tjulianc

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Since I don't keep smallies, and I like to eat fish, sometimes I got to settle for greenies, goggle-eyes, and spots. As far as cleaning fish, I don't mind at all to clean enough for me and mine. Of course I'd rather be eating walleyes and crappies, but I don't always have a means to go and get them.

But Norfork is a lot narrower than the White, and that makes a big difference on water velocity. For example I don't like to float CC at anything above 300 cfs, its just too fast to fish and there are some solid class II rapids that will swamp my canoe with ease. However the lower Buffalo at 300 cfs is low but floatable and a loaded canoe will drag on many of the shoals, and there will be lots of paddling through the pools.

Those green sunfish eat pretty good too. Mix a couple in with a couple of spotted bass and you could have yourself a good meal with enough to share.

I wonder if it up into the into the dining room at Gaston's? Is this the largest release for BSD ever?

And don't forget drinking water. If the lakes were drawn down in the winter in anticipation of spring flooding, and then below average spring rains occur, and then the normal hot and dry summers come, well then we wouldn't have any water. Especially when homes and businesses like to water their lawns and gardens with drinking water. In some towns in NWA in 2006 during a summer drought, people caught watering their lawns got a warning, if they got caught again they would get their water shut off. I'm sure the COE feels they are darned if the do, darned if they don't.

You can find the best deals for reels on Ebay, if you don't mind using paypal. I really like the Shimano Citica 200e, and you can find them new in the box for under 100 dollars. This is a good deal for one here

Thanks Russ, I may get in touch with you for a shuttle. What is your favorite day float on the Elk river system for fishing and avoiding the crowds? I'm from AR, but just bought a MO license and plan on getting my money's worth out of it this summer. The lower Elk seems good to me, and its closer to some family of mine in NE Oklahoma. Thanks for the input.

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I am wanting to float/fish the lower Elk, and take out at Cowskin Access(43 bridge). What is the best access point up river from that access point for a good day float? I'm thinking it would be around the dam in Noel (based off the Google Earth), but I'm not familiar with that area and can't quite figure out where I should go to launch. Any info pertinent to this section of river will be greatly appreciated.

Looks like the Ozarks have weathered most of the flooding for the spring, but its looking pretty bad down in East Arkansas and Missouri. It looks like the lower White River will have some crests that will be the highest since the dams were built. The White River at Clarendon is at 35.2 feet, the highest since 35.7 which it reached in 1937, which it will surely pass, with the all time record being 43.3 which occurred in 1927. Does anyone know why the Corps wasn't able to control the flooding better? What kind of changes do you think the Corps may be making, hopefully no more dams, but you never know? Flooding down stream usually means changes upstream. http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lzk&gage=clda4&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1

We see plenty pileated woodpeckers here in the Arkansas portion of the Ozarks, or as a friend of mine calls them, based off their call, The Great Ozark Baboon.

Did you try the Suffix 832 braid? I have it spooled on a spinning reel and I think it isn't as loud as the other braid lines I've been using.

I'd give these guys a call and see what they say, http://www.whiteholeresort.com/

It was fishable on Saturday. We fished from Sportsman's, up to a little past Gastons, and had good fishing. Should still be good, but might want to call down and make sure, Bull Shoals is starting to get close to the top of flood stage.

The Buffalo was slightly south of the heaviest rain. The Illinois River has had some impressive totals, I think in some places in OK it crested 15 feet above flood stage. I know that here in Fayetteville which is mostly in the Illinois drainage, we got over 7" of rain in one 24 hour period. The USGS is updating peak stream flow so they are down as I am typing this. In the Buffalo,I think this flood will rank around the top 10-15 over the last 90 years or so since records were kept, which is even more impressive considering how dry has been since autumn, and also occurring after the trees have leafed out. If we had had average rainfall totals for the month of March, who knows what this storm would of done.

I found it on the ACC website. Hope you don't mind the link here. Its was truly frightening seeing those trees come crashing down.

Here is a link to a video shot yesterday of the take out on the Hailstone, the Buffalo on Hwy 21. Looks like the rescue effort is on ground now, they think the young man is trying to hike out. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1934662562242

According to this all seven gates will be open one foot. http://www.carrollconews.com/story/1721678.html

Here in Fayetteville the White River crested this morning at nearly 90,000 cfs. All that is on its way down, of course. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/uv/?site_no=07048600&PARAmeter_cd=00060

Earlier this morning the gauge on the White River 07048600 below Lake Sequoyah crested at almost 90,000 cfs. So there is a lot more water heading down.

Power saws, are prohibited, except pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit. see section 2.12 which regulates audio disturbances. http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr;sid=9ace752a77d467111b217820c3621e0c;rgn=div5;view=text;node=36%3A1.0.1.1.2;idno=36;cc=ecfr#36:1.0.1.1.2.0.1.8 Since the superintendent of the park is who gives out permits, then if they want to use a power saw, they just have to give out a permit for themselves to use one.

As far as small coolers go, I have an Igloo Maxcold 24, and I like it. The lid has a nice tight fit, and ice keeps for overnighter or two, unless its the middle of the summer, but then you can add some big chunks of ice and they last longer. Its suppose to keep ice for 3 days, but I find it really only keeps ice for 2, but thats pretty good for a small cooler.

Let us know what you think of the XPS. I'm curious how it compares to InvizX. You may like the Red Label more than I did. to me it just feels like a cheaper FC, which I guess it is. I haven't had much problems with line breaks with it, its too stiff, and doesn't cast as well as I would like. You may like it for certain applications you mentioned above.

I'd at least give the 15 lb test InvizX a try if you don't want to use Abrazx. And if you are thinking of fishing really heavy cover, why not use 20 lb if you are worried about breakages. I can't tell the difference between Red label and lines like Berkley Vanish.