich bridge with this low water if you stay in the old river channel? I can't imagine if being a problem once you cross the flat area and get to to the actual river channed about 1 mile east of the bridge .

Ranger Dave if you are reading this shoot me a line. sounds like we were in clinton about the same time. Sandbc, I lived in Clinton from 1965 to 1986. Graduated from High School in 1981. I grew up east of town near Bucksaw (east on Hwy 7 five miles, then south on W two miles). I didn't recognize your name. My name is David Felkner. I live in Strafford now since 1999. We mainly fished at Tebo Landing (or maybe it was Tebo Crossing) and Long Shoal. Never ventured over to Sparrow Foot much.

I checked out Indigo Sky on the web. At $89 per night (on the low end) I think I would rather drive 30 miles and stay at Micro-tel for $50

What does a room at Indigo sky go for? The Micro-Tel with my AARP card is $49.

Has any one stayed at the Micro-tel Motel just south of I-44 at US 71? They call the street Richard Joseph Blvd in this area. I was thinking about staying here while fishing the Spring River this spring. There isn't a lot of choices near Twin Bridges and I figured the Miami are would be crowded on the weekends due to the casinos. Does any one recommend any good places to staty near Twin Bridges on Spring River?

Most of the water on Truman that you can see from Hwy 13 is only about 6 to 10 feet deep. I used to live in Clinton while the lake was initially filling. The East side of Hwy 13 looked identical to the West side of Hwy but they bull-dozed most of the trees. The land around Clinton is extremely flat so the lake didn't get too deep. You need to go East toward Tightwad and Warsaw to get into some deeper water.

I was wanting to get on some good white bass and crappie fishing this spring. When do the fish start appearing at the Weir in front of the Truman Dam?

Has anyone been white bass fishing on the Spring River recently? I was wondering if it was still too early or if I should make the drive.

I typically go to the Spring River in late March through the first of May. I have found white bass fishing to be very good there but it is temperamental. I haven't had too good of luck if the water was muddy from a rain and it will stay muddy for several days. I only have the weekends to go there and sometimes it is hard to find a good warm weekend when the water is not muddy. When the temperature and the water is just right, there will be hundreds of boats there and very difficult to find a parking spot at Twin Bridges but it will be worth it. I purchased a lifetime permit in OK about 6 years ago which was worth the money as it only cost $275 and it paid for itself in only 6 years at the cost of current out of state annual permits. I heard they discontinued the life-time fishing permits. I typically use 2 type of lures on the Spring River. I use Shad-raps (usually silver or shad but sometimes fire tiger) and buck tail jigs (purple, blue, or gray). When they are biting good, I typically catch fish around 14" to 15" lengths.

Granbury Lake is brackish and will have a different reaction with e. coli. In addition, Lake Granbury is about 1/10 the size of LOZ and I don't remember having that many beaches on. How do you know it didn't have a problem? I don't remembery hearing about e. coli in many lakes several years ago. This didn't mean it didn't exist.... it just means they didn't test it back then.