waterpossum

Found this up on the bank while bank fishing by the docks back in Greaser creek Thursday. A fellow there said he had found it wash ashore earlier in the week and thrown it up there. Apparently the picture surfaced earlier in the week on Facebook. I called and asked a Springfield field agent about it. One idea about it's appearance in Stockton Lake, is it came out of Fellows Lake during an overflow. First one I've seen since 1984.

If a man speaks in the forest and there is no woman to hear him...is he still wrong?

Off color Mutton. Clearer Hartley. Water Temp warmer Mutton. Water temp colder Hartley.

The water from 215 N. is running in the 49-50 degree range. We had 4 keeper walleye last night from 7:50-8:50 stick baiting a main lake point. There are crappie to be found in the deep corp. brushpiles. Water is clear in that area.

Yes it is.

Saturday 12 a.m. 863.2. Sunday 8:50 a.m. 866.4 The Corp failed to loosen the cable on the fishing dock at Ruark. Now the walkway is submerged.

As of 6 p.m. the mud line extends to Mutton Creek and as Dutch said the lake is rising fast.

I checked the monthly forecast and the weather looks pretty good at the end of February. (granted that could change) There is an evening bite (if history repeats itself) starting about the time you plan the trip around the dam area. You won't have any trouble figuring out where to fish. There will be bank fisherman just to the west of the dam. Most boaters will be congregated off of main lake points throwing stick baits. The main bite will be probably a max of one hour. (The last half hour before dark and a half hour after dark.) If your schedule is flexible arriving on the 25th might be best.

It can turn on in a hurry, esp. in the rivers if we can get some much needed rain. A nice 2" downpour should kick start the bite.

Is that motor trimmed?

At the present lake level and very little water flowing out of the creek arms, it would be pretty futile to run to the back of the creeks if you in fact have fishing in mind. If your not too well acquainted with the lake the primary feeder arms in the order of volume are Big Sac, Lil Sac, Turnback, Sons, Maze, and Turkey creek. Birch, Greaser and Googer and Price have limited flow under wet conditions. At present it would be a nerve racking chore to get as far as 39 on Sons and 160 on Turnback. When I was there Thursday water temp on the main lake was 36 and the majority of shad were hanging in 55' and deeper water.

Last week there were some shad schools just around the corner from the Hawker ramp (main lake side) Next to impossible to fish them because of the wind. They were 35-45' deep over 55' of water.

No excavation dirt around the dirt. I'm confident it's not made by any digging animal.

I have been talking with a friend that used to work for MDC. He thinks it's probably ant mounds, but like the rest of you a better picture by me would help.

I'll be back up there soon and will get a little better pictures. These were about a mile north of Y bridge on the west side of the lake.

I was at Stockton Lake Saturday just above the high water shore line and happened on approximately 20 of these. The clay is real fine in mounds anywhere from 6 to 12 inches high and some about 2 ft. across. i have never seen fire ants around the lake, but that's what came to my mind. They were just so close to the lake I had a hard time understanding why ants would be that close to water.

Probably like everyone else, and just huddled down waiting for a weather break. Plan on meeting a friend coming down from Iowa Thursday. Plan on a Friday Saturday trip. Got a feeling I may need to take a sledge hammer and chain saw.

I saw Randy Blauket on Facebook the other day with a picture of 5 pretty nice bass he and another guy caught on jerkbaits. Lifes2short had some pictures on 12/29

I was at the Ruark ramp yesterday afternoon about 2 p.m. and it was still usable. There was a thin ice sheet at that time that was nearly to the ramp. I'm sure it has probably extended and thickened some since then, but the duck hunters that have been launching there should have it busted up. Sorry, no info on the N. end of the lake.

They used to sow millet on Grand, esp on the flats around Sycamore creek in August to attract the ducks. They did that for about 10 years, but quit it a few years back

If your going to Ruark, you can go in the East campground and use the gravel ramp in the back of the cove at the south end of the park. Or Take the east road across from Son Sac Marine and follow that road east to a gravel ramp.

Likewise, Merry Christmas to you and family and to all of the OA forum. Tuesday is a high of 30 degrees. I get cold just thinking about being on the water when it's that cold.