hank franklin

To see our rivers up north rolling and muddy would be a beautiful beautiful thing about now.

Imagine the majesty of the White River and tribs if it had never been dammed.

Yeah, we put up a Christmas tree. We prefer to run C-grove to Akers but felt C-grove to Welch would be too low. We thought trout might be below Akers but we didn't see much less catch any. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's been between Cedar and Welch as to water levels and fishing.

My cousin and I hit the Current from Welch to Pulltite last week. Overnight somewhere above Cave Spring. Caught a couple rainbows below Welch but nothing in the reaches above Akers and nothing at all below Akers. River very quiet it seemed. Great trip despite the poor fishing. No complaints, two trout apiece satisfied for dinner. Bald eagles in abundance below Akers. The river is very low of course. A few stretches with barely enough draft for a loaded canoe. But only a couple brief instances of walking.

Ideally would like to find a sit-inside Old Town but would look at whatever you got. This would be for my kids, age 9 to 16. Thanks!

It's a great pleasure when your kid can fish without your constant supervision. He just picks up the bait and throws it. I paddle along. His rod starts bending. Fish on? I say. Uh-huh, he says. A few moments later fish is at hand. OK, so he needs a little assistance getting him unhooked, I'm happy to give it. He holds him, admires him a moment, I take a photo, he lets him go. Good hit, I say. He just smiles, picks up his bait and throws it again. No big deal, day is quiet. River keeps rollin....

A little October smallmouth

I paid $2,700 in health care premiums for my three kids. We did not go to the doctor once. We got sports physicals from Walgreens at $39 per, because even at $2700 annually a physical is not covered (is subject to the deductible). I would much rather pay $1,000 to the state for a Romneycare-like plan than pay $2700 to Anthem. My $2700 Anthem plan is a high-deductible plan, meaning I have to pay $1500 per kid or $3000 total before the health insurance actually pays. Note that I said I would rather pay for Romneycare, not Obamacare. Obamacare is Romneycare on steroids and a federal takeover. Romneycare provides a state option to the private market. Everyone freaks out and screams "no new taxes" when it comes to health reform. But you have to pay to play, which is a very conservative position. I am out in the neighborhood of $2700 per year under the current system. This is insane. It's almost enough for me to say screw it and go uninsured.

Blazer, were you above or below Meramec Shores lane? I got family with a place through there. We canoed twice recently down to Meramec Shores but never further. Saw one sketchy looking fellow one day but he seemed more like a pothead then a methhead. He was quite friendly as well. I don't carry but the thought has crossed my mind. My concern is the party animals who come carrying. Surprised something stupid hasn't happened already.

hoglaw, you are correct in that sexual preference is not a protected class. But the law is so gray that the attorneys can "make it fit." From an employer standpoint sexual preference may as well be law because to play those cards is extremely risky. So basically you don't go there.

Yeah, big question, that. Feed the hungry, care for the sick. We are morally obligated. The government provides Medicare because the private market could never do it. How did we get to Obamacare? We got there because costs drove everyone out of the market. Why so many uninsured? Because the employers can no longer afford it, and if you try to get it on the individual market you're subject to underwriting, which of course will eliminate risk or put a premium on it. The more uninsured, the more rates go up for the insured to cover everyone else, and the system collapses. So the market, unfortunately, can't support the system in its current form. Rather than address costs however Obamacare simply engineers a gov't takeover, which as I've said before pimps out the employers and insurers to meet gov't ends. It's utterly terrible law. I am no Romneycare expert but it basically creates a state-run system to run alongside the existing private system. Yes there is a mandate but at some point you must pay to play. To refuse is to shift costs on all others. Someone else in this thread said they have no insurance by choice. So if you become catastrophically ill, have an accident, etc. what happens? Who pays your bill? You have to have a mandate IMO. Roberts was brilliant in calling it a tax. You can't have a product (healthcare) that everyone at some point must use and not have everyone at some point pay for it. The Obamacare "tax" is a slap on the wrist, really. The problem again is in the scope of the Obama takeover. Romneycare basically uses the private market to deliver services to the uninsured. Yes there is a government piece but the government is already an enormous player in healthcare. So this is nothing new. As I understand the existing pre-Romneycare private system continues basically intact. You can have private if you can afford it; if not you have Romneycare, which at least is care. The care providers will do their best, bless their hearts. Obamacare instead simply inserts the government into every transaction. And does nothing to control costs. In fact by most analyses will only raises costs higher. Absolutely pitiful.

Obamacare is a terrible law. The federal government is upside down and this only makes it worse. But I agree that healthcare as we know it now is an enormous welfare program with skyrocketing costs. I agree too that pay to play is a conservative idea. No free lunch. As it stands now the uninsured get free care while the rest of us pay. Health care providers bill out the wazoo to cover their losses. Insurers jack up premiums to the point that hardly anyone can pay. My family pays $1,100 PER MONTH for a $3,000 DEDUCTIBLE PLAN. It is literally strangling the lifeblood out of the country. We pay more for healthcare than ANY OTHER SINGLE EXPENSE. And we are, thank God, healthy! Romney got it done in Massachusetts. I'd like to see what he could get done with the feds. Herculean job, but he saved the Olympics!

We have got to have health care reform. Obamacare just isn't it. I have had numerous conversations with people who would like to break out and start their own business, but they can't afford the health insurance. It used to be you could maybe retire early and float a bit until Medicare. Now no one in late 50's and early 60's can afford it. Costs are so ridiculous the private market can't do it. So these folks stay in their jobs, many of them just biding their time, until 65. The younger people that might move into their job are stuck. And so on down the line. High health care costs are ruining the country. Obamacare does nothing to fix this. I would argue it makes it much, MUCH worse.

I am on the employer side of Obamacare; one who had to issue rebate checks to employees. The rebate check Justin Spencer got was not because the insurance company is "making too much money" (common misconception) but because they did not spend enough of their money on health care, as opposed to administrative. It is a very complicated subject, and I actually have sympathy (believe it or not) for the insurers which are under new federal mandates and for which there is myriad and overlapping, and in some ways contradictory information. It is impossible to get clear information; the regulatory agencies issue technical bulletins but there is no actual true "guide" and most any sort of guidance ends with CONSULT YOUR ADVISORS. So I agree with others that the law is a rather tremendous burden on employers, mostly because the regulatory is just impossible to "get." If you screw up the regulatory you face scrutiny from employees and the government, which is a no-win. The only way to comply is through expert assistance, which ain't cheap. We got it done but only after serious in-depth research and at the end I'm still not sure I did it right. At least I did it in good faith and I am small so I doubt the government regulators will come get me. But you never know. Back to the rebates, in an end-around way you can say they are due to the insurers "making too much" money but this is one of myriad ways in which Obama is a gov't takeover, in that they set the profit margins now for insurers. If anything there is now a disincentive believe it or not for insurers to hold costs down, because if they "spend too little" they have to return it in rebates. It's called the 80/20 rule, you can google it if you want more info. In my opinion Obamacare is a collosal mistake in large part because it pimps out the employers and insurers to meet government ends. Yes we are "private" but health insurance now is so completely regulated that we are basically just government pawns in our respective roles. And if the government doesn't like how we implement their law they can fine us for it. It's an incredible shell game. And yes a huge disincentive to business. I am not an expert but I have researched it quite a bit and spoke to the brokers and insurers at length. And I don't think anyone feels the law will control costs. Most everyone expects costs to rise. How does this solve anything? It's an absolute crock. So yes I would repeal Obamacare and replace it with something sensible. Like Romneycare!

Lots of good suggestions. Has anyone hiked the Roger Pryor Backcountry and in particular the Big Creek watershed? Never done it, it is high on my list. Agree very much on Rockpile Wilderness. Unusual place, little tread. Never actually fished the Saint there but the creek Al speaks of is very nice.

I keep a detailed journal and last year (2011) had a grand total of 21 days on the rivers. This year sadly just seven so far (on rivers), though just got back from five days on LOZ. Crappie by the basketful.

Not sure, we didn't go all the way to K bridge, we took out at Meramec Shores. Based on past experience however I'd say that north bend area in particular would be impassable. The boats at M Shores were all running upstream, there was a mile, maybe 1.5 mile that you could run. At Wall's Fords however it was no go. I've heard you can still run the State Park all the way down to Sand Ford but that was a couple weeks ago and was hearsay. No running above State Park.

Nice pics Blazer. Twin Springs is such a nice little neighborhood, good fishing through there too. My side of the family and my wife's side both have places at Grus's, so we're very familiar with that stretch. On Saturday we had lunch across from the cave, fished, splashed etc for a good hour or so. Not one boat in sight. I'd been at the cave and spring many a time but rarely if ever by canoe, always by jet. You can't run the shoal below Twin Springs by jet so we had the river to ourselves. Yes the drought is awful but I guess to everything there's a silver lining. We found it this weekend.

Gee Smallbigs, I thought I'd discovered the place. Brian, S. you must be talking fly-fishing language. Not sure about the bugs. One thing of note regarding the fishing is our catch was about 80 to 90 percent smallmouth. Smallmouth were abundant and looking good.

We tried. Lighting didn't strike twice though. Bonus points for anyone who can name the gorgeous spot in top photo.

... is the pristine floating conditions on the middle Meramec. My cousin and I and kids did 14 miles in Stanton - St. Clair area this weekend and saw two jet boats the entire way, and one canoe. Incredible. The river was in excellent float-fishing shape, and the fishing was good too. More spotted bass than we could eat by the evening fish fry. Quiet quiet night by campfire. I wish the drought would break like anybody but man, to have the river free of jet boats on a July Saturday-Sunday is a treasure.

If the Water Patrol goes out busting heads on the river the rats will scurry off the ship and go elsewhere. So bring on the Water Patrol. If I was governor I'd direct more (EXISTING!) resources toward enforcement. No need for a new tax, just new priorities. At the same time a user fee collected by the concessionaires is eminently fair and is probably way overdue. Hundreds of boats on the river causing litter and raising the need for enforcement? Well, duh. The users should pay! So the concessionaire collects his $33 per person and EXPECTS the State of Missouri to pick up the full tab for the clean-up, enforcement etc. Are you kidding me? Personal responsibility who? If I was making my living off the river I would 100 percent favor anything I can to make that river better. I'd pick up the trash myself, give free food to the Water Patrol folks and Sheriff's Deputies, lobby my representative for MORE ENFORCEMENT, not less (a cleaner, literally and figuratively, river is good for business, right?) and if it came down to a tax on every boat make DANG sure it meant more enforcement, not just a shell game. Instead we have people suggesting VOLUNTEERS to clean up after these fools? Are you kidding me? Yeah, sure, I'll volunteer to clean up all the detritus your drunks leave. And I'll sign up for the 8 a.m. float so my kids don't get my eyes and ears burned. Lovely. Maybe this is harsh but I too am SICK of the river experience being ruined by drunk idiots. I simply won't take my kids on popular summer stretches anymore. It would be irresponsible of me to do so. The river ain't for tadpoling, splashing, blue-gilling anymore, it's for GETTING DRUNK AND STUPID!!!! Woo-hooo! Welcome to Missouri, home of beautiful Ozark streams full of drunk idiots. Y'all come back now ya hear?

The drunks are taking over our rivers. Duh. Floats are R-rated if not worse. Is that cool with everybody? Not me. The outfitters who make a living off it contribute to the problem. Parties are good business. Yeah, maybe. But over time your business will come down to catering to drunks. Have fun with that. Reminds me of smoking bans. Bar owners say can't do it, will hurt my business. They don't know there's a whole customer base out there that won't go to your bar because it's a smoke-den. Once the smoke clears, voila, new business enters. Same with rivers. If you have a quality more or less wholesome experience the customers will come. I will NEVER go to your place Justin Spencer because you cater to drunks. Sorry. I will go to the state or federal parks instead. If you want to grow old catering to drunk idiots have fun with that.

There was a big fish vibe going on all day. Right off the bat I had a fat spotted bass jump and spit me. Then not long after I dropped the fluke just under a log in a brush-choked channel. Boom! Something hit hard and in an instant snapped me. This was a what the...? moment. I had fresh line, a tight knot, and I got snapped, and hard! Da-yam! So I got into some quiet water and hurriedly re-tied. Immediately after we were flowing through the chute where I caught my biggun, and just below I had another hard hit and a fightin 13 or so on. That's when I told my boy, we're getting out! We came up the eddy and beached it. Moments later I had the biggest fish I ever caught. Biggest smallmouth that is..... The fish that snapped me earlier, in my gut I think it was a catfish. It was so strong and such a hard turn downward and snap!, felt like a catfish. It might've been a big honkin smallie; if it was it was fearsome. I didn't feel that strength in the one I actually landed. Whatever it was that broke me was not messing around!

Don't get me wrong, I could care less about the weight, just wonderin. It makes for good fish talk. I really didn't think it was much over 5 lbs, if that. However the talk of some others got me thinking that it was possible, possible, to get into that vaunted 6 lb category. I have an old catfish scale that wasn't in my box that day; it is now! For now I am calling him 5 lbs., if nothing else to measure up to the Robert Earl Keen song. I have caught a 20-incher before and when I first got this one to the bank I really didn't think it would be 20. My 20 was a bit fatter, caught earlier in the year if that makes any difference. However this guy measured right at 21 and if anything maybe a touch more, 21-1/4 from true tip of nose to tip of tail pushed together. I was surprised and really shaking frankly when I saw that measurement. For me a 20-incher is the holy grail, a 21 is just beyond. Yes I was lucky. Three important decisions helped make the catch: 1. I went fishing. Well, duh. But as we all know, sometimes easier said than done. 2. I respooled my line. In the rush of things it would have been easier to say, aw, heck with it. But I knew I was getting close to the bottom and the way this thing ran it might have run me out of line and snapped me. 3. I pulled the canoe over to fish this spot on foot. I felt the vibe. Rather than float on through I beached and made a few throws. Ka-boom!