Phil Lilley

85 here today and 90's in Oklahome... my, my, my. I bet it was in the 70's in Iowa- short sleeve ice fishing! Welcome to summer in March.

Looks like he'd been eating alot of sculpin from the looks of his belly.

I want to fish it cause I think I know where some bass are and they aren't that far away... gotta think- creeks, cuts, coves.

What?!?!?

OFF Members, It is IMPORTANT that as many respond to these bills as possible. As is becoming customary, notice of these hearings was not announced until late yesterday, making it difficult for us to have representation at the hearings. That means that we need YOU to make as many phone calls as possible to let these committee members know our position! Emails can be sent, but likely will not be read in time for the hearings. You can let the legislators know that notice of these hearings were announce very late, which did not allow an earlier response. Please leave a message with your name and organization with the staff if you are not able to contact the legislators in person. They will pass on the information! Remember - your voice DOES count - but only if you make the phone calls!!! SCR29 - Senator Graham - Bill OPPOSES the sale fo national forest land in Mark Twain National Forest. - we SUPPORT this bill! Even if you can't make the 12:00 deadline for the SCR29 bill (SUPPORTING Senator Grahams bill!!) your calls will still be on record and acknowledged. HB 1761 - Tom Loehner/ Mike Dethrow - we OPPOSE this bill!! The rules for sand & gravel mining have not been given a chance to work. We do not want the stream protections rolled back. A simple call identifying yourself with OFF - OPPOSING this legislation will at least have another voice on record. There is a hearing at 6:00pm Wed, March 1 - please call as many on the committee as possible. A brief summary of the changes in the rules are outlined below for your reference Following is a summary of the changes being proposed in this bill, and why we OPPOSE it!! Parts of the bill are, frankly, difficult to decipher. In general, the gist is that the bill will 1) exempt many more operations from the permitting requirement; 2) reduce the stream-side buffer requirement for these exempted operations to five feet; 3) specifically allow for equipment to be in the water; and 4) allow local governments to contract with others to mine gravel for government use without a permit. (5) exempts landowners who remove streamside trees to mine gravel from the permit requirement. The bill also repeated refers to "department guidelines" without specifying what those guidelines are. We can assume it means the guidelines that existed before the new rule took effect, but it is unclear. The bill further waters down regulations on gravel mining and therefore should be opposed in my opinion. By exempting operations from the permit requirement, it both makes it more difficult to track the operations and deprives DNR of funds to enforce the law. Brief Analysis of HB1761 (2006) 444.765(12): Adds definition of "noncommercial operator". This is a very loose definition that encompasses anyone who mines gravel from 1) farmland; or 2) other property used primarily for purposes other than mining. The definition states that the mining must be conducted in accordance with "department guidelines" but does not specify what those guidelines are. 444.766: Exempts the removal of trees for "land improvement", despite their location, from the permit requirement; this would allow landowners, for example, to clear a gravel bar of a maturing stand of trees without a permit. 444.770: (1): Exempts noncommercial operators from the permit requirement. (1): Exempts all operators from obtaining a permit when the mining is done at the request of a property owner for the "primary purpose of managing seasonal gravel accretion on property not used primarily for gravel mining." This is a very broad exemption from the permit requirement. I would expect that this would be used to exempt most operators from the permit requirement. The language restricting the exemption to the management of "seasonal gravel accretion" is so broad and vague and to allow this exemption to be applied in almost all situations. (5): Broadens the exemption from the permitting requirement for local governments to allow them to contract with mining operators to obtain gravel for their own use. Under existing law, local governments have to use their own equipment and personnel to claim such exemption. This will expand the number of mining operations that are exempt from the permit requirement. (6): The intent of this new section is not entirely clear. It begins with a reference to the section addressing the local government exemption. It then states, however, that landowners or operators who are otherwise exempt from the permit requirement must still conduct their mining in accordance with department guidelines if they are going to sell the gravel. The intent of this provision is seemingly to require all mining operations that sell gravel to comply with department guidelines. The section is vague in that it refers back to the local government section and in that it does not specify which "department guidelines" must be complied with. I believe the reference to the prior subsection (5) refers to the exemption therein for private individuals mining for personal use. In other words, this new section would allow those private landowners mining for "personal use" to sell their gravel and still remain exempt from the permit requirement. (7): This new section prohibits noncommercial operators from mining from March 1 through the end of May. This would seem to be the result of lobbying by some entity concerned with fish spawning. (8): This new section specifically allows noncommercial operators to drive their equipment through streams to conduct mining activities. (9): This new section requires noncommercial operators to leave a stream-side buffer of five feet. This is smaller than the ten foot buffer requirement in the new rules. And much smaller than the 25 or 30 foot buffer that I believe was required in the original guidelines. Edward J. Heisel Executive Director Missouri Coalition for the Environment 6267 Delmar Boulevard Suite 2E St. Louis, Missouri 63130 314.727.0600 (office) 314.401.6218 (cell) 314.727.1665 (fax) www.moenviron.org State Committee Members Hobbs, Steve, Chair 573-751-9458 fax 573-522-4969 http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem021.htm Day, David, Vice Chair 573-751-1446 fax 573-526-0761 http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem148.htm Brown, Jason 573-751-6593 fax 573-522-9278 http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem030.htm Darrough, Bruce 573-751-9760 fax 573-526-1393 http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem075.htm Dethrow, Mike 573-7581-1066 http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem153.htm Franz, Ward http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem151.htm Liese, Albert Joseph http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem079.htm Lowe, Jenee' M. 573-751-2437 fax 573-526-5759 http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem044.htm May, Bob http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem149.htm Weter, Raymond 'Ray' 573-751-5713 fax 573-751-0733 http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem142.htm Witte, Terry L 573-751-9614 fax 573-526-0905 http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem010.htm Wood, Dennis 573-751-2492 fax 573-526-9794 http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem062.htm Young, Terry 573-751-9851 fax 573-522-8172 http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/member/mem049.htm

Just wanted to announce a newly scheduled trout tournament Saturday, April 1 out of Lilleys' Landing Resort & Marina. I've had alot of people ask for another tournament so April 1st the best day for us and it should space the tournament days enough to be somewhat successful. Same entry fees, same format as the Masters and Team Tournaments. There will be a big fish pot of $5 per person. Details and flyers to follow.

Grif- I would not like to see the aftermath of you all's meeting... your big jon against his little jon. It would not be pretty. Hey- July's getting closer everyday!

Buster Loving or Bill Babler among others... but for white bass, you'll have to be flexible- go at a day's notice (or two). Buster has caught whites on TR the last couple of years on the main lake fairly consistantly. We'll see how the white bass season works out this spring.

Brian- this subject has been brought up earlier on another thread. The owners of K-Dock have been badgering anglers in boats for quite sometime. They've supposedly been warned by the water patrol and the sheriff for harrasing anglers in boats around their dock including people I know personally, first-hand. I've tried (used to) to get fishing reports from them and the gal who answers the phone has actually hung up on me. I don't mean to pick on them... I'm not stating second or third hand "rumors"... just what I know first hand. I have been in their shop, bought snacks and gas from them and they do seem like decent folk. I guess you just don't want to push their "buttons".

It would be great if he does some reporting on the forum... when I need a guide for Bull Shoals, I have had NONE to call because I don't know of any. I divert people to Table Rock all the time for bass, crappie, white bass and walleye.

No one is arguing with that... you're right as rain. We should discuss those issues- create another topic and go for it.

It seems this is a valid issue in other states. And it's a subject that's worthy to be discussed - pro and con.

Everyone has brought up good points... but I would caution the tone. We can agree to disagree but we also can agree not to condescend for activity that is presently legal. Water quality issues, boating saftey, breaking rules in the trophy area are all good topics and have been discussed- and should be discussed further. For clarity sake, I would suggest they'd be discussed on different topic headings. Thanks guys.

It also depends on where you're fishing... streams, parks, lakes. But scuds, midge, woolies, streamers are all good in Missouri's waters.

For those who need an excuse to fish... http://ozarkanglers.com/team_06.html I'm going to organize a pre-tournament~tournament on Friday afternoon. Some of the guys have asked for a bass tournament on Taney so we've going to have alittle fun with it. From noon till 6 pm we'll have a bass contest. No entry fee. Winners will get their choice of a Lilley' shirt, sweatshirt or hat. 2-man team. Will weigh in 8 bass per team (no length limit on Taneycomo). With the warm weather this week, the bass fishing may be red hot on the lower lake. If a bass tournament becomes popular, we may have to host other events. I used to host a bass/trout contest in April but it didn't go. We'll see what kind of reception this gets.

For the most past, fishing was very good this weekend. One group- John Johnson's party from OK- have been fishing scuds, zebras, micro jigs and marabou jigs under an indicator from the "Narrows" to Lookout and have caught alot of rainbows. Largest so far is about 16 inches. I joined them last night for a fish fry- very tasty!! Today they are fighting the wind. But I just talked to a couple of them and the sculpin/orange head 1/125th oz jig under a float is knocking them dead this morning. One went to the dam and fly fished- scuds- I told him to try down at rebar. He said he did well- largest rainbow was 17 inches. He said one guy carried out a nice 5 lb rainbow.

Beaver Creek Results Feb 25, 2006 Place Team Member1 Team Member2 # Fish Total Weight NTC Points 1 Leslie Wake Dwight Smith 3 8.42 100.00 2 Bill Bodard Jim Bodard 2 5.18 61.52 3 James Waller Joe Rains 1 2.70 32.07 4 Lee Brown Adam Brown 1 2.60 30.88 5 Mile Worley Brad Wiseman 0 0.00 0.00 6 Bill Lynn Bob Rogers 0 0.00 0.00 7 Steve Fisher Harold 0 0.00 0.00 8 Steve Lawrence Steve Lawrence Jr. 0 0.00 0.00 9 Ron Luethner Rick Harvey 0 0.00 0.00 10 Heath Holman Bill Ackermann 0 0.00 0.00 11 Mark Hilton 0 0.00 0.00 12 John Yurkovich Bob Biebler 0 0.00 0.00 13 Marty Ford Shannon Woods 0 0.00 0.00 14 Mark Cambell Tom Statler 0 0.00 0.00 0 Big Fish Wake & Smith 1 0.00 0.00

Talked to Buster- he said a friend of his went out yesterday and caught 13 keeper crappie up to 14 inches using a tube jig and float 4 feet deep fishing the flats accross from Trigger and a flat or two down from there, exact location?? But they were up in 4-5 feet of water. Also caught 2 keeper walleye same technique.

You know the comparson between baiting deer and baiting fish is the best example I've seen- thanks Randall. In Kansas, and I'm sure other state, baiting deer is legal (Michigan too). It is illegal in Missouri and I believe Arkansas. Chumming in Arkansas is "illegal?"... I think it is. Shuffling is considered chumming. It's legal in Missouri to chum. May be the issue is making chumming illegal in Missouri? That would be a hard task. BUT IF other states like Arkansas, Colorado and New Mexico have outlawed shuffling, why can't Missouri? Why can't MDC at least seriously consider it- host public forums and discuss it with the public and make a definitive decision. That's what we need to ask for- a day in "court" so as to voice the public's opinion and then let the professional managers make their call once and for all. I will make this an issue with the local TU chapter.

Who's district is the land in? US Congress.

I'll ask my father-in-law about it. He works for DNR and has contacts in Jeff City.

KOA, State Park on Table Rock, Cooper Creek and the city campground downtown. Gerths- Garths just up 165 from the dam is open I think.

Very doubtful that we will see any at all. We'd have to get hard generation which is again doubtful... but it's possible.

Supposed to hit 70's and possbily 80's this week. Should do something good for fishing the Ark...

Funny- I talk to alot of people about the way Branson was and what it is now. But places like Riverlake don't change. There's no new construction on Acacia Club Rd, no construction across the lake, may be a few more boats but really not that many more. And for the most part people are very friendly on the water. BTW - we had a contract on RL when the Thompson's had the resort in 1982... Bob Klein came up with the money first and beat me out of the sale. I like the way things have turned out though.