Fishhand

Hey Phil, I think your shop has a great selection for it's square footage. I've purchased many packs of Puglisi fiber from you in the past, of which, I appreciate all the different colors you carry. Those collapsible racks have ALOT of items on them. Not only is your selection of tie flying materials great, but, you carry a nice selection of swimming minnows. You are about the only place around the Tri Lakes area selling them besides Tri Lakes Rod and Reel in Forsyth. I personally have trouble finding quality jig heads made with quality hooks. Larger sizes particularly....1/4 oz. to 3/4 oz. You wouldn't sell any if you stocked them, but, I thought I'ld throw it out there....on second thought...can I order 3 dozen 3/4 oz. jig heads. I'll be in sometime next week... Jim

I bet you're correct Phil about the runoff at outlet #3. The holler that runs between the Chateau and Skyline empties into Outlet 3, doesn't it? I'm pretty sure there's a culvert that runs under Hwy 165. I saw a DNR truck parked at that nearest road up from the new SOH hatchery entrance during the last month, or so. Baylor Drive? I was wondering what they were up to.

Hey RPS, I experienced the hook in the thumb thing a couple of months ago...felt pretty ridiculous sitting in the emergency room with a Rogue in my thumb. It went under my thumb nail, so, there was no way of pushing it through to cut the barb... I immediately purchased a $15 pair of lip grippers from BPS. It doesn't have a scale on it, but, it does the job.

Hey Sam, someone else will have to help with the launch status at K Dock. I haven't been down that way this year.

River Run is still under water and I don't think you can launch there unless you were able to back down the road leading to River Run Campground. It'ld be kind of sketchy trying to turn around on Highway 76... People have been putting in at Shadowrock just past the motel / restaurant on the Forsyth / Taneyville Road and then parking in the motel parking lot. The water seems to be dropping fairly quick, so, launching at that access may soon be difficult. I put in there last week and the old concrete bridge was partly out of the water. You may have to skirt around the left side of the bridge to get out into the lake. There was also an access off of Highway 76/160 just East of the 76/160 junction. But, it too may soon be unlaunchable due to dropping water.

Sounds like a fun trip. It may save you some miles if you hit RR, Taney and Crane Creek first (or last) and then head out East to the Current, NFOW and then drop down to the White and Norfork. Either way, good luck and have fun!

I'm not sure why it's not connecting. I'll try to post the link again. I may have put the link in the wrong box. Sorry 'bout that... http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/

Here's a link to the COE website.... http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/ go to Daily Reports and then the Little Rock District. The right side of the graph indicates when flood pool is estimated to be empty. Hope that helps.

I'm gonna start tying up some powerbait patterns to throw on the flypole...that's a ginormous fish. Congratulations to the gentleman who caught it. Those interested in C & R and the philosophy of stewardship and low impaction to our natural resources check out Recycled Fish...recycledfish.org...

It would get ugly in a hurry if I took five rods in a canoe...nice set up! Do you use anchors or do you just keep getting flushed and recycled in the eddies?

Sweet smallmouth, RS. Is that the 20"er that got away a few weeks ago?

A fisherman's eye and a storytellers pen, good stuff Al.

With my cast, I've been known to wrap a line around a guide wire, railing, boat lift, etc. I would sure hate to be mistaken for a burglar when trying to retrieve a snagged lure. Motion lights are a great idea and would definitely be an affordable option as a deterrent. At least until they stole the motion lights.

You're right, Trav, it seems deficit spending is the American way. I'll shut up now. This forum thing can turn into a full time job at the rate I type.

My statement regarding the National Debt was not off topic. I was responding to a portion of Catman's post about beauracracy. Not that I disagree with all of what he was saying, just that, in my opinion, our government needs to be held accountable for the hole they're putting us in. The beauracracy of non elected officials is not the problem. I think either you or Trav brought the Obama and McCain debate into this thread. My statement was a sarcastic attempt along those lines...The Republican party (McCain) will continue to deficit spend and the Democrat Party (Obama) will tax and spend. I personally don't like to spend money I don't have. Oh my, I might be a Conservative!

Hey Trav, I think our viewpoints kind of differ on this topic. It's my understanding, we invaded Afghanistan to fight the war on terror and find Osama. We went to war with Iraq because Saddam supposedly had WMD's. It's my opinion, going into Afghanistan was a good strategy, but, the invasion of Iraq was unjustified. Hindsight is obviously 20.20, but, an attempt at diplomacy would have been the more logical route. We rushed to judgement and now McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years. That just don't make sense. I'm bellyaching about the costs because I feel it's taxation without representation. I don't like having my tax dollars spent to support an unjustified war.

Hey ndwoods, There's alot of water in the rivers right now, so, wading may be a little difficult. But, you have a couple of options if you don't mind driving 45 minutes. Kings River is south of Kim. City. Take 13 South through Lampe to 86 West. Stay on 86 West for approximately 15 miles(+/-). You'll pass Hwy. 39 and go over the Kings River. Take a left on H Highway which turns into Hwy 143. Stoneypointe is a public access which gets pounded. The next access is the Hwy 143 bridge where it goes over the Kings. You'll be in Arkansas. Flat Creek is North of Kim. City. Take 13 North to 76 West. Stay on 76 West through Cape Fair. There's a couple of sharp corners on Hwy.76, but, just make sure you stay on Hwy 76 through the city of Cape Fair. You'll be on Hwy. 76 for 18 miles (+/-). Take a right on Hwy EE. Highway EE crosses Flat Creek and it's also a public access that usually gets hit pretty hard. The James River is closest to you, but, it may still have too much water to effectively wade fish. These are just a couple of spots and like I said, I'm not sure about wading levels right now... I usually throw soft plastic baits...4"-6" watermelon red flake lizards texas rigged during bright sunny days. Tubes in the same color bounced along the bottom. Don't set your hook on the crackheads (perch), you'll feel the smallies. Good fishin.

Speaking of a beauracracy not being held accountable...how about our current beauracracy? $9.4 trillion dollar National debt. $450 billion dollars per year in interest payments on that debt. $300 economic stimulus check...the American people being lied to in order to justify war with Iraq....priceless.

I read your statement and understood it correctly. It was my take....You are pleading / advocating that assassinating Obama would be a bad idea because in your opinion, it would mean Hillary would get the Democratic Party's nomination and would get a sympathy vote in the November election, therefore, jeopardizing McCain's chance at being elected President. In my bleeding heart's opinion, the statement was very callous. I know you don't care and I'ld like to go on, but Wedding Crashers is on TV and I can't concentrate right now.

Using a word like advocacy when speaking of assassinating a presidential candidate and then saying if it were to be done it would hurt the McCain Agenda is, in my opinion, just a flat out wrong thing to say. In addition, no sympathy vote is going to kill the conservatives. It's the statements and practices of some conservative Republicans that's going to kill the chances for election and / or reelection of some conservative Republicans. The majority of Americans are sick and tired of Bush's policies and cronyism. Bush's approval rating is the lowest EVER for a president. While McCain is a great American, his agenda is viewed as a carryover of the same Bush policies...Bush's third term. He has no chance at winning the election. It's the Al Gore syndromn. I personally see Obama as an agent of change. Who cares if Obama has or has not fired a gun. He obviously has never bowled a game in his life. He's a constitutional lawyer and I think he will govern by the rule of law based on the Constitution. That's enough for me.

Hey Superfly, I've wade fished the area during low water and did fairly well on smalljaws with a few kentuckies thrown in around the Buena Vista ranch area. My fishing was always done during the summer months and the river wasn't really floatable unless you wanted to drag a boat over the runs. I've had friends float that section and it was typically done after a rain. I haven't been up that way for 4-5 years, so, I'm not sure if the river gets muddy and unfishable after a rain... I'm also not exactly sure how far it is from the Hwy 134 bridge to Hwy 125. But, for mileage on a river, I've been using Google Earth. Once Google Earth is downloaded, check the "ruler" tab and then the "path" option. A person can then run a mouse over a river channel and Google Earth will calculate the mileage. It's a fairly reliable way to check mileage.

I wasn't able to make it to the Kings last year so I'm not up to speed on any changes which have occured. I hope that paying to take out at 143 is a recent change 'cause we've never paid to take out there in previous years. There should be enough flow to make a full day fishing trip from 62 to Stoney Pointe...famous last words, right?

Thanks for the information. We'll be sure at take some extra $$ in case we take out at 143. Pay to put in and pay to take out. Dang, I'm taking up golf...

Thinking about floating the Kings this weekend. We're putting in @ Hwy. 62 and floating down to the public access off of Hwy. 143 (can't think of the name....10+/- mile float). I was wondering if anyone knows if TRock is backed up past that access? Thanks for the help. Jim

Hey Bowfisher, I was up at Powersite on Saturday morning. Water temp. was 53 degrees and there were a bunch of gar up in the current seams. Not sure what the water temp. is up in Beaver and Swan, but, there's a bunch of gar at the dam. Surely they'ld be up in the creeks in some numbers. There will be one big gar swimming around with a 7" stickbait in his mouth. I'ld like to put a hit out on him. Good luck.