What's New

Hey all! Hope it's warmer where ever you are. Bitter old man winter decided to make one last appearance before letting spring completely take over Pontiac. We went from 80 degrees and sunny on a Sunday to freezing temperatures and precip by the following Friday. Yuck. Sad thing is all the trees and shrubs are blooming - hopefully this little cold snap didn't do them all in.

Couple of things to tell you about!

We moved the main fish cleaning table to the east side of the building that houses the marina store. It's sort of a long story why we did it - if you'd like to hear it, stop in and ask. In a nutshell it has to do with a new regulation the USACE (the Corps of Engineers) passed banning submersible pumps, which is what we used to feed water to our fish cleaning table. Anyway, I think the new set-up is pretty neat. It might take a little getting used to, since the same table had been in the same place for about 25 years. When you use the new table, please keep in mind we will be extending a roof out over it for times of inclement weather. Just be patient with us. :)

Also, the Verne Cubbage Memorial Bass Tournament is coming up on April 9. Entries have already started to roll in. You may sign up right up until the morning of the tournament, but you can also pre-enter to guarantee your take-off position. Cost is $110 per boat, which includes $10 for the Big Bass pot.

Just Jackie's is currently open from 3 to 10 p.m. Fridays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. She will be open full time - 7 days per week - beginning Memorial weekend.

Also, don't forget to mark your calendars for the SIXTH ANNUAL BLESSING OF THE FLEET ON MAY 7. The blessing will take place around 2 p.m. Picnic and entertainment in the park starting around 4:30 p.m. We hope to see you ALL there.

And finally, stop by the dock to check out some of our new merchandise - the shelves are beginning to fill up!

Proposed striper fishery on Bull Shoals to be discussed at open house meetings

The Missouri Department of Conservation is holding two public forums to discuss a proposed striped bass fishery on Bull Shoals Lake. The first open house is Tuesday, March 29 (tomorrow!) from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Taney Center in Forsyth. Address is 20130 U.S. Hwy 160. The second is from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, at Gainesville High School, 160 Bulldog Dr.

A beautiful day at the lake

Nothing too new to report from PCM. Today was sunny and 75+ degrees. Sure felt like spring! The dock was hopping with activity today. Several folks were out fishing, some just boat-riding, and one group of college boys went wakeboarding (they must be a little bit crazy). The dock is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily now. We're pumping gas and stocking the shelves. Sure wish this little one could pump gas and count minnows... oh, maybe in a couple of years. :)

Winter Blues Blast!

The Winter Blues Blast is coming up on Saturday, March 5, at the Pontiac firehouse. Music starts at 3 and goes until 9 p.m. We'll be selling food throughout the day as well as souvenir cups. A portion of the proceeds will help fund our annual fireworks over the lake, this year scheduled for Sunday, July 3. Come out and listen to some great local live music. Let's blast away those winter blues! Spring and boating season are just around the corner!

Boat dock hours

We are currently "officially" open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday; however, we are often around during the week, and if you catch us there, or call ahead to meet us there, we'll be happy to assist you. In just a couple more weeks we'll be opening full time again - starting March 5 we will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. March 5 is also the BLUES BLAST. (See previous post.) We hope to see you there!

Verne Cubbage Memorial Bass Tournament

The 5th Annual Verne Cubbage Memorial Bass Tournament is Saturday, April 9. Entry fee for a two-person team is $100, plus $10 for Big Bass. Entries will be taken up until 6:30 the morning of the tournament. Entries will be numbered, and boats will take off in the order in which they signed up. Cash prizes will be awarded as well as a Young Fisherman Award to a fisherman under the age of 16. Take-off is at 7 a.m.; weigh-in at 3:30 p.m. at Pontiac Cove Marina. Questions? Call us at 417-679-3676.

Oh, happy day!

Quite a few inches of snow fell on Pontiac yesterday. Not nearly as much as some counties in northwest Arkansas, thankfully. We're all getting pretty tired of the cold, wet stuff. Local schools have had so many snow days... they'll never get out for summer! But, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Today the sun is shining, and the snow is beginning to melt. Next week's forecast looks pretty fabulous. Now, this I can live with: Click here.

Winter Blues Blast

There's no better time to start thinking about blasting away those winter blues than during a blizzard! We lucked out here in Pontiac - we hardly got any ice or snow. But, it's still bitter cold, so it's time to start thinking warm thoughts.

Don't miss our second annual Winter Blues Blast on Saturday, March 5, at the Pontiac firehouse. Assuming the weather cooperates, bands will be set up inside and outdoors. A small cover charge will be collected to cover fees for the bands. Proceeds from food sales and souvenir cups will help fund our annual fireworks over the lake this July.

The best part of the event is the musical talent - bands include Revolver, Traced, the Bull Shoals Blues Boys, Lija (pronounced Leah) and more.

Revolver

Traced


















Bull Shoals Blues Boys

Lija

Storm of the Century?

That's what they're calling it! Yep, we are under a winter storm warning right now in Pontiac. Counties to the north and west are under a blizzard warning. A blizzard? In Missouri?? So far we've gotten mostly rain, and it has just switched over to freezing rain and sleet in the last half hour. We're also predicted to get 3 to 6 inches of snow on top of the ice. I'll keep you posted as the day goes on... assuming we still have power. Hope it's warm(er) where ever you are!

Since it's too cold for swimsuits...

Event Schedule Changes

A couple of changes to our event schedule for 2011...

The Blues Blast will be March 5. More details to come.

The BLESSING OF THE FLEET (originally scheduled for April 30) will be MAY 7! Please make the change on your calendar. More soon!

Snow

We got a little dusting of snow overnight - about a half inch. It must have been enough to make the roads slick this morning, because Gainesville did not have school today. It was super windy on Friday, but all is well at the dock. Nothing too new to report down here! Quiet and cold. We're counting the days 'til spring!

Blues Blast postponed until March 5

The Pontiac Blues Blast will be on March 5. We had originally scheduled it for Jan. 15, with a back-up weather date of Jan. 22; however, we decided to postpone until March and hope for a pretty weekend! March 5 is also the weekend we will officially re-open the dock full-time. Please stay tuned as I'll post more details in the coming weeks. Happy new year to all! Cheers!

'Tis the Season

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas out there. High in the 30s pretty much all week. Brrrrrrr! As you can imagine, life at the lake is pretty quiet these days. We had some ferocious winds over the weekend - and by some miracle, we didn't suffer any major damage at the marina. The top blew off our big pontoon, and that's really all we found. We had more damage at our home! One whole side of our backyard fence blew down. Pretty crazy.

As you know, we're only officially open now from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and Sundays. With Christmas and New Year's Day both falling on Saturdays this year, we will plan to be closed all weekend both weekends. So, we will be open this weekend (Dec. 18-19) from 8 a.m. to noon and will re-open again Jan. 8. Remember, if you need assistance (get gas, pay a bill, etc.), please call a day or two ahead, leave a message, and we will call you back and make arrangements to meet you at the dock.

Thank you, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours! Cheers.

Happy weekend!

Looks like we're in for another beautiful November weekend here in Pontiac. Temps pushing 70 and sunshine. Is this typical pre-Thanksgiving weather for southern Missouri? Not exactly. But, the cold is coming, so get out and enjoy it while you can!

We are currently open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. We will be closed Thanksgiving day; however, we will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving. Starting the Monday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 29) we will not have regular office hours through the week. If you need something through the week (pay a bill, get gas, etc.) just call ahead, and we'll be glad to make arrangements to meet you down there. We will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday (starting Dec. 4) through the winter. If you have any questions, give us a call!

Cheers!

PCM closed this Wednesday

FYI, we'll be closed this Wednesday, Nov. 10. Sorry for any inconvenience!

I'm Back!

Sooooooooooo... in case you're wondering where I've been... I've been busy taking care of this little one:

Lola Morgan Wade has been keeping me pretty busy, and I've been neglecting the blog. Sorry for the hiatus. I'm going to try to be better about posting regularly - one post a week is my goal. Might be a little lofty. Maybe you'll just get to see pictures of Lola. We shall see. :)

The marina is currently open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the end of November. Occasionally you might find us closed early during the week. I apologize for any inconvenience. We're a little short-handed this fall, as I've been pre-occupied with Lola, and Matt has been surveying quite a bit. Josh is also around, and he's been working on the projects around the dock. Sadly, Justin is no longer with us. He moved to Mountain Home back in the summer. He's taking classes at ASU this semester and is also working in Mountain Home now. We miss him, but we wish him well!

Check back toward the end of November for information about our winter hours. We're typically open from 8 to 10 a.m. in December, January and February. I'm not sure if we'll keep those same hours this winter. We might have weekend hours only and be available through the week by appointment - meaning, if you need fuel or anything else during the week or at any time this winter, just give us a call, and we'll be happy to meet you there. 417-679-3676.

And, finally, here's a recent picture of Lola. She's 2 months old today. Notice her onesie - scuba mask and snorkel. Think she'll be a water baby?

Breast cancer awareness stamps for sale

Breast cancer stamps are available at the Pontiac Post Office this month - they're actually available year-round, but because October is breast cancer awareness month, our postmaster, Micky, holds a month-long drive to sell as many stamps as possible to raise money for breast cancer research. A sheet of 20 stamps is $11, with $2.20 from each sheet going to breast cancer research. If you haven't bought yours yet, go get them! The post office is open from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed 12:30 to 1:00 for lunch), and 12:45 to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Call 417-679-3440 for more info.

500 Posts!

THIS is the 500th post of the PCM blog. Woo-hoo! Just thought I'd share that little tidbit with you and take the opportunity to say THANK YOU to all of you who follow the blog, post comments and have mentioned to me that you're a reader. I love hearing from you and knowing that you enjoy reading it!

On that note, I haven't written as much this summer as I would like. As you probably know (and if you don't, see below), we had a baby on Sept. 3, so the pregnancy and business as usual at the dock took up a lot of my time over the past several months. Now that she's here, I'm probably going to have even less time! But, I will do my best to keep you posted on what's happening at PCM over the fall and winter. So, don't give up on me!

For example, we changed the hours AGAIN!

Sunday - Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Questions? Call us at 417-679-3676. Cheers!

PCM Hours: Sept. 13 - 19

Monday thru Thursday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Questions? Call 417-679-3676. Cheers!