Rustynuts

Those inches deep river wide shoals you encountered are new. The gravel is a deposit from when the Arkansas Nature Conservency tried to "Save" the river. Some of the best chunk rock runs are now covered in gravel. We hope spring floods will continue to scour that stuff somewhere else. And yes, it's not what it once was, but still pretty special to me. This year all of my 16+ smallies have been below Grandview. Marble to the Gap gets fished HARD. The explosion of Kayak Bass fishing is ramping up the pressure. Hopefully all those fishermen will leave with a personal desire to help protect the river.

We haven't been that way in a while...does anyone know if the boat ramp is open again at Hwy 160?

For your first trip down , as has already been mentioned, maps maps maps. You want to be able to relax and fish holes , and knowing where you are allows more of that. Also 4 days is much more relaxed.

Guys , the Kings is really just a large creek, It cant stand the pressure of every fish caught being put on a stringer, I might get some flack and be called racist, but the large Latino population down here has found the river and more than once I have floated quietly into a deep hole to find a spearfisherman stabbing my bronze babies. AGFC is stretched thin and Kelly cant be at every access at once but this kind of killing of all fish cant continue. Several times the sheriff has been called because someone thought I was causing a scene. But I cannot just slip downstream and ignore it anymore.

Nah wont need the TP we will have all those Dollar bills to use.

Thanks Wrench that's the attitude I strive for , appreciate the reminder.

Al , didn't really want to make this about Illegal immigration, But I guess that is what it really is. As Ollie has stated the Elk is also being hit with the same kind of resource rape. I have know idea if these guys have legal status or not but they definitely come from a culture that will take and take until nothing is left. Thank the lord I am older now because the rage I felt Sunday night would have triggered a very bad scene just a few years ago. I'm not sure what the solution to this but I got the feeling that MDC feels they are wasting their time writing the ticket because the conviction rate is so low. I don't know what else to do but personally give these guys a hard time when I see them with undersize fish. That just might turn into a Crocker / Dart confrontation on the riverbank.

The wife is always willing to drop me at the river, sometimes getting her to come to the takeout is the challenge.

Definitely not 12 '' Fishslayer, I walked right past his stringer in the water and my shoe is a pretty accurate 12 '' measure. Had them on a metal clip type stringer most clips with two or more fish each. I have our local MDC agents #s in my phone now. Hopefully I can get over my rage and get back to fishing as it should be....Relaxing...So lets not start on JRO floaters...

Wouldn't call these guys Hoosiers, I bet they don't have a full grasp on the English language, and probably were born way south and came up to work in poultry processing to our west. English or not they knew they were doing wrong .

Yeah called the statewide tip line and the description of a silver Ford windstar with no tag. The operator who took the call didn't sound very hopeful.

Anybody have any idea how many MDC Conservation Agents there are for any given area or how I could get A phone # for a local agent in Stone County? As you know it has been a little dry and the creeks I prefer have become a little much work to take the whole family. So the past two weekends we have done a Sunday float on James river ending at Cox at Galena. I have been working hard in low clear water to get to a few Quality fish and when we pulled up at the take out last night I see this Guy grab a stringer with 18-20 ten inch or less fish, mostly Smallmouth, some Spots. Now he Skitters up the ramp and jumps in a minivan with no tag and is gone about the time I get up to the top of the ramp. This blatant disregard for the resource makes my blood boil and if I had not brought the wife and kids I might be requesting Bail before the judge now. Saw the same thing last weekend but fewer fish. Now these guys know they are doing wrong , You can see it in their faces when they see you coming. They cant claim they couldn't read the sign in the parking lot, or the culture they come from allows this. Is this the only Access this is happening ? Are you guys seeing it too?

Monday 9-2-13, Elk , Noel to Cowskin, Saw two other groups , Water was great, three smallies over 17, Cant believe I almost passed on this one . Thanks for the replies

Noel launch , would that be River Ranch ? And I see a dam ,Is that hard to get around?

I will be in eastern Oklahoma for the weekend and will have to pass close to the Elk Monday on the way home, This river has long been on my list of must float rivers. Do you folks think Monday will be too crowded or an otherwise un family friendly atmosphere? What section would you recommend? We will have two vehicles to self shuttle or could use an outfitter for parking. Any help at this late hour would be great.