Mark

Snap, you're getting pretty technologically advanced with pictures, aren't you?

I see it's almost 7 feet at Bardley guage. Someone put some perspective on it for me - does that put the Whitten access underwater? Also, does flood conditions move more fish downstream?

Thanks again, I hope to make a trip soon.

Thanks, any advice for a first timer to Mark Twain.

Can some of you Yanks give us a newer report on Mark Twain Lake? Crappie report would be great.

A couple friends and I floated T'ville to Cane Bluff 2 years ago in early June. The first mile or two is more of a creek. We were only carrying fishing gear so it wasn't hard to portage over logjams and such. With a canoe full of camping gear, it would have been a hassle because there were numerous places we had to portage. We didn't have great luck fishing, although we were primarily sightseeing and didn't put in the water until noon. It was quite a drive to Cane Bluff and then to Thomasville to have vehicles at both places.After the first couple of miles it becomes much more floatable. We saw a couple pretty springs, one in particular coming out of the side of the bluff right on the river. Our biggest disappointment - cattle in the river. One stoppped right in front of us to take a big crap. Totally turned us off to fishing or swimming. And not just a couple cattle, livestock run in and out of the water for several miles in parts. I realize people own land on both sides of the river and are grandfathered in as far as using the river as a source of water for livestock. But there really should be a law against it. We'll never float that section again.

Thanks, as always, Brian. I can't wait to get down there for a weeks vacation in a month and try out my new Old Towne square stern canoe I purchased at Ozark River Company in Alton. I put a 2.5 HP Mercury motor on it. Works Great.

They usually stock right before Easter. Did they not this year?

The fish weren't cooperating? I would think last weekend would be good with the nice weather.

CC, Very insightful and interesting reading. And what is sad it that our streams that we have work the hardest to protect, we still allow to be polluted by such things as horse trail rides, livestock in the water upstream, and agricultural runoff.

Hey, 1 wall hanger is all I ask.

Tough Break Brian!! But at least you left it for us amatuers. Man I would love to get a wall hanger one of these years.

KAT, LOL, once you become accustommed to fishing the river, you will have more luck. Even when the fishing is slow, the scenery is incredible. The group I go with have been fishing the river for about 10 years and usually catch our fair share, but more that once we have had ours handed to us too. As far as heading back to the trout parks, though, NEVER!!

KAT, That's what's great about the Eleven Point. It's not suppose to always be easy to catch fish like the amusement parks (trout parks). Try not to spread the word too much - we like it just like it is!! Mark

We have a group heading down in about a week. Any suggestions would help. None of us have fished the Norfolk Lake before. Hoping the crappie are biting, but none of us have any idea on how to catch stripers. Help out some first timers. Baits? Depth? Areas of the lake? What to look for?

Minnith???

I'm wanting a square stern canoe, prefer fiberglass or polythelene.

Sorry, but this has the smell of rightwing conservatism once more infringing on our rights and freedoms. I'm all for enforcing existing laws regarding public drunkeness, littering, underage drinking, and nudity (although I don't mind that one but can see where families with children don't want to see it). I have more of a problem with horse and livestock feces in the water or agricultural chemicals from runoff. A group of young people, regardless if they are hooping and hollaring and playing bumper canoes, have as much right to the water as fishermen. And I remember how much fun groups of my friends use to have on big float trips, drinking included. I'm glad to see young people enjoying nature, there's lots of worse things they could be doing. I've learned not to go where it's crowded on weekends and holidays if I'm wanting to fish. Let's not turn our rivers into a place where kids and young adults are not welcome. Don't expect to have the river to yourself on weekends and don't expect everyone to act like they're 50 years old.

Sorry, this one has the smell of rightwing conservatism infringing more on our rights and freedoms. No special laws are required, just enforce the ones we have concerning underage drinking, public drunkeness, littering, and nudity (which I don't mind but can see how families with young kids might). I have more of a problem with horses and livestock feces in the water, or agriculture runoff. The group of young people that want to hoop and hollar and play bumper canoes (which we all did when we were young) have as much right to the rivers as the fishermen, and personally, I'm glad to see them enjoying themselves and nature.

Speaking of explosives, here's a pretty funny story about a couple of River Rat buddies along the mighty Mississippi here in Eastern MO; Mask and Kroc had the bright idear (and they are full of bright idears) to use a little bit of explosives at a nearby sink hole here in the lowlands of the Mississippi River basin in hopes of turning a few hours work in one afternoon into a catch that would feed them and their buddies for weeks, and in the process turned them both into local legends .After a first rate investigation job on "How to Make a Bomb", they assembled the necessary ingredients of kerosene, fertilizer, blasting caps, and the necessary wires to use for the blasting caps to ignite their homemade concoction. Now being novice in the field of high explosives, they weren't quite sure how much of each ingredient would be sufficient. But being the logical fellas that they are, they figured a a mixture in a 10 gallon bucket should be just about right. So off they went with their mixture in tow, (not realizing that the static electricity in the air alone was enough to ignite their little Manhattan Project). They snuck to the sinkhole, careful that the local landowner or none of those nasty game wardens had followed them. Wading into the sinkhole, the anticipation of the upcoming catch and the local celebrity that would be coming their way only added to their excitement. Undetected, Mask and Kroc waded to the middle of the waterhole, they figured this had to be the spot and nothing could possibly go wrong now. With the calculating cunning of a couple of Noble Prize winning scientist, the moment they had been waiting for finally arrived. Mask looked at Kroc trustingly, and Kroc gave Mask the go ahead nod. Mask touched the two wires together and KABOOM!!!! The blast could be heard for miles as Mask and Kroc were knocked off their feet in a white wall of flames and dizzily dumped underwater. Trying to regain their composure from the mega - ton blast, Mask rose to his feet first with singed hair and eyebrows and look into the sky to see not one, but two rainbows overhead. As Kroc and Mask scrambled to their feet and managed to crawl to the edge of the now much shallower sinkhole, their first collective thoughts were "Let's get the heck out of here before the local cops, FBI, ATF, and military get here". So much for the best laid plans of mice and men.

Thanks, Brian, good report. I figured the water was up and cloudy a little yet from following the river gauge on here - looks like things will be in great shape for our annual Easter trip. I'm anxious to see how all the high water this winter changed the river, shifted gravel bars, etc., (although I'm hoping our couple of secret spots haven't changed, nice soft sand for setting up a tent!!). I can't wait for some fresh fish for supper!!!

We know you've been out lately. Help a fella out. Is the water still up? How are conditions?

Reminds me of the John Prine song "Paradise".... Then the coal company came with the world's largest shovel They tortured the timber and stripped all the land. They dug for their coal til the land was forsaken, then wrote it all down as the progress of man.

Now I'm confused again. Can he run his 50HP below Round Springs? Isn't that still a part of ONSR? Isn't the entire Current River part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways?

Thanks, Gavin