A Tiny Blip

And we thought the July 4th weekend was going to end without any mishaps...

Apparently Mother Nature was upset with the little lake village we call "Pontiac" last night. Check out the radar image above, provided by KY3 meteorologist Brandon Beck. Ignore that big blue blob. That isn't actually rain or a storm. Instead, squint your eyes and note the tiny blip situated right on the MO-ARK line over Bull Shoals Lake. Yep, that's Pontiac. The storm passed through about 10:30 last night and shook up a few folks staying on their houseboat at PCM. They called Bill Bauer, who called Tim, who then called Matt and me. We all met at the dock at about 10:45 to find the walkway from the 200 to the 800 dock broken loose; trash cans missing and trash strewn all through the cove; a piece of metal roofing curled up on one of the older docks; a few lockers blown over; some displaced foam; and a few other structural twists and turns. Overall, the damage was minor, compared to the great storm of February 2006. We were lucky. While waiting for the guys to finish checking and tightening cables, Mom and I were shining a flashlight in the water, looking for missing trash cans, when we spotted that blasted beaver swimming across the cove.

Big Cat

John Herzog and Cathy Faulkner caught this 52-pound catfish on Thursday, July 3.

Gettin' Hitched!

J.T. Glenn and his fiance, Kimberly Tumlison, will be married at 7 p.m. this Friday night, July 4, on the Good Karma houseboat, owned by Brenda and Larry Kankey of Bull Shoals, Ark. J.T.'s parents, Tom and Deanna Glenn, would like to invite any and all friends to attend the ceremony at the dock. How cool is that?!

A week and a day late...

Sorry for the delay in sharing the results of the Pontiac Spearfishing Tourney last Saturday. The guy on the right, Ivan Lawson, is holding the winning catfish, which weighed in at 35 pounds, 4 ounces. See the rest of the results below...

In the catfish category, Ivan Lawson, Troy, Mo., took first ($300) for a 35-pound, 4-ounce fish. Second place ($150) went to Bert Benton, Flippin, Ark., for a 25-pound, 9-ounce fish. Jason Copeland, Bull Shoals, Ark., won third ($50) for a 25-pound, 1-ounce fish. In the rough fish category, Jeremy Manier, Highland, Ill., won first ($200) with a 10-pound, 9-ounce carp. Joe Graber, Edwardsville, Ill., took second ($100) for a 9-pound, 12-ounce carp. And Mel Manier, Eureka, Ill., won third ($50) for a 9-pound, 8-ounce carp. Bob Van Daley, Collinsville, Ill., won $150 for the biggest walleye at 6 pounds, 5 ounces.

After the weigh-in the divers, their friends and families gathered on the deck at Just Jackie’s for the awards, drawing for door prizes and a pizza buffet. Prizes included gift certificates to Just Jackie’s, Cactus Ridge Resort, Pontiac Lodge, Roo B Doo Resort, Lost Cove Resort and a spear gun, donated by the marina.

Pontiac VFD Dinner Saturday

The Pontiac/Price Place Volunteer Fire Department is having a dinner at 5:00 Saturday evening at the fire house. Menu includes pork steaks, baked potato, baked beans, corn on the cob, tea, lemonade, coffee and dessert. Cost is $7 per person. All are welcome to attend!

For those of you who haven't seen it with your own eyes... this is what the beaver has done to the tree.

Lake Level

Hey everyone, here is an update on the lake level. Bull Shoals continues to drop a few tenths of a foot daily. It's down to 691.4 today. However, we were told Beaver and Table Rock will be dumping more water due to the large amounts of rain in the region last Friday. So we'll see what happens. The latest long-term prediction from the Corps is that B.S. will be at normal pool by the end of September. Again... we'll see. :)

Pontiac Spearfishing Tourney

PONTIAC SPEARFISHING TOURNAMENT

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Entry fee: $25 per person

Registration: 7 to 9 a.m. at the marina

Take-off: 9 a.m.

Weigh-in from 1 to 3 p.m. (location TBA)

*NO LATE EXCEPTIONS AT WEIGH-IN*

Awards and pizza buffet to follow at Just Jackie's

Call 417-679-3676 for more details.

Free Fishing Days

June 7 and 8 (that's today and tomorrow) are free fishing days in Missouri. That means fishing permits are not required this weekend for anyone who wants to fish; however, you must still abide by the fishing rules and regulations of Missouri. So, get out there and catch something!

TGIF

The forecast for this weekend is fantastic: 90s and sunny. No chance for rain to speak of, although it is a little cloudy and windy today with a chance of storms. But Saturday and Sunday look great!

If you're planning to hit the lake this weekend you'll notice the breakwater is finally fixed. In case you hadn't noticed, it had blown up really close to the outside of the 500 dock. Boaters were able to get in and out, but it was pretty tight. On Monday, Brian Weiss (a dock customer and experienced deep diver) dove the cable and discovered the anchor had actually moved. We must have had one heck of a wind for that to happen. Anyhow, it's fixed now.

Happy Friday!

A Surprising Catch

Check out Bill Bauer's new piercing. Last week he went out fishing (and to scope out a good spot to shoot off the 5th annual Pontiac Fireworks, which are a GO, by the way) when he threw a cast that went a little awry. Ouch. We thought it looked pretty cool and suggested he keep it. He might even start a new trend in the OC. He was certainly a good sport about it. Bill Allen came to the rescue to cut him free. I hope he hangs on to that rogue. It's obviously good for catching something.

A case of the "Mondays"

I don't have much to report, I just hated to go any longer without writing something. I'm sad to report the tree will fall. The beaver has won the battle. I don't have any pictures, but I will take some and post them soon. If you haven't already seen it you won't believe what he's done. It's over. He has killed the tree for sure. He cut a huge wedge in the side of it. I wouldn't be surprised if we show up tomorrow and the tree is down. It's so depressing. Sigh.

Forget staking him out and "taking him out." I'm thinking torture may be in order now. Maybe I'll catch him and bring him to Doc Klayman or Dr. Geroff for a little tooth pulling. Hmm... now that's a thought. :)

Happy Memorial Day!

Good rainy morning, folks! It wouldn't be Memorial weekend if we didn't see a little rain, right? Overall it was a good holiday weekend here in Pontiac. No major mishaps. The skies were mostly sunny (with a few tornado watches and rain showers in the mix). It was good to see people enjoying the lake despite the high water and high gas prices. Last year our highest gas price at the marina was on Memorial weekend. Wouldn't it be nice if that same theory worked again this year! Something's gotta give.

From what I heard on the news this morning, the rain is supposed to clear up and reveal blue skies and sunshine this afternoon. So enjoy your Memorial day!

Dinner

Bob Gunkel caught this 6 1/2-pound, 26-inch walleye yesterday. He's been trolling for walleye on the points and catching about one a day, he says. This is the biggest so far!

Hello, Beautiful

It's Friday morning, the start of what looks to be a fabulous weekend -- the forecast shows sunny and 80+ degrees every day for the next five or so days. Let's just hope the gorgeous weather holds out through Memorial weekend! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Battling the Storms

Sorry the updates have been few and far between lately. Not too much going on here. We did make it through the storms and high wind okay over the weekend, in case anyone is concerned. We had a few minor problems, but nothing major. And it really wasn't from the storms Saturday night. It was just flat windy on Sunday. Crazy windy. The docks were rocking and walkways were coming out of the water two feet. It was nuts. From what I've heard Oakland Marina took the brunt of it. I heard 80% of their docks were damaged, including the store. Hopefully they'll be able to re-open in time for the holiday, but I really don't know.

Speaking of the holiday (next weekend!), we are getting geared up and ready for you. If the weather will just cooperate, we'll be in good shape. Parking may be a little tight, but we'll all just have to park where we can -- I'll probably just walk to work! It's hard to believe Memorial weekend is only 10 days away. We certainly haven't had a very nice spring. Maybe summer will arrive soon. :)

By the way, Just Jackie's will open full time again starting next Wednesday, May 21.

Rainy Day

It's been pretty quiet in Pontiac this week. Yesterday and today were cloudy and a little rainy. We didn't get a lot of rain, but places all around us (mainly north) got upwards of 3 inches. Can you guess where all that water is going to end up? That's right... downstream. The lake is at about 693.5 now, which means it has come down about a foot and a half in the past three weeks. Despite the high water, we're still in good shape at PCM. Campsites are all dry, and all docks are accessible. Our biggest issue is the lack of parking. And we really can't complain about that. Some nearby marinas don't have parking, campsites, walkways to all their docks or even fuel.

Fishing is starting to pick up. I've heard the bass are hitting on the topwater. I'm still not hearing much about crappie, though.

The beaver continues to hack away at our precious tree. I'm considering offering a reward for anyone who can "trap" the thing. So put your thinking caps on. Oh, and I spoke to yet another conservation agent yesterday about the varmint, and he said if the animal is a nuisance we have every right to... well... you know... "take care of the problem." I would prefer something more humane, but the more he chews, the higher the price on his head.

Ciao for now!

Interesting tidbit...

Thirty years ago yesterday (May 1) my parents (Tim & Johnna Morgan) bought PCM from my grandparents (Joe & Alice Morgan). Just thought you might like to know that! Happy Friday!

Larry Wilbanks caught this 40-lb striper in Gulley this morning. WOW!

Nice Catch

Bill Allen caught this 8-pound walleye earlier in the week.

Lynda Dunsmuir sent in these great pics of Bull Shoals Lake from a bird's eye view. CLICK HERE to view the rest of her photos on snapfish.

Bull Shoals Dam...

Pontiac Cove...

Weekend Wrap-Up

As I said on Sunday, the third annual Blessing of the Fleet was a great event on Saturday, thanks to all who participated in the blessing itself and the picnic in the park afterward. Deacon Joe Kurtenbach, of Ava, offered the blessing to 40 boats. Several of them made U-turns and headed right back out on the lake after receiving the blessing. For many it was the first time they'd been on the lake this year, and I know a lot of folks were eager to see the lake at this high level. Not to mention it was a splendid day, with temps in the 70s and the sun shining brightly.

Doug and Deb Yeager and gang (pictured above right) won the award for the Most Original Theme, which was "Noah's Ark." (Very appropriate given all the rain and excess water we have!) Pam Hicks and family (above left) dressed as pirates (arghhh!) and won awards for the Best Costumes and Best in Show.

A HUGE thank you goes to Bob Gunkel, Skip and Angie Dechau, Bill and Lois Bauer, Roger and Debbie Lee, and our new park attendant, Tom Pardo, for all of their hard work in setting up, cooking, serving and cleaning up after the picnic. I heard rave reviews from several people about the food. The menu consisted of fried fish, grilled brats and hot dogs, corn on the cob, new potatoes, corn muffins and dessert. It was delish.

Revolver, a blues and rock and roll band, entertained the crowd. Throughout the night the group invited guest singers (and tambourine players...) to join them on stage. There was plenty of dancing going on as well.

At the end of the night, with the food and t-shirt sales, raffle ticket sales, and the joining of six members to the "One Minute Club" (a donation of $300 for one minute of fireworks), more than $3,000 was raised for the fireworks, putting us up to about $4,500 total -- just $1,500 shy of the $6,000 goal for a 20-minute display. Way to go EVERYONE!!

CLICK HERE to see more pictures from the Blessing of the Fleet. (If you aren't already a member of snapfish, simply enter your e-mail address and a password to create an account.)

Great turnout for the Blessing!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lapse since my last post... It's been a busy week. The third annual Blessing of the Fleet was a great success yesterday. Thank you so much to all of you who came out for the event, and especially to the worker bees who helped set up, cook and clean up. I'll let you know later in the week how much we raised for the Pontiac Fireworks. We couldn't have done it without everyone! I'll post pictures and write more about the Blessing a little later...

He's Baaaaaaaaack!

Well, I suppose he probably never went anywhere, but I was hopeful that our little friend (a.k.a. the beaver) had found a new home with the high water. But really, this just gives him a whole new patch of trees to saw down with his razor sharp incisors. This is a rather large tree on the upper road... you know the one. He has already chewed off one branch, and now he's working on another. Look at the size of that branch! It's huge! He must be stopped.

New Look!

So... what do you think of the new blog? I hope you find the new design is easy on the eyes. Notice the list of links to the right... Those will always be there, so you can check the local weather, news and lake level anytime you like. Enjoy!

Fishing Tournament Results

(Above left): Mark & Ofelia Sanders took first place; (Above right): Verla Cubbage and her son, Jerry, announce the winners and hand out door prizes.

Despite frigid temperatures and gale force winds, 16 boats turned out for the Verne D. Cubbage Memorial Buddy Bass Tournament in Pontiac on Saturday. Mark and Ofelia Sanders, Ava, took first place ($500) with six fish totaling 15 pounds, 6 ounces. They also won the big bass pot ($160) for a 3-pound, 13-ounce largemouth. Bobby Comstock, Protem, and Josh Johns, Theodosia, took second place ($330) with six fish totaling 11 pounds, 3 ounces. Allen Tharp, Gainesville, and Larry Nickels, Mountain Home, Ark., took third place ($200) with two fish totaling 3 pounds, 13 ounces. Rod Crain and Stormy Williams, both of Ava, took fourth place ($150) with two fish totaling 3 pounds. Bob and Josh Barnum, Ava, took fifth place ($100) with two fish totaling 2 pounds, 12 ounces.

Four kids younger than 16 fished in the tournament. Jordan Husak, Cedar Hill, Mo., caught the biggest fish of the four boys. The fish weighed 2 pounds, 10 ounces. He was awarded a $100 savings bond at First Home Savings Bank in Gainesville. Calib Hatchcock, Union, Mo., Trey Schroeder, Crestwood, Mo., and Jared Harper, Beebe, Ark., were given $50 savings bonds for their participation.

Twenty door prizes were handed out, including tackle boxes, rods and reels, Branson getaway packages, gift certificates to Shockey’s, the Harlin House, Pontiac Cove Marina, and much more. Altogether $500 was raised for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in memory of Verne Cubbage, who passed away a little more than two years ago.

695.03

So I may have spoken too soon yesterday. Now the Corps has changed their forecast. The lake actually crested today at 695.03. Another new record! Now they're predicting the lake level to be back to normal by Friday... HA! Just kidding. Actually they're predicting 694.9 by Friday. A whopping 13/100 of a foot lower than it is today. Hey, we'll take what we can get. Meanwhile, I snapped this shot, so you could see just how close the end of our walkway is getting to Just Jackie's deck. Don't you think she should deliver down to the water now? :)

One for the Books

The lake has crested today at 694.9. Hallelujah! That is a new record.

Here is the latest forecast:

Tuesday: 694.8
Wednesday: 694.6
Thursday: 694.4

All is well at PCM. I've heard rumors flying that we are going to have to shut off our electricity and the Blessing of the Fleet is canceled... NOT TRUE! If the lake were to reach 697 (that's 2 feet above flood stage), then we would have to shut off the electricity temporarily, of course, until it were to get back to flood stage. That is a "worst case scenario" situation. Thankfully the Corps seems to have a handle on the lake levels now, so we don't foresee that happening.

Now... on to the Blessing!

Join us Saturday, April 26, for a boat blessing ceremony at 2 p.m., picnic in the park at 5 p.m., and live music by the band, Revolver (http://gigsalad.com/revolver), from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Decorating your boat is optional, and prizes will be awarded to the winners (best costumes, most original theme, etc.) Please let us know if you plan to attend and how many are in your group, so we know how much food to prepare. You don't need to bring a thing! A volunteer committee is preparing and selling food to raise money for the Pontiac Fireworks.

We are selling Blessing of the Fleet tees again this year, and they are the best yet!

We hope to see you there!

Water Under the Bridge

Thanks to Jimmy Conner for sharing this photo of the Theodosia bridge.

Who opened the gates?

Behind Larry Kankey and Craig Mincke you can see the flood gates at Bull Shoals dam are open! They were opened at about 12:30 Saturday afternoon.


The latest prediction for the lake to crest is 694.9 on Monday. (Two days ago the forecast was for 695.7, so backing it off 8/10 of a foot is a good sign, I think.)

(Photo by Brenda Kankey.)

More pics

This was taken from the main dock, looking to the right, toward the hill that leads up and out of the park. Look just to the left of the gate, through the trees, and you can see the bathrooms there at the edge of the water.

This pic was taken from the main dock, looking toward where the launch ramp should be... those light poles that are about to go under are on the top road. Don't worry, the electricity has been disconnected from them.

A Dry Forecast... FINALLY

Grrrrreat news. The 10-day forecast for Pontiac is (practically) rain free, with just a few spotty showers possible later next week. And after this little cool down (highs in the 50s this weekend) we should start warming up again next week, hitting 70+ by the end of next week. Spring... are you here to stay?

Today's forecast: mostly sunny, 60 degrees and WINDY.

A New Record Soon!

I missed a year in yesterday's post about past high water levels. This is the correct info:

June 1957: 694.4 (current record... but not for long!)
June 1973: 691
June 1990: 691.5
June 2002: 688.8

Notice all of these high water levels were recorded in June! This is only April, and we're about to break the record. The lake came up a couple feet overnight. Matt had to back his truck down to the water to get on the walkway from his tailgate to keep from getting wet. The lake level is about 693, according to the Springfield news this morning. We understand Bull Shoals is now running eight generators and releasing some water through the flood gates. Look out below.

Just so you know... You have to see this in person to really get the full effect. The pictures below do not do it justice. I literally cannot get to high enough ground to get a full shot of the cove! Now we really need an aerial shot!

Pictures

(Above): As you can see, this picture was taken from the hill above the gas storage tanks. What would be all the parking for the 800 dock obviously is under water now, and the 800 dock is attached to the 200 dock via a walkway.
(Left): Before long we'll be able to step right off the walkway and on to Just Jackie's deck! That's actually pretty handy. :)

The latest forecast...

4-10: 688.76 (I guess I was right the first time...)
4-11: 691.6
4-12: 692.8
4-13: 693.5

4-15: 694.9 CREST (we'll see)

Correction

Bull Shoals is actually 689.6 now.

Lake Level Update

We already had one tornado warning this morning, but all is well at PCM. The guys are checking cables and making some adjustments to the walkway now, as the lake continues to rise. It rained all last night and this morning -- 3 inches is what I was told. Wow. The skies are blue and birds are chirping now, but there is another threat of severe weather later this afternoon.

For those of you curious about how high the lake has been in past years, Tim did a little research and found that Bull Shoals has only reached maximum capacity (695) one time, and that was June 1957. (Which means very few people have ever seen it that high.) The second highest level was 691.5 in June 1990. (Some of you may remember that.) And most recently it went to 688.8 in June 2002.

Today we're at 688.7. As of Monday the forecast for B.S. was 690 on April 15; however, with all the rain we just got and are supposed to get later on today, that will most likely go up.

So what does that mean for PCM customers? Well, fortunately for us and you all, we are in pretty good shape, compared to some of the other marinas. For starters, the campground here is situated high enough that it's all above water, whereas the campgrounds at Theodosia and Oakland are all under water, from what I've heard. The shoreline around our cove is steep enough now that as the lake continues to rise, the dock will just rise up with it. We have enough walkways that you can and will be able to get on and off the dock, even if B.S. reaches maximum pool. (I heard some marinas on Bull Shoals and Table Rock are already having to ferry customers to and from their boats.)

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call. We'll keep you posted as new information is available.

Fishing Report

Chuck Benson (St. Louis) caught this 30-pound striper Saturday morning not far from PCM. He and his buddy, Steve Ponzar, were in town for the weekend pre-fishing for a tournament on Sunday. They went out Saturday morning, and it couldn't have been an hour later I saw them coming in. They motored up to the main dock and said, "Get your camera!" I think they were pretty excited when they pulled that thing out of the water.

Speaking of fishing, a few people have called to ask for a fishing report. From what I've heard it's been a little tough since the lake is continuing to rise; however, there are people catching fish. I talked to a guy a couple days ago who said he caught a limit of crappie recently--and like a typical fisherman, he wouldn't tell me where or on what! Jeannie Looper said yesterday she caught a couple largemouth on Saturday afternoon. The water temp is about 54 degrees F.

Are you ready to walk the plank?

All roads lead to... WATER

Sorry I haven't written sooner, or taken any more pics. I will snap a few shots tomorrow and post them. The lake is up to 680 today. That's 26 feet above normal pool. This is the latest forecast from the Corps of Engineers:

Wednesday: 682.1
Thursday: 683.3
Friday: 684.1

Bull Shoals is expected to crest on April 12 at 688.7. However, at this point we really aren't very hopeful about that, as there is still more rain in the forecast.

FYI: Both the 500 and 800 docks are connected to the main dock now. So if your boat is on either of those docks, you'll have to come on the main walkway to get to them. The top road is completely under water, so the only parking to speak of is below Jackie's.

I know it sounds bad... but really... it's not that bad. I've had a few folks call to ask if we're open and if the lake is navigable. Trust me, we are open and we will be no matter how high the water gets. It's been higher than this before. We can handle it if you can handle it. The lake is just a little bigger than what we're all used to. And so far, it doesn't seem to be an issue, as folks are going out daily from Pontiac.

Call if you have questions.

Lake Level Today = 673.7

(Top left): As you can see, the water is starting to creep up on the top road now. (Top right): This shot was taken from the dock near the dive shop... you can see the launch ramp is... well... barely there. But it is functional! (For now.) The latest forecast from the Corps for when we can expect B. S. to crest is 678.6 on April 6. We'll see!

Fishin' Gooooood

Gabe and Matt both caught their limit of whites this evening. I'm not supposed to tell where they caught them. I guess they're afraid everyone will flock to their honey hole. But here's a clue: It sort of rhymes with string cheese... uh-huh... think about it. Yep, you guessed it. It's not that difficult to figure out. Lots of people go there to fish for white bass. Anyway, Gabe also caught a nice largemouth. You could say fishing is good!

Lake Level Update

I reported earlier today that Bull Shoals is supposed to crest at 680.4 on April 11. That's the info we received via e-mail from the Corps office in Mtn. Home yesterday. However, if you click here, you can see the lake level forecast, which shows B.S. cresting at 675.2 on April 4. They do update this forecast daily, so I'll be checking later in the week to see if that changes again.

Yes, Bull Shoals Lake is navigable.

Hi folks. I'd like to dispel any rumors you may have heard that Bull Shoals Lake is not fishable, nor is it safe to navigate because of the high water. This is simply not true. At least not in Pontiac. There are people fishing every day out of this marina. Now, the condition of the lake certainly is not ideal. We're used to clear water, and right now the clarity is just terrible. But there are still fish being caught by our local fishermen. Also, I would advise boaters to watch for debris in the water (something else we're not used to having to worry about). But other than that, you can certainly go out on the lake. If you're looking for a place to launch your boat, our ramp is still accessible as well.

Current lake conditions: Bull Shoals is currently at 672.4 (18 feet above normal pool). According to an e-mail we received from the Corps of Engineers office in Mountain Home, Ark., yesterday, the lake is still going up another 8 feet, where it should crest at 680.4 on April 11. This does not take into account any rain we may get in the next few days, so that could very well change. We'll keep you posted.

PCM is open daily: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Thursday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday & Saturday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Keep Left :)

In case you're wondering, we survived all the rain! So far, anyway. Matt and Josh did have to take a boat to get on the dock this morning! But everything is fine. Just a little extra water. The lake is about 664+ now. By the time I finish writing this it will probably be even higher than that! It's coming up about 4 inches an hour today. A rep from the Corps called this morning and told us Bull Shoals will crest next Thursday, March 27, at 675 -- that's 21 feet above normal pool. And that's ONLY if we don't get any more rain between now and then. Yowzas. Get ready to say bye-bye to the top road. By the time this is over we'll be able to walk right off the dock and onto Jackie's deck! Some of you have seen it that high before. Others haven't. Get your cameras ready!

FYI: Our hours are 8 to 5 Monday to Thursday; 8 to 6 Friday and Saturday; and 8 to 4 on Sunday. As you know, that will change as the days get longer and we get closer to summertime.

Despite all the rain we've had the past couple days, Easter weekend looks to be promising weather-wise. The sun is already out this afternoon. By tomorrow we should be in the upper 60s and sunny, and staying that way through the weekend! Hope you're staying dry, where ever you are! Cheers!

Fish Tales

(Above left): Chris Geroff caught this largemouth Saturday afternoon. His fishing buddy (who I won't name here, because I don't want to embarrass him) caught the little white. (Above right): Bob Gunkel caught a mess of whites Saturday afternoon.

Signs of Spring

Easter lilies and white bass. 'Nuff said.

Addin' On

(Above) The new addition to the 500 dock is under way. The guys have already made a lot of progress, and this is only Day 2. When the project is finished, there will be 12 new slips at the end of this dock (by the launch ramp).

(Below) It looks like the lake level has peaked out at almost 661 today, and starting tomorrow it is scheduled to start back down.

Oh, the lake level...

The lake is completely over the lower road now. It's about 660, which is six feet above normal pool. When you come to the dock, it would be best if you park on the top road and come down the stairs. The walkway extends all the way from the bottom of the stairs, across the water-covered lower road, and onto the dock. According to the Corps lake level prediction it's still going to come up almost another foot. Hopefully at that point we'll see it peak and start to go back down.

Snow, snow, go away!

Yet another snow storm is upon us. As I type it is snowing outside. There is some accumulation on our deck -- an inch or maybe two -- but I noticed it's melting when it hits the pavement. That's a good sign, although I imagine as the temperature drops throughout the night it may start to stick to the roads, too. Earlier today we were in the 6-9 inch range, but I just checked ky3.com and it looks like we're right on the border between 1-3 inches and 3-5 inches. Let's hope for the lesser amount. Everyone I talk to agrees... Winter has worn out its welcome. Time for warmer weather to get here and stay! Sunday's forecast looks pretty darn good. Sunny and around 50 degrees. Don't forget we're open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday. The time changes this Sunday. So, we may start staying open later as soon as next weekend, depending on the weather, of course. I'll keep you posted. Have a good evening. I hope it isn't snowing where you are!

The Lake Runneth Over

Fortunately, we didn't get the 6 to 12 inches of snow that was predicted for our area; however, it is still snowing. The biggest problem we have right now is the lake level. You can see that the lake is over the lower road now. The question is... how much higher is it going to go? Wish we knew the answer!!

19 Days and Counting

Well, Mother Nature got it right this time. It's March 1. It's Saturday. And it's absolutely gorgeous. Mid to upper 60s. Not a cloud in the sky. A little breezy. But that's okay. We'll take it. We're officially open full time again! Today we're open until 4 p.m. Tomorrow we'll be open until noon. (It's supposed to be rainy and turning cold again... go figure.) It's been fairly busy today. It's great! Fishing licenses are the big seller. (The '07 license expired yesterday.) A little gas. Some tackle. A lot of folks are just out and about enjoying the day. If you're sitting inside reading this on Saturday afternoon, shame on you. Get out and breathe the fresh air! Spring is near! (19 days and counting)

Cheers!

Longer Hours!!!!!!

The forecast for this weekend looks pretty promising: 60 degrees and sunny! Could spring be just around the corner? We can only hope! Starting this Saturday we will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; but we will close at noon on Sunday. (At least for this Sunday, and we'll let you know about next Sunday -- it all depends on the weather and traffic.) As you know, between now and Memorial weekend our hours will continue to get longer. I'll try to keep you updated here as we change the hours. So... if you've been waiting for a nice day/weekend to come down and check on your boat, why not make it this weekend?!

Normal for Now

Well, other than the fact that it snowed an inch last night! AND... it's supposed to hit 50 degrees today, things are pretty much back to normal at the dock. What little ice we did get last week finished melting over the weekend. And all that rain (here and everywhere else) brought the lake rapidly back up to normal pool practically overnight.

Click here to check out the lake level forecast on a daily basis.

Ice, Ice Baby

Despite what this looks like, we really didn't get any of the ice that was predicted for last night; just a few icicles on the trees. Highway W is clear, at least our end of it. And our driveway and sidewalk are, too. I think most of the ice stayed north of us. I heard Ava (45 miles north of Pontiac) had it pretty bad, and Springfield, of course. All the schools in southwest MO are closed again today, including Ozark County schools. Some of the side roads must be slick. Anyway, I figured some of you might be wondering how we fared down here, and I'm happy to report just fine. Chins up, everyone. Only 37 days until spring!

Beaver Patrol

There is a beaver on the loose at PCM. The darn thing chewed this tree down! It's 8 feet tall and about 9 inches in diameter -- the tree, not the beaver. I've never seen the animal, but we know he exists. You can see where he has chewed down trees and limbs along the shoreline, and he leaves debris in the water. (Plus, there are reported sightings by a couple different PCM customers.) We found this tree floating under the walkway. We assume he was trying to swim it to his nest (which we believe is under one of the old docks near the office), and he either couldn't hack it (I could barely lift it!), or he got startled and dropped it. Either way, now he'll have to walk right up to the front door to retrieve it. We'll see how brave this beaver really is.

Meanwhile, does anyone out there have any bright ideas on how to catch a beaver?

TONS of snow

The sun shone all day yesterday, and temps were well above freezing. So a good portion of the snow melted. Today it's supposed to be sunny again and even warmer (50s!!), so I'm guessing (hoping) the rest will melt. Overall the docks made it just fine in the snow. Had the crew not shoveled those roofs, though, who knows? A couple of the older ones were really sitting low with all that extra weight on them. Speaking of weight, Tim did a little calculating, and he figured they shoveled 65 tons of snow -- or 130,000 pounds!! Wow! I know, it doesn't sound believable. But numbers are his forté. So I'd say that's pretty darn accurate. And they didn't even shovel all the roofs -- they didn't touch the 200, 500 or 800 docks. And on the roofs they did shovel... they only pushed about 8 feet off each side. So just think how many more tons were still up there! Wow!

Lighten the Load

The snow finally stopped. I think we ended up with about 6 inches total. Another front is supposed to move through later this afternoon/evening, but hopefully it won't dump as much on us as the first one did. The guys (and gal -- Angie) are still shoveling away. Tim, Josh and Matt are up there, and a big THANK YOU to Gabe, Skip, Angie, Gary & Sue Giavanini, and Bob Gunkel for their help today. (Click the images to enlarge them.)

Enough Already!

I took this pic at 10 a.m. We've gotten 5 1/2 inches already! It has let up a little... but it's still falling... probably be shoveling roofs pretty soon...

White Out

January is going out with a bang, isn't it! Everything was already covered when I first looked outside at 6:30 this morning. By 8:30 we already had 3 inches, and the flakes are only getting bigger and coming down faster. This is the view out our windshield as we turned off Highway W and headed down the road to the new (800) dock.

Interesting article in BoatU.S. Magazine

I found this article in the January 2008 issue of BoatU.S. Magazine. I thought you might be interested in reading it also...

Army Corps Floats Life Jacket Rule

The millions of visitors to lakes and reservoirs managed by the Army Corps of Engineers may have to wear life jackets to go boating, if the agency's chief has his way. The Corps, which has jurisdiction over 456 waterways in 43 states, is currently contemplating mandatory life jacket wear for all boaters on their waters. Major General Don Riley, Director of the Corps' Civil Works, is concerned that despite several decades of safety education aimed at swimmers and boaters, the water-related fatality rate at Corps facilities has not improved in the last few years.

Nationwide, the Corps has a 10-year average of 164 water-related fatalities a year. The majority of these deaths occur among swimmers outside designated swim areas, as well as from falls off docks, banks and land. Boating-specific deaths are approximately 42% of the annual water-related fatalities. This boating category includes deaths attributed to swimming from a boat, falling or fishing from the boat, nighttime capsizing, and capsizing in general.

At press time in late November, Corps staff was conducting research into existing state laws, enforcement capabilities and the effectiveness of education and outreach efforts. If the Corps decides to create a federal life jacket standard for its waters, the proposed change in Title 36 of the federal regulations would require a public comment period. However, if an individual district commander, leading one of the 38 districts of the Corps, decides to implement a life jacket requirement for all boaters in their own geographic district, they can enact this change merely by signing a statement to that effect.

BoatU.S. is part of the ongoing discussions with the Corps; if a comment period is announced, BoatU.S. will post notice at BoatUS.com/gov.

So far we have heard nothing of this proposition. We'll keep you posted if we do hear something out of the Little Rock District--our local district.

What are your thoughts?

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

So the massive cold front finally moved through Pontiac... and WOW! It dropped from 72 degrees to 32 degrees in less than two hours. We seriously had near hurricane-force winds -- fortunately it was blowing out of the north and not the southwest... Bobby Gunkel circled the park and stopped to chat with Tim for a minute, when he looked up to see his own boat sailing across the cove. "Well, there goes my boat!" Sure enough, it had broken loose from the 800 dock and was floating into the far side of the cove. "What do you want to do?" Tim said. "Let's go get it!" Bob said. So the two jumped in the work boat and headed over there. They couldn't do anything with the wind blowing that hard, so they had to leave it. In the meantime, two more boats broke loose from the same dock and floated into the same cove -- all three are still there, as the wind hasn't laid down enough for the guys to rescue them yet (you can see them in the picture above, waaaay back there).

While they were heading out in the work boat, I drove over to the parking lot by the launch ramp to take some pictures of the swells (six-footers at least) crashing onto the shore. When I got over there the wind ripped my car door out of my hand so fast, it nearly took the door off. And that's no exaggeration. It bent it so far back I could barely close it. It's totally messed up. Not to mention when I got out of the car I could hardly stand up. (Tim says it's the strongest straight-line winds he has ever seen. It's certainly the strongest I've ever seen.) Milt Hoefle drove up and we started to chat when the roof started peeling off the dock right in front of us (see pic above). Fortunately, that's really the only damage to the docks so far, besides a few lockers blown over. We haven't had a chance to check over every square inch, but we will. A few folks have been down to check on their boats. If you're in the area it might not be a bad idea to check on yours... but wait until the wind calms down. Hopefully we've seen the worst of it, but I don't know. The dock's still rockin' pretty good. We'll keep you posted.

Oh, of course... now the sun is shining!

The few. The proud.

Carrie Kohler recently graduated from U.S. Marine Corps basic training in Parris Island, South Carolina. Carrie is the daughter of Lisa Luna and step-daughter of Charles Luna. Lisa, Charles, Brittany and Kirstyn (Carrie’s sister and niece) all made the trip to see her graduate. Carrie took them on a tour of where she had lived for the past 13 weeks, obstacles she had completed, and the rifle range, where she had learned to shoot. Carrie was home for about a week, and currently she's working in a recruitment office in St. Louis, before she heads to Camp Geiger, North Carolina, for her MCT (Marine Combat Training). Carrie is a former Pontiac resident. She graduated from Gainesville High School and spent summers working at Just Jackie's. We're very proud of her! And we'll keep you posted on where she lands.

Running on Empty

Folks, I wanted to let you know we are currently selling premium unleaded gasoline again at PCM, which is what we always carried until just a few years ago when we made the switch to regular unleaded. And here's why: Some of you may already know that as of January 1 gasoline is required to contain 10% ethanol. However, marine fuel is exempt from that law, but only for premium unleaded gasoline. We've heard reports about what ethanol will do to outboard motors... we needed to get a load of gasoline... so we went with premium (91 octane) to avoid the ethanol, until we can determine what is going to be the best scenario for the majority of our customers.

What are your thoughts?

It's snowing in the desert!

Mike Cochran sent me these pictures this morning. He is currently working in Iraq. He said when he went to bed last night it was raining and when he woke up it was snowing! Not something they see too often where he is. As he put it: "Hell has frozen over!" Anyway, other than having a cold, Mike is doing well. We hope to see him soon.

Whew! All is well in the OC!

Well, I'm sure some of you are curious about whether Pontiac was in the line of severe storms and tornado touchdowns that went on for about 12 hours in southwest Missouri. I'm happy to say it all missed us. We were very lucky. The folks in the path of those storms, however, were not so lucky. Geez. What a mess. I hope any of you reading this were safe from the storms last night and did not suffer any property damage.

Yesterday it was 70 degrees. Last night there were like 50 tornadoes, this morning it rained so much many areas are flooded, and tonight it's supposed to be in the 20s, with possible snow by Sunday. Mother Nature must be stressed. Someone get her a beach, a fruity cocktail, and a hot guy named Sven to feed her grapes and fan her.

New Aerial Photo?

I'd really like to have a new aerial photo taken of Pontiac Cove once the addition to the new dock is complete this spring. Does anyone know anyone who could do this for me???

Upcoming Events

I don't have all the details, but you can at least mark your calendars for these Spring 2008 events at PCM:

April 12: Verne Cubbage Memorial Fishing Tournament: Last year we hosted the first ever tourney in Verne's honor. And we're doing it again this year. It's a one-day fishing tournament, with cash prizes for winners and LOTS of door prizes.

April 26: Third Annual Blessing of the Fleet: Can you believe this will be three years!! This event kicks off the 2008 boating season, with a boat blessing, costume and boat decorating contest, food, drinks and live entertainment. You won't want to miss it!

(FYI, 2008 hunting and fishing licenses are now available.)

The first post of 2008!

Happy New Year, everyone! (a few days late...) I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are now counting down the days to boating season! It will be here before we know it! (It really will...) As you can imagine, there isn't much happening around the dock these days. I do see some of our local fishermen -- especially on a day like today. WOW! Makes me long for spring already! It's 60-something, partly cloudy, and tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer! We had better enjoy this weather while we can... winter is coming.

We'll continue to maintain our winter hours through the end of February. You can (almost always) catch someone at the dock from 8 to 10 a.m. -- and often later in the day. We were closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas day, NYE, and NYday. And if we're planning to be closed any days in the next couple months I'll try to give you plenty of notice.

We, at PCM, are already gearing up for the 2008 boating season -- we've ordered new t-shirts and hats, and we'll be ordering bait and tackle soon. If there is something you'd like to see us carry this spring and summer, please don't hesitate to make a suggestion! Whether it's tackle, food, boating accessories, or (I'm sure we're not all giving up these vices for the new year) beer and tobacco products... I'm definitely open to new ideas!

Here's an interesting little tidbit for you before I go... A couple months ago I glanced at our customer accounts to see where you all call home! I discovered that 1/3 of you live in Pontiac/Ozark County; 1/3 live in the St. Louis area (including the 'burbs on the Illinois side); and 1/3 are from towns all across Missouri (i.e. Ava, Mansfield, Hartville, Mountain Grove, Springfield, Cape Girardeau etc.) And eight of you are from states other than Missouri or Illinois, including Arkansas, Iowa and Colorado.

Have a great afternoon!

A Christmas Catch

Skip and Angie Dechau went fishing yesterday afternoon. She caught the first fish, but he caught the biggest. Not a bad way to spend a beautiful Christmas afternoon in Pontiac!

A new website for a new year!

Hey everyone! Check it out. Our new website is FINALLY finished! It's been in the works for months, and it's finally up for the world to see. Give it a look. Let me know if you see any mistakes, or have any suggestions. I'll be adding pictures and information over the next several months. Your thoughts and comments are welcome. So chime in!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Holiday Schedule

Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you know the dock will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (Dec. 24-25) and New Year's Eve and New Year's Day (Dec. 31-Jan. 1).

That's all for now! Have a great weekend!

Home, Sweet Home

Tom and Dee Glenn are happy to have their son J.T. home from Iraq. He made it home Thanksgiving evening. He'll be here through Christmas, and then he heads to Germany on January 5, where he'll stay for about four months. J.T.'s first tour in Tikrit, Iraq lasted a year. Then he spent a year in Germany. And most recently he spent 16 months in Baghdad. J.T. is pictured above on his new motorcycle.

Whooooaaaa weather man (or woman)

So... it sleeted enough earlier to cover our porch and patio furniture. Wow! Didn't expect that. Well, it didn't literally cover it, I could still see the surface underneath. It just lightly accumulated on the wood. On the news this morning the forecast was for cold, but no precip in our part of the Ozarks. A-ha! They were wrong. No worries, it didn't stick to the roads, so it hasn't created a treacherous situation for Highway W. But I can imagine if it stays this cold (Lisa Luna reported her vehicle said 29 degrees) then we may be in trouble after dark if the roads stay wet.

Anyway, just thought I'd give you a little weather report since there isn't anything else exciting happening here. Have a good one! And stay warm.

Let it rain...

It's raining here. And we sure do need it. But what a dreary day. Fitting for the mood I'm in. (Tiger fans know what I'm talking about.)

Letters/statements went out Friday. Some of you may have received yours on Saturday, and the rest of you should look for them first of the week. If you have any questions please call me. If you aren't planning to renew let me know. If you aren't planning to renew and have a lift and haven't sold it/moved it yet, let me know your game plan. Thank you!

Have a nice Sunday.

M-I-Z !!!

Okay, so I know this is a "what's happening at Pontiac Cove Marina" blog, not a "what's happening in the world of football" blog... But I just can't help myself! WOW! Go Tigers! What a game Saturday night. We were there! It was incredible. First of all, our seats were amazing. We were six rows back from the field between the 20 and 30 yard lines. It was unbelievable. So, big high fives to all you PCM customers who happen to be Mizzou fans, too. WE'RE NUMBER 1!!!!

Now, back to business...

I'm finishing up the annual boat slip renewals and will have them in the mail by the end of this week. So you should be expecting to receive something soon. When you receive your statement, if you have any questions, please call me. If you don't plan to renew, please let me know asap. And if you have a lift and aren't renewing, remember you need to have arrangements made (either sold or moved out) by Jan. 1, or you will be expected to pay for the slip for 2008.

Starting this week we're switching over to our winter hours -- 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily. We do check our messages every day, so if you call and don't get an answer, leave a message and we'll call you back asap. If you need something during a time other than during those hours, just call ahead and we can make arrangements to meet you or whatever you need to do. We're flexible.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy the next four weeks... Christmas will be here and gone before we know it! Oh, and what are your thoughts on a "Polar Bear Swim" on New Year's Day? Some of you might recall Skip and Angie Dechau jumping in the lake on New Year's Day this year... Lucky for them it was at least a sunny day, but still cold and the water was frigid. We all talked about getting a group together to do it this year, so keep checking back here in the coming weeks... I'll let you know if we're going to try to organize something.

Happy Monday!

Talkin' Turkey

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know PCM will be closed next Thursday and Friday (Nov. 22-23) for the Thanksgiving holiday. But we will be open on Saturday and Sunday. Just a heads up, in case you plan to spend some time at the lake next weekend.

Also, depending on the weather, we will most likely cut back to our winter hours starting December 1. We are typically open from 8-10 a.m. daily starting Dec. 1 through March 1. However, you'll often find Matt, Tim or myself here much later than 10 a.m. If you know you're going to be here at a certain time and need to meet with one of us, just call ahead and make arrangements with us, and we'll be happy to work with you.

Have a great day!

Sunday afternoon...

Just wrapping up a few things at the dock for the day and thought I'd write a quick update...

Not much happening here this weekend, although there were some hunters in and out. Bill Allen and Craig Mincke both got bucks opening morning. So far they're the only two I know about. Matt hunted in Ava with his dad and brother... He hasn't gotten anything yet. I'll just be glad when the season is over! I'm hearing gunshots from dawn 'til dusk. Yikes.

Speaking of hunters... Roger Lee told me the fire department served 202 dinners last night at its annual hunters' dinner. WOW! That is awesome. I haven't heard how much money they netted, but it sounds like it was a great fund-raiser for them.

The water is officially off at the dock. It did get below freezing a couple days last week (and now today it's like 75 and sunny... what??). I hope you've made arrangements for winterizing your boat if you haven't done it yet.

In the next couple weeks you'll be getting the final newsletter of 2007, plus your oh-so-fun renewal info with your slip rental price for next year. Just a heads up.

AND... I guess that's it for now. Oh! I talked to Mike Cochran yesterday. All the way from Iraq. He sounded good. Said he's coming home the first of December. Looking forward to seeing him.

And last but not least... GO TIGERS!

Autumn has arrived... are you ready?

Hey everyone! Once again, sorry I've been absent for a while. Been BUSY! So, here is what you need to know...

The chili cook-off on Oct. 27 was lots of fun. We had 15 entries. Last year's champ, Skip Dechau, tied for first with Bob Gunkel! It was quite a showdown. Bob set out to beat Skip. So it was so appropriate that they tied. Kathy Fourcault won for most original recipe. And Kelly Laurie won for the most-likely-to-set-your-mouth-on-fire hottest chili. It was also a Halloween party--a few people were festive and came in costume. I think a good time was had by all!

Have you seen the weather forecast for P-town? If you haven't made arrangements to winterize your boat, I would strongly suggest you do so asap. Temps are predicted to get below freezing the next couple of nights. I know Roger Lee (Stateline Marine) has been busy doing winterizations the past couple weeks. If you're planning to have him to yours, and you haven't called him, you should do it NOW! His number is 417-839-3084. Or, if you're doing it yourself or having someone else do it, you should get it done. This cold weather snuck up on us, as usual, and I just want to make sure you're all prepared. Also on that note, we'll be winterizing the water at the dock probably this week. So keep that in mind if you're coming down to stay on your houseboat, or use the water to clean your boat. There won't be any. Sorry. Click here to see the latest forecast from weather.com.

The Pontiac/Price Place Volunteer Fire Department is having its annual Hunter's Dinner this Saturday night at 5 p.m. For a $6 donation for adults, or $3 donation for kids younger than 10, you get turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings, plus dessert and a drink.