Phil Lilley

Willy- I would say 25-30 if you're fishing fairly gradual sloped banks like pea gravel, throw up to 10 or less. I think Bill overlooked that question. He's out on the Rock again today and will report when he gets back.

I don't think so. Consider the date. April 11. It's still early. Get a good rain, water colors up and gets warm and they'll be back in the mood. Some may will absorb their eggs but many will still lay them and so thru the spawn. That's my guess.

John Bishop- haven't heard that name before. Is there many guides on Roaring?

“I can’t get no satisfaction. But I’ve tried and I’ve tried and I’ve tried and I’ve tried. I can’t get no satisfaction.” Maybe Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are fishermen. But allow me to preface with a personal story. Back in the 80s and 90s, I played in a band. The bass player and I were co-workers at the time and formed the band one day at lunch. Buck was a good bass player and we enjoyed several years together playing clubs, festivals, and parties on the weekends. But Buck couldn’t “get no satisfaction.” It seemed every time we would get together for a rehearsal to learn a new song, Buck would have a new piece of equipment of some kind. A new amp, guitar, speaker, strap, or some “new and improved” item was introduced to us during these practice sessions. As soon as Buck would announce his new toy, he would inevitably comment that he really liked this one, but “If I only had ‘brand B’ or ‘model X’ I would be ‘perfectly happy.’” “Perfectly happy.” How many of us have ever achieved this status? As folks who enjoy the art of angling, we are more apt to be in a state of discontent to some degree at all times. I am unaware of any of my fishing buddies who would even attempt false admission that they are totally at ease with their fishing life. There is always a new rod, exotic location, bait, boat, gadget, or other object of desire in our hearts. Plato wrote in “The Republic” that “Necessity is the mother if invention.” Obviously, Plato was not a fisherman. In my youth, I was “perfectly happy” with my Zebco 33 reel and fiberglass Eagle Claw rod, casting a hook impaling a worm or shiner under a split shot with a red and white plastic bobber an acceptable distance above the bait. I sat on the bank in my jeans, tee shirt, and Red Ball sneakers. I had no boat, a few choice artificial baits, and a Western Auto bicycle that took me to all the “exotic” fishing locations within a two mile radius of my home. I caught fish and enjoyed every outing with anticipation of the next trip to the water. Yes, I can say with much certainty that at that point in my fishing life, I was “perfectly happy.” Now some forty years later, I have trouble recalling my first instance of “angler envy.” Maybe it was the first time I saw my childhood hero casting a fly rod to a school of feeding bass. Or it could have been my first trip to the Blass sporting goods section. Crossing Lake Dardanelle at the bridge on highway 64 and seeing the sleek boats cruising for fish comes to mind. Weekly episodes of George Purvis on Arkansas Outdoors and Jerry McKinnis on his show with film of great fishing in other parts of Arkansas certainly gave me reason to ponder other fishing venues. Then, of course, there was Curt Gowdy fishing those places around the world that I could only dream about. Regardless of the time or event, I have been forever hooked on the desire for bigger, better, or just different. I am excited as the winner of a new car on “The Price Is Right” when I open my mailbox and find a new fishing catalog. I jump to the “gear review” section of each outdoor magazine I receive. I make trips to my favorite fly shops just to see what “new and improved” goodies they have on the shelves. And I admit I hear “voices” when I pass the Fish Pond vests and Winston rods in those shops. But necessity? What is “necessary” about the vast majority of items we have in our angling supply inventory? Do we really have to have the bells and whistles to catch more fish? Or is it true that generally these items were designed not to catch fish, but rather to catch the fisherman? Many gadgets are touted as being designed to give the angler an advantage. I am at a loss as to whether this advantage is over the fish or the other fishermen. Of course, there is the possibility it is really to give the maker the advantage over his competition. I suspect that much of the hype is aimed simply at getting the angler’s dollar into the hands of the manufacturer or distributor. But, I am still searching for that item that truly gives me any real edge. That does nothing to stop me from pointing at a new item in the most recent catalog and telling my wife, “I need one of those.” Of course, she, being the more pragmatic one, just answers with a groan of displeasure. She also realizes that my “kid in a candy store” expression will soon pass when I finally think things out and grasp the difference between “need” and “desire.” Several years ago, I pulled my boat into the launch area of a small lake close to my home just as a brand new SUV with a sleek new bass boat in tow was backing down the ramp. As he let the fiberglass craft equivalent to a water bound Ferrari drift into the lake, I struck up a conversation with the owner. He was happy to cover all the bells, whistle, and advantages of his vessel which cost as much as my boat, motor, trailer, truck, and home all together. I drooled at the four tackle boxes organized by soft plastics, plugs, spinners, and jigs. I counted twelve rods of various lengths and styles. A depth finder, fish graph, AM/FM stereo, computerized trolling motor, and electric anchor winch were all within the confines of his new toy. Soft padded seats seemed to be everywhere. And there was enough storage space to keep the entire inventory of most bait and tackle shops. I began to calculate budget cuts that would allow me to make the payments on such a rig on my current wages. I needed one of those boats. He then commented that my dented aluminum john boat with only a trolling motor and one plastic boat seat would probably be just fine to fish this lake. How true he spoke. As I launched my boat, he cranked up the big 225 horse motor, turned his cap backwards, gave me a wave, and sped off to the other end of the lake. The lake was small enough that the trip only lasted less than 20 seconds. He then darted from one spot to another, throwing up a huge rooster tail for the five second ride to his new promising spot. While observing this, I lowered my trolling motor into the water and began my slow cruise around the lake’s perimeter. Cast after cast, I would inch around the edge dragging bass from brush, stumps, and logs as I went. After a few casts, I would hear the big engine fire up and move again. I admit I was envious of such a nice piece of equipment. I wanted my neighbors to stare in envy at an equally first-rate boat in my carport. As I returned to the ramp and began to load my boat onto the trailer, the big motor cranked one last time and headed en route to the same ramp. He was walking to his SUV as I was pulling out and I stopped to pick up more conversation. We traded short fishing stories and I found that the number and size of bass I had landed and returned to the water was higher than his. In fact, in one spot he bragged about pulling a couple of three-pounders after one of his longer stays, I had come behind him a few minutes later and landed three more bass. One of these weighed four and one five pounds. He then asked where he could get some gas for his rigs and I told him to get his boat loaded and follow me to my sister’s store where he could fuel his boat and SUV. I waited while he ran the boat onto the trailer, strapped it down, and opened and closed every storage unit door on the rig twice, putting up rods, tackle boxes, and various other items scattered about the floor of his boat. Eventually everything was in place and strapped down and we were on our way to the store. As he pumped gasoline into the boat, we traded a couple more stories and favorite fishing spots. Watching the numbers roll by on the gas pump, my envy for his equipment began to fade with every gallon and dollar. The “desire” in my heart quickly faded into oblivion. It was a lesson that sticks with me today. Well, for the most part anyway. Like a lonely puppy, the envy keeps coming back again and again. And those that make and sell fishing equipment keep raising the bar. Every year I view the “new and improved” offerings. And every year there is another “latest and greatest” to covet. A new rod is just a bit stronger and will cast a bit farther. A new bait has a bit more wiggle to attract a few more fish. More comfort. More room. Less aggravation. Less wasted time. Better. Improved. The best. The fastest. The slowest. I even noticed a recent ad for a rod that bragged “The perfect rod defined.” I have my doubts. I am still longing for the perfect fishing vest. I continue the quest for the ideal waders. I am hopelessly in pursuit of the perfect rod. Will I ever find the guaranteed fish catching fly or lure? What company will develop the line that will be frictionless enough to allow me to cast a mile to cover more water faster? Where is that leader material that is less than one-thousandths of an inch in diameter with a 50 pound tensile that is truly invisible to fish? When will someone invent a “transporter” boat that will instantly take me from the dock to my favorite fishing spot some five miles away? Maybe Lowrance, G Loomis, and Mustad will combine forces and develop the first “Automatic Fish Catcher” that will instantaneously find the biggest fish, hook him, and bring him to your hand. When they do, I want one. I will be “perfectly happy.” Honestly, if only I was nine again with my Western Auto bicycle, Eagle Claw rod, and Zebco 33 reel, I would be “perfectly happy.” It would do my heart good to see someone in the middle of a big BASS tournament in a simple john boat with a 10 horse motor heading out well behind the screaming bass rigs and find in the newspaper the next morning a headline reading “FISHERMAN WINS BASS TOURNAMENT WITH A WORM AND A CANE POLE.” Until then, I will be like Diogenes. Only instead of searching for an honest man, I will be searching for the perfect fishing gear. Methinks Diogenes has the upper hand.

Gear Review: William Joseph W2O Wading Boots By Ken Morrow I’ve probably spent as many hours of my adult life wearing wading boots as I have wearing hunting, hiking, and work boots. And that is a lot of hours, let me tell you! My quest for the perfect hunting boot ended a few years ago when I found a wonderful pair of Irish Setters. Alas, they discontinued that model the next year. I’ve still never found a work boot I’m completely happy with because there seems to be some inherent give and take in the protection versus weight equation. And while preferences and theories of hiking boots vary, I have personally found a couple of models that strike the appropriate balance for me. But wading boots have always fit into one of three unsatisfactory categories for me: too heavy, too flimsy, or just plain junk. Until now! This past winter, I got a box from William Joseph that contained a pair of their new W2O Wading Boots in my size. I had read a couple of reviews on-line and seen them on their website. But upon first examination I was very impressed. The looks were “as advertised,” very sporty and fashionable. In their catalog, WJ suggests that the ideal wading boot should not be so ugly as to cause other anglers to kick the wearer’s butt. In my experience, there are three fashion sensibilities among fly anglers: the Elmer Fudds who try to look ridiculous, the LL Bean crowd who try to look wealthy, and the good ole boys who mostly want stuff to work well without making any fashion statement. Of course, they have developed a non-descript fashion signature all their own in spite of themselves. Elmers won’t like these boots because they aren’t stupid looking. Beaners will find their looks acceptable to the point where performance is the key. And the good ole boys will love them because they can get away with looking good, but not draw scorn from their buddies in the parking area or fishing camp. WJ says you’ll be tempted to wear them around town with your street clothes. While I suffer from no such urge I can see what they are talking about. Hefting the boots out of the box, I was instantly impressed with their featherweight status. These are by far the lightest wading boots I have ever personally touched. They weigh about the same as a pair of sneakers when dry, or a wet pair of jogging shoes when you walk out of the stream. So I immediately began checking them for safety and durability indications. Sneakers they are not! Constructed of pre-shrunk leather, Hypalon wraps, a mountaineering insole, and combination rubber-felt soles; the W2O boots mean business. They have an articulated heel high-top ankle that gives added comfort to the angler who covers a lot of ground like a good hiking boot or athletic high-top would. They employ a flawless speed-lace system combined with a positive traction industrial Velcro leather ankle strap. The toe and heel of the sole are capped in extruded rubber plates resembling steel taps on a pair of dancing shoes, and the rest is high quality felt. I stepped on the toes, squeezed the sides and tops and tried to bend the boot heel-to-toe to check flexibility. Using their style of dense material design WJ often employs in their products, they have come up with an incredibly light and amazingly rugged wading boot. Eureka! Try as one might; however, the only real and meaningful test for any footwear is actually wearing them. And a lot of specialty footwear products these days have some interesting little quirks that you only discover from extended wear. Nike joggers and cross-trainers, for example, are great for me when wearing them for the sport they were intended for. But if I sit down in them, or wear them for regular daily “street” wear, they hurt my feet – badly! Well, I have worn these WJ W2O’s now for several months in ice cold waters, rocky bottoms, silty/sandy bottoms, weedy streams, asphalt parking lots, grassy campsites, over rocky and broken mountain trails, and on a 2 mile road march from one fishing hole to another. And I’m in love! I will say this about them though, if you are fishing extremely cold waters in a cool climate, give some preparation to keeping your feet warm. These boots do not offer much in the way of insulation on purpose. But I never needed more than a pair of thick wool socks under my waders and then the boots…even when standing pretty much in one place in sub-50 degree water all day. But the next time I do that, I’m taking a set of Grabber Warmer toe warmers to stick on the toes of my socks. I wasn’t uncomfortable enough for it to matter, but I was uncomfortable enough for it to be noticeable after several hours. As usual, when you add the unconditional, no BS warranty that William Joseph backs all of their products with, the W2O Wading Boots are simply an amazing value for anyone who cares more about the weight of their wading boots than they do the insulation factor. I personally think that all hike-in and pack-in anglers should have a pair or two of these boots. That is the application for which I believe they truly shine their brightest. And if WJ ever decides to discontinue this model of boot, I’m going to order three more pairs for my future use. You can find the WJ W2O Wading Boots and all of the wonderful William Joseph fishing gear on-line at http://www.williamjosephfishing.net or at many fine fly shops around the world.

Makes sense. Kinda like "Buddy Fishing". That's backing the end of the boat your buddy is fishing from into the trees when the fish REALLY start biting.

I knew you didn't but wanted to head off a firestorm... you know how some guys are... Man I'm going to have to get down there and fish. Sounds like a great place.

Surely not. Seining means taking a long net and harvesting fish by netting. I think you got your terms mixed up.

Talked to Buster this evening. He said he's been catching some big rainbows just above Fall Creek throwing a straight 1/16th oz sculpin jig and working off the bottom. He says, and I agree, that you can catch more and bigger trout using a jig without a float and of course sculpin is his favorite color (mine too). I tend to use a little heavier jig though- 3/32 or an 1/8th. I hope to get out tomorrow and try it. We'll see.

I bought these for Alaska but Jim says we have enough. I'm not going to use them- have to pay for shipping and restocking fee so I thought... "Why not offer it to my buddies at a bargain before I ship them back?!" So here's what I have- 4) 6740 models $45.95 2) 6760 models $49.95 plus whatever to mail and a little for a box. 9 stainless steel ball bearings (6720 has 7 ball bearings). Double-shielded ball bearings in key locations. Instant anti-reverse one-way clutch bearing. Anodized aluminum spool with distinctive hole pattern for lighter weight. Titanium spool lip for added line protection. Large diameter titanium ball bearing line roller. Smooth front drag system with stainless steel and oiled felt washers and audible drag adjustment. Sure-ClickTM Bail. Corrosion-resistant stainless steel main shaft and components. Machined aluminum handle with rosewood knob. Spare aluminum spool included. Protective drawstring storage bag. 6740.....195yds/10#.....5.2:1.....12.3 oz. 6760.....230yds/17#.....4.6:1.....20.9 oz. Drop me an email phil@lilleyslanding.com Mo residents will have to pay 9% sales tax- sorry!

Black Woolhead Leech, John Jackson Red Zebra Midge, Back2roots #10 Primrose & Pearl, Duckydoty #22 D-Rib Midge, Kyle Hilger #18 JuJuBee Midge, Randy Hilger Thread Midge, Troutchaser Eggs Bodacious, Don May River Demon, Leonard Keeney Prince Nymph, jjtroutbum 1/105th oz Ginger Jig, Rolan Duffield Ginger Mini Bug, Steve Smith Green Glitter Smallie Worm, flysmallie Infamous Pink Worm, Dan Sears Pine Squirrel, Leonard Keeney Y2K Bug, Kicknbass

http://ozarkanglers.com/fff/nafff-4-07_newsletter.pdf

"Fish were biting as good as they could possibly bite." What does that mean? Did you fish?

Looks like the jig Brad Wright caught his big brown on. Different color though.

Sheets will come off tomorrow. It'll be a big wash day. Better hurry!

A lady just called the resort and said she had a purse taken from her car yesterday mid afternoon while parked at the Cooper Creek Access. The window of their car was broken. They were fishing with Bill Beck, a guide. Branson is being over run with crime it seems. None of it's in the paper, unfortunately, to warn both tourist and locals. If you come down here, take wise precautions.

Would it do any good to stock a fish like white bass? Would that like stocking shad? I'd think they'd either thrive or not. They did you years like you said. Does it have to do with the age of a lake. Like Taneycomo- it had it's prime for bows. Grand Lake is still in it's prime I guess cause their white population is still huge. I don't know. Walleye, whites... hasn't been a good spring- yet. Still might turn on.

It got down to 25 here last night. We've had plants covered now for 3 days. I think it helped curve the damage. Looks like we've had a toga party last night and they all cut and ran, leaving their sheets behind. It's hard to tell this early how bad the freeze damaged some plants and trees. I'm especially worried about the sycamores. We've lost several in the last couple of years to a fungus they got about 8-9 years ago when we had a warm spell and then a cold wet spell late in the spring. The ones we lost never seemed to recover after that. I'm sure the lake kept our area little warmer than others.

ESPN I assume?

I thought the same thing... but how did they get the perfect lighting of the clouds and funnel? Not sure if you can fake this. What's the name of the site you can check for spoofs?

Will we have spring all over again!!!!

Sorry about that! The tech guys are terrible about giving me notice on when they work on the server- Supposedly there's twice the bandwidth now so you should notice the site load faster, depending on your service. Hopefully they'll have the time corrected- SOON!!

AJ Pratt asked me to post this for you guys- Since Bull Shoals Lake is shared by Missouri and Arkansas, its fish populations are managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). Annually, these agencies stock the reservoir with walleye, catfish, and other fish species. It is common that MDC provides walleye fry to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to raise in their hatcheries, which they later stock back into Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes. Walleye Since 1990, MDC has annually stocked an average of over 238,000 walleye fingerlings into Bull Shoals. Back in March of 2007, MDC staff collected approximately 200 broodstock walleye (150 males and 50 females) from the Forsyth area of Bull Shoals (as most know this is an annual event). These fish were sent to MDC’s Chesapeake Hatchery where eggs were collected and fertilized. The broodstock have since been returned to the Bull Shoals along with 1,000,000 walleye fry. The remaining fry have been put into rearing ponds at the MDC and USFWS hatcheries where they will be raised to fingerling size (2-4”) and then stocked back into Bull Shoals and Norfork. Beginning in 2007, MDC has increased their Bull Shoals’ walleye stocking goal from 264,000 to 352,000 fingerlings per year. Striped and Hybrid Striped Bass In 2000 the AGFC unintentionally stocked 12,000 striped bass into Bull Shoals Lake. Since then no agency has stocked stripers or hybrid striped bass into the lake. The few fish that were stocked have grown well, with some exceeding 35 pounds and continuing to provide a very limited, but exciting fishery. At this time, there are no plans of future stockings of the striped or hybrid striped bass. However, consideration has been given to establishing a limited fishery with one of the two fish species. White Bass Beginning in 2003, anglers noticed a decline in Bull Shoal’s white bass fishery. In the fall of 2004, MDC resumed white bass sampling with gillnets to replicate what had been done in 1998, 1999, and 2000. This effort has indicated that white bass grow exceptionally fast in Bull Shoals, with the fish reaching up to 10 inches during its first year. Also, the species is relatively short lived and seldom lives past 4-5 years. When comparing the six years of data, there is a decline in the overall numbers of fish. The most notable decline is with the “young of the year” fish (5.5” – 10.4”) which were spawned the year of sampling (Figure 1). One reason for this decline is due to drought conditions the region experienced during that time period. Below average water levels are not conducive for good white bass spawns or survival of their young. If small numbers of fish are produced and then faced with a poorer than average growth environment, the adult population will eventually suffer. If water conditions do not improve, it is unlikely that the population will consistently return to the fishing we had in the “good ole days”.

Buster Loving caught this nice brown a couple of days ago on a 3/32 oz sculpin jig.

Pat is a single lady in her mid 50's. She's been part of our fishing family for more than two decades. She has smoked for much of her life and is now paying the price. She's in ICU in St Joe, MO on a ventilator because her lungs are hardening due to repeated bouts with pneumonia and acid reflux. She loves to fish for trout. She loves to fly fish especially. If she's to see Taneycomo again, God will have to heal her lungs, which I believe He can do.