Mark

I wasn't there either and can only assume how the whole thing went down. I expect a manslaughter verdict as well. I would think that this act resulting in a death would lead lawmakers to finally, once and for all, eliminate the grey area in the law regarding where the public has a legal right to be on the our streams, specifically phrases such as "navigable stream" and "high water mark". My biggest fear, though, is that the general public is not going to like where any clarification of the law is going to take us. God, I hope we don't end up like Colorado, where the landowner owns the riverbank and the stream bed, and you cannot get out on the bank or wade in streams through private ground.

I'm keeping an eye on the gauges. May try to make a trip with weekend. Give me a holler, countryred, if you see a big guy in an Old Towne square back canoe.

And the Whitten access is not on the MDC Eleven Point River Mile by Mile description but it is at about the 28.3 mile marker, just above Whites Creek Float Camp. With the Cane Bluff access at the 9.3 mile marker, a 19 mile two day float from Cane Bluff to Whitten is very doable, depending on the ambition of your group. Where Greer Springs enters the Eleven Point, the river becomes bigger and faster. You will be surprised how fast you will cover the 12+ miles from Greer to Whitten. There is not that many stretches of long slow water. And IMO, the Turner Mill to Greer section may be the prettiest part of the river. If your group are early risers, and you have all day the second day, the 12 mile stretch is not too much paddling and you will have plenty of time to get out and wade fish. It's pretty easy to cover 2 miles per hour at a leisurely pace. Plus the last 7 miles will be White Ribbon Area with a limit of 4 trout and any type of bait, if you want some trout to eat. But I know what you mean about not wanting to pass up good fishing holes because of having to cover too much distance. If you are getting off the river on the second day and still have to drive home, the second day 12 miles may be a stretch. My group likes the 7 mile Turner to Whitten stretch and make it last about 8 hours, all the time we want to spend getting in and out of the canoe. Good luck!

Google "Eleven Point River Mile by Mile" and print off. For me, the Eleven Point accesses are ideal for short 5-7-10 mile floats between accesses. You might consider putting in at Cane Bluff (9.3 mile marker)and float to HWY 19 bridge (16.6 mile marker) for the smallmouth fishermen on the first day. The trout waters start at Greer Springs, just upriver from HWY 19 bridge. Then you will hit the Blue Ribbon Trout stretch from Hwy 19 bridge to Turner Mill - a little over 5 miles. After that, Turner Mill to Whitten is about 7 miles, and then Whitten to Riverton is about 9 miles - both sections are mostly trout water and White Ribbon if you are looking to keep some fish for dinner. After Riverton, you will find mostly smallmouth waters again with very few trout. So to satisfy everyone, Cane Bluff to Turner Mill over 2 days will be around 12 miles with smallmouth the first day and trout the second day.

Sounds like a great trip. I think most people have more luck smallmouth fishing the farther south you get on the river. Not much smallmouth action until you get below Halls Bay, from what others have told me. I've floated from Riverton to Hwy 142 a couple of times with some smallmouth success. I've heard that from the Narrows to Arkansas is the best smallmouth fishing. Definitely a bigger river down south. Talked to a local smallmouth fisherman once at the Hwy 142 bridge who launches there and works upstream and downstream a few miles and consistently catches nice smallies. Guessing much less river traffic and the water warms a bit, although admittedly, the river is not quite as pretty down south. But the few times I have floated below Riverton, you don't see as many people as a whole. But floated there once over 4th of July and it got pretty crazy with lots of jet props with big motors. I would think that weekdays on the southern part of the river would be the ticket. That's also where people catch walleyes.

Great hire and the only choice considering the state of Mizzou basketball. Mizzou was hard to watch this year. Expect to see more team oriented play, defense, rebounding, and some tough bigs. I hope fans give him some time. He'll get some four year players and put a TEAM together but could struggle with growing pains. No more juco transfers and players only interested in stats.

I would like to see Kim Anderson get a chance. I don't know if Mizzou fans will have the patience to give him (or anyone) a couple of years to build a team - one that plays defense, has an inside presence, no more chucking it from 25', and some good hard nose Missouri boys that play hard every night and will be there for four years. We're never going to get the McDonalds All Americans, but it can be done the old fashion way, i.e. Wisconsin.

Now that's funny!!

I never have luck in the blue ribbon area either. Sounds like they still haven't made the first stocking of the year in the white ribbon yet. Glad you caught enough for supper. Hoping to make it down this weekend if the weather cooperates and the rain holds off. What's the river level like? Plenty of firewood available? See many people? I know the feeling of tipping trying to get out of the canoe. The water always looks shallower that it actually is - watch out, that first step is a doozy!!

Has anyone been to Sardis or Grenada recently? Looking to go over Easter. I hear it has been so slow far but wondering if it has picked up in the past week. Looking like a late spawn. I can't find a current report on any sites online.

Very cool kid. Kids are so uptight nowadays, worried about appearances at such an early age, and what other kids will think. Be proud that you are raising an individual free thinker. I have a feeling you will have many more opportunities to be proud of her.

Guessing it is a little early for the first stocking of the year. Not as easy to catch the "educated" fish. It's easy to get spoiled when you slay 'em when the stocking begins!! You may have had better luck if you waited a couple more weeks!!

Just a couple nights ago there was an interesting NOVA on PBS that I had not seen about the effects of the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone. As mentioned, the wolves started the much needed thinning of the elk herds, which in turn led to the reforesting of Yellowstone as not as many elk to eat the small aspen and willow shrubs, which has led to something no one expected - an increase in the beaver population of Yellowstone, which has led beaver dams slowing down the run off in rivers and creeks, which has led to less erosion and an increase of fish habitat along streams, which has led to more fish, which will lead to bears having more fish for their diets, which will lead to less stress on the elks as a bear food source, which will lead to more elk for the wolves to eat, which will lead to......on and on and on. And not to mention the effect on all the other critters, plants, and environment around Yellowstone. It is truly amazing what the effect was of the elimination of wolves 70 years ago, and the effects of Yellowstone with the reintroduction of wolves. And we are just now realizing some effects we never expected, i.e. the beavers, and who knows what else has been affected further down the food chain. Notwithstanding Yellowstone, it is truly amazing the effects on an environment man can cause with one simple addition or subtraction from the natural order of Mother Nature.

I received mine and already mailed it off. I was not aware of the stocking efforts in MO, so I didn't have much to add. I know walleye are suppose to be one the tastiest fish there is, but I can only remember eating walleye one time many, many years ago at a restaurant in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I don't remember much about the taste other than it was good. I would love to try some fresh.

Excuse me for not knowing but where is the "Fork"?

I think this season officially puts Haith on the hot seat.

Perhaps the lack of fishing reports is due to many of us are fair weather fishermen. Gonna have to warm up for me, getting cold while fishing isn't fun for me. I will report that I took the last 3 trout out of the freezer this weekend. Man they were tasty, maybe due to the fact that I hadn't had one since last October.

Just enforce the regulations that are in place - fines for riding horses in unauthorized areas, accessing in unauthorized areas, and failing to reduce speed in jetboats to oncoming canoe traffic.

Good point about the root of distrust. And I don't fault the guy trying to make a buck on horse trail rides, but stick to the authorized trails or private grounds. There are plenty of trails available and they don't HAVE to have their trail rides on the river, they just don't want to be told to keep their horses out of the rivers.

He'll probably turn out to be really 27 years old.

The biggest issue I see in this whole debate is that the regulations that were in place have not been followed by the locals. One side says "big government is wanting to close down local businesses and destroy our traditions by closing 65 miles of horse trails". What they fail to mention is the proposal calls for closing 65 miles of "unauthorized horse trails" - trails that should have never been allowed in the first place. One side say they want to close down accesses to the river and shut out people who have used the accesses for generations. Again, what they fail to mention is the proposal calls for shutting down "unauthorized accesses" that locals have made from private lands across the federally protected river banks, and have made their own private gravel bar with their own private access. What part of "unauthorized" don't people understand? All those in favor of local control are too busy spreading half truths about "losing our rights", "big government interference", "our traditions", and "closing down our businesses" to get people all inflamed while ignoring the fact that at issue is "unauthorized horse trails" and "unauthorized accesses". We wouldn't be having this debate if the locals would have been playing by the rules all along.

I am researching Egg shaped fiberglass travel trailers and am looking for an OAF reader that owns one and would be willing to show it to me sometime. Unfortunately, all the manufacturers are way up north and too far for me to drive just to see some to compare. I am particularly interested in 13' or 17' Scamps and Egg Campers, but also would like to see a Casita, Oliver, Escapes, or Trillium, or any other small lightweight fiberglass model. If any readers would be willing to show off your fiberglass camper, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm sure this summer I will be in the areas of Southern Illinois, Northern Arkansas, or just about anywhere in Missouri. Thanks Mark

Ah, Missouri's semi pro team!!

Leanthony Earley is the real deal. I always root for the Wichita States of the world. Mizzou, on the other hand, if they make the tournament, which they don't deserve, they are one and done. St. Louis U no longer looks like the team of the first half of the season. Arkansas is certainly peaking. But the SEC is down this year. The National Champ, if not Wichita State, will come from the east coast.

Easily 2-3 inches of sleet on the ground in Ste. Genevieve - lull now before snow begins.