Quillback

Catching a 5.2 makes it a good day. Congrats!

Local lakes are packed here too.

Not crazy about them either, but have yet to be sprayed. Dogs are another story. If I went for a stroll in the woods right now, I wouldn't expect to see a skunk, ticks however...

Man I hate ticks, I'm OK with about everything else in the woods, but not ticks.

Not here, biking and walking trails are packed, kids out playing baseball, golfers golfing, lakes covered with boats; motorcycles, vintage cars and convertibles on the roads. It was in the 80's today, and it was like what you'd see on a warm spring Saturday as far as activity. I don't know if this is wise behavior in view of the virus situation, but it is what it is. I picked up some redworms today, going to see what the bream are up to tomorrow.

Meindl makes some great boots and hiking shoes, very comfortable, and Goretex lined which will keep you dry in most situations but they aren't meant to be wading boots. I have a pair, I've used them for pheasant hunting in Kansas, for hiking, and I wear them in the winter when I have to step in the water to launch my boat. However, they ain't cheap - $200-$300 depending on model. But a good pair of sneakers can run you $75 these days, and personally I would not wear sneakers out in the woods. Lots of hiking shoes out there if you're looking for something sneaker sized, but heavier duty.

Bull is still rising, they just had it down to 660, we had this rain event and now it is close to 674. Running full generation, they can drop Bull about 6" a day, so we're looking at close to a month to get Bull back to 660. And they haven't started yet.

That's it! I guess I should go to the tongs, still been using my hands to pull the mail out. BUT, after reading the Donald's guidelines, he did NOT mention tongs.

So today in the mail I get a postcard - President Trump's Coronavirus Guidelines for America. I have to think this went out nationwide - anyone else get one?

Would like to see the green line on the graph start pointing downwards.

Nice smalls! Don't feel bad, I know someone that is a regular in that area and it has been tough. I am hoping this warm weather will get them going.

I hope I don't get that desperate. I don't have anything against Roland, but it has been a loooonnnnngggg time since I have watched one of his shows.

Yeah I quit watching the news on this a while back, I just check a news site first thing in the AM to see if the world hasn't ended yet. Fishing one of the local lakes here in Bella Vista today, first sunny warm day in a while. Tons of boats out on the lake for one thing, and then there is a nature trail deal on the other side of the dam, runs for about 1/2 a mile, they have little signs on the trees identifying them, couple of bridges over the creek, but that's about it. It is real popular for some reason and it is open to the public. All kinds of people on it today, lots of kids, and some of the kids were wading out in the dam discharge water, water temp 57. Social distancing, HA! Everything is closed, people are going to get out on these nice days.

My sources are all struggling to catch fish right now, I think this sunny, warm weather will help a bunch. Looks like more rain on the way Friday, hopefully it won't be much, weatherman last night thought there was a chance it might miss us.

Looks like it is back up.

Still don't see lake levels for Beaver, TR, and Bull.

I got an email from MDC announcing that they had started this free fishing thing. They encouraged people to go fishing as a way to get out and "Social Distance". Then they said they would no longer be stocking trout in the parks. Kind of ironic. Parks are still open, they ought to still stock some trout and go to catch and release IMO. Arkansas also went to free fishing, no license, but it is only for this week.

Went to the Wally located in Jane MO. They had toilet paper! That's the good news, the bad news is that it was only 2 cases, and it was this weird generic stuff. The inner carboard tube was a wider diameter than normal, and I'd say there was maybe about 1/2 the paper that you'd see on a normal roll. This looks suspiciously like a federal govt. manufactured roll. Maybe they've set up a secret toilet paper manufacturing plant in area 51. Still some bare shelves, but they had bread, milk, and dog treats.

Local news guy last night said we were now 5" above normal for the year, I believe they measure it in Fayetteville. I remember them saying we were something like 20 inches over normal last year. There's some heavy rain on the radar right now moving this way.

Hopefully somebody left a note for the guy, could literally be ignorance. Talked to a guy that launched there Sunday, said there were 10 rigs in the lot, he had to do a lot of maneuvering around them to get in the water. I'm surprised to see the courtesy dock is useable. There are places to park besides right in the lot, might have to walk a ways.

District biologists have been working with Charlie Craig Hatchery Staff to collect Walleye from below Beaver Lake. Biologists are looking for larger adult Walleye that are used to produce fingerlings to stock back into Beaver Lake. Fish are collected via electrofishing and Walleye that are ready to spawn are artificially spawned at the boat ramp. The eggs are taken back to the Charlie Craig Hatchery to be hatched and raised to a larger size for stocking. The female Walleye that are not spawning (eggs free flowing when you squeeze the fish) have their eggs checked with a clear catheter tube (see photo). Eggs that are clear are close to being spawned, but cloudy eggs are a few days from being released. Females that are close to spawning are taken back to the hatchery to be spawned within the next 24 hours. The eggs are held in spawning jars at the hatchery for 7 to 10 days until hatched. Fry are stocked into hatchery ponds to be raised for future stocking into Beaver Lake in May.  Beaver Lake is stocked every year with 100,000 Walleye and we are evaluating these stockings to determine if stocked fish contribute to the fishery. Results from the study will determine future Walleye stocking in Beaver Lake. Walleye fishing has been great this spring and should continue to be good in Beaver Lake for many years.

Ugh, shoulder replacements - you guys have my sympathy. You'd think knee and hip replacements would be worse that a shoulder replacement because there is so much more weight placed on knees and hips, but it's the shoulder that is the worst one.

I second that motion.

Today I was fishing on one of the Bella Vista lakes, a boat comes idling out from one of the boat launches, comes over close to me, and the guy starts a conversation with me. Asks me how the fishing was so far for me etc., and in the course of the conversation, Table Rock comes up. I mention to him that I fish out of Big M often and lo and behold, he had launched there yesterday. What a coincidence! He told me that there were about 10 rigs there yesterday, he got in the water but had to do a lot of maneuvering to get his trailer backed in, as only about a third of the lot was above water and some of the rigs were parked in such a way as to be tough to get around.

It is open as of Saturday. You're going to have to launch off the top of the parking lot and park off one of the side roads. It will take a little creativity to get in the water. Word is Eagle Rock is closed, barricaded at the entrance.