hoglaw

Thanks for the info guys. Romp hole is the last AGFC access before the state line (on the south side). I'm not sure where White Bass estates is. My knowledge of the Kings is fairly comprehensive, but is limited to those areas I've canoed. I'm pretty sure the next public take out below Romp Hole is the highway bridge on the north side of the state line. I've never done a walleye run before, and i"m trying to figure this out from a canoer's perspective rather than a boat running up from the lake. If they made it over shoals that the big boats wouldn't run over, that would be what I'm looking for. If I'm going to have to share big water with bass boats, I'd just as soon not go.

Hey guys. I've fished the Kings for years, but I've never started this early and I've never done the walleye thing. I'm toying with the idea of doing a camping float next weekend. Will the walleyes still be going with all the warm weather we're getting this week? Also, do they make it up the river as far as...say...Stoney Point? I've gone from there to Romp lots of times and I figure that's probably the best float for me next weekend. Is there another takeout below Romp Hole, or does it just turn into lake down there? I seem to recall driving over a bridge a few miles below (north of) Romp a few years back that still looked like a river, but I don't want to get swamped by bass boats. I read about the nightcrawler/chub on sunny banks pattern. What else do they do? Do they hang out at the bottom of the deep holes on cloudy/rainy days like Saturday looks to be? I don't much care for white bass. I've caught enough to hold me over for a lifetime, but I've never caught walleye other than by accident. Any advice would be appreciated.

As I'm sure you've all heard, it's a disaster here in Fayetteville. I stood on my porch two nights ago and it was surreal. Five seconds didn't go by without the crack of a huge limb and a crash to the ground. Every tree on my property has either been uprooted, split in half, or had the top fall out. I had to saw for a couple of hours yesterday to get the driveway clear. I'm without power and water until Saturday at the earliest. Came into the office today and got some work done, but all of Fayetteville is a mess. Old Main lawn (where I'm getting married in May) looks like a war zone. I missed the 2000 storm because I was in Canada, but this is the worst damage from winter weather I've ever seen. I really feel bad for those stuck in rural madison and carroll counties. I imagine some people had to do some hiking. It's all melting now, and limbs are still falling. The only tree on my property that seems unphased is a 30ft. fir (I think it's fir) right in my front yard. I never liked it, but my fiancee thinks it looks like a giant christmas tree. At least she got to keep it. Everything else is trashed. Unbelievable.

Ham: DO NOT attempt to float anything below yellville unless there's a significant rain or generally high water. I found a low water bridge down there once (possibly 101, not sure) and figured it'd be a short float from Yellville. The water was pretty low, but I didn't mind since that generally makes for better wade fishing. My brother and I loaded up the canoe and set off from Yellville. About an hour in, I kept thinking...soon we'll find a pool...this is all going to be worth it. We had to drag our canoe through more willow thickets than you can imagine, and the water was all skinny. I think we caught two fish the whole time. It was awful. When we finally got to the bridge, we trucked it back up to Kelly's slab so we could at least get some fishing in. We floated from there to Yellville with the usual results. Maybe that low water bridge down to the river is a better stretch. I've gone up from the river before and you can get to some pretty good holes. But whatever you do, don't float down from Yellville in anything less than high water.

Can't stand that river, but i let a friend drag me out there weekend before last. They generated in the morning and the water had fallen out by 11 or so where we were. If they're generating on a demand schedule (as opposed to level control), this weekend should be good since it's going to be fairly mild during the day. I would expect a similar pattern.

This shouldn't be news to anyone. Natural selection dictates that the smallest and slowest of the herd are culled, while the larger and more intelligent tend to reproduce at a disproportionate rate to the general population. Minimum length requirements are developed with the idea of allowing more fish to reach a certain length. The result is a stunt just above the minimum length. If we would enforce regulations that mimic nature's natural course, the results might be pretty interesting. I saw a buddy's facebook page the other day that made me think of this very same thing. He moved to New Zealand a few years ago to try to make his way in the world and fish at the same time. You guys wouldn't believe the pictures. He fishes free-flowing rivers that get no pressure. He spends an entire day looking for just a few bites. These trout he's catching are absolutely monstrous. Big kiped rainbows in the 10lb class are the standard on some rivers, while it's browns of the same class on others. Some of the streams are unregulated because they don't see any pressure. The genetic super-fish pass on their genes and breed new generations of big nasty drag peelers. But, if we want people to keep coming to branson and buying worms and powerbait, we have to make sure that there are plenty of twelve inch skinny's to go around. To each his own I guess....

I have multiple canoes, none of which are "solo" canoes. The one I use when I'm alone is a cheap coleman model called a Pelican. I've taken all of the seats out so it's basically just a shell. I can put a low-riding camping chair in it for quicker streams, or a reclining model for slower floats. I can fit geat in it for days. I've drilled holes in the lip (not sure what to call it) and I can mount/unmount a home-made two by four trolling motor mount in seconds. With a 50lb thrust motor, it darn near gets on plane. The biggest advantage, however, is that it doesn't weigh a thing and it sits wide and high. It's so stable that I can run circles in the thing. I can stand up and operate the trolling motor while fishing 360 degrees. There are a couple of lakes around here that I fish that are electric motor only. I'm the fastest boat on the lake for sure! If you're looking for something to impress, go with a buffalo solo or a pack. They're both high quality canoes that will last forever. If you want a serious fishing vehicle, I'd highly suggest finding a cheap canoe to strip down to a shell. You get a higher draft, more stability, extreme comfort, and more versatility. You may get some funny looks, but it's worth it.

The tech that filled the tank didn't use any type of sniffer. I've eliminated all of the lines that I can get to as leak sources, leaving only one section under the ground (between the tank and the house) and another section that I can't get to under the house. In order to crawl back there, I'll have to remove the duct work or else I physically can't get to the line. In any event, it's going to be a major pain in the butt. I was just hoping there was something they could shoot into the lines that would find the leak and plug it like a tire or radiator.

Lots of people on here with more experience than me as far as numbers on the tailwaters go, but I don't fish them in January-February without bringing plenty of white wolly-buggers or arkansas beadheads. Whether the shad kill is on or not, I always seem to hook a couple of bruiser browns on white this time of year.

Not sure how much anyone can help here, but I figured I'd give it a shot since the plumbers I'm calling are closed today. I have two sources of heat in my home. I have central heat and air that utilizes a heat pump and heating coils. I also have a propane fireplace that's rated to heat 3400 sq. ft. I prefer to use propane as much as possible for efficiency reasons. I recently had my propane tank filled, and the tech locked the valve because there is a small leak somewhere in my system. I used a small tank to put pressure on the system this weekend in an effort to find the leak. I never found it with soap, but based on the smell in the house it's in the crawlspace in an area that will require me to remove all of my duct work and possibly drill through blocks to get to. This is going to be a hell of a lot of work, and would cost me thousands to get someone else to come and do it. My question in this regard is this: Propane functions on such low pressure (10 or so psi I think) that it seems that a small leak could be fixed by some type of product that works like stopleak or fixaflat. Do plumbers use anything like this to fix leaking gas lines? It sure seems that something like that should be out there, and the alternative might be re-piping my house if I can't get at the leaking pipe. Next, my central heat is not doing the job. My outside unit is not coming on at all, and the heater is just blowing cold air. It can keep the house at around 60 degrees, but it has to run a lot to do it. It's not a fuse or anything simple, and all the jumpers on the control are in the right position. I'm pretty certain I'll need an HVAC person to come out for the electric heat - there's no quick fix. Does anyone have a friend in the Fayetteville area that they would reccommend? Also, if anyone works in either of the related fields and needs a lawyer, let me know. Any help is much appreciated.

Nice video. Liked your filet video as well. I'm not a striper fisherman, but how on earth do you run 14 rods and play a 25 pound fish without tangling anything?!

She went to Pulaski Academy high school about the same time that I was at another LR high school. She's always been a heck of a singer, though I'm not a big Evanescence fan. Very down to earth girl and stays in touch with her friends. Now if she would team up with Allison Kraus for a while, I'd buy that.

I would imagine that the rules of hydrodynamics stay the same even in raging waters. No matter how fast the current gets, there are still boulders, cuts, overhangs, trees, etc. that provide sheltered areas. I've caught fish floating obscenely fast water by bonking them on the nose in current breaks.

I know this won't be a popular post, but I sincerely wish the powers that be would ban all alcohol from the major floating streams - at least during floating hours. I like to drink...a lot. I love taking overnight camping/floating trips and hitting the scotch before bed-time. I thuroughly enjoy a beer on the bank when I'm done. But the extent of the partying on the big rivers has pushed me to the point that I don't even want to go anymore. Even the stretch of the Elk below the dam at Noel is choked with drunks on the weekends. The Buffalo seems to be getting worse and worse. The Kings isn't as crowded, but it's got its share of partiers too. This is a completely selfish post. I love to fish, and for me, canoeing these rivers is a means to an end. It hurts my heart to have the clarity of rivers like the Elk ruined when all you can see on the streambed are discarded beer cans. It's not feasible to enforce regulations. Missouri and Arkansas have neither the personell nor the resources to effectively deter excessive partying. Why not ban alcohol outright on these rivers? Far fewer injuries, far fewer arrests, less enforcement needed alltogether.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I wound up not shooting. I was in a buck only zone and didn't get a shooter deer into comfortable range. The gun is an 870 Express Super Mag. I was told by a trusted individual that a modified choke would be fine. I don't own a cylinder or improved cylinder, just modified, improved, and turkey.

Thanks for the help guys.

This is in Arkansas. I'm not aware of it being illegal, but obviously I need to check into that. Thanks.

First of all, I'm not a big hunter. I like to turkey hunt and duck hunt a little, but I don't hunt deer at all. I've been on plenty of deer hunts, but am normally content to sit in a stand and watch, or spot for someone else. That being said, I'm going on a hunt with some old classmates this weekend. The only firearm I own that's suitable is my 870. The question of the day is - buckshot or slugs? What do you guys normally use? What other information do you need that would factor into your opinion? Any help would be much appreciated.

JJ: I'm not going to step in to everyone's gun control debate here. I like to hunt, I own guns. That article, however, is quite possibly the worst piece of fear-mongering propaganda I've ever read. Maybe it's just the lawyer in me, but I don't even know where to begin...therefore I won't. There's a lot more you can do to support the cause of gun rights than to rely on sensationalized BS like that. It makes the rest of us who support gun rights look crazy. We shouldn't be the crazies, we should be the rationalists.

Kevin: You should learn how to blacken fish if you don't do it already. It's a great substitute for fried. I pretty much eat whatever I want, and I prefer blackened catfish to fried almost any time. You need a good quality skillet, or cast iron. Just dredge the fish through melted butter (margarine if you're health conscious), apply blackening seasoning liberally, and toss onto a super-heated skillet. If the fish sticks, your skillet isn't hot enough. Shake it around a few times to make sure the fish is sliding on the dry skillet. Do not use any oil or pam. If your fillets are thick, butterfly them to make them thinner. It's all about searing the outside without overcooking the fish. It's healthier and much easier than frying fish, and you can do it to feed one or two as opposed to getting all the stuff together for a big fry.

So, I'm getting married this May. My fiancee and I are planning on going to Turks and Caicos for our honeymoon. Has anyone ever been? I like to spearfish on exotic vacations, but it's not allowed in these islands. No problem, this place is apparently a bonefishing paradise. I have no real desire to charter a trolling or bottom fishing rig. Been there, done that plenty of times. I have not, however, had an opportunity to wade-fish flats. Has anyone here done much bonefishing? I have a decent 10wt and large arbor reel. It's not really a saltwater rig, but I don't mind sacrificing it and/or soaping and oiling each night. Anyone have any quick reference to good bonefishing reading materials for beginners? I'm an experienced fly-fisherman, but have never had to worry about tides and other salt-water issues. Any advice would be appreciated.

Last I heard, they were encouraging anglers to keep fish. The bass population is stunted. I have fished it quite a bit at night from a canoe. We always caught long skinny fish. It's a pretty amazing catfishing lake too. I think we were fishing the discharge in January when we caught 5lb plus channels on every cast. They were all full of eggs. Crazy stuff.

So I'm planning on floating a local creek here in Northwest Arkansas this coming weekend. This is a great creek with loads of fat smallmouth, spots, and big bass. I've been watching the USGS guages, and it looks like the water level will be back to perfect by Sunday. My question is this: What does the influx of big cold water do to the fish a week afterward? We're going to have stable weather, cool in the evenings and moderate and sunny during the days from now until then. Do they lock up after the big water recedes, or do they feed hard since they've been hunkering down for a couple of days?

No moreso than Palin or any other politician. She was for the "bridge to nowhere" before she was against it, though Alaska kept the money. I thought her speech was pretty entertaining, though that accent is tough for me to swallow. I realize it may not be so bad for you Missouri folks . I'm not sure if anyone has posted this or not because I'm not taking the time to read this whole thread, but I find it somewhat amusing that her one run-in with the law appears to have been a fishing without a license ticket. Personally I think mistakes happen and it's not that big of a deal for someone who lets their regular license lapse accidentally, but I know a few of you on here practically advocate prison sentences for all game and fish violations, yet you are awfully supportive of this lady.

Is that the bluff between Noel and 43? I don't remember that tree being down on the right, but I've had some for sure monsters explode on frogs in that pocket on the left out of about 10 inches of water.