vernon

Kimberling area is 68-69.

BTW, I have contacted the district office and requested that the PA office begin monitoring this site in order to answer questions and address pressing issues. Not sure if they'll play but they've been asked.

Contact the Public Affairs Office, Little Rock District @ 501-324-5551or ceswl-pa@usace.army.mil.

Guys, the COE has nothing to do with it. They do what they are told. Banning specific watercraft or limiting areas of use literally requires an act of Congress. The local guys can make recommendations but they do not establish policy. Watercraft usage is not even part of their mission. Certain areas of LOZ were restricted but it's not a corps lake. Remember, lots of COE employees are recreational users as we'll. They didn't get into the business because they hated lakes and the outdoors.

I have all of the above plus a golf addiction. My only explanation has been I ain't gamblin' it away at the boats, I ain't usin' it to buy drugs and I certainly am not blowing it in strip clubs. That always seems to work for a good hour or two which is pretty much the best you can hope for! You are not sick. You are actually a great American!!

Thanks. Headin back down Friday for a week and will stop by. Not previously familiar with them. However, been to Fin n Feather numerous times. Tired of wasting time at BPS looking at empty hangers.

Where is Sportsman's located?

We used peanut butter and jelly. As for structure, it literally didn't much matter. But if I were to narrow it down I'd say look for gravel. Anything more specific would be kinda nitpicky cause fish are pretty much everywhere Most important is if you're not getting bit is SLOW DOWN. it's more a matter of giving the fish time to find your bait than enticing them to bite. Don't get too hung up on where and colors. Just take your time and work an area thoroughly We did well just inside the mouth of Indian Creek fishing coves and points on the west side. Trust me, you'll catch em! Good luck.

Yeah, sounds like major changes in business philosophies. Lady at the desk (same old crappy attitude) said the new owner was only interested in making money. Well, OK, get that but pricing yourself out of the market is an odd way of going about it. She also said they're putting in three more docks which gets em back to where they were but what's the point if you run off all your business. Just paid $20 a nite at Rock Lane Marina but they have locked gate, security patrols and cameras, running water boat side and a cleaning station. Kimberling got nuthin but electricity. And a crappy attitude as mentioned. New owner needs to pay a bit more attention to customer service if you ask me.

Water temp yesterday was 57-58 down from 62 on Monday. Shallow beds appeared abandoned yesterday but didn't affect the bite much. I'm still throwing watermelon red centipede with 1/8-1/4 oz screw in bullet sinker. Smallie beaver on 1/4 oz spot remover head equally good. Occasionally tossed white spinnerbaits when the wind got really bad. Oh yeah, da Ned! Two biggest fish (4 lb LM and two 3.5 Smallies) came from right on the bank in a foot of water. Majority of others were 8-10 ft deep. Lots of 12-14" fish. Five or six keepers per day on average. Water so clear it's hard to believe you can trick em but you definitely can. If the bite slows you should too. Also, don't overlook the notorious Ned Rig! Didn't fish it a lot but when we did it worked. Read what guys are doing farther up the lake as it works down here too. Weathers lookin up (Finally!) and you should do well. Best of luck!

Ill give him a call. Thanks.

Thank! I'll check em out.

Wow. You weren't kidding! Stopped by to ask and they're $30 per nite! That's by far the highest I've ever heard of for a boat slip with zero extras. Can't believe they're gonna get too many takers at that price.

Thanks Champ. I especially appreciate you offering up you and Donna as a reference. Very generous of you. As I mentioned though, we're already booked into the Kimberling Inn and not sure I'm comfortable asking a competing resort for such a favor. Again though, I truly appreciate your offer as well as just being an all round good guy and a great asset to this forum.

Ain't happened yet!

Nah, everything's up to speed. Great idea though. Thanks!

Yeah, been doin that everyday down here at Rock Lane marina too. Just ain't no gettin away from it in this kind of wind I don't guess. Just don't wanna put in and take out everyday as the tow vehicle's gonna be used for other stuff during the day at times. Good or bad, the boats gotta stay in a slip at Kimberling. Just lookin for someplace to keep it for the five days between Saturday and Friday. Thanks though for the input. You all are right in everything you've said.

Hey Champ. I hear ya, been there dunn that! Actually, we've been staying there a couple of times a year for about fifteen years. Learned right away good mooring ropes were imperative at that place. Thing is, I get a great rate there in the off season due to my prior military affiliation. It's also a pretty good location on the lake too so we kinda suck it up. Figure there's good and bad pretty much everywhere so I just go with the least expensive option. Thanks though as always for your insights.

What was the price if you don't mind me asking? I know last year they have their permit yet and the year before was the tornado. Prior to that, I think we were paying $7.50 per night. Thanks.

Hey guys, down for the week with the wife and like most of you enjoying the beautiful spring weather! Not. Nothing much too add from a fishing perspective, same stuff in the Indian Point area. Catching lots and lots of 14" spots ten feet deep on a green centipede 8th oz pegged slip sinker. Did catch a half dozen LM on a white spinnerbait on windy gravel (not hard to find those locations) including one around 4 lbs. Water extremely clear down here. Tons of shallow beds with fish showing up last couple of days. Lotta fun just looking and watching fish work. Probably totaled about forty fish yesterday with the nice LM, three keeper spots and one nice smallie. Anyways, heading home on Saturday but coming back with my brother the next Friday and looking to avoid pulling the boats both ways again for no reason. Wondered if anyone might recommend someplace reasonable, safe and secure to leave the boat for five days. Oh yeah, gonna be stayin at the Kimberling Inn on the return trip. Would drop it off over there but it seems like there's a never ending thieves convention in session at that place. Thanks!

I'm heading down on Saturday for the week and am sorry to have interfered with your trip. This seems to happen every year no matter when we go. Last year there was snow the day before we left and that was in May! We've set more records for low temps than I can count. Trust me though, moving back a week is not the answer. Moving your trip to a week that I WON'T be there likely is! On the upside, while maybe a little uncomfortable, some of our best fish catching by far has been during these freak cold spells so not all is lost. Good luck to the both of us!

Don't see nuthin' bout prison, pickemup trucks, trains or mama! Still might make a pretty good country western song though.

Sounds great. Will definitely check it out sometime soon. We used to play over at Cassville when we stayed in Shell Know but almost always stay in Kimberling now. Between Payne Stewart, Ledgestone and Branson Creek we haven't gotten around to going back over that way in a few years. Also really enjoy Rivercut in Springfield. Almost always stop and play there on the way down and occasionally go up again during the week. The big names are a bit pricey but it's not like we're doing it every day so we don't mind too much. Thanks again for the advice!

Champ, have not played there. Went over that way a couple of times with the intent of playing but one time they were having an event and got rained out the other. Looks pretty nice though and I know it has a pretty extensive history as well. Thanks for the suggestion and we'll have to try again in a couple of weeks when we head that way for our first visit of the year. Can't wait!

Yep and although the Corps has to obey laws like everyone else, Army regulations are subject to interpretation and that's why they employ a rather robust office of legal counsel to determine what can and can't be done. In cases like Johnny Morris the "effort" to interpret favorably will certainly be greater than you or me trying to negotiate a deal that might make plenty sense to us. Right or wrong, I think everybody agrees that the world of the big hitters will always be a little different than the one that us utility infielders live in. That's great news about the golf courses though. My wife and I get down for usually three different weeks during the year and my brother and I at least one. We've always enjoyed having as much fun as we can while we can have it and a few rounds of golf during the mid day is pretty typical for our visits. Hard to beat fishin' in the morning, golf in the afternoon and back on the water for whatever evening bite might be available. God, I love that place. Thanks as always Bill for providing more of your "local" insight!