taxidermist

They were not in the river when it was dammed. I have been scoba diving in Bull for over 30 years and it was not until after 1993 did I see a yellow perch in BUll. What I have seen years ago was LOG PERCH, which in a way could be mistaken for yellow perch if you did not know your fish. These perch have DNA tested to a fish farm in INDIANA, which does sell yellow perch. Still they are pretty much an accident when you catch them. wife and I have caught 6 this year, when fishing for walleye and bass. Last week the yellows were back in coves and off the points, they will run at lures but almost always another fish bets them to the lure. A couple years ago I found them in April on the nest in coves in the mid lake area.

Parking area. I always break Bull SHoals into three area upper, middle and lower. Upper from Bee creek to the Powersite dam. Middle from Bee creek to Pot Shoals and the lower from pot to the dam. You can find fish anywhere depending on what species you want. For me the lower end has been a hot place to catch fish this year, one of the best I have ever had on Bull shoals. But I dont fish for specific species either, I go out to catch fish. We have had several afternoons with great crappie and walleye catchs, up in the day the back of the creeks seem pretty good for largemouth, had release 17 blacks over 5lbs, but have yet to break the 6 pound mark. Smallies are always along the points on the lake side. Yellow perch seem to have found the points as well. Walleye have been in the middle to backs of the coves. Whites seem to like the really large coves or short deep coves. We have been using jerk baits and deep shad lures.

I replaced the plywood in my 14ft flatbootm transom a few years back. It was pretty straight forward. 3/4 CDX will work fine. the X is for exterior glued. Marine grade plywood is hard to find when I replaced the transome, none was to be foun din SGF, Jop or even Tulsa or Little Rock let alone the small towns. thats why I went with CDX. I did not paint it or other than with Thompsons weather beater. Totally sealed will not allow it to dry should the wood become wet thru a crack or the bolt holes. Just replace and use. Marine grade the only real difference is the plys are solid and not have holes in them The transom spreads the torque across the whole rear of the boat, an 8hp will not have much. Its your call.

I think the warranty work is a thing of the past from what I have heard. Noone to do it they business is defunt.

We have been using the Fairview Game and Fish ramp, about five miles out of Flippin on 178.

Ranger is under 50% of last year I was told. I sure dont see the truck hualing loads of boats out like last year. supreme has been sold several times and IMO I dont see how they were making it. $2000. higher than the other boats. Plus you know most of the river boats looked alike until the Top Water came along. Its not all that expenseive to build a mold for a river boat. Frame up some fomica and lay some glass and resin on it. I am checking into the boats to see if the dealer own them or they are on the lots on consignment. I heard two stories on it so dont know which one is right.

My Barbi pink Husky jerk Rapala!! Om the past month I have probabley had the best month of fishing on Bull Shoals I ever hope to experience and I owe it to that lure. My Buddy Al told me about it when he was fishing down here last year.

am in favor of being allowed to have a weapon in a national park, but let's be realistic - the chances of needing one to fend off a bear is is highly unlikely, except possibly in Alaska. Most of us who backpack and canoe in wilderness areas consider ourselves lucky if we ever SEE a bear. I have ran into several while riding horses on the Buffalo River, I would never go into the back country in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, Great Smokey Mountain, Olympic, Mt Rainer, Nez Pierce or Northern Cascades. Big Bear or manyo f the wilderness areas, try the Bob Marshal, Selway/Bitter Root. Appalachian National Scenic Trail. This is not a complete list by anymeans and these all have bear populations. Some have Grizzly bears and Mt Lions too. I feel personally that its fine, I would like to see more training onhandling for people. Someone posted that many people had their firearms taken away and used on them in one report. Thats because those people lacked the training.

Walleye are pretty hot right now. we have done really well the past two weeks on the lower end. plus lots of shorts, lots of shorts!! A crawdad crank bait has worked well above the brush.

Supreme is out of business. bank has repoed everything.

Man this is scary. Makes you think about rabies shots.

63 ercury Meteor, not not a Comet and Meteor. rebuilding the front end now, has a mild cam, big valve heads roller rcoker arms., alum intake and a 650 holey. Changed over from generator to one wire alternator, and an electric cooling fan with thremostatic on and off.. Chnaged over to front dish brakes, two chamber master cylinder (had the original one pool MC) now has 11 inch drums on the rear in place of the org. 9 inch . Have the upholstry setting inthe spare bedroom. also have Moon eyes Bonneville disk for all four wheels.

I dopnt know ho wmany boats took the plung on White river last year but I know of seven all due to anchoring in the swift water. Yea, if you know how then go for it, I dont see any need to anchor, nor do I see a need for a drag chain.

Bill might have stopped some rapes and killings over the years esp. in Californa.

Hate to tell you this but yes many of us have raised hell over any attempt to violate the documents that make America ours. But we are getting tired of it sand as with TEA parties and such are starting to take a stand to let the liberal medica know things are no smooth like they let on.

There is no need for any of the Feds to be rude, even if they have a bad day there is no need. They have even stopped many locals outside of the park boundries. News flash today there are three new park vehicles that say "HOmeland Security, Federal police" on the side of them. I have been around the river since I was a kid, which is longer than some of you are old. We had cattle at Kyles Boys ranch before it became park property again longer than a few of you are old. Hopw many remember when you could drive through fromt he boys ranch and come out at Paul Scroggins place at Compton? I looked a some land back in by Tom Thumb, the road was very bad getting in, found the survey pins, but also foundout the Park had managed to close the road where it crossed a small corner of the park. After talking to a couple Harrison lawyers it would have cost 10,000 or more to fight the park and get the road opened. So is a since they have another 180 acres thats park land but taxes are paid by an indiviudal on. Y'all have never seen the park rangers set by the Carver Cem. and write people tickets for speeding either have you? Some one finally made them quit, but finally they did. Three years ago my truck was searched from top to bottom without my consent by big badged park boys as I drove out of Gene Rush, no gun, was not driving fast minding my own business. Yes I complained it fell on deaf ears and took a minor act of congreesmen to get the ranger chewed out. Now I carry a copy of the Constitution with me and the IV amendment page dog eared. Many of the kids get a badge and allow the authority to turn to power hungry beng. I simply stay away from the Buffalo, since most locals dont spend enough money around the area.

The worms have been in the fish since I can remember, you dont have to fillet them to see the worms. just look real close at teh spots under the skin. I can remember back in 1965 Little Sac just out of Willard full of small brownies and they were full of worms.

NEW PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION This is probably the best e-mail I've seen in a long, long time. The following has been attributed to State Representative Mitchell Kaye from GA. This guy should run for President one day... 'We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other bed-wetters. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights.' ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything. ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be. ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy. ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes. (This one is my pet peeve...get an education and go to work.... don 't expect everyone else to take care of you!) ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care. ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair. ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure. ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful. (AMEN!) ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights. ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from! (Lastly....) ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH! If you agree, share this with a friend. No, you don't have to, and nothing tragic will befall you if you don't. I just think it's about time common sense is allowed to flourish. Sensible people of the United States speak out because if you do not, who will?

Did that fish have some scar tissue on the other side about two inches behind the gill cover on the lat. line tail cropped off top and bottom? I caught one looked like that with scar tissue four weeks ago just above rebar hole.

I use the 8H over the scuffed surface, many times when the paint is applied over it, it softens the look a lot. Try the 4H on the back. try everything on the back first. Normally the skin is good even on old mounts, just the fins get busted up and need replacing. I use a cheap 0ne inch bristle bursh cut to about 1/2 inch and lacquer thinner to remove old paint. If you just want to add some gold, get some SHIVA sticks, scrape the hard coating off rub your finger on it and lightly tap your finger on the back of the fish to higlight the scales. use a couple colors of gold and maybe a green metallic. try to get at lest two colors on the scales. YOu can work directionally too. If you mess up you can remove the SHIVA stick oil paint with mineral spirits and a paper towel.

Get use to it!! Its going to get worse!! Now you guys are seeing the side most of the locals have seen for years. For the most part I think they are and have been taught to be jerks. Had one ask to see the Coggins papers on one of my horses once, it was in the truck of course!!! You dont carry a pice of paper that cost $30.00 out on the trail. Hell they dont know the info thats suppose to be on them anyway. Just if it says NEG. on it. And we were looking for someone who was lost!!!! Had a friend held during turkey season for criminal check, he was putting the canoe in to float down to a field and hunt. the JIC held him until the no warrant check came back from, took over 90 minutes. There was no call to check the man for a crimonal background. Now with online hunting and fishing license, its going to be worse. Bottom line it the Park Service dont want people using the park. Many locals havebeen treated like crap for years. Lookslike its starting to hit others too.

I do a lot of reproductions, mostly reproductions nowdays. It takes a lot of work to do a reproduction right. The hook jawed brown is a repro, and the female brown on the rocks and plaque is a repro, the head on the brown (middle pic) is a repro head, myown casting and most trout fins are reproductions I mold and make. Its really hard to say how to touchup a fish, depends on the fish. I use some watercolor pencils, powder pigments, Shiva oil sticks and even some metalic waxes for the different colors than do final details with a high dollar airbrush and lacquer paint. As for the final shine, it all starts with the base coat, but I u se an Auto Clear coat two part for the final gloss, it has a high polymer content, not cheap by any means but its cheaper in the long run. I can get a great shine with one coat, I also use an Auto touchup gun for spraying the final coat. Geoff, you may be able to lightly scuff the fish with 2000 grit wet or dry sand paper (auto paint store) wet sand the fish, if you are getting into the skin around each scale stop. Go to a Hobby Lobby and look at the water color pencils. there are so many to pick from, also get a 8H pencil to do the spots with below the lateral line, I use an airbrush abnd a couple colors but the 8H pencil should do ithe trick for you. Gold for the scales on the upper back. and a dark olive green for the colors inbetween the scales. Once you have all the colors other than the dark olive green on seal the colors with Zinse Shellac, very light coats three oor four of them allowing to dry between coats. Scuff again with 2000 grit, and apply the green between the scales and with a damp wet cloth blot the green out. Just keep working until you are h appy with it and final gloss can be the shellac in the spray can. http://www.innate.com/Paint/Jacquard/pearl_ex.htm You can apply these with a 00000 spotting artist brush, if you get a bit much on a scale either blot it with your finger or blow the pigment off. and re do, then seal with a light spray coat of clear lacquer paint. http://www.dickblick.com/products/shiva-ar...intstik-colors/ these are artist oils but you can apply these with light touching of your fingers, again seal with light lacquer spary can paint, clear of course. I know some guys who only do four of five fish a month and finger paint only.

Thanks Al, I even try it with trout. Sometimes I have way more time in a fish than I should have, I use a comibination of pearls, shimmers, metallic powders ad irredescent oils Shiva sticks. Fish are hard to photograph, both mounted and live. the colors just dont show everything. Here is an old mount by someone else, I refinished it this week. I try but like most artist I am always looking to improve my work. I use a very fine spotter brush, finger paints, waxes, and airbrush not a cheap one either $400.00 Iwata. I do use a cheap airbrush for broad lacquer washes. I even use some acrylic water based for color washes. Then when I think I am finally done I use a two part semi-urethane top coat with UVA/UVB filters to keep the colors from fading. On trout I custom mold all the head and on larger fish mold the fins and reproduce them in acrylic or fiberglass, on Bass and walleye I use a putty epoxy rebulding the areas that shrink. All bodies are hand carved for that individual fish. JOhn

I use Vanish gold flourocarbon. and the cip is wrong to it. just depends on each spool wioth my favorite line.

Been fishing the lower end everyday for a couple hours and doing very well. Some of the best fishing I have seen in years, lots of keeper sized blacks and hundreds of them under 12", they are not on the beds yet, water temp is 55 to 59 degrees and the wind diven coves will be up to 62 in the afternnon but morning its back down to 57. Most of the black we have been cathcing are in the shollow coves that just hardly go off the main channel, the larger coves have been zilch on bass. But good on short wlleye Bluegill and other pan fish have beds but bass have been all over the lake but not as many back in the coves as others report..... Lots of good white bass by good in the 2 lb range to 3 1/2 lbs........Tons of short walleye and a few keepers. Lots of short to 16 inch smallmouth bass. Fished both days last weekends and did great in the wind, key was finding a cove with the wind driven pollon stacking up water water and the pollon. Deep diving fat free shad worked well as did jerk baits. Hit the river one evening with a buddy stayed late and did well on short browns, and lots of bow on artifical lures. buddy caught a nice 8lb brown just before dark. Water was low that evening.