TTROUTTTALKTALK

Published byPublished by

JUNEJUNE20162016

The Lebanon

DDAILY AILY RRECORDECORD

Kids get hooked on fi shing Kids get hooked on fi shing at Bennett Spring State Park

Page 3Page 3

Bennett Spring State Park is located in the heart of the Ozarks where a large natural spring feeds sparkling clear water to thousands of rainbow trout.

Feed your cravings at the rustic Dining Lodge. Built in 1930, the Dining Lodge offers a varied cuisine or just bring in your catch and they’ll cook it for you!

Float down the Niangua River and discoverBlue Herons, River Otter and more!

Enjoy a warm campfire while sleeping among the great Ozark Mountains.We have primitive campsites to fullRV hook-ups.

Explore the Ozarks first hand. Hike along miles of cleared trails and escape the everyday.

The Outdoors is Calling...

26248 Hwy 64A • Lebanon, MO 65536For Information or Reservations: (417)532-4307 or (800)334-6946

www.bennettspringstatepark.com E-Mail: www.bennettspring@aol.com www.jimrogersflyschool.com

Bennett Spring State Park

THE LEBANON DAILY RECORD TROUT TALK JUNE 2016 PAGE 3

▼ ▼

Getting ‘em hooked!Youngsters enjoy free fi shing dayat Bennett SpringBy Aaron JenningsTrout Talkaaron@lebanondailyrecord.com

Hundreds of young an-glers lined the banks of Bennett Spring on May 7 for the annual Kid’s Free Fish-ing Day at the state park.

The day is designed to help families to learn about fi sh, fi sh habitats and fi shing techniques, all while getting youngsters hooked on fi shing. The fi shing area was marked specifi cally for the kids and stocked with over 2,500 fi sh the night before in order to give the kids the best fi shing experi-ence possible.

With the temperature in the 60s to start the day, fi sh were biting like crazy.

Last year, around 1,000 kids partici-pated in the event and around 800 the year before. According to Hatchery Manager Ben Havens, this year was better than expected. There were al-ready 200 children who had picked up fi shing tags the day before the event and more than 400 were given out before 10 a.m.

11446 Hwy 64, Lebanon, MO 65536

CERTIFIED • LICENSED • INSUREDPreferred by All Area Campgrounds

PARTS • REPAIRS • APPLIANCES • HEATING/AC • PLUMBING • ELECTRICAL

GLYNNSRV.COM

RV PARTS & REPAIR

Factory Authorized

ServiceWarranty Repair

Recalls

We Come To Your RV Site! LOCKED OUT?We Offer RV and Vehicle

Unlock Service

LARGE STOREINVENTORY

LED LIGHT BULBS IN STOCKWE INSTALL AND

SERVICE ITEMS WE SELL

417-664-6462A+Rating

PAGE 4 THE LEBANON DAILY RECORD TROUT TALK JUNE 2016

▼ ▼

“There’s always going to be a lot of people here for the free fi shing day, and most people expect that. It can be crowded for some, but at the end of the day, it’s an experience for the kids. The entire day is for them, and we try to make it as fun as possible,” Havens said.

“This is the fi rst time a lot of people decide to go fi shing. There are a lot of families that use this day to teach their kids how to fi sh for the fi rst time, and that is always special to us. I love to see a dad or mom showing their kid how to cast, or help their kid untangle a line from a tree,” Havens said.

Susan Smith travels to Bennett every year with her best friend and her friend’s grandchildren. Once the clouds cleared and the sun started shining, they moved their lawn chairs under a

small tree for shade.“It’s inspiring to be around the other

kids as they catch fi sh. It’s always fun. The day has been beautiful, and we

like to watch the kids throw the fi sh in and out. They catch some, then they get their lines tangled. It can be very entertaining to watch,” Smith said. “They all seem to be having fun. It’s so relaxing, and the kids just light up when

they catch a fi sh.”As the cool weather slowly turned

warm, the amount of fi sh caught seemed to dwindle.

“I’m tired,” said 6-year-old Gavin Lee as he tossed his pole down in ex-haustion. This was Gavin’s fi rst time at Bennett, and it was a good one until he lost his sunglasses.

‘The entire day is for them, and we try to make it as fun as possible.’

Art Gallery and Gifts

Art Gallery OpenApril - October

Thurs.-Sat. 10m-6pm

Visitwww.maccreedsgallery.com& order online year round.

Functional Pottery,Artwork, Décor, Jewelry & More!

^DramaticUnique

)A new season brings us

more new items!

Dazzling

850 S. Jefferson 25416 Granite Ln.*Serving a limited breakfast menu all day.

Start Your Day with a Great Breakfast!

We’ve Got Lunch and

Dinner Too!

THE LEBANON DAILY RECORD TROUT TALK JUNE 2016 PAGE 5

“We don’t know where they went,” his mother, Cindy Lee, said. “Probably some-where in the sand … He’s had a long day. He was fi ne for a while, but he caught a dead fi sh, so he kind of gave up. I told him he could go play in the sand.”

After Gavin got tired of digging holes in the sand, he decided to try to catch a fi sh again.

“It’s a little funny,” Cindy joked, “He’s the only one that hasn’t caught a live fi sh.”

Little did Cindy know, 10 yards upstream six-year-old Layla Gilbert had the same problem.

“We’ve had a couple nibbles so far, but everyone else in our group has already caught their limit,” said Layla’s father Adam Gilbert.

Saturday was Adam Gilbert’s fi rst time at Bennett Spring State Park, and he said the day was a lot better than expected.

“It’s been great so far. Beautiful weather.

You couldn’t ask for better weather. Layla has been practicing all week — casting and things like that. As soon as we got down here, she was all about it,” he said.

Although Layla didn’t catch a fi sh, her father said they can’t wait to come back.

“Our group is having a ball. We’ll be back every year … Layla didn’t catch a fi sh, but she did catch two sandwiches, and she seems to be happy,” Adam Gilbert said. ■

Photos by Aaron Jennings

◆

Trout Talk

Located just inside the main entrance to

Bennett Spring State Park417-588-9001

STOP in for theBEST BURGERin Bennett Spring!

OPENM/Th/Fr/Sa/Sun10:30 AM until1 hr. after thewhistle blows!

Bennett Spring Grill-featuring-

586 N. WashingtonLebanon

417-991-2118

Thrift Store

Antiques

Décor

Apparel

Accessories20lb. $1423 • 30lb. $1897

100lb. $4743

• 32˚ Beer • Cheap Smokes• 99¢ Fountain Drinks • $125/10lb. Ice

12972 Hwy 64 • Lebanon(417) 588-8858 (Next to Ollie’s)

ST. FRANCIS DESALES CHURCH

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

InBennettSpringPark

Catholic Mass!Fisherman’s Chapel

at 6 p.m. on SaturdaysMemorial Day Thru Labor Day

It’s hard to believe fi nd-ing a fi ngernail-sized mus-sel could be a news-worthy event. It’s even more diffi -cult to understand how this small mollusk could cause nation-wide alarm.

However, that’s exactly what zebra mussels have done since they were accidentally introduced into North America. This exotic species has been found at several sites in Mis-souri and each time they’ve been found at a new place, it’s made headlines. The reason the dis-covery of this tiny mussel is always a news story is that in areas where zebra mussels are abundant, government agen-cies and private citizens are faced with the diffi cult – and often expensive – task of fi nding solutions to problems caused by

these exotic invertebrates. Warmer weather is arriving and boating trips to area lakes are about to experience their annual summer surge. This means it’s a good time to talk about zebra mussel awareness.

At present, zebra mussels appear to be

steadily advancing throughout the river systems and reservoirs of the United States. Zebra mussel-related damage reports from other areas of the country give Missourians good

reason to be on high alert for this native of Eurasia.

In some areas, zebra mussel clusters

have caused major prob-

lems by inhibit-

ing the

operation of water intake structures of power plants and municipal water treatment facilities. In 1989; Monroe, Mich. lost its water supply for several days because the city’s water-intake pipeline was clogged with zebra

mussels. They have also had an impact on some recreational activities and recre-ation-based indus-tries in some parts of the U.S.

The environmen-tal impacts are also severe. Zebra mussels can kill native mussels and, in some areas, they can disrupt the

aquatic food chain and impact sport fi sh populations.

The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) gets its name from its most distinguishing characteristic – a prominent dark and light banding pat-tern on the shell.

PAGE 6 THE LEBANON DAILY RECORD TROUT TALK JUNE 2016

FRANCIS SKALICKY

CONSERVINGTHOUGHTS

Little zebra mussel causes big problems

▼ ▼

JUST ZIP IT!over 3000 feet of PURE ADRENALINE

417-532-0041www.nrozipline.com

www.trouttalk.net

Name:Address:City: State & Zip:Phone: Email:

Mail coupon with check to: Trout Talk c/o Lebanon Publishing CompanyP.O. Box 192, Lebanon, MO 65536or call 417-532-9131

Featuring News & Information on Fishing, Camping, Hiking, Float Trips, & Much More at Bennett Spring

State Park & the Niangua River area.

Yes, Start My Subscription

8 Issues March - October $12 Home Delivery

THE LEBANON DAILY RECORD TROUT TALK JUNE 2016 PAGE 7

It is native to the freshwater lakes and riv-ers of Caspian Sea region of Asia. It arrived in North America in the 1980s through the release of ballast water from ships in the Great Lakes region.

Like many types of mollusks, zebra mussels feed by fi ltering microscopic plants and ani-mals from water. At about three to fi ve weeks of age, zebra mussel larvae (called veligers) attach to hard surfaces by means of adhesive thread-like structures called byssal threads.

In the pre-human world, zebra mussels usually attached themselves to rocks, wood or larger shells. Human technology has provided zebra mussels with other options for choosing a home. Metal, fi berglass, glass, rubber, concrete and other man-made substances have become bases from which attached zebra mussels can feed. Large water pipes are a favorite feeding area because there, zebra mussels can fi nd an almost constant fl ow of water.

Among things zebra mussels attach to are the shells of other zebra mussels and this is where problems for humans begin. They commonly reach a density of 30,000-40,000 individuals per square meter. When these huge clusters are located in water pipes, boat mo-tors or other man-made structures, economic problems soon begin.

One reason zebra mussels are thriving in North America is that, unlike native mussels, zebra mussels do not have a “parasitic” stage of development. The larvae of most native mussel species must attach to gill fi laments of fi sh to complete their development and to disperse. Zebra mussel veligers are free-swimming and, thus, have a broader ability for dispersal. They also have a high reproductive capacity.

The highly transitory nature of today’s recreational fi shing and boating has also helped spread zebra mussels. The mussels at-tach themselves to boat hulls or trailers. Zebra mussel larvae can also be transferred from one body of water to the next through water in a boat’s live well or water in other parts of the craft.

In Missouri, vigilance is the best form of zebra mussel control. Boaters should inspect all parts of their craft for attached mussels. Drain water from the livewell, bilge, motor and other parts of the boat while on land near the lake before heading home. Dump left-over bait in the trash. When you get home, rinse and dry the hull, drive unit, live wells, bilge, trailer, bait buckets, engine cooling system and other boat parts that normally get wet. Boat motors and trailers should dry thoroughly in the sun for at least fi ve days before boating again.

Information about zebra mussel prevention can be found at your nearest Missouri Depart-ment of Conservation offi ce or at www.missou-riconservation.org

Francis Skalicky is the media specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Southwest Region. For more information about conservation issues, call 417-895-6880. ■

Black bearcaptured!(on camera)Trout Talk staff report

A Laclede County man whose online TV show requires him to cap-ture wildlife on camera got more than he bargained for over the weekend — a black bear.

When Matt Smith started going through the 3,000 or so photos captured by his game cameras on May 15, he was expecting deer, turkey and maybe even a bobcat.

Smith

Continued on page 9 ▼ ▼

417.993.2628372 Corkery Rd.

Bennett Spring, MOwww.oneeyedwillys.com

Bennett’s Newest Antique & Gift Shop!Antiques • Furniture • Clothing Line • Home Décor

AtOne-EyedWilly’s

Experience Experience LebanonLebanon

You can order reprints and photo gifts

of your favorite shots.

lebanondailyrecord.com

To see more news photos go to...To see more news photos go to...

Fish Early... Eat Earlier!

WEST SIDE CAFÉClifton’s

452 West Commercial • Downtown Lebanon, MO • 417-532-7742

Owners: Clifton and Nancy SmithMon-Thur: 5:30am to 2:00pm • Fri: 5:30am - 8:00pm • Sat.: 6:00am-2:00pm

Breakfast • LunchFriday Night Dinners

Hot Coffee & HomemadePies & Cobblers

Only $1.00Coffee!

Historic Route 66 Inn

1701 W. Elm, Lebanon, MO 65536

American Owned & Operated

•Cable with HBO

•Wireless Internet

•Weekly Rates

417-532-3128

Next to Dowds Catfish & BBQ

Heartland Antique Mall• Large Display Booths• Fine Quality Antiques

OVER 40,000SQUARE FEET!!!

All on one floor,under one roof.

(417)532-9350 • 2500 Evergreen Pkwy • Lebanon, MO • I-44 ~ Exit 127

OPEN 8am-8pm • 7 DAYS A WEEK

417-991-28442500 Evergreen Parkway

facebook.com/missouricheeseoutlet

Followus on

are made of

CHEESE!

Next To Heartland Antique Mall

OVER 120 VARIETIES!• Free Samples • Exotic Jerkeys

• Amish, All-NaturalJams, Jellies, & Relishes

SweetDreams

Next to Heartland Antique Mall

Try OurNew

“Homemade”Deli & Grill!

Enjoy What You Love With

Less Pain& Stiffness!

Hours: Sun 11 to 5 • Mon-Thur 9 to 5:30 •Fri 9-555 & Older 10% Senior Discount • Every Fri. & Sun.

555 E. Elm St. (Chalet Village)Lebanon, MO • 417-533-3608

www.naturespantryhealth.com

available at

THE LEBANON DAILY RECORD TROUT TALK JUNE 2016 PAGE 9

Got an interesting fi sh story or photo from Bennett Spring? Submit

your news via e-mail to editor@lebanondailyrecord.com for inclu-sion in the next issue of Trout Talk!

“The pictures started out with the usual turkey, raccoon and white-tailed deer in velvet. With about only 20 pictures left to look at, I spotted something black on the edge of the photo and I immediately thought that some cows had broken through the fence and was walk-ing around in the food plot,” Smith wrote in an e-mail to the Lebanon Daily Record on May 16.

“With just a few more clicks my heart ‘bout jumped out of my chest. It wasn’t a cow but a black bear. I started yelling for my wife and daughter to come and look what I had captured, and needless to say they were just as excited,” Smith wrote. “I know bears are around but, it was extra special to actually capture one on our game camera not expecting it at all.”

Smith, who lives on Route B south of Lebanon, is a member of the online TV show, “Ozark Tradi-tions TV,” which focuses on tradi-tions associated with hunting and the outdoors in the region.

“We spend many hours out in the woods before and during various hunting seasons with our video cam-eras,” he wrote in the email. “Part of the preparations also include put-ting out game cameras to catch our quarry in their natural habitat.”

The TV show is available at www.ozarktraditionstv.com. Past episodes are also available by searching on YouTube. ■

Continued from page 7

From MDCSpecies: Southern leopard frogScientifi c name: Lithobates sphe-

nocephalusClaim to fame: The southern

leopard frog can be found in marshes, ponds and shallow fl ooded areas over much of the state. The courtship and breeding period of this frog is from mid-March to early May.

Species status: The southern leop-ard frog resides in all parts of Mis-souri except the northwest corner.

First discovered: The fi rst scientifi c description of the southern leop-ard frog was written by American naturalist Edward Drinker Cope in 1886. Cope’s primary contribution to science was in paleontology. His ef-forts to unearth prehistoric species in Texas laid the foundation for much of North America’s fossil studies. Before his death in 1897, Cope had named about one-third of the fossil verte-brate species then known and had published more than 600 articles and editorials on his fi ndings.

Family matters: The southern leop-ard frog belongs to the amphibian family Ranidae, a group of species commonly referred to as the true frogs. Members of this family are typically medium to large in size, have long legs, smooth skin and well-developed webbing between their toes. Missouri is home to three types of leopard frogs; the southern, plains (Lithobates blairi) and northern (Lithobates pipiens).

Length: two to three inchesDiet: Southern leopard frogs eat a

variety of insects and other inverte-brates.

Distinguishing characteristics: Southern leopard frogs have a gen-

eral base color of green or greenish-brown overlain with a number of rounded or oblong dark spots. It has a dorsolated fold that’s narrow and distinctly raised. This yellow or tan “ridge” extends from the eye to the groin. A white line is present along the upper lip. The breeding call of the male southern leopard frog can be described as a series of abrupt, chuck-le-like “quacking” sound, which is repeated at a rate of 12 pulses per second.

Habitat: This frog utilizes a wide variety of aquatic habitats includ-ing creeks, rivers, sloughs, swamps, marshes, ponds, lakes and fl ooded ditches. During summer, southern leopard frogs may venture far from water into pastures, meadows or wooded areas where they search for insects.

Life cycle: In Missouri, southern leopard frogs breed from mid-March to early May. Ponds, sloughs and fl ooded ditches are used as breeding sites. One female can lay more than a thousand eggs. These egg clumps are loosely attached to submerged sticks or stems. The eggs take up to two weeks to hatch, depending on water temperature. Southern leopard frog tadpoles range from one inch to slightly more than two inches in length. Tadpoles metamorphose into frogs from mid-June to late July. In some years, southern leopard frogs breed during the autumn and the tadpoles over-winter in a wetland area. ■

It’s a little frog that quacks

Directions: West on Hwy 64, 10 Miles past Bennett Spring Park.Turn right on Hwy T, then on YY to Store. Follow signs.

Store Hours 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday-Saturday.

• Dry Goods • Gifts • Housewares• Kitchenwares • Handmade Toys

• Jams, Jellies & Pickles• Handmade Soaps & Lotions

• Cookbooks • Candles & More!

HomemadeIce Cream

Get Your Belly Full at Our Newly Renovated Restaurant While You’re Here!

DeliciousHome-Cooked Food!Open 11am-2:30pm Mon.-Sat.

Take a Trip Back in Time and

Appreciate the Simpler Things

in Life!

Plan Your Summer Getaway With Us!• 1/2 Mile of River Frontage!• Open Year-round

Make YourReservation

Today!

417.532.287827823 MARIGOLD DRIVE

LEBANON, MO 65536WWW.RIVERWOODRESORTMO.COM

• Luxury Accommodations• Newly Renovated Cabins!

MIS

SO

UR

I DR

.

NIG

HTE

NG

ALE

HW

Y A

A

HWY WW

1*

2*

3*

*4

*5

BENNETT SPRINGSTATE PARK

AND SURROUNDING AREA©2004 ROBERT S. SHOTTS INC. & LEBANON PUBLISHING CO

*6

1 Barclay Public Access

2 Bennett Spring Public Access

3 Ft. Niangua River Resort84 Cat Hollow Trail • 417-532-4377www.fortniangua.com

4 Moon Valley Public Access

5 Family Crossing Mobile Home VillageThe Bennett Room17698 Hwy. 64, Lebanon • 417-532-4550

6 Adventures Float Trips & Campground LLC1667 State Highway 643 1/2 miles West of Bennett Spring15 miles East of Highway 65417-588-RAFT (7238)www.mo-adventures.org

7 Weavers Tackle Store11388 Hwy 64417-532-4618

8 One-Eyed Willy’s & Pete’s Place372 Corkery Rd.417-993-BOAT (2628)www.oneeyedwillys.com

9 MacCreed’s Art GalleryFine Arts & GiftsHwy 64 East of Bennett417-588-7993Thurs.-Sat. • Sun. by Appt.www.maccreedsgallery.com

10 Castaway Campground11525 MO-64417-766-3497

11 Bennett Spring Inn11525 MO-64417-588-9110www.BennettSpringInn.com

12 Bennett Spring GrillBennett Spring Taxidermy25970 Hwy 64A417-588-9001

13 Valley View RV12972 Hwy 64(417) 588-8858

14. Cedar Ridge Campground12830 Hwy 64(417) 588-8858

7*

*8

*8

*9

*11

*10

*12

*14

*13

23 Miles West on Hwy 64 Right on T Hwy 9 miles Left on E Hwy 1 mile on Left

• Seasonal Fresh Produce & Flowers

• Discounted Groceries• Deli Meat & Cheese

• Homemade Sandwiches• Bulk Spices • Bulk Candy

Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8-5 pmFri. 8-6 pm • Sat. 8-5 pmNow Accepting Credit, Debit Cards & EBT

Meadowview

Discount & Surplus GroceriesPrices Subject to Stock on Hand417-993-3017

Dutch Market

Located 500 yards east of Bennett Spring State Park at Fishing Tales Campground11388 Highway 64, Lebanon, MO 65536

(417) 532-4618 • www.weaverstackle.comJoin us on Facebook at Weavers Tackle Store

WEAVER’STACKLE STORE

*All specials good for the month of June, must mention this ad.

10% OFF All Waders*10% OFF All Rods* SAVE UP TO $50!

FREE LINEon any spinning reel purchasedat Weaver’s in the month of June*

Line Rewinding $2.50 for all Fathers*

Wading Shoe $39.95* Save $10!

GiftCertificates Available!