Bill Butts

Brady, Thanks for the great input on War Eagle Creek. I had thought about dropping a canoe in at the Mill and floating down to the highway bridge, some time, to be able to see the entire stretch. With the lake 15' below normal, the creek would extend down a long ways, right now. Any one have any idea how close moving creek water would be to the bridge, at the current level? I've intended to experience that creek during the past two years, but never did it. I recall Michael McLellan was catching Whites, and maybe some Hybrids, up there last spring with a light weight spey rod. Interesting. Perhaps this year. Thanks again.

Jason, I haven't built rods in a long time, but if you've ordered blanks to build for fishing for Whites/Hybrids/Stripers I could offer some pointers on what to be sure to include for hardware, etc. What blanks did you order? Like fly tying, if you have someone to help you, in person, it is always the best. Surely, there are some folks in your area that could assist and advise. Do you know Tim Homesley at Tim's Fly Shop? I know several up here, but not down in your neck of the woods. BTW, did you see Chuck R. last night?

Gavin, Thanks for your follow-up. I thought maybe you lived in that area. I've known some of the long-time members of the OFF for many years like Jerry Jarousek (I probably misspelled his name, again), Caesar Carneghi, Bob Heine and others going back to the early years of the Conclaves in Mt. Home in the early 70's. That has been a very strong club for many years. I understand they were awarded the FFF National club of the year in 2005. That's great recognition, considering how many clubs there are in the country. Anyway, keep in touch on the Forum, things will begin heating up in the coming weeks. Hope we get some rain, we need lots of it all over the Ozarks Region.

drbrady, Thanks for your post. Those tribs of Beaver Lake are great, but not many of them. I've spent quite a lot of time the past 8 years learning the upper White and Richland Creek tribs. War Eagle really takes a boat to properly access unless you know landowners. Even at the Mill, they don't want people parking just to fish. I checked that out last year. You mentioned "access is easy" so I am all ears to any advice you can offer. If you're interested in re-acquainting yourself with that fishery, Todd and Michael at McLellans Fly Shop in Fayetteville fish those tribs regularly in the spring at post their reports on their website at www.mcflyshop.com That site doesn't have the traffic this Forum has, but it is good during the busy spring. Todd told me recently he would be participating on this Forum, too. You can also call them, or the guys at the Beaver Dam Store (Steve), for up to date reports. By the way, are you a fishing buddy of jay bird on this Forum. He has some fishing friends in Aurora, so I thought there could be a connection.

Jonathan, Thanks very much for your detailed info on the access at Thomas Hill. I'll save your post to reference when I go up there to give it a shot. If you seek to catch some of those great Hybrids you will ultimately be rewarded with some great and memorable experiences. They are truly awesome fish. Please keep up your enthusiasm and activity on the OA Forum, too.

Gavin, What FF club do you belong to, are you in Springfield or down in Mt. Home? I have known Shawn Taylor for many years, and Bink is a guide on Norfork Lake and a nice guy that is commited to fishing only artificials for the great Stripers and Hybrids of Norfork, different than many guides. Shawn used to be a full time guide, but has been involved in an unreleated business for several years. I believe he does still live on the river above Dawt. I should probably touch base with him again this spring to see if he is tracking the annual spawning runs of whites, hybrids and stripers. Brian Wise, too, though my perception is he is dedicated primarily to the trout of the North Fork (a very worthwhile passion). Brian, if you're reading this, do you follow and fish the spring runs of whites/hybrids in the lower NF River? Gavin, thanks for your post, please stay active on the Forum, I'm sure you'll be a great contributor and blessed for your sharing attitude.

macfish, thanks very much for your follow-up. a friend of mine called me after reading the article about Thomas Hill and wanted to spend a weekend up there. Surely that created a lot of attention and awareness of the fishery. I've been told that the colder the winter weather, especially for extended periods of time, the more it draws and concentrates the fish to the warmer water discharge areas on any similar lakes. I've talked recently with some agents/wardens on a couple of lakes in KS and OK and they said fishing wasn't as good as usual during the winter months due to the very mild winter we're having in the midwest. I'm assuming the walk-in you described as being somewhat difficult is a legal access isn't it? Just wanted to be sure. So do you fish with spinning, baitcasting or fly tackle up there? Peace.

Several years back, I talked with a guy from West Plains that fished there and caught some Stripers/Hybrids on a fly rod but was using such a light rod most of the fish died after he landed them. I don't recall his name, but he worked for the MO Conservation Dept (MDC). My vague memory seems to recall his first name was Tony? Would that be your friend? Regarding trying to keep Stripers away from trout, I heard last fall that the AR Fish & Game shocked up some marauding Hybrids (10-15#class) below Beaver Dam and just gave them to some fishermen. Wow, what a waste. Why couldn't they tell some Striper fishermen what hole they were laying in and give them a shot at catching those great fish? Or, at least put them back in Beaver Lake where they came from? How close do you live to the Tecumseh area? Do you also fish over on the Little Nork Fork and Barren Fork areas above Theodosia? Anyone else on the Forum live down in Ozark or Booger counties and fish that great area?

SKMO, Welcome to the Forum. Your fishing reports from the areas you fish will be greatly appreciated by many. My question is how often do you encounter Hybrid Stripers when fishing for Whites up in the White River arm? It is known that some Hybrids slip through Beaver Dam when they are very small, but of course grow just as well in Table Rock. Last fall, I heard that the AR Fish & Game even shocked up quite a few large Hybrids (10-15# class), in the upper river that is mostly trout fishing, and gave them to some fishermen. I have to wonder how often they do that. I also understand the Kings River has an excellent run of Whites. I've accessed it from the mouth in a boat, but don't know any lower river public access points. Can you offer any advice? Thanks.

Jonathan, Thanks very much for your detailed post. Question. When you said the guys catching whites/hybrids were casting toward the rip rap at the shoreline, was that shoreline reachable by walking or only by boat? Two of the most popular plastic baits are Sassy Shad and Sluggos. You didn't happen to take any photos of the discharge area did you? Thanks again.

jOrOb and russ, You were both correct. I am running Norton IS and have been considering replacing it based on a trusted friend's experience. Looks like its time to make a decision. I also deleted all my cookies, 888 to be exact, and that seemed to make a big difference on some pages downloading but little difference on others. Thanks very much for your input. Bill

Greetings~ Just wanted to ask if there are others that have the frustrating experience I have with pages downloading slowly from this site? I use SBC DSL (their fastest service offered) and have a Pent4 / 2 GB processor / 480 RAM and not much junk running in the background. I have tried the downloads on a faster pc of a friend with only slightly better results, also on SBC. I visit other Forum sites with similar software formats and all of them seem to download much quicker. Interestingly, all the links on the OA home page load very quickly. It would seem to point the finger at the Forum software (?). Any suggestions for me out there?

tippet7, Congratulations on your new position at the theater. I am looking for a new position also, and hadn't thought about mentioning it on the Forum but you never know who you might encounter. So, here's the extremely brief nutshell version of my background: I live in Springfield and have 25 years experience in sales, sales management, and sales and product training in the heating equipment, telecommunications and forestry (paper) products industries. I am willing to travel, and my past experience has included territories as small as 20 counties, and as large as 12 states. My BS degree is in Marketing, from SMSU (now MSU). What I am seeking is a career position in this area that would allow me to stay in the immediate area for at least the next 2-3 years, or permanently. If anyone has knowledge of any company that might be seeking an individual with a background similar to mine, I would greatly appreciate you letting me know. Thanks in advance to anyone that might have a lead for me. Please feel free to PM or Email me.

smallie, Thanks for your post. Certainly the area just above and below the Tecumseh Bridge get the most pressure. Have you fished up near or close to the Dawt Mill Dam? In a year with some really good rains, the fish ought to be stacked in that 4 mile stretch right up to the Dam. On the Bryant Creek side, too. Have you been successful catching Hybrids and/or Stripers in the spring down there? If so, it would be appreciated if you would share your knowledge on the usual timing of that.

I've had a lot of questions over the past several years about Hybrid Stripers. Every fisherman I've met that has tangled with any of the Striper species seems to have both great respect and great curiosity about these fish. Hybrid Stripers were first produced in South Carolina in the mid-60's by crossing the eggs from Striped Bass with the sperm from White Bass. This original cross strain was called the Palmetto Bass. Later, a reciprocal cross was developed using eggs from the White Bass and sperm from the Striper. It was coined the Sunshine Bass. Today, the most common Hybrid is produced using Striper eggs. A Fisheries Biologist in Oklahoma, Brent Gordon, recently told me the main reason Striper eggs are most commonly used is that one female Striper of 10-20# can produce one to two million eggs, whereas it would take many White Bass to obtain the needed eggs. Today, these great fish are known in different states by a variety of names including the above names, Hybrid, Wiper (and I can't tell you how much I dislike the derogatory sound of this name), White Rockfish, and others. The scientific family these fish belong to are known as the Temperate Basses (I've always thought Attitude Bass would be more accurately descriptive of the way they fight). Included in the family are Stripers, Hybrid Stripers, White Bass, Yellow Bass, White Perch and a few others. Striped Bass are native to marine waters of the east coast from New Brunswick to Florida and across the Gulf Coast to Texas. They are anadromous fish, like salmon, that live most of their lives in saltwater but return to coastal freshwater rivers to spawn. Fortunately, unlike most salmon, Stripers don't die after their annual spawning ritual. In the early 1940's, it was discovered that Stripers could not only reproduce in freshwater but permanently thrive when the Santee Dam in South Carolina was built trapping many spawning Stripers within the newly formed Santee Cooper lake system. White Bass are freshwater natives of the Mississippi River and its tributaries, which include very large river systems like the Missouri, Ohio, Arkansas, and White Rivers. Today, they inhabit the majority of large man-made reservoirs throughout the regions of the above river systems, and across the country, by virtue of original stockings and self-sustaining reproduction. These are very prolific fish. So, why do states produce and stock Hybrid Stripers instead of, or in addition to, Stripers? There are a number of reasons and approaches for the needs of each particular fishery. What are the similarities and differences in these fish, where you find and catch them? I'll cover some of these questions in a future post. Stay tuned!!

Macfish, Welcome to the Forum. I've lived in southern MO all my life and didn't know we had a Salt River. Anyway, my question for you is are you familiar with and do you fish the warm-water discharge area at Thomas Hill for Hybrid Stripers or other species in the winter. The nice article in the MDC Conservationist, recently, is probably attracking plenty of attention to that. If you do fish that lake for Hybrids, could you please post some info about your experiences in the Striper Family category on this Forum? The warm-water discharge fisheries are somewhat unique and present some winter fishing opportunities that are greatly overlooked. Thanks in advance for any input you can provide.

Here are some links from a saltwater fly fishing site I visited recently that I thought others would appreciate viewing. These links will save you some time digging through the site, but there is other interesting info, too. I think it is important when evaluating other patterns, techniques and materials to look for ideas to incorporate into and enhance what already works for you. When it comes to baitfish flies, there aren't too many drastically different patterns that come along but lots of interesting and potentially helpful techniques and materials that can prove to be beneficial. I was particularly impressed with the great photos and step by step instructions included on these links. Enjoy! Mushmouth flies: http://www.flyfishsaltwaters.com/mushmouth.htm Slyder (similar to the Gurgler): http://www.flyfishsaltwaters.com/fly_slider.htm Buffy the Striper Slayer: http://www.flyfishsaltwaters.com/sbsbuffy.html Angel Hair Streamers: http://www.flyfishsaltwaters.com/angelhair.htm Crease Fly: http://www.flyfishsaltwaters.com/Creasefly.htm Gurgler: http://www.flyfishsaltwaters.com/flygurgler.htm

Do we have any Forum members or readers that know and fish the North Fork and Bryant Creek above Norfork Lake for Stripers, Hybrids and Whites? There has been some Forum discussion about Norfork Lake but not the tributaries, yet. The area above and below Tecumseh is a virtual fish factory in the spring, including Walleye. How bout it folks?

Greetings Folks~ Below is a link to the MidCurrent website that has a new article by Lefty Kreh that is very good. The article is advice on curing "tailing loops", one of the most common casting flaws. http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/techniq...ling_loops.aspx Perhaps if this is confusing, after you physically attempt his tips, we can help each other with any lingering difficulties or frustrations. Casting is certainly one of those topics that "a picture/video is worth a gillion words". Very difficult when using only words. Good Casting!!

Hoover, Nice bunch of White Bass. Were those caught recently? BTW, is JetSetPets your business or just a favorite website. Thanks for the pics, how about some additional detail. BB

vince, Thanks for your post. If you'll tell me where you live, I'll give you some ideas on where to be looking for some of these great fish. In some areas, getting good up to date info is very difficult and it is always important to include bait and spin fishermen and shops in your efforts to network. Locating them is the biggest key. They aren't usually too tough to catch if you know where they are. I've always wished I lived closer to the Niangua arm of LOZ, since the underwater springs at HaHaTonka hold stripers/hybrids all year and that puts them close to the river to run up in the spring. Even better, there aren't a lot of miles of water in the lower Niangua because of the dam several miles upriver. My understanding is the river is not easily accessible and it is best to have a boat (motored or paddled) for safety in case they run water from Tunnel Dam. But, there is no doubt there are some locals that do know the runs, the best holes and that would make the learning curve much shorter. Keep in touch. I'll try to help you in any way I can. Your efforts to catch hybrids and/or stripers on your fly rod will be WORTH IT. BB

Steve, Thanks for the update. I may have asked you this before, but have you ever fished the tailwater below Kaw? The biologist for Kaw told me you can get right up to the stilling basin below the dam when there is no generation. I didn't get any other wade fishing access points from him. Where else do the guys from your Tulsa Flyfishers club fish if the AR is too high in the Tulsa stretch of river? Do you know anyone that fishes below Langley? I have a friend who fished that for years and caught lots of big Whites and Hybrids to 14#, but he quit going over there and is now dedicated to Bass tournaments. Any other good alternatives you could help us with would be appreciated. Jay Bird is coming down to try the AR this weekend. They would like some alternatives if the water is too high. Keep in touch.

Jason, Here's the link for the article on Rio lines....... Sorry, I'm usually more helpful than just telling someone to go Google. http://www.flyfishusa.com/lines/rio-deepsea.htm Some of those 8 wt Bass Pro rods are actually pretty good, especially for the $$. I'd like to talk with you further about selecting your next one, and I have no business interest in the decision so I am not biased to brands except for opinion based on experience. I'd also visit with Steve at the BDS and the guys at McLellans in Fayetteville, if you want further input. The other thing to think about is that if you really do some serious deep trolling you will need at least a very stiff 9 wt. A rod purely for trolling and fighting big fish. Lots of factors to consider.

Greetings Folks, Anyone have a fishing report from the AR River in the past week? I would really like to hear from someone fishing the AR between Kaw and Keystone, too. And, the tailwaters below Tenkiller and Ft. Gibson. Thanks.

Jay, Steve's input is good. If it hadn't been for the article I referenced and mentioned how to find, I would have thought no line would do what you're planning. However, you might also look at the Cortland website and maybe even call them to inquire about their lead-core trolling line. Years ago (late 70's) in northern CA, we made shooting heads for Striper fishing out of that horrible stuff before the advent of the super sinking lines we know today. Perhaps you could find someone at their corporate office, or a referral from them, that has experience doing what you want to do. Netwok, network, network.....and I bet you'll find someone. Good luck. BB