Wayne SW/MO

I don't have a dog in the hunt, no pun intended, but given their season records it just proves that the tourniquet is a new season for very good teams. Don't wet yourself Jack , but for me the biggest interest is in the possibility that UConn could grab both national championships. Another big game for me will be if two unbeaten's meet for the NCAAW championship. It's not everyday that you'll see two unbeaten's meet at the end of the season. I hope it comes about.

There's some good access and fishing in the park at Stockton. There's a large gravel bar that extends out away from the camping area. Oneshot do the buffalo taste different than the carp?

There is no doubt that the elk population available to wolves is miniscule compared to 200 years ago. It will be a challenge to find the balance between wolves and elk in today's populations. Bison were also a prey and of course their numbers are almost non-existent now. I wonder if wolves have the same trait as coyotes when it comes to the food supply. Coyotes are know to have smaller litters when food is scarce.

I was told last fall by a hatchery employee that they are stocking once a year, late summer early fall. This happened at the ramp while they were stocking some 'bows so I assume it was good information?

Great kid!

Yeah good old Japanese honeysuckle. I know Kudzu is in the state and if you've seen it in maturity you will not want it here. Honeysuckle is almost as bad however and vines spread like it was shotgunned. The bush isn't quite as fast, but it has more seed potential in my opinion. Both are bad news.

That kind of confrontation is certainly uncalled for. I hope they get a good laugh out of it before they leave the court room, hopefully there will be nothing left to laugh about. The desire to go to court over recreational rights and public use of flowing waters is common, but the ability to afford a lawyer isn't. I suppose many of us are just waiting for a lawyer to have the desire and opportunity. I don't wish anyone the experience, but I hope yours goes a long way toward preventing future ones. Tel your wife to be that all women pictured on this site holding smallmouth are absolutely beautiful.

Too me Tim "balance" would be a sustained environment with no more than monitoring by man and absent of intervention. I suppose establishing a new normal to serve as a center line would be correct.

Ollie don't you have a run in the Elk?

Marks post simply strengthens the argument that we really don't know what normal is and probably never will. We're establishing new ones all the time and will hopefully reach a balance that is both sustainable and acceptable. We also find new evidence all the time that changes the equations. The passenger pigeon is a notable one. The idea that huge flocks always existed before the white man came is in question now. many now think that there numbers weren't that high until man started farming grains. They base this on the fact that very few of their bones are found in native American refuse dumps. The thinking is that if they were always that abundant they would have been an important food source, but apparently they weren't. their numbers were apparently created and then wiped out because they were never abundant beyond agriculture.

Pretty much the normal time. Some years when the weather and water is warmer males seem to start earlier, especially the younger ones, but this is the time for the main run.

I could see him buying out the marina, that would just be a business deal that wouldn't likely cause any concern from the Corp. I don't understand the launch fee however because that isn't the norm, at least as a stand alone fee. If this is a new regulation wouldn't the Corp be obligated to hold some kind of meeting or at least an announcement?

I think another consideration is short term evolution, if there is such a term. My point is that wolves were introduced into a population of elk that had evolved free of them as a predator. I would think it would take many generations to evolve an elk population better suited to survive. I doubt that true historical numbers of elk versus bears and wolves are available and if the estimate is off then the effect would be in new territory.

Nice. If you want to have something handy to measure fish with try white electrical tape. You can cut it in 1/8" strips and put them around the rod blade at intervals you're interested in. The tape is water proof and will last a long time. I always used the end of the handle for zero.

James=Hootentown to Goff creek Goff creek is AKA Marbleground and Ponce De Leon or Ponce Beaver= FS access on FF/Patterson dr. to Kissee Mills Better water with less traffic. Bryant=Warren bridge to Florence Cook This is the only one I've done, but There are floats above it.

being about 10 miles as the crow flies and able to see Branson from my back porch, I'll raise you 2. I do agree .gov is a good one. Wunderground has many small stations and can often be a good source for current conditions, you just have watch the time.

Riverfish my understanding is that the corp is clamping down on private ramps because they end up on public land. I don't know what the story is with Long Creek? The marina rented Tracker Boats and had some sort of demo program in past years.

Cloudy at Rockaway Beach.

Coming from Fayetteville I would think about the James, on over to Beaver and then to Bryant. If you want to go farther then Niangua, Osage Fork and Gasconade.

If we get the rain they are forecasting it should break things loose.

That is strange, but then again I've been on TR more than once around the Indian/Long Creek area and not seen anyone fishing, or maybe one or two boats? I'm not saying it isn't crowded however.

How are you fishing? White Roostertail or white or chartreuse Clouser?

I have to smile at the conference talk. If ever there was a college sport that has nothing to do with conference it's BB. There are so many teams from the shadows that it's hard to look past any one school. With a one loss and gone format it's a teams strength and ability to play their game and a little luck to get to the last team standing. If it had anything to do with a conference Dayton would have been gone long ago.

Old timers used tin snips to skin them.

I hear that! The rig seems to be very effective for whites in the right water. I had one last year, but never got it wet. I think for me it looks to be more effective than fun, but that's just an observation. I might get mine wet this year. I got mine from E-bay and it came from Linn Creek, I think if I remember right.