Excited About Joining The Fun

[raise the motor]

Hi to All:

I have been following the forum for a couple months and have thoroughly enjoyed the helpfulness and kindness of the regulars here. It is a credit to the area when talented fishermen are willing to share with those like myself, who have so much to learn. Thanks to all.

I plan to move to the Oakland area from Carbondale, Illinois in a few years. For now I will make several trips down for a few days of fishing now and then. I have one of the 2010 Bull Shoals cover permits and will be sinking some trees later this month. I have done some internet browsing on the topic and understand that it can be very trying. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I have read that placing the cover above a ledge is the best site.

Thanks, Joe

[Gary Lange]

Welcome to OAF Joe. This is a great site and has a ton of information. Will you be in Oakland in St. Louis County or Oakland in Laclede County? If you're going to be up around St Louis County check into the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance as they fish the rivers a lot up that way and you can surely learn a bunch from them and do a little for Conservation at the same time.

[raise the motor]

Hi Gary

Thanks Gary, I have really enjoy the OAF. Lots of good people and information.

Oakland is about 20 miles north of Mountain Home AR on Bull Shoals. It is very remote but similar to the part of S.E. Missouri (Marble Hill area) where my wife and I grew up.

The trips down will be from Carbondale for the next few years until we can retire.

Do you live in the SW MO or NE AR area? About half of the Mountain Home residents are retirees or people who found and loved the area. Hope to see you around some time.

Joe

[flytyer57]

About half of the Mountain Home residents are retirees or people who found and loved the area.

And that is why it is so hard to drive around here. Little old ladies driving 25mph in a 40mph zone.

I'm moving to Little Rock to start work Monday. The few trips I made down there, people seem to drive a lot better. I just don't know how the fishing is yet. Gonna have to spend a lot of gas money to come back up here to the Mountain Home area just to go fishing.

[Gatorjet]

Welcome to the forum Joe. You'll find plenty of information on all kinds of fishing, and outdoors. I've been retired for almost a year, and wish I could do as you have planned but I can't talk the wife into moving to Branson.

You are moving from one sportsman's paradise to another. I worked in Carbondale a few times and enjoyed fishing in some of the lakes around there.

Good fishing, Bob

[raise the motor]

I have not noticed slow traffic. It is nice however, at age 62, to be the youngest customer in a restaurant.

Good luck with Memphis. Some good lakes around there too. I once watched a Cabelas Crappie USA tourney filmed on two lakes on the Tennessee River on the Tennessee/Alabama border. They looked like great lakes.

Joe

[raise the motor]

Hello Bob

We do have some nice lakes here. Kincaid Lake is one of the more beautiful lakes around with very good fishing. It resembles the AR lakes in some ways. Deer hunting here is almost too easy. In S E Missouri where I grew up the deer are very spooky and never stay around when a human was in sight. Here you need a dog to keep them out of your garden and avoiding them on the highway is a problem. Lots of government land with open hunting.

I am surprised your wife does not like SW Missouri. What more could you want. Fishing and entertainment capital of the midwest and very nice people. You will have to get her down more so it will grow on her.

Joe

[Gary Lange]

Joe

I guess I just assumed it was Missouri you were talking about. That part of Arkansas is beautiful and the wife and I looked the Mountain Home area over before we retired. I felt that it lacked the shopping and amenities that my wife would need so we looked around the Springfield, Mo. area and settled on Nixa, Mo. It is close to a large group of lakes and Bass Pro Shop. I have been here since 2005 and love that area very much.

[Gatorjet]

Wife likes SW Missouri, especially the Branson ares, just doesn't want to move there permanently. Maybe a condo some day and split my time between here in Fenton, and down there. Now that our Son and Daughter-in-Law has informed us that we are going to be Grandparents in November (first time), we will have more reason to stay home for a while!

Bob

[raise the motor]

Yes Gary, men can shop too. I am glad we are not so close to the Bass Pro Shop. It is hard to visit there and not want one of everything. But the frequent customer always gets the special deals, right?

We have always loved the Springfield area. Years ago we would come there for a week long bible conference at a camp made out of a converted chicken farm. Accommodations were poor but the ministry was fantastic. And the co-sponsor church was from Iowa. Wow, can those Iowa farm wives cook! One day each week they would rise around 3 AM so we could have warm yeast cinnamon rolls with breakfast.

Growing up in rural Missouri, we like the remote areas. Thank the Lord, my wife likes fishing more than shopping. I am truly blessed. Except that she always catches more fish than I. She is a true fisherman and doesn't quit when they aren't biting.

Joe