Phil Lilley

Scott ushered us around the first of Jan on our bird hunt south of Mullinville. We're going back Sunday and hunt the last 2 days of the season next week. We left a few birds... settle the score.

The key is not cooking them too long. If you do, they will crumble. 300 degree oil is ideal. Time? You'll have to experiement. It depends on the size filet.

That's Scott Brown and Ashland. They're from Greensburg, Ks.

It's not as low as it was several years back but it's getting there. There's a shoal just up from the mouth of Swan that will come into play real quick as far as boat traffic- and as far as fishing.

Harvest this beast??? You'd have to take it to a beef slaughter house! I can't imagine it- catching one more-or-less cleaning one. I'd quick-release it- CUT THE LINE!!

You filet a trout like you filet a bass, crappie or white bass. You start behind the gill plate, cut to the back bone and then follow the back bone to the tail, lay the meat over and run the knife between the skin and meat. then you cut out the rib cage. If you have a larger filet, you could slit the meat along the Y bone line just above the top edge of where the ribs were. When you bread the filet, make sure you get some in the slit to cook the small bones inside. But generally they cook in a smaller filet.

I haven't fished it but I can answer your boating question. K-Dock to the dam is about 7-8 miles. You could run it but to save gas I'd put in at River Run just a couple of miles below the dam. Much better ramp too. From there up you'll have lots of trouble. Very shallow. I'd drive up and look at the Pothole area before boating up. Like I said, I haven't seen it this winter so I don't know exactly what the depths are. I wouldn't risk a prop or lower unit over it.

Swimming minnows- my guess is smoke or chartruese.

Talk to Tim Sainto just now... he said he limited x2 yesterday morning in the Yocuum Creek area but had to work for them. Got sleeted on- but said he was still catching crappie in 4 foot of water on the flats. The bigger crappie are going to be down in the lake closer to the Missouri line on the bluffs in the trees. Going to have to go deeper too- 10-14 feet deep.

Interesting you mention that - our stats show the following: Explorer - 90.8% Firefox - 4.8% Netscape - 1.9% I use netscape. Other - Windows - 96.9% MacIntosh - 1.7%

Exactly - it's frustrating to see so much $$$ going to east and west coast projects that few of us will ever see. TU regional did give us some money when we built the collection bend at the hatchery parking lot. I talked to Phil Surratt today about some of the things we've talked about. OzarkFlyFishers sound like the club/structure we may look into. Form a club then encourage members to join either FFF or TU. Sounds like FFF is open to something like that... TU may not like the idea because they wouldn't get funding thru membership. But if another club like NW Arkansas does it, we'll see. Gavin- thanks for the offer. We may be calling.

One false move could cost you your head....

What do you do with this many fish? Can them? Pickle them? Big fish fry? I've heard they're not good after being frozen.

I ran out of "fatty" names after 30. Curtis keeps them fed real well. They're starting to eat floating food- cool topwater action. The rain and boat traffic has clouded the water today. They may run water tonight and clear it up.

We just lowered the rate on the streaming so more people should be able to view it. That may have been your problem. We're going to watch it and see. It's still trial and error. You still may try going into Windows media direct - file/open url and type in http://66.76.215.83:1200 and see if that works.

TU requires chapters to hold a fundraiser annually. They also only pay the local chapters a small percentage of the membership dues paid. That's the only requirements by national. Don't know anything about FFF. But like I said, we could combine 2 organizations- one group of guys. Double the opportunities. TU has nothing like the conclave or sow bug which are great opportunities for members. There an organization close by that's both- isn't it NWArkansas FFF/TU?

I'm not pushing TU here- want you to know that. But the reason we started a TU chapter here and not a FFF chapter is because there are higher-ups in MDC that are TU and have helped us with issues here on Taney in the past. BUT, saying that, it doesn't bode well that the chapter has gone nill and not much has been done to help it. I have heard of groups affiliatied with both organizations. I do believe there can be alot accomplished in education from a group like this. And it can be an influence on some issues on Taney but for the most past, MDC does what they want to do regardless what the public says. The limit change is an example. I'm open to whatever.

Another year another Master's winner... Eric and Troy Willis, father/son team from here in Branson trolled their way to victory today, cashing in on the $440 first prize and coveted Master's Traveling Trophy. It was only their second year to fish the event. Troy caught the big brown of the day netting another $110. They trolled below Cooper Creek all day using a variety of Lucky Craft baits. Jerry and JD Dudley, another father/son duo from Fayetteville, Ar, took second, throwing jigs in the Short Creek area. John Hittler and Frank Dielt (bass guy) caught third place fishing downstream and throwing jigs. Youths Hathman and Banover from here in the area took 4th place. They were throwing small crank bait for most of the day. Standing- Willis/Willis - 7.92 big brown 2.84 (20.1 inches) Dudley/Dudley - 7.64 w/ big rainbow 1.44 Hittler/Dielt - 6.68 .98 Hathman/Banover 6.40 1.16 Stockton/Stockton 6.20 .98 Hawkins/Hawkins 6.12 .94 Dishman/Plotner 6.08 1.36 Dwiggins/Wucher 6.06 1.24 Burckhardt/Dwiggins 5.88 1.10 Dishman/Dishman 5.88 .94 Elfrink/Pingleton 5.70 Weldele/Frenzel 5.64 Rasnick/Pitts 5.48 Slagle/Miller 5.32 Biermann/Gust 5.20 Martin/Griesse 5.12 22 teams

Fly or spin? Boat or wade? Temp is about 50.

Grey jig.

You can start out of our place but don't start will after 8 am. I have the RAW tournament that day and that's when they take off.

Takeoff was at 8 am. Weigh in is at 4 pm. 23 teams with only 3 fishing "up".

A few of us started the TU chapter 12-14 years ago. The same guys have lead it for most of those years and got burned out. No one has picked it back up... yet. TU Missouri is talking about merging all the chapters into one- KC, Mid-Mo and Meramec, the Meramec hasn't been active for quite some time. Not sure what that will do- for Branson anyhow. I'd like to start meetings back up but just not right now. I'm part of a very small group that's trying to build a 6.6m YMCA facility right now and my time is taxed too much. But there may be others................

6 lb caught today (released) down below Rockaway Beach. Frank Dielt of St Louis