tjulianc

I was told by a land owner on a Missouri creek once that he could give away gravel, he just couldn't sell it. Don't know if this is true or not.

I usually bring Katadyn micropur tablets, just in case. They cost more than the old regular iodine tablets, but taste better. You can get 30 tabs for about 12 bucks or so. After doing some research I decided to buy a Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter. I've used mine since last Dec. and have been very happy with it. It can filter 4L, which is a tad more than a gallon, of water pretty fast, and doesn't require any pumping. It does require the need to be back-flushed every so often, depending on how clean the water is you're filtering, but its very convenient for canoeing. Its downside is that it is heavier and bulkier than pump filters, but thats not really an issue with canoeing like it would be for backpackers. You also need a place to hang it, and again, not an issue here in the Ozarks. Its a little more expensive than some other water filters, but only by a little and I think its worth it, because it will filter a lot of water with very little work. http://www.rei.com/product/813799/platypus-gravityworks-water-filter

Very well said, and couldn't agree more.

It may have some negative consequences, but the 5th amendment is just as necessary as the 1st and 2nd. [edit]

I get breaks on 10 lb Seaguar Invizx, not so much with 12 lb, so I'm about to go strictly to 12 lb. As far as knots go, if you don't already know the San Diego Jam knot, then you should learn it. Best knot by far for fluorocarbon. http://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/san-diego-jam-knot/

Fair enough. My point is, lets at least examine something before we condemn it. And I understand where you are coming from. I rarely buy anything new, except soft plastic lures, these days.

Wait a minute. How do you know its "fancy" office furniture? And how do you know they aren't getting their work done at the Jonesboro office? You can't spend all the money allocated to the AGFC just to buy guns and badges to catch the bad people breaking the law. More than likely this is money well spent, and if its not, please demonstrate it with facts, not made up fancy modifiers. And you want people to sit and work in some broke down POS chair that won't last a minute bought at a garage sale. Talk about wasting money.... In no way does the AGFC buying office furniture, moving it, and renting a place for some of their employees to do their work in the meantime, delineate what the AGFC is.

As long as we are throwing out ideas, what about trying to keep things simple, and add on to preexisting programs, like boater education classes. What if these courses had a section on rivers, canoe/kayak maneuvering, and maybe some camping regulations/laws/etiquette. I think a lot of the trash we see on the rivers are the result of people just not knowing how to paddle and swamping their canoes. And the idea that camp fires some how, some day, will completely burn their aluminum beer cans. Throw in a couple questions on the exam and at least you are making people think about it some.

Anybody ever fish any of the lakes down in Hot Springs Village, like Balboa, Coronado, etc? If so which one is best for bass? I'll probably get to go down there sometime this summer and would like to spend a day on the water fishing one of the lakes, just don't know much about them.

Below is a quote from a similar forum topic a few years back written by Al Agnew. It makes total sense to me and is why I think climate change matters, even if our only raison d'etre is fishing in the Ozarks and everything else be god-darned. "There's obviously a lot less debate in the scientific community (though SOME debate) about global warming than in the general public. But assuming it's real and the scientists are basically right about the extent of it, what would it mean for the Ozarks? Trout--Ozark springs are right around the temperature of the region averaged over years. So a 4 degree rise in air temps would eventually raise the temps of the springs 4 degrees as well (Florida springs are in the high 70s, for instance). springs coming out at 60 degrees instead of 56 would NOT be good for trout in the spring branches, and probably not real good for the hatcheries, either. Probably the same thing would happen with the tailwaters, although I'm not familiar with how tailwater temps work. The smaller trout streams like Capps and Bluesprings Creek would really suffer with 4 more degrees in the summer, especially since they would warm up even quicker as you go downstream due to hotter summer temps. And that's not considering that the climate change might make drought more and more common and/or more severe. Stream bass--drought would probably be the greates threat to bass and other warm water gamefish, although hot temps could become a problem on the less springfed streams. The Buffalo River already gets up in the very high 80s in the summer in some sections...if it gets over 90 degrees that could become a real problem for gamefish. And we don't even know how warmer temps would affect the food base. Low water, warm water, could mean a lot greater algae growth and aquatic plant growth, which is already worse now than it was 30 years ago on some streams. Reservoirs--low water and little flow-through due to drought would be a big problem, with algae growth and probably lower levels of dissolved oxygen at depths the fish need in the summer. Who knows what other effects hotter water would have. Learn to love carp!"

I was reading through one of the links Tim provided - http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/ and found this bit of information, April 2012 was the 427th consecutive month with ocean temperatures warmer than the 20th century average. The last time the ocean temperatures were below average was September 1976 (0.01°C/0.02°F below average).

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Has anyone tried the Sammy 115? Seems a little big for Ozark river smallies, but I've been surprised before by the size of fish I catch on big minnow type lures. I've caught a lot of small bass on a 4.5" Rogue which is the same length as the Sammy 115. Although the Sammy 115 has a bigger profile. Also, I got a Sammy 85 last year and couldn't get it to walk properly. I remember reading somewhere that there is a modification that helps the lure walk better. Does anyone know what I'm talking about and how to go about doing this? Thanks.

Ever have much success with a watermelon or green pumpkin fluke? Seems to be working for me, that and Arkansas Shiner.

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I understand what you are saying is mostly in jest. But to be unambiguous on the subject, digging up a rare and protected orchid(in this case a lady slipper), whether on public land or private, is illegal. I understand that rare flowers are going to induce less sympathy than smallmouth bass on this forum, however it is important to point out when ever someone is poaching wildlife, especially ones that can easily be decimated, or already are. Link to US Forestry Service article about the ethics of native plants, which is more thorough on the subject: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethics/index.shtml

a size 4 or a 4/0? A size 4 is too small, a 4/0 would be too big, in my opinion, with a 4 inch worm. Now, are these finesse worms, senkos, or what? Do you texas rig them? There are a lot of variable that could change the size of the hook I'd use. In general, I use a 1/0 to 3/0 off set worm hook for small sized worms texas rigged. Also, the fish running off with your worms may not be large mouth bass. Might need to use a larger worm to weed out some of the small sunfish nibbling at your bait.

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Here is a good explanation on the benefits of using a bent shaft paddle, its a lot easier to explain with visuals:

I've seen one at the mouth of the Buffalo river. It was a big thing, resting up in the chunk rocks river left. We ended up scaring each other by surprise.

Yes a new Citica, BPS Pro Qualifier, or Revo S will cast farther and backlash less than a cheap Quantum or a 40 year old Ambassador-at least the ones I've had experience with. They also have better drag and are quieter, smoother, lighter, and more durable. But if you are only using a baitcaster a few days a year and just for pond fishing, then there is probably no reason to spend 120 dollars on one. Just like a guy who only fly fishes a few days a year doesn't need to go out and buy a Sage rod with a Lamson reel. Durability is a big issue with the cheaper reels. I fish 100+ days a year in rain, heat and cold. If I bought cheap reels, I would spend more money replacing them and servicing them, than just getting a Citica(or your favorite $129.99 reel) on Ebay for 90 bucks or less.

I found out a long time ago that I don't like to make do with crapy equipment. Few things in bass fishing are as frustrating as a POS baitcaster. That is why I primarily use Shimano Citicas and Curados. I've recently tried out some Pfluegers and Lew's baitcasters and they aren't bad reels either, if you get their higher end models. Falcon, Powell, Shimano all make decent rods for under 100 bucks that I would recommend. Definitely stick with an all graphite rod. There are a lot of good deals out there for those who take the time to search them out. I very rarely pay full retail price for my equipment.

A crappie A-Rig?

I just bought some Mustad Ultrapoint Triple Grip hooks. They have the wide bend. So far just using them as the rear hook. Haven't tried them on a Wart yet. Hopefully give it a try this weekend. I've been trying to win some pre Rapala Warts on Ebay but I keep getting outbid. I love the olive / orange combo, great looking lures.

I've floated the tailwater in my canoe a few times, but just from the dam to Bertrand. I'm thinking about floating from Bertrand to Houseman in the hopes of catching some walleye, but I am a bit concerned doing this in my small solo canoe. Does the water get a little too big for a solo trip in a canoe? I guess I'm worried about big boats and wind the most. With Table Rock at 915, does that mean I'll basically be paddling in a lake? Thanks.