ollie

I wanted to make it over there this past weekend, but it just didn't work out. Good plans gone bad. It will be hard fishing that stream for the next couple of weeks or so until they stock it again.

My preference is a 5-5 1/2 footer with a stiff spine or backbone and a really sensitive tip. one piece of course.

Look for a blue s-10. I have been down fishing Capps the last two weekends.

It really could be a far better park with dilegence from the local people. A lot of people use the walking trail daily and I would think some of those people might gain interest in our efforts also. I was thinking of doing three official clean-ups a year. The first one being right after the garage sales days. The second one being right before or after the first weekend of June during free fishing days. The third being sometime in the fall just before Thanksgiving. Any other ideas are welcome. I want to team up with the Hatchery in some way or another also. I'm pretty sure we can get some exporsure at the fishing derby for the kids if the Hatchey will let us. I'm suppose to get an official packet from MDC with info concerning our stream within a couple of weeks. I'm just giddy like a school girl!

Alright, here is a progress report. I have officialy signed up as a stream team. I say "I" because I need others to pm me some info about themselves. It's no big deal, it's more for updates from the state and emailing info about events, plus we can get freebies for our clean-up efforts. I could not reach Dave at the hatchery becasue he has been away. I'll try that avenue on Monday again. I was informed however that there is another stream team for Hickory Creek. The High School. I don't know what the school has done lately, but I'm thinking of coordinating something with them also. More people would be great! In my opion, the biggest problem for the stream is the city. The city has been planning and developing options for rain run-off for decades. Remember, everytime it rains it ALL goes into Hickory in the end. That was planned to eliminate property damage and flooding on the north end of town. That is why the city bought out so much property. They weren't thinking of making Hickory pretty, just functional for heavy rains. To me, that is a very big battle that we won't win. City flooding verses the creek will win the city everytime in this town. That being said, I still think there is a lot of improvments that can be done and I think that a lot of people on this board are up to it.

Hey Chief, get on board with us about the Stream Team. I have already signed us up and am just waiting for the packet to arrive at the house. You know I have no mercy for our city leaders, but I think Mark maybe right. I know how this city runs, I've lived here practically all my life. Let's just see how they respond to the stream team and take it from there?

Well, you might as well add my info to the document too since I only live a few blocks away. I wasn't able to get ahold of the Hatchery manager today, but I will try again tomorrow. I think the "Friends of the Neosho Hatchery" will be able to help us out also when I get ahold of them as well. Kent Oliver @ 417-592-9435

Travis, if you have already signed up with the MDC let me know, otherwise I will complete the registration later tonight. Anyone wanting on the list please let me know so I can include you in on the activities. If anyone needs anything concerning the stream just give me a pm and I will shoot you a cell number you can reach me at. Kent

I just printed off a Stream Team application from MDC and will try and fill it out later today or tonight. I will be online later tonight and let you know what else I have found out.

Ok, appartently I need to step up to the plate. I have complained before about the problems of Hickory and I'm sure I live the closest ( 4 blocks away ). I just have never had any luck with the city of Neosho. I will contact Dave at the Hatchery and get the number of anyone who they think can help. I do like the idea of a stream team. I never thought that anyone from out of state would travel to Neosho just to fish Hickory. The trash problem exists all through out town. Trash over a mile away drains into the creek. It is a real problem that many people just don't care about around here. I know at one time the city has considered the thought of a somewhat RR type stream, but I havn't heard anything in awhile about that. This is a positive post that should not die. I honestly didn't know that many people cared about this stream.

Wow, and I thought some places in Okie land were bad!

I dunno, maybe you were right. I just know you, and I mean YOU can normally catch a lot of browns when stocked and I've seen it. Normally I can even get lucky and hook one now and then, but stocked browns aren't very smart yet until a few weeks later I would think.

Not true about the browns. I was only catching stocked rainbows last week when I was down there. You would have caught more browns if they had stocked that many IMO.

I fished it a litte bit today around the ballfields and didn't do very well. Hit Capps earlier and did alright until the wind blew me out of the water! The trash is a big issue and a sore spot fo me as well. I know I have said some pretty negative things about it on this forum before. It is ALL of the town's fault. As in the people who live here. Everytime it rains hard the trash from "Joe" that was torn open from a dog is going down a ditch that empties into the creek. That and other people that just throw there trash out around town. It eventually dumps into the creek somewhere down the line. I wish I had a good solution, but every drainage ditch in town leads into the creek. A stream team would be a good start, but could it keep up with the volume of trash?

My neighbor and I fished it this morning and were lucky to catch one between us. Not saying I'm the best the fisherman in the world, but I can for sure tell you I can catch stocked trout. The only place we didn't fish was the area around the ballfields. They were definetly not down by the handicap access on the lower end. We didn't see any fish stacked up anywhere. Maybe they were only stocked up by the ballfields?

This question got me to thinking last night Buzz. If I'm not mistaken and I have been before, the Shepard Hills hatchery got wiped out during all the flooding this past year. Maybe all the trout are going to Taneycomo?

In your dreams Chief! I can't allow that! I'll have to break your rods or something! It was a gorgeous Ozark day if I don't say so myself.

Thought I would add a couple pics of our weather conditions and the Jolly Mill Park itself.

I guessed the second brown to be around 18" easy. The big boys came out to play today in the mess. I still remember my brother saying he had his best day when it was sleeting on him. My next door neighbor went last year when it snowed and did well also. Black caught the first three trout and an olive color caught that one in the lower pic. It was tough fishing that was for sure. I'm glad we didn't fix brats in this weather! Two years running now and the count looks like this: Buzz 2007, ollie 2008. I will plan on this again next year at the same time. The scenery alone was worth it in the snow. I'm glad I got up early and went. The last fish in the lower pic was very beautiful with bright colors and fins that were brighly colored. It was a surprise. Thanks to all that went (ok, so it was chief,buzz and I).

Yea, well don't get too excited. It's looking to be pretty nasty with some wind and possible snow mixed in. Rain is definetly in the works for tomorrow with sime wind. Dress warm and bring a rain jacket for sure.

I plan on being down there around 8:30. Look for a blue 1990 S-10 extended cab up by the upper bridge. Buzz, Chief, and anyone else coming down lets meet in the parking lot by the upper end bridge. Doesn't look like I'm bringing brats and beans after all. If it's suppose to be nasty I don't want to waste time eating either. Hope to see you down there Brian.

And rainy!

I wasn't below the park. I guess I'm confused on what the zones are then because I didn't go down below the dam. I thought that was zone 3? I knew you couldn't fish fish below the last bridge during C&R.

I was down on Sunday throwing jigs and did pretty good. Fished about 3 1/5 to 4 hours and caught over two dozen easy. Granted I didn't catch any big ones though. I was surprised to see hardly anyone down in zone 3 Sunday morning. Might fish came in droves at times. I mean I would catch several out of one hole only to move on and catch nothing in the next hole. It was enough to keep me occupied.

Ok, so no one else wants in on this? It looks like defending champ Buzz will defend his honor against the Chief and me. If no one else decides to go I might want to fore go the lunch and just fish. If more decide to go we should really plan on something I guess.