Lost on the Lake - Table Rock May 2024 - Issue 15

Lost on the Lake TABLE ROCK

Lake Lifestyle Magazine

Spring on the lake

INSIDE:

• FISHING: KIND OF A DRAG

• GET BOAT READY

• DELICIOUS RECIPE

• GOING BATTY

• KIDS ACTIVITIES

It‘s May and if you haven‘t done so already, it“s time to get the boat ready and on the water! I prefer the water a little warmer if I‘m getting in, but the weather is perfect for fishing, laying out in the sun, bbq‘s and evening bonfires.

I am reminded every day how fortunate I am to live in the Ozarks on this beautiful lake. I walk to the water daily and feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

This month is a great time to get your projects finished, because soon it just becomes Lake Time. We are frantically staining the deck and prepping the pontoon for the long hot days ahead.

Have you seen the print issues yet? They are distributed around town and available for free. Visit the website to find a location to grab a copy. I appreciate all of your support and participation, please let me know if you have any suggestions!

Be Happy,

Myra Thornton

CREATIVE EDITOR

Myra Thornton

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Eric Prey

Julie Blanner

Darrell Hornick

The Rogue Chef

Edward Jones

Tom Koob

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Eric Prey

Julie Blanner

Darrell Hornick

Tom Koob

ADVERTISING SALES

Myra Thornton

Publisher

Myra Thornton email: hello@lostonthelake.us

Phone: 417-593-1167

Fishing TABLE ROCK

KIND OF A DRAG

By Eric Prey - Focused Fishing Guide Service

One of the best ways to put bass in the boat April though September is “Dragging”. Just like the name sounds it’s a pretty simple technique of dragging a bait across the bottom of the lake and fooling fish into thinking a crawdad, lizard, worm or some other forage is slowly working its way across the bottom. While “Dragging” is dragging, there is a little more to it than cast it out and drag it in, sometimes.

Where to Drag:

The time of year dragging is effective

also dictates the most productive locations. Spring through early fall bass on Table Rock use gravel banks; points to move from deep to shallow, pockets to spawn and points to move from shallow to deep after the spawn. Pre and Post Spawn bass will primarily be on gravel and gravel / rock mixed points leading to and from spawning location. Spawning bass will be in pockets and coves looking for protected areas to spawn around rocks, stumps, laydowns, etc. Not all gravel is the same, pure flat pea gravel is by far the easiest to fish but

may not concentrate fish or they might be scattered. Gravel with a mix of rock, brush or stumps is usually more productive. The mix of cover along with gravel gives fish an ambush spot for feeding and offers protection from birds and other predators. A drop off or ditch on a gravel point is another important feature; points that have a deep drop on one side or the other allow fish to move up quickly and feed then retreat if threatened. Ditches on points can be gold mines, fish will stay within a ditch from a main creek channel

heat of the summer.

What to Drag:

Obviously you’re going to want a lure that gets down and stays down on the bottom. The top choices are Ned Rigs, Tubes, Jigs and Shaky Heads, compact in size and an overall crawdad look make them top performers. Choose a size that matches the forage fish are feeding on, if crawdads are only 2” long, a 6” crawdad on a jig head is not going to get as many bites. Choose the lightest weight you are

to bank using it as cover, even a ditch that is less than a foot deeper than the bottom will hold more fish.

Generally, fish will be 15’ deep or less in the pre and post spawn period and will move out as deep as 30’ deep when water temperatures rise in the summer. On cloudy or windy days they may be as shallow as a foot deep, but on calm blue bird sky days they move deeper. Where cover is located can have an effect as well, if there is a rock or brush pile shallow fish will move to the cover even in the

comfortable with as too: something you can cast a long distance and feel moving along the bottom. Using finesse tackle will almost always garner more bites than heavy tackle when dragging, lighter line and liter weights produce more strikes. If it’s windy don’t be afraid to up your weight to keep in contact with your lure, if you can’t feel your lure you can’t feel a strike.

Other options to drag include split shot and Carolina rigs, these can be especial-

ly effective when fish are being finicky and want a subtle presentation. The slow fall of a weightless plastic lure behind a dragging weight can be very enticing. Drop Shot rigs tend to be forgotten for dragging but they can be great, a drop shot is exceptional when the spring moss grows on the bottom making it hard to use a jig or shaky head. The weight on the bottom of the rig will gather moss but the lure remains clean above.

As we move into summer Dragging moves deeper. Points with drops, ditches and humps are all in play but you’ll need to change your game a little to stay with the fish. Once fish move out more than 20’ deep football jigs and Carolina rigs become the deal for dragging. You’re still looking for the same cover just deeper, brush and rock piles ditches and drop offs all hold fish in the summer. A football jig or a heavy Carolina rig will make it easier

to stay on the bottom when fish move out over 20’ deep.

How to Drag:

It can be as simple as it sounds; throw out a lure, let it sink to the bottom and drag it back slowly. Some days that’s what they want, other days a little variety is needed to draw strikes.

A couple of alternate retrieves that can turn a slow day into a great day are:

Hopping or Stroking: Just like it sounds this involves lifting the lure up off the bottom and allowing it to settle back to bottom throughout the retrieve. Hopping is usually a more subtle motion, lifting a lure six inches to a foot off the bottom, while stroking is much more exaggerated, pulling the bait two or three feet off the bottom and letting it fall back during the retrieve. On both techniques the bite

almost always happens on the fall, so paying close attention to your lure and watching line are both very important.

Shaking: The name shaky head implies shaking a lure as you bring it in. While shaking a lure randomly during a retrieve can be effective, it’s much more important when the lure is against a rock, log, stump or some other form of cover. As you are dragging your lure across the bottom anytime it stops against something give it a couple of shakes before moving it. If it’s something different on the bottom, chances are there will be a fish close by. Even if you’re not fishing a shaky head any lure being dragged can be shook to draw strikes.

Dragging is one of the most productive ways to fish on Table Rock, once bass start moving up to spawn and start relating to the bottom it will almost always put some fish in the boat. Smaller finesse style baits shallow in the spring and larger heavier baits out deep in the summer may be the only adjustments an angler needs to make to stay on fish for most of the year.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Make Ahead –

This pasta salad is even better on the second day, after the flavors marinate.

Feeds a Crowd –Perfect for picnics, potlucks and family gatherings of all kinds!

Fresh, Vibrant Flavor –

The homemade Greek salad dressing elevates this easy tortellini pasta salad to a whole new level.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Tortellini – Choose your favorite type, we tend to like the frozen tortellini! To make this pasta salad vegetarian, use tortelloni, which does not have meat.

• Cherry Tomatoes – We like to slice ours in half. You can use any kind of fresh diced toma toes here.

• Cucumbers – Small pieces of cucumber are a refreshing ad dition.

• Red Onion – Sliced thin for the perfect bite.

• Olives – Choose your favorites, chopped into bite sized pieces.

• Feta Cheese – Crumbled or chopped Feta is perfect, but you can sub with your favorite kind of cheese.

• Oregano – Dried oregano flakes.

For the Greek Salad Dressing

• Olive Oil – Extra Virgin Olive Oil is best for this recipe.

• Red Wine Vinegar – You can substitute with white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.

• Oregano – Dried oregano flakes.

• Sea Salt – Big cracks of sea salt are wonderful here.

• Black Pepper – Fresh cracked!

• Green Bell Pepper – You can use any color of pepper here.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Tortellini – Choose your favorite type, we tend to like the frozen tortellini! To make this pasta salad vegetarian, use tortelloni, which does not have meat.

• Cherry Tomatoes – We like to slice ours in half. You can use any kind of fresh diced toma toes here.

• Cucumbers – Small pieces of cucumber are a refreshing ad dition.

• Red Onion – Sliced thin for the perfect bite.

• Green Bell Pepper – You can use any color of pepper here.

• Red Wine Vinegar – You can substitute with white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.

• Oregano – Dried oregano flakes.

• Sea Salt – Big cracks of sea salt are wonderful here.

• Black Pepper – Fresh cracked!

• Olives – Choose your favorites, chopped into bite sized pieces.

• Feta Cheese – Crumbled or chopped Feta is perfect, but you can sub with your favorite kind of cheese.

• Oregano – Dried oregano flakes.

For the Greek Salad Dressing

• Olive Oil – Extra Virgin Olive Oil is best for this recipe.

How to Make

• Prepare Tortellini – Bring a large pot of water (salty like the sea) to a boil. Cook tortellini al dente.

• Next, Chop – Dice veggies and cheese into bite sized pieces.

• Shock Pasta – Drain and rinse pasta in cold water. This stops the pasta from cooking, again preventing it from becoming mushy.

• Make Dressing – In a bowl or jar, combine dressing ingredients. Shake or whisk to combine.

• Finally, Toss – Mix tortellini, dressing and other ingredients until combined.

Tips

Cook your noodles al dente. Don’t overcook your tortellini! Especially when the cooked pasta will spend extra time soaking in a dressing, you don’t need to cook it too long.

Rinse pasta in cold water before

combining the salad with other ingredients.

Use a high quality olive oil. When you’re making such a simple dressing, the individual ingredients will shine!

Reserve a little dressing to refresh this pasta salad prior to serving.

How to Store

Refrigerator – Wrap your serving bowl tightly with plastic wrap, or choose a storage bowl with a tight fitting lid. Most pasta salads can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Going BATTY

When we moved to the lake I was warned the mosquitos and insects would be bad. That really was the only thing I worried about. However, shortly after moving we were surprised to find that it wasn’t an issue. In fact, we haven’t had a problem with mosquitos, ever!

At first we weren’t sure how we got so lucky, but it turned out there was a colony of bats living in the rafters of our deck. While we weren’t happy with their placement, we were positive they were making a mark on the insects.

Late that spring we ordered a bat

house on amazon and put it up on the outside of the deck in hopes of relocating them to a better location. We got very lucky and shortly after putting it up, it was full!

Now every fall, once the bats leave for the season, we clean up the bat house and place it back up. Then, like clockwork, as soon as the freeze goes away, the bats return.

We love to sit on our deck in the early evenings and watch them fly above the treetops, devouring every bug they can find. We have managed to live in harmony and actually look forward to their return every year.

If you would like to attract bats to your yard there are a few things you can do to encourage them. Some of the same things you would do to attract butterflies and hummingbirds work for bats. Flowers, water and a safe place to sleep. I encourage buying a bat house, or you can make your own!

Pre-made bat houses can be purchased. However, it’s important to know that bat boxes must meet certain criteria to be effective. Use the following criteria to evaluate your purchase:

A bat house should be at least 24” high x 16” wide. Smaller bat houses do not offer adequate thermal stability.

A bat house should not contain fabric or mesh. Roosting boards and land-

cont. on page 22

ing pads should consist of roughened wood.

While it may seem simpler to purchase a cheap bat house, know that improper ones can actually cause harm to bats.

You will find good information about bats and bat houses here:

https://www.batcon.org/about-bats/ bat-gardens-houses/

https://mdc.mo.gov/magazines/conservationist/2020-04/make-room-batty

https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/ field-guide/bats

Dinner Cruisin’ with COLE

CURRIER

Buzzard Bar at Big Cedar

Springtime Favorite!

A boat cruise to dinner is one of our favorite past times! It’s been a long, cold winter, so we were excited for our first dinner cruise of the year. We piled in with great friends and all the kids for a short ride from State Park Marina over to Big Cedar Cove.

Lakefront restaurant options are limited in the Springtime, but we always know we can count on Big Cedar’s Buzzard Bar to be open with a lively atmosphere and great food! Most nights, you can even catch live music.

While Big Cedar offers a great variety of dining options, Buzzard Bar is our favorite because it’s very casual. Lake hair? Who Cares?!

Pro Tip:

Take the Shuttle

If you’ve got the time (& energy!) it’s a beautiful walk up to the restaurant from the marina, but you can always take a shuttle. Download Big Cedar’s shuttle app or use the courtesy phone at the marina. Don’t forget to tip your driver!

Beware the Evening Rush

Especially during peak tourism seasons. We like to arrive for an early dinner - during the 5 o’clock hour. If you arrive later, folks settle in to their tables to hear live music and might not leave for a couple of hours, making for a long wait for a table.

We love wings! And Buzzard Bar’s got great ones! Dana and I like to split an order and a Ceasar Salad.

For the bigger appetite, the prime rib is delicious, too. You can’t really go wrong. There’s something for everyone on the menu and it’s consistently good!

Float on...

MUST HAVES FOR A DAY ON THE LAKE:

Coolers

2 coolers, one for beverages and one for food. Bring plenty of ice

Dry Gear

Towels, dry clothes, light jacket, water shoes, sun hats, sunglasses

Accessories

Sunscreen (not spray), bottle opener, water bottle, phone charger, trash bag, drink coozies, hand wipes, floaties and toys

Documents

Always have a dry pouch with boat insurance, license, registration & tow boat insurance card. Also have an air horn, first aid kit, extra tow rope & life jackets for all on board.

Day TRIPPIN’

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Featuring Exquisite Creatures

Bentonville, AR

Through July 29. 2024

Crystal Bridges is a museum in North West Arkansas that features exhibits year round.

p

Exquisite Creatures is an exhibit with art, nature, and science. Throughout the exhibition, artist and naturalist Christopher Marley reveals earths intricate beauty and diversity with three-dimensional works comprised of animal, mineral, and plant specimens arranged in precise, geometric compositions. These works create an environment that combine your senses inspiring wonder. This immersive event is enjoyed by all ages encouraging us to protect the nature around us.

Right:

Header: Christopher Marley

Inspectrum II, 2021 Butterflies

26 in. x 48 in.

©2024 Christopher Marley | exquisitecreatures.org

Above: Christopher Marley - Deference, 2017 Ray - finned fish, Actinopterygii sp. 96 in. x 48 in. © 2024 Christopher Marley | exquisitecreatures.org

Above: Christopher Marley Monochrome II, 2021 Beetles, butterflies

40 in. x 40 in.

© 2024 Christopher Marley | exquisitecreatures.org

Above: Christopher Marley Lambent Prism, 2020 Butterflies, beetles 40 in. x 40 in.

© 2024 Christopher Marley | exquisitecreatures.org

Aerial View of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Fun Activities

Fresh Recipe The Rogue Chef

Garlic

Butter Salmon

Ready in 30 minutes

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

● 4 (6oz) Salmon Filets

● 4 to 6 C Broccoli Florets

● 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced

● 6 T Unsalted Butter, Melted

● 1 T Light Brown Sugar

● 1⁄2 tsp Dried Oregano

● 1⁄2 tsp Dried Thyme

● 1⁄2 tsp Dried Rosemary

● Salt & Pepper, to taste

● 1 Lemon, halved, divided

● Chopped Fresh Parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Spray sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Arrange broccoli florets and salmon filets on the pan.

4. Rub minced garlic over each filet and set aside.

5. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, oregano, thyme, and rosemary in a bowl.

6. Pour the butter mixture over the salmon and broccoli.

7. Squeeze half of the lemon over the salmon; season with salt and pepper.

8. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. (Internal temperature should be 145 degrees.)

9. Remove from the oven and garnish with parsley and remaining lemon slices.

Go Rogue by substituting with asparagus and adding red pepper flakes to the butter mixture.

Want Chef Jeff to make this delicious meal for you?

Contact him at www.TheRogueChefBranson.com.

Financial FOCUS

Financial freedom: A gift to your family

Here’s a sobering statistic: 72% of retirees say one of their biggest fears is becoming a burden on their families, according to a study by Edward Jones and the consulting firm Age Wave. If you are near retirement, how can you prepare yourself to become financially free, so you won’t have to depend on grown children or other family members?

Here are a few suggestions to consider:

Keep adding to retirement savings. Today, with a greater awareness of healthy lifestyles, many people are spending two, or even three, decades in an active retirement. To help pay for those years, then, you’ll likely need to build your retirement savings as much as possible. So, while you’re still working, try to contribute as much as you can afford to your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. If you are in the later stages of your career, possibly close to your peak earning power, you may be able to put in sizable sums every year.

Choose an appropriate withdrawal rate.

While it’s obviously important to build your retirement savings, it’s just as

essential to make the money last. Once you retire, you’ll want to establish an appropriate withdrawal rate — that is, the amount you can take out each year from your 401(k) and other investments without running the risk of outliving your money. The amount you can safely withdraw each year will depend on a variety of factors, including your age, your account balances, Social Security benefits, inflation, income tax rates and spousal income. In any case, selecting a suitable withdrawal rate can help go a long way toward preserving your financial freedom throughout your retirement.

Think about downsizing.

One possible way to boost your savings and add liquidity is to downsize your living arrangements. This may be an attractive option if your children are grown and your current home feels too large. Of course, downsizing is a highly personal decision — if you’ve lived in your home for many years, have fond memories of raising a family in it and still enjoy the neighborhood, it can certainly be hard to leave. Consequently, you’ll need to weigh these emotional factors against the potential financial benefits of moving into a smaller, less ex-

pensive space.

Prepare for long-term care costs. If you were ever to need some type of long-term care, such as an extended stay in a nursing home, you could face some sizable expenses, most of which may not be covered by Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan. And clearly, you would not want to put your grown children in a position where they might feel the need to step in financially. To help avoid this possibility, you may want to consult with a financial professional about addressing these costs through strategies that may be appropriate for your needs.

These aren’t the only ideas to consider in helping maintain your financial independence and reducing your potential dependence on your family during your retirement years. But taken together, they can give you a good start — so think about putting them to work.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward

Jones, Member SIPC

What Lies Beneath:

Stories About What Is Buried By Table Rock Lake

@Tom Koob 2024

The construction of Table Rock Lake required extensive development of new bridges and the building and re-routing of highways. In addition to the roadbed across the top of the dam, new bridges were planned at Kimberling Crossing, Long Creek, Cape Fair, and Kings River and Eagle Rock on the newly re-routed Highway 86. A bridge was built across Yocum Creek at Enon and the Little Golden Gate Bridge at Beaver had been raised to accommodate the anticipated lake in

1949.

Originally, there were no plans for a new bridge to cross the lake at Shell Knob. Pleas from the citizens of Shell Knob, Viola and the surrounding area and the support of Senator Stuart Symington and Congressman Charley Brown convinced the Corps of Engineers to add the new bridge late in the project process. It was decided that a “central crossing” bridge

Central Crossing Bridge cont on page 44

The original White River Bridge at Shell Knob

over the lake was needed at the Shell Knob location.

There was a period when the new bridge was incomplete and the old bridge was inundated. By the time the new Shell Knob Bridge was ready for traffic, the old bridge was permanently covered by the lake. In the fall of 1959, demolition of the old bridge was carried out by divers who used underwater torches to cut the girders and set dynamite to blast out the piers. Rubble from this bridge is still below the surface between Needle’s Eye and Lost Hill Island.

The new bridges over Table Rock Lake were primarily built by construction firms under contract to the state. The Central Crossing Bridge at Shell Knob was one of the last constructed. This span was built by Rallo Construction of St. Louis starting in 1957, under the inspection of the State of Missouri.

Duke Sherfy, an employee of Rallo Construction, worked as an equipment oper-

ator and labor foreman on this project. Duke described the following construction sequence. After surveying an acceptable crossing, the White River was diverted by temporary weir dams and access berms were constructed out into the river. At the location for each pier, forms were constructed and footings were excavated up to 78 feet into the river bedrock. Most of this work was performed by hand operated air jacks while pumps removed the water from the pits. Concrete was then poured to form the footings.

The piers were formed of highly reinforced concrete poured in sections. Moveable forms were used to allow a nearly continuous pour of a gravel, sand, cement and water mix. All gravel and sand were trucked to the site from a Berryville quarry. The concrete was mixed at a concrete plant constructed at the bridge site. Concrete was moved to the pouring location on a cable-way system. A large tower was built on each side of the river, perfectly aligned with the bridge

The Central Crossing Bridge under construction

span. A bucket skiff suspended from the cable-way traveled between the towers. The skiff, used to transport men, concrete, steel and other materials, was operated by the “bellboy” in the skiff and the cable-way operator on shore. These two men communicated by walkie- talkie. Each pier was poured to a certain height and then “capped” with a block. The next slightly smaller section was then poured on top of the cap. Steel “rockers” were attached to the top of the main piers and “sliders” on the two smaller end piers. These members provided support and allowed movement of the bridge superstructure. The bridge was built from pre-fabricated steel beams bolted and hot riveted in place. All steel was sandblasted and painted.

Although a good wage at the time, this was very difficult and dangerous work. Duke Sherfy relates a story of a terrible fire that occurred during the building of Shell Knob’s new bridge.

While pouring pier #3, five men including Duke were inside the forms on Christmas Day repairing the protective tarps. It was necessary to keep the fresh concrete

warm using the tarps and propane heaters to assure proper curing. A fire occurred burning all five men seriously. One later died as a result of his injuries. Duke reported one other man died during bridge construction from a fall.

The roadbed was poured in place on hanging forms. The bridge floor was asphalted and road approaches completed. Missouri constructed a re-routed highway 39 across the bridge.

Projects like the Central Crossing Bridge provided employment for many local men. Those hired to work on this bridge joined the union and were paid $1.90 an hour.

It should be remembered that the beautiful lake, dam, bridges and roads of Table Rock that we enjoy today were the result of the blood, sweat and tears of many hard-working people. Some even gave their lives on this project.

Tom Koob is a local author who has written several books about Ozarks history.

His work is available on Amazon “new” books or by contacting him at wolpublishing@gmail.com.

The old Shell Knob Bridge covered by the lake in 1957