skeeter

The Stone County Commission approved a resolution Tuesday to oppose the National Blueways System designation for the White River watershed. Commissioner Dennis Wood says the citizens of Stone County want clean water, but they don’t want the mandates. MO State Representative Don Phillips perhaps summed it up best and in fairness to both sides ( yeah Al, like YOUR side doesn't have an "Agenda" !? LMAO ! ) in his latest newsletter : Blueway Designation Innocent or Potentially Problematic? The White River National Blueway designation seems innocent enough on the surface; however there are numerous causes for concern with the primary “red flag” being a lack of accountability by those that make up the “stakeholder partnership.” (There are 26 sponsors that make up the stakeholder partnership of the National Blueway but most all are state and federal agencies or organizations; none are private citizen groups associated with individual property rights). In fairness, there’s no language in the Blueway designation about “land grabbing” or “further regulating” or any of that sort. (That would be foolish!) The language focuses on conservation efforts, promoting wildlife, flood control, agriculture, etc. And, I think we’re all onboard with those efforts. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s website states the purpose of the Blueway is to “Boost Tourism, Expand Recreational Opportunities and to Fuel Local Economies.” My fear is that a designation like this starts off with little effect one way or the other on personal property rights but, has the potential to eventually escalate into a serious threat to land owners and farmers along the designated area. What’s to keep that from happening in five to 10 years? Suddenly the Blueway becomes sacred ground. If the National Blueway designation is really as innocent as it’s portrayed then why do we need it? The supporters say the Blueway designation is basically a badge of honor and they claim we’ll go higher on the federal funding food chain with millions of dollars designated for environmental quality along the 722 mile Blueway. I’m certain there will be plenty of money for the Blueway, but that’s not the issue. We already have enough oversight, regulations and restrictions on landowners concerning the environment and clean water. Most citizens realize the importance of protecting our environment and the need to be good stewards of our natural resources. We also need to be able to continue exercising our freedoms without further intrusion or even the potential for additional regulations. Here’s what Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, had to say about the designation, “In keeping with President Obama’s commitment to the “America’s Great Outdoors Initiative” the Corps (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) is proud to be a part of the National Blueways initiative which recognizes and supports stakeholder partnerships.” People don’t trust our government and for good reason. And, we especially don’t trust groups that come quietly through the back door with government’s stamp of approval and with no accountability. Partnerships are fine but partnerships without accountability can become a powerful team that’s simply covering each other’s backs with a wolf-pack mentality. One set of partnership groups can come to the aid of other partnerships that have the same cause thereby creating a powerful ability to unite for the good of those in the “stakeholder partnership.” It will be interesting to see how this all plays out!

Supposedly, there was an item on the Agenda of the Stone County Commission to discuss the White River Blueway on June 18th but those minutes have not been posted as yet.

The Big Rains last week hit up North so anything flowing into TR from the North side is loaded with silt. Around my place we only recorded about .86 over two days vs. reports of upwards of three-four inches from about Nixa North.

Hey neighbor...do you mean the Mikey ?? Just wondering 'cause I am unaware of the "Mickey" ( maybe I need to put my cheaters on !) but have two of the "Mikey's" and the larger one outfishes the smaller Jr. about 20 to 1 in my experience. Big old thing but it seems to bring them up pretty good while the little one or Jr. just doesn't seem to have the necessary action, even if worked on real light line. Most times it works best for me in deep cove mouths around the Pt. 17 area where you get those long narrow and deep coves. Further back in the cove or on timbered bluffs....not so much.

An old,but very true statement in Real Estate is "location, location, location". Inquiring which Lake is best for your requirements varies greatly with the available property. The Corps managed Lakes all have a required "set-back" distance from the water's edge that is highly changeable and not logical at all. Some locations (there's that word again) you can't even see the water until the leaves fall of the hardwoods and others you never see the water because of the "wall" the dratted Cedars have grown up to form. Other locations on the same Lake are "Grandfathered" and you are allowed to clear cut and mow right to the water's edge and they have a gentle slope down to the water. Those Grandfathered places are mostly very old and not in the best shape but if you have the financial means, you can purchase one of those properties, tear down the old structure and start new with updated construction from the ground up and that can actually be far less expensive than trying to re-hab an old strutcture that was poorly built to begin with. good luck and tell the Wife she'll love it once she grows used to it.

Yep, and now you gotta' pray the Govt. doesn't get it's hands on your retirement savings because they are eyeing I.R.A.'s for possible taxation if you earn over a certain amount. It seems they aren't satisifed with the taxes they will collect on your voluntary and mandatory withdrawals when that time comes.

Thanks for the reply. Had no idea that constrictors of any species could manage that with those angled teeth. Guess we were watching from upwind...thankfully [grin] ! My only guesstimate is that the tree squirrel was just too large to swallow but I'm certainly no expert. We go out of our way to protect Black and King snakes on and around our place as they seem to keep the Copperheads down and the darn burrowing Ground Squirrels from overpopulating. This big old guy or gal was easily a very thick seven footer and one of the biggest I've ever seen close up.

Yeah, definitely. Lot's of cattle in AR between the northern edge of the beginnings of the Boston Mtns. and the White and we all know about the Chicken and Turkey raising operations. Long Creek, Big Indian and the Kings' get hit hard with Ag runoff during moderate to heavy precip events. What many of us are trying to figure out this year is why TR is the clearest it's been in 30 years. Reminds me of the early to mid 70's before the CAFO operations got rolling.

What he said....plus..... Don't wish your life away....ever. Take it as it comes and treasure every moment. As some of us are finding out the hard way it's a very short time that is given to us.

With those rearward facing teeth in a constrictor's mouth, you'd think that once they start swallowing some prey it's a one way trip right down the old gullet. Apparently, Mother Nature has provided the snake with some kind of safety valve or reverse gear because we just encountered a 7 foot black snake on our property that was trying to swallow a squirrel. The big old snake got the squirrel down to about the shoulders and then must have decided it bit off more than it could handle and that's when we spotted it sort of slowly thrashing about and actually disgorging the squirrel carcass. In the short period of time the snake was attempting to swallow the squirrel,the snake's digestive juices had already begun working on the squirrel's head. Don't know how that snake could reverse it's attempted ingestion of the squirrel but it managed to do just that but did not look too happy or healthy afterwards as it crawled off into the Ivy bed.

Stick with Mr. Babler's advice about using butchered Sunfish for crawdad trap bait. Best bait there is and we always catch our share of mini-lobsters every year but haven't dropped our traps in just yet. Water temp. too cool and too changeable I'm guessing. Being a lifelong Mizzou fan since before Dan Devine days and having an alumnus in the immediate family here is the chief rea$on Mizzou went to the SEC http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/first-year-in-sec-bringing-mizzou-over-million/article_b81444e0-cdab-5c70-880f-9b93f0ae38bb.html and http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/sec-money-brings-upgrades-to-mizzou/article_6371a1f1-a649-54cf-8176-3e51512ff71b.html The Administration got real fed up with OU and Texas receiving the lions' share of the league revenue in the Big 12. As usual, it's all about the almighty dollar and I don't blame them.

ROTFLMAO !!! I don't know who starts more incorrect, crazy rumors...the UPS guys or the chicks doing hair at the local "miracle shops" ! I've heard some doozys from both sources lately. [bIG GRIN ]

According to 306.100 sub section 16, auxiliary lighting is OK while fishing but not while underway. These boats NEVER shut those high powered lights off in my area,they must not have an off switch. Both our local State Rep. and the MO Highway Patrol, Water Division, are terming this tournament a real "hot button" issue and they received a large number of complaints from area residents about the two-night-long audible and visual peace disturbance. So there were plenty of area residents upset with the operation of these boats. But what the heck, somebody made a few bucks so screw everybody else...right ? And no, Frenzel, it wasn't limited to just one night so obviously you weren't being awakened every ten-fifteen minutes from dusk to dawn two nights in a row. The large V-8's powering most of the Airboats were never shut down either and I wondered how they were "sneaking" up on fish while cruising shorelines, points and bays. Those carp must be deaf...and dumb !

I'm glad I'm not the only one to comment on this. It wasn't only in Clevenger since there were reportedly 110 boats entered. Two sleepless nights in a row with multiple roaring engines that never got shut down and incredibly bright lights, that never got turned off, shining in our home all night so bright you could literally read a newspaper by them is a little too much. And no, this is not an exaggeration, maybe an understatment. What happened to the MO law that a vessel operating after sunset could only display navigation and anchor lights ? Are there no decible limit laws on Table Rock because these things sure exceeded them ? These boats were running back and forth all night long down the middle of the lake to their "hunting" grounds with those nuclear powered lights on. Anybody else trying to do a little Spring night fishing had to be blinded. Not every boat was a roaring Airboat but those that were kept their big engines going even while "cruising" the flats, bays and shallow points looking for targets. They finally shut down and pulled out about 6:15 this morning...YAWN ! I hope their little tournament is over and good riddance.

Please believe me when I say I am not trying to pick a fight here and I couldn't agree with this Gentleman's statement more. But....has it occurred to anyone that this is EXACTLY what has happened with the Big Money Bass Tournaments ? Resources....valuable....career....ring any bells ?

Like it or not, class warfare or not, this is a large contributor to "gloom and doom". If you haven't seen this already, it's well worth your time watching. Class warfare ? Yeah, but from the top down. After 42 years at a Fortune 500 Corporation employed in the Corporate Hdqtrs. offices in Finance, I can tell you firsthand that most of this is caused by rubber stamp Boards of Directors and their cross-serving on each other's Boards. They regularly vote obscene rates of compensation, consisting of salaries, bonuses and stock options to the current Corporate Officers thus denying shareholders legitimate profits which would then filter down into the economy. The SEC does little or nothing to regulate this raping of Corporate Treasuries and this Country is the acknowleged leader in this travesty.

I'm assuming all you Walleye fans realize they are proven Bass predators ? Of course, they do taste a lot better too. {wink}

AMEN sir, AMEN. The 28th Amendment to the Constitution is needed installing retroactive term limits for Congress and also retroactively abolishing the Congressional pension placing them all, former and current, on Social Security like the rest of us peons. ! Serving in Congress is just that...service..it's not meant to be a lifelong career filling your pockets at the public trough. If people can't recognize that fact with the current situation in D. C. we are truly doomed. And don't anyone give me this lame excuse that term limits aren't needed because that's what the ballot box is for....wise up ! Incumbents have voted themselves such huge re-election advantages that any challenger has to completely prostitute themselves to special interest groups in order to raise necessary campaign funds and that starts the whole thing over again.

Congratulations for going after one of these fraudulent, hypocritical liars. You were diligent and fortunate to have discovered his mis-use of TRLWQ funding. Did they join in the lawsuit ? They should have ! Seems to me that a person could make a good income by starting some kind of truth squad or de-liar consulting service ( not aimed at anglers of course ! ) to assist prospective purchasers of homes and real estate in the TR area to ferret out all the hidden falsehoods that seem to be present in a high percentage of local Real Estate transactions. At first, the local Real Estate Industry would resist and attempt to suppress this with all available funds but let them become co-defendants and losers in a few expensive court cases and that might change.

Very true and a great observation. We had an older gentleman who is a part-time neighbor "accidentally" catch an 11lb. 1oz LM (as weighed on his new, digital scale) back in the heat of July while bluegill fishing when the LM played shark and nailed the hooked bluegill while the Gent was reeling it in on 6lb. test with a #6 hook !!!! He took some great pictures and released her at boatside. If you are ever in the Office on Baxter Marina, when they re-open, his picture is on their bulletin board. A true Sportsman !

Real Estate agents ? Especially the Female variety.... lowest form of life on earth.....even worse than used car salespeople. They will tell you whatever they think you want to hear so they can collect their outrageous commission. They will never mention "take lines", septic systems, perc. tests on undeveloped ground, shelf rock drainage problems etc. etc. etc....unless you encounter an honest RE agent and THAT is a definite oxymoron ! What they, and owners/sellers hiding R.E. defects and not listing them on disclosure statements, get away with in this area would get them sued for big bucks in a bigger City environment. And the injured party would win every time. Anyone seeking to buy in this area should get to know someone living here first for advice and the truth. Yes, you did get lucky.

Yessir, they sure do. And I've heard people make good money speculating on them. They buy them up, as many as allowed per dock, as soon as they learn the new dock is going in and then re-sell, or try to, at a big mark-up. That could have something to do with the numbers of year-round, empty slips we see during these tough economic times ?

Yessir, they sure do. And I've heard people make good money speculating on them. They buy them up, as many as allowed per dock, as soon as they learn the new dock is going in and then re-sell, or try to, at a big mark-up. That could have something to do with the numbers of year-round, empty slips we see during these tough economic times ?

Fully agree that shoreline management is needed and welcome...up to a point.... but they need to recognize that big errors were made, or money changed hands (?), in establishing the "take" lines so long ago and maybe do a little re-surveying with state of the art GPS ?? But it's my two cents that the "shoreline management" also means, or should include, not ruining shorelines with issuing more and more dock permits that cover over good fishing banks with eyesore docks....while others sit 80 to 90% empty.

As regards the docks....we both know they aren't going to remove any docks. However, before they issue more and more permits for more and more docks, let's see those numerous slips on the existing docks get filled up that we have seen remain empty for years. Not just in the Winter, but all year round. I know anglers who do quite well fishing docks but I personally am sick of those new docks being installed on some of the best and most productive shorelines and the necessary subsurface cutting and clearing of timber that goes along with it. Yeah, you can fish docks but that just doesn't compare with fishing a natural shoreline.