Month: April 2015
Profile: Bay Springs Marina
If you were to Google the phrase “best kept secret on the Tenn-Tom,” you might land on Bay Springs Lake and Bay Springs Marina, located at Mile 412. The marina opened to the public in 1984 while the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway was still undergoing excavation by the U.S. Corps of Engineers in what is considered to […] Read More
The Complete Listing of Marinas and Locks on the Inland and Gulf Intracoastal Waterways
Making the Great Lakes Greater
Here’s a recipe to consider: Take several thousand square miles of rugged Canadian forest, remove trees and people, relocate untold numbers of moose, bears and the like, add water and stir. Voila, a sixth Great Lake. Serves 50 million people. Imagine if it were possible to cook up in short order what Mother Nature took […] Read More
Destination: Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas, a river city? You bet your Big Dam Bridge on it, which happens to be the longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge in the world built specifically for that purpose, located here. Part of the Louisiana Purchase from France, what is now known as Little Rock is located near the geographical center […] Read More
Boating in Bayou Country
Formed near Simmesport, La., where the Red River joins the Mississippi via the canalized Old River, the Atchafalaya is the fifth largest waterway in North America by discharge. An important shipping channel, it shortens the distance from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico and carries a modest amount of commercial traffic. As such, […] Read More
Fishing for Fall Stripers
One of the Heartland’s “gamest” fish gets especially active in the fall and is among the most widespread: Striped bass and its cousins can be found in water fresh and salt and come in sizes to suit every skill level. From pan-sized whites bass, to middleweight “wipers,” to lunker “‘liners,” the striped bass family is […] Read More
Boating in Fog and Low Visbility
We were an hour out of port when the fog settled in. I immediately implemented Stu’s First Rule of Gray-World Boating: Don’t go faster than half the forward visibility needed to bring the vessel to a dead stop. Theoretically, if another vessel is head-on, you should both be able to stop bow-to-bow and thus not […] Read More
Destination: Lake Ouachita and DeGray Lake
If pressed for an answer, I’d have to say that my favorite lakes to explore are in Arkansas are Lake Ouachita and DeGray Lake. Not only are they two of the most beautiful, but they’re also the most accessible and have the most amenities available. Lake Ouachita One of five in the Arkansas Diamond Lakes […] Read More
The Complete Listing of Marinas and Locks on the Inland and Gulf Intracoastal Waterways
Podcast Trio Heads Down the Mississippi
Since June 16, three friends have been traveling down the Mississippi River on board a paddlewheel riverboat recording their weekly podcast, “The River Signal.” The trio started in the Twin Cities (Minn.) and plan to stop in major cities along the way to record muscians for their podcast until they reach their final destination of […] Read More