Phil Lilley

Taste great or less filling?

Oh my gosh! Is this a jab at fish and game? Now that they have sales tax money, some people evidentially think they have TOO much money and should NOT make residents pay more than $2 to do anything- hunt or fish. The disturbing part about all this is legislators getting involved in the fish and game biz. They need to STAY OUT of it. What a disaster it would be- just look at California!

Rapid Action Needed: http://www.friendsoftherivers.org/ Threat to AGFC's Independent Status ... could end the independent authority to protect fish and wildlife and fund itself Since 1944, Arkansas voters have had the wisdom to give the Game and Fish Commission independent authority to “wisely manage all the fish and wildlife resources of Arkansas while providing maximum enjoyment for the people.” Now, Arkansas Senate Joint Resolution 11 (SJR-11) proposes to repeal provisions in our State Constitution to eliminate this protection and allow the legislature to control the agency and redirect it’s resources. Friends believes this would have serious implications for conservation in Arkansas, and strongly opposes this bill. "Members and interested advocates should take action now, before it is too late to stop this," said Jerry Weber, Friends' president. Opposing this measure: Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers, Trout Unlimited (White River Chapter), National Wildlife Federation, North Arkansas Fly Fishers, Upper White River Basin Foundation, Arkansas Conservation Coalition, and many many more. (See below for organizational statements.) Strategy The bill is currently assigned to the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs. Friends believes that every effort should be made to stop it there and urges concerned citizens to express their opposition to the members of both the Senate and the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committees. What: * Call, visit mail or email members of the committees (see details in right panel). Calls and letters are best. * To prepare for your contact, see summary "Talking Points" at right. When: * If possible, contact the committee members over this weekend while they are at home. * If that is not possible, send a letter immediately, and call them on Monday (this issue could potentially be on Tuesday's Senate committee agenda, April 1) What's At Stake Jerry Weber, President of Friends, believes it is a wrestle over money, not authority. "I believe this is a direct attempt by a few of our the Legislator's to grab the funds AGFC is entitled to as a result of the natural gas leases it signed, and the royalties it will receive from Chesapeake Energy,” he said. “And despite the specific language in Amendment 35 which states these funds are AGFC's, the agency has agreed to share this windfall with the Oil and Gas Commission and ADEQ. The legislature just can't resist trying to take control of these funds," he added. AGFC gave $3,000,000 to ADEQ to provide more inspectors to monitor gas drilling operations. Mountain Home's newspaper, The Baxter Bulletin, in an article published March 24, raised the prospect that if passed, the State's funding for implementation of Minimum Flow on the White and North Fork Rivers might be lost, because it could be diverted by the Legislature for other purposes. What Groups Are Saying Friends believes that this measure would seriously reduce the effectiveness of the AGFC. Right now, Arkansas has one of the nation's premiere agencies. "AGFC's constitutional status is the envy of other states. That status gives AGFC continuity in scientific management, seasoned administration and career professionalism," said Steve Wilson, a Friends board member and former AGFC director. "Imagine the chaos if the control of these resources were transferred to the General Assembly -- especially with term limits in play. Imagine different game and fish regulations in each legislative district; imagine a legislator's pet project being imposed on the AGFC budget regardless of scientific merit," Wilson added. The National Wildlife Federation agrees. "In 1996, Arkansas taxpayers passed Amendment 75 to the state constitution directing nearly $26 million annually to wildlife protection and management in Arkansas," said Ellen McNulty of the NWF. "The citizens of Arkansas have always helped support AGFC's mission to wisely manage all the fish and wildlife resources of Arkansas. Adding another layer of politics for dedicated natural resource professionals to wade through would weaken the quality and effectiveness of this agency," she said. North Arkansas Fly Fishers' President George Peters said, "For over sixty years, this constitutional arrangement has greatly benefited the fish and wildlife of Arkansas. Letting the legislature add a huge element of politics will never be beneficial to the natural heritage of Arkansas." Dr. John Moore, Executive Director of the Upper White River Basin Foundation, says Missouri and Arkansas are similar in that both states' agencies are constitutionally independent of the Legislature. He said it is crucial to defeat this measure. "If Arkansas places their conservation programs under the partisan politics of legislative control, the state will begin a long downward slide in the quality and effectiveness of fish and game," said Moore. "My hope is that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, the legislature in the Natural State 'will do the right thing -- gratifying some people and astonishing the rest',” Moore concluded.

4 units this am and a north wind... tough combination. Had a trip with a couple of guys from St Louis. Wanted to jig fish and fly fish. We started with 1/8th oz jigs at the dam. White caught 4 on 3 drifts. They were nice but not enough to keep our attention. Started drifting from Andy's down on the shallow side- jig and float 12 feet deep with a pink micro. Caught a few but as Babler says, "we didn't get rich". Break for lunch Back out- corp drop the water to 2 units and manageable. Wind wasn't as bad but still pesky. Tied on a zebra dropper under a pink micro and also tried a scud/zebra combo. They stated hitting the midge pretty good. There were hot spots we kept drifting hitting over and over and did ok. Nothing big but pretty rainbows.

Cold rain tonight might shut them down. But they will still be in the main lake. Water temp there won't change.

Liked that last second, heave-ho, buzzer-beater shot from 70 feet!

Just talked to Duane. He said whites were caught all day today in the park at Swan. Waves of whites- big sows and males- were schooling up in and out of the creek. People were lining the banks, all filling their stringers (some over and over). Didn't matter what you were throwing- sliders, swimming minnows, small crank baits, rooster tails. Cold front didn't hinder their run at all.

Wack... have you registered on our new forum yet? http://midstatesanglers.com Need anglers/guides like you over there taking about the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Thanks for posting! Phil

Fished this evening from about 4:30 till dark. Fished the same spot and caught 4 sows- slow compared to the other day. Vince trolled the whole area most of the afternoon and ended up with 18. We tried a couple of places- caught 2 in the mouth of Silver Creek. Caught a small stud and a good stud at the bend in Swan late- just as it started raining harder. Saw some stringers with 3-5 whites on each only males. Seemed to get many short strikes in Swan - main lake too. We cleaned the whites- out of 9- 6 were sows and 3 out of 6 were half spawned out. Figure that one out! Main lake is 45. Swan is 56 degrees. Where the high steep clay bank stops above Swan about a mile- there were 2 guys fishing from the bank. One was using a white gitzit and he caught one walleye about 26 inches and one more about 20 inches. I've heard of him- he flats knows how to catch walleye and proved it tonight. Vince's crew caught one keeper trolling. They were trolling all over the place. Seemed like no place better than another. Most people are trolling now on the main lake. May be we should have too... but I hate trolling.

Yes- the rule applies up in Swan Creek above the 76 bridge. If you're in the lake, which it sounds like you are, you can keep 4 walleye over 18 inches per day, 8 in possession. Walleye spawn in Swan Creek. This rule attempts to protect these fish when they hit the riffles at night to spawn. Poachers are known to net these walleye at night- or gig them.

Nice cats!! That big one... what- is it 35-40 years old? May be older.

I'm alittle groggy I guess... I don't see anything that needs to change. Help me here. I did add a link to each state site.

If they were caught above the bridge in Swan Creek. If they're out in the lake there's no restriction on keeping legal walleye.

Then they'd have say on limits and such? My gosh. Haven't they made a mess of everything already. Hope they don't succeed.

Oh my- that's a fish of a lifetime for 99% of all trout anglers! Congrats!! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Crappie5... I was with Bill at the ramp. Sorry I didn't introduce myself. Might get over to the Kings Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. I've got trips all three days and will pick the best place to go.

You can drive thru the field road and get to the lake from the road that runs from the Swan Creek Bridge to Powersite Dam but it's going to be real muddy with this last rain now. There are several paths to the lake. Some are steep. Bank fishing below the dam isn't bad and I've done real well up there in past years. Then there Swan itself... not sure if you'll find anything there yet but you never know. Right place- right time.

http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/200...Bills/SJR11.pdf http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/200...measureno=SJR11 Not familiar with it... maybe you guys in Arkansas can shed some light on it.

If you look back, gosh- Jan and Feb, we were catching slab crappie on the drop offs and flats way back then. Same with whites. I think may be we're all gun shy, alittle fearful that the weather is going to screw up a good fishing spring season. We have a right to be... the last 2 springs have been nothing short of CRAZY bad. This spring, so far, has been real close to normal. But we're sitting on the edge of our chairs, analyzing every bite, every weather change. Some of these whites will spawn in the lake. On other lakes they do. I think. Regardless it's out of our hands. One thing is for sure... there ARE good whites and crappie out there this year. That stirs up our excitement (and anxiety) even more.

How about 5 yards.

I think this bite will be good for quite a few days to come. These white bass aren't going anyplace till they spawn. Cold temps aren't going to move them... the water is going to stay the same temp esp as long as they run water. As far as I can tell, this is one of the few places where a guy can catch some nice sized whites, not the little males everyone's been catching in James, Long and Beaver. It will change though.

I could add another dozen guides. All depends on what you want to do- Spin Fly Fish Bait Fish Just catch fish... Then we can match you up with the best guide. You can call our office whenever you get your dates and we'll take care of it. 1-800-284-2196 If you want a drift boat experience/fly fishing, call River Run Outfitters. We do everything else.

With this rain and the coming warm weather, we should start seeing the little fugi. Tell us if you do and ... generally where. Pics are always nice! Detailed maps are better!!

Hum... I thought they liked eddies, not current (walleye). Any keepers? If they keep running water, I'm going to catch me some chubs and head over and fish the eddies for walleye, if I have time.

Need suggestions for Iowa and Nebraska. Any other waters I'm missing?