chub minnow

Yes - by Munsey Cemetery. I've had issues when wading up / down stream from public access. Like I said, it was fairly cordial but he made sure I was aware of his loaded, Dirty Harry hand cannon. He certainly didn't make me feel welcome. I went through with a boat once and got an earful then as well. When people purposefully drop trees across the stream and string up barbed wire it definitely sends a message, and not a welcoming one.

I'll be down there on Turkey day to try my luck. How's the water level after the rain?

There are fish down there for sure. Just be cautious of crossing private property or otherwise agitating the local landowners. I've had run in's with one of them several times and he can be quite cantankerous. His bark is worse than his bite, but then I'm always polite and courteous especially since he's generally packing a hand cannon in plain sight.

I'll second the North Fork. Not a bad drive from Neosho and it is absolutlety one of the most beautiful rivers in the ozarks - right up there with the Current and Buffalo. The major difference being that the North Fork has clearer water and less people, if that sort of thing interests you...

Easy money in a canoe at minimum flow.... if you're handy with a canoe. I wouldn't want any inexperienced canoe floaters in the boat with me though, you really need to know how to react if you bump something.

I've looked at it. They are putting a good amount of work into the park area including a sidewalk to carry back up to the head of the run. The run shouldn't adversely affect canoe traffic. You can go around or easily run it in a canoe. It's some pretty tame class II if that's what they are calling it. If you can't handle it, you shouldn't be in a canoe (or allowed to walk around in public without a keeper).

I never met the man but feel as though I have. I relied on his fishing reports for King's River and Table Rock Lake for years with much success. He was an Ozarkian through and through. Our sport in general, and our rivers, specifically owe him a debt of gratitude. Even though we are years apart and never met, I truly felt that I had lost a kindred spirit when I learned of his passing. I just felt that his contributions should be acknowledged here on this forum. He brought much joy to the many people who crossed his path and was instrumental in establishing the modern day catch and release ethic here in our little region. Tight lines in heaven JD.

Indian creek or Little Sugar will have even less people than Big Sugar. There is an outfitter at the hwy 59 bridge in Anderson that will shuttle you on Indian Creek. The cyclone to deep ford stretch on Big Sugar is the best though.....

Fished Hickory last Sunday and did pretty well, saw quite a few fish. Caught a nice one that was probably 14.5". They were keying in on the top - had action on BWO's, and hopper patterns. The big guy crushed a #14 black foam beetle.

Caught a rainbow while crappie fishing with minnows at Shell Knob.

My 5 year old absolutely kills the trout on a #10 or #12 olive, beadhead bugger under a good ole' red and white bobber with his Lightning McQueen pole. I'm pretty sure you should have no problems with the fly rod, just drift it through the riffle right over the bottom. I don't know if they think it's a nymph, sculpin, or what, but they eat it pretty consistently.

We scoped most of it on Sunday. No major log jams from Powell on down to Big Rock. It did look a little hairy before the Crag-O-Lea bridge, but you could easily walk around that one if you're not comfortable shooting it. I can't speak for anything down below there.

We did Big Rock to Sugar Island the same day and were able to pull several nice ones up from under all the aluminum going down the river. Pulled out right when it started pouring @ 5:30. 5-6 fish in about 20 minutes of total fishing just below Big Rock park. The wife caught one nicer, 14"-15", tiger striped smallie and I landed a fat goggle eye in the same hole. Bitsy tubes and the Ned rig accounted for all fish. LOTS of people out enjoying the river. Everyone was really respectful and friendly and seemed to be cleaning up after themselves. Good to see.

I have been lucky enough to have fished the Shell Knob area my whole life. The fishing the last few years has been the best I can remember since early childhood. That's 35+ years. Maybe it's because those childhood memories are always so super sized, but I do remember it being better. This absolutely had everything to do with less pressure. I remember summer days when you might see two or three other boats all day. My grandmother would take me out fishing in a little, aluminum fishing boat. The kind with three wooden bench seats. She didn't really take me out to fish, so much as to drive the trolling motor while SHE fished. She did teach me how to properly thread the hook through the crawdad though. "Be careful! Those crawdads are 22 cents apiece! Just like throwing a quarter in the water!" She would say it every time. Anyway we caught the snot out of some bass. On good days she would limit out in minutes and we never left sight of the dock. Of course Grandmother would keep anything close to 15". And she'd step on it if it wasn't quite so close. I fish same spot now all the time and it's good, but not like I remember it.

I've been wading LS, BS and Elk my entire life. Never been fined or harassed. I'm also generally courteous and considerate so...........

Or should I say "purchased" representatives?

The ' co2 thing' you refer to is settled science if you ask any reputable climatologist. Yes, I have asked, have you? Where do you get this vast source of climatological knowledge? You could hold a meeting of scientists who disagree with this theory in a broom closet. High CO2 levels caused the last warm period referenced in the NASA article, as they are now. We humans are releasing quantities of CO2 never before seen. We ARE part of the problem. End of story. We can make a difference by supporting alternative energy research and initiatives, but somehow something as common sense as that has become wrapped up in politics. Oh yeah $$ again. It's all that matters to some of our more shortsighted citizenry and their elected representatives.

I think riverside is at the hwy 62 bridge. No businesses I know of at 86 bridge.

Nice fat Kentucky! I love those TR Kentucks, they are so healthy the last few years!

Ditto on good eating. Just gotta cut that nasty red meat out then its as good as crappie (not walleye). Better than bluegill IMO. I even like it grilled or smoked.

I never questioned that Antarctica was once warm. That's a long known scientific fact. It also used to be at a different lattitude so its not even relevant to the discussion.

The flooding in New Jersey had everything to do with climate change. Elevated sea levels and warmer than normal ocean temperatures lead directly to the severe flooding. Higher ocean temps feed more moisture into the system. These are known facts, not up for debate. You are free to "believe" whatever you want, the facts will remain the facts. At this point I will do everyone a favor and quit this senseless back and forth. I will save my energy for people who are interested in discussing scientific fact..... or ...... fishing!

Dust bowl was man made as well, further proving my point. Over cultivation and bad farming techniques exacerbated an already severe drought.

Definitely no green thing. My grandparents "disposed" of their empty cans right there in the lake or river. Somenof their friends did the same with old car batteries and tires! So they didn't recycle a lot of the important stuff.