skeeter

Champ I guess you know by now that the manufacturer of your GPS unit had the DST change-over dates "pre-programmed" into the units when you purchased them ? We have a couple of so-called "Atomic" clocks in the house that were built (inexpensively) the same way to roll over the DST time to CST on the pre-programmed date in effect before the Government change in 2007 instead of receiving the accurate time signal from the Universal Time Code broadcast from WWVB in Boulder, CO. Two other clocks we have had the radio receivers in them and accurately rolled over when WWVB sent the signal. You just never know what you have, it seems, until the time actually does change. Sorry to hear it cost you the weigh-in. I'm betting this caused a lot of confusion for a lot of people.

Yep, Friday morning in the Baxter area about 8 o'clock. No clue seen on the boat or the angler as to sponsor or anything to I.D. who it was. Can only assume the second boat was for the cameraman to hop into when they wanted shots of the guy fishing alone in the Nitro. Very large camera held on the shoulder like you see for TV news and stuff. They were sure in a hurry, coming, going and fishing.

Don't know about results but there was a white Nitro Z-9 fishing in front of the house this morning with one angler in the bow and a camerman in the stern seat with a very large, professional-looking camera taping every cast. They were closely followed by another guy in another white Nitro and they zoomed down the bluff with the trollers on high making rapid fire casts with no success. Both boats took off to another spot together. No names or sponsors on either boat so have no idea who it was.

Yep, your first guess is correct. Workin' on keeping me and my old boat dry

This morning's NWS extended forecast from the Springfield office is calling for Sunny/dry weather today through next Thursday so that's good news. However, the radar is currently showing another big slug of rain moving NE from Texass all the way up through Kansas so maybe they think it will miss SW MO for once ? October was already the wettest on record before yesterday's and last night's downpours. Bad news is the Month of November is usually the wettest Month of the year by average which surprised me when I learned it. I would have thought April or May..... Don't at all understand the COE strategy for keeping Beaver so high for so long ??? They don't share much info even though we pay their wages so who knows. At least the migrating Snow Geese like it. Saw at least 1500 birds rafted up together and resting Wednesday morning on TR and then one Bass boat went by ( he did try and avoid them ) and they all got up and flew off. Very impressive sight !

That 927msl forecast was made based on last week's deluge. Unfortunately, more rain is on the way http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?s...2&map.y=242 Some docks already inaccessible from land so check before you come.

Ken Burns' "The Civil War" was, by far, his best documentary thanks mainly to the late Shelby Foote. It was like you were there, alive, in the first person. This one on the Nat'l Parks was so boring and disappointing it was impossible to watch. The same old, same old black and white photos over and over and over glorifying Yosemite and Muir. Muir's history was interesting but after a while you've said it all ! As much as I like, enjoy and respect Ken Burns this was just too sleep inducing to bear. I thoroughly enjoy the National Parks and we are very lucky to have had forebearers with the foresight to create them but Mr. Burns, surely you can make things more interesting for the viewer ?

"A LITTLE BREEZY" ???? LOL ! I saw boats going past the house bouncing clear out of the water trying to run across the three and four foot high rolling whitecaps. Saw a couple of lower units with propellors spinning free of the water. Thanks for the tournament results and fishing report but couldn't help but laugh out loud at your weather description.

Agree with everything fishin wrench posted. I'm assuming you are running a stainless prop ? Having owned and driven high performance bass boats since the early 70's ( well, they weren't really high performance back then ) I would concentrate on your prop at this point. I haven't used a custom prop shop in several years so don't know who is doing what but I would suggest taking your rig to a recommended shop that is on or very close to the water. Tell them your problem, be prepared to spend a few bucks and turn them loose on the prop and ask them to test it on the water after modifying the prop. You may get away with just buying a different prop or they may need to install a different prop and then put some "cup" into it. A good custom prop bender will get your boat maxed out and running the way you want it to. I'm guessing with your report of no rooster tail that you need a prop giving you more "lift" at the stern of the boat when you are trimmed out especially since you are running a four stroke as they are heavier than a two stroke of the same HP. Happy and safe boating.....

Wow ! That's a tough question to answer. These birds can range so far and so fast it's really tough to predict their whereabouts at any given time. I would suggest scanning the skies over water's-edge ridges and bluffs that have the day's prevailing winds blowing into or onto them. Those winds provide the Eagles with an updraft that allows them to soar along the shore where the wind hits the land coming across the water and then turns upward. Those locations also enable them to visually scan the water for shad being blown into the banks by the current the wind creates. Another place I have seen them frequently is on long points of land that extend out into the lake. That's going to be a little hard to find this year with the Lake being slightly above normal pool but they do like to congregate on those exposed pieces of dry ground and is one of the few times I have seen them actually on the ground instead of perching in a lakeside tree. We have noticed when they first arrive from the North they like to gather in small flocks and put on a fantastic show of aerobatics locking talons with one another and tumbling through the sky doing several somersaults. It's an amazing sight if you see it.

The "Long Pincered Crawfish" that are native to only the White River http://www.mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2005/05/ have what I consider a unique coloration. See the excellent pictures in the article from MDC and these match exactly the crawdads I get in my TR trap. Agree with Babler about the digestive juices in the Bass changing that coloration.

Walgreen's used to carry a product by the Band-aids and antiseptic supplies called Chigarid. It worked great but I haven't been able to find any there lately. I did come up with a cheaper alternative called "New Skin" that you can find in the same area of their stores. It's a clear liquid plastic that folks use in place of Band-Aids on small wounds. You dab it on the chigger bite and it cuts off the air supply to the bug. Unfortunately, it doens't have the camphor in it the Chigarid product did to immediately relieve the itching. It does kill the itch but takes a little time. Some folks get bit up with chiggers so bad they have been known to get a shot of Cortisone which really helps if warranted.

May I suggest, after contracting Lime disease about 15 years ago, that instead of using your fingers to grasp and twist the tick you use or carry a handy set of good tweezers to grab the darn things with ? The Doc explained to me that when you grab an imbedded and engorged tick with your fingers you run the risk of squeezing the tick's abdomen thereby forcing everything in the tick's abdomen or digestive system, unwanted bacteria and viruses included, back out through the tick's mouth and into the host's bloodstream. The trick is to grab only the head and avoid the abdomen of the insect if possible. The twisting motion while removing is a time-honored trick that always seems to work if done gently.

I don't know who stocked your friend's pond but it wasn't DNR ( Dept. of Natural Resources). Missouri Dept. of Conservation is one of the oldest and most respected such agencies in the United States. They have an excellent pond stocking program for free provided you open your pond to anyone who requests to fish it. No, you don't have to advertise it, just allow fishermen access to it. Their SW headquarters is located in Springfield, right up the road. DO NOT import Crappie as others have said. They will overpopulate and ruin the pond requiring an eventual poisoning of everything in the water and re-starting from scratch. MDC agent will come out, survey the pond, inquire or check depth ( if it's not over eight feet deep forget your free stocking as fish will not survive Winters in less than eight feet if ice covered and then snow falls over the ice ) and ask owner about bottom, whether any exposed rock, gravel sand etc. MDC will also ask you to conduct your own "creel census" after a few years where you and others fishing the pond will be asked to keep written records of species, numbers, length and general observed health of fish caught and either kept or released. They will then often advise the landowner what, if any, changes to make and will sometimes offer a further stocking. Whatever you or your friend do, when you get a Bass population established, DO NOT remove every large Bass you catch. They are the apex predator in the water and keep the panfish, minnows etc. in check which will otherwise consume all available food sources if allowed to forage unchecked. Also, strongly urge you not to accept any advice that says to stock Grass Carp or White Amur for vegetation control. They were looked upon by MDC as the solution to aquatic vegetation problems but have now been ruled out for multiple reasons. Good luck and good fishing.

I know exactly the points you are referring to and that is some of the most pristine, wild and untouched land you can still find. I wonder why in the world someone would do this ? Those trees sound like they were very large and they had to make a lot of racket doing this and also can't help but wonder how in the world they pulled the downed trees off the rocky points and out into the lake ? It would take something like a workboat to do that with a big engine and a prop pitched for pulling or pushing a lot of weight. Once they are in the water, Sycamores make lousy structure and don't really hold or attract fish. Crappiefisherman posted about the dead trees from the flood at Bull and we're seeing those on the shorelines around TR now too. Noticed a big and I mean a BIG old oak that had, somehow, leafed out this Spring and then died on the East bank just 1/4 mile South of Goose Cove point (15). It would be tempting for us to ask the Corps to drop those into the water for cover but they are very beneficial just leaving them alone as those "snags" will provide much needed habitat for woodpeckers and other birds and Woody needs food and a home.

As already posted by RPS, by all means turn the reel's handles up or vertical when you cast so your wrist is in the same plane as your forearm. It's somewhat akin to throwing a ball and your casts will be more on-target and your wrist will be less sore at the end of a long day and you should be able to develop more power. If I missed someone posting this I am not trying to give the same advice again but I was always taught to take the rod with the current bait attached and hold it horizontal, then push your free spool button and take your thumb off the spool. Observe how the bait falls to the water or ground and if the spool stops when the bait touches down. If the spool continues to spin, put more tension on the spool until the spool stops when the bait does, conversely, if the bait stops or doesn't move in free spool, loosen the tension. Do this every time you change baits and see if it doesn't help you get "dialed in".

There have been several anglers call for a lighted buoy at One Tree Island with no success. Imagine my surprise early last evening when I went up Big Indian ( Baxter ) and rounded the end of what is referred to as the " Devil's Backbone " and saw a light on the buoy marking the end of that rock formation. Have no idea if it turned on after dark or not and no idea how it got there. This is directly across the water from Camp Kanakuk and the light is on top of a short pole attached to the side of the buoy.

Don, Since you run the 1197SI and are certainly the recognized expert on the unit and log countless hours on the water with clients I wondered if you had tried the available weather option for the 1197SI that imports local weather data from XM satellite-Radio ? From what I have read in the Humminbird manual, it gives the boater access, on the water, to radar and lightning strike data and the distance to the nearest lightning strike. Would be most interested in reading your thoughts, opinion and experience on this option. Thanks.

In the State of Minnesota if you are caught violating fish and game laws, it used to be the State confiscated the vehicle you towed your boat with as well as the boat and trailer or guns. I don't know if that penalty still exists. However, when I made the suggestion about civil suit I was thinking along the same lines as Minnesota. Try to take everything this scum, and his accomplices, used to steal equipment with. Cars, trucks, homes.....whatever they own. Get a judgement against them and if they ever purchase something "legally".....take it. Since he and probably his pals are former and repeat offenders, make their lives a living hell. The other reason I suggested Civil Suit was the overly lenient sentencing by too many judges and local courts. Deals are regularly struck by P.A.'s in return for testimony and evidence or in an attempt to save the local jurisdiction costly jury trials. This clown believes he can successfully live a life of crime taking other's hard earned property so prove to him that is no longer going to be allowed. I can only hope the victims are mad enough to follow the progress of this case through the courts and continuously apply pressure to ensure prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. If mail fraud was involved that is great news as it will draw in the Feds. too.

This is probably "Wishful thinking" but I wonder if there is any chance of the owners of the stolen property filing a successful civil suit against this thief ? Could there be any basis for this like depriving the rightful owner of use of his property maybe ??? Are there any attorneys on here that could chime in on this with an opinion ? Make this guy's life a living hell and set an example for others considering the same type of theft. Take his vehicle used in transport to the theft sites, take anything of value he owns including real estate. Sell those items and use the proceeds to pay the legal fees for the suit. I can only hope that on the criminal charges Clark does not get an administrative hearing before just a judge and that there are lot's of anglers on the jury.

So that's who that is.... I've been "blinded" badly several times myself and you're correct in that you cannot see his nav. lights and you don't want to look at him too long or it takes even longer for your vision to recover. I applaud the guy for removing the carp from the lake and bowfishing for some of those "submarine" sized carp should be fun but hope someone can approach him in a friendly way about his continued use of those lights. He's in/on a pontoon or deck boat isn't he ?

8 lb. 11 oz LM, Bull Shoals on March 31, 1978 on a Wiggle Wart in a color Storm no longer makes on a very, very wind beaten bank ( Cow Pen Hollow I think ) followed on the next cast ( after my heart started again ) by a 9lb. 3 oz LM on the same bait. Both fish weighed on semi-official scales at Oakland Boat Dock back when Lenny ( Mr. Black Max ) owned it. Had several other fish ( 5 or 6 that I could do NOTHING with on heavy baitcasting tackle ) break me off or pull the hooks on that magical day. 6lb 13 oz SM, (already spawned out so can only imagine what she weighed with eggs in her), on a Black Spook on a very cloudy day in May 2004 on the flats across from Point 19 @ Table Rock. Weighed on a proven accurate digital scale at boatside and quickly and carefully released.

Fellas before you go and spend your hard earned bucks on automotive style lighting please read an inquiry I made of the Missouri Water Patrol just this morning and their quick and courteous reply. I could not locate this issue in the The Handbook of Missouri Boating Laws and Responsibilities but dredged it up from the recesses of what passes for my memory. Thanks Sgt. Callahan for clearing this up. REPLY:......................... You are correct regarding the night blinding problem headlights would cause. It would also make it difficult for other boaters to distinguish the prescribed lighting for vessels. State law prohibits lighting other than the prescribed lighting to be displayed continuously. Use of a spot light at night is recommended by our department. The proper way to use it would be to shine it intermittently to light up your course of travel. Scanning for 4-5 second would allow operators to see what is in front of them and then turn off the light. If there are other boats in front of you then you should not turn the light on as it would blind them. Sgt. Jerry Callahan Director of Public Information / Legislative Liaison Missouri State Water Patrol 573-751-3333 INQUIRY: ................... Hello, After the unfortunate recent fatality of the fisherman at Table Rock Lake who struck the tree on One Tree Island at night there is a lot of discussion among local boaters about installing and using automotive style headlights on vessels operated after sunset. I have searched the Handbook for specifics on this question and cannot find the answer but I seem to recall a prohibition against operating “headlights” while under way on a watercraft after sunset on Missouri waterways. Can you please advise whether this use of headlights on a boat while underway at night is prohibited or allowed ? Seems to me that if use of headlights is allowed while underway that would only succeed in “blinding” other boaters and ruin their night vision. Thank you.

Good idea about the reel seat. Maybe with the engraving pen though, I've seen sharpie ink come off with solvents like Goo Gone. Maybe a code of some sort so the thief wouldn't simply sand or file it off ? Thanks for your idea. I see where Governor Nixon even commented on this jerk's arrest and congratulated law enforcement who acted on an angler's tip. So if the Gov's office is aware of him maybe we can count on them throwing the book at him ? http://www.eclassifiedsnetwork.com/content...p;MemberID=1191

I got thru to my friend and the Sheriff has been in contact with him and this IS the thief who hit his boat on Baxter Dock. Unfortunately, the stolen items were not marked and there is going to be a problem proving ownership. He didn't say how they knew this was the guy but since Law Enforcement has been in touch there must have been some good matching descriptions. I suppose that is a lesson for anglers that we should mark our rods, reels and electronics ( record serial numbers probably ! ) but I have no idea how a person would mark a rod. I'm thinking engrave a Driver's License number somewhere on your reels with one of those inexpensive little engraving pens but any suggestions on marking rods would be appreciated. Supposedly, this pondscum was selling Thousands of Dollars of stolen equipment at flea markets, yard sales etc. and eBay. When they caught him in the act they discovered a "stash" of many thousands of dollars of stolen goods he had not been able to unload at sales yet.