In the January-February issue of

River Hills Traveler

Monster catfish still roam the perilous deeps of the Big Muddy. Bill Cooper tracks down the fishermen who have the gear, know-how and patience to catch them for the cover story our fishing-focused January-February issue.
But fishing for Missouri river cats is just the beginning. On Page 1, Bryan Dent details a productive angling expedition on the ever-surprising Gasconade. Inside, Cooper reveals secrets of top smallmouth fishermen Cory Cottrell and the late Vern Clements. Here’s a hint: Tactics are everything.

Tim Huffman tells how to catch those cold weather crappie on Lake Wappapello and Howard Helgenberg previews opening day at the trout parks.

Bob Todd may be retired, but he hasn’t mothballed his word processor. In the Seasons column, Bob explains there actually quite a lot for the hunter and angler to do during frigid February. Bob also gives us an optimistic outlook on Clearwater Lake fishing. The crappie are getting bigger. Largemouth, smallmouth, spotted bass and catfish are plentiful too. Charlie Slovensky gives the skinny on boats for river fishing.

On the hunting front, the recent season was the third largest on record and deerslayers are having their say about the Missouri Conservation Department’s just-completed four-year antler restriction pilot program and proposed season changes. We publish a schedule of remaining meetings to discuss the issue along with a piece from Allen “Horntagger” Morris, who says traditional deer management techniques no longer work.

There’s plenty of other news, too. More than 100 Ozarkers gathered in Eminence in mid-January for the second meeting of Voice of the Ozarks, an organization founded last fall to represent the local point of view to the state and federal agencies that manage so much of the Ozarks land and rivers.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways are still without a superintendent to replace Noel Poe, who retired last year. Our story explains the process of selecting a new super.
Jim and Donna Featherston begin a two-part series on Col. Timothy Reeves of Doniphan, a farmer, teacher, preacher and accidental Confederate commander of the 15th Missouri Calvary. Jo Schaper explains that ice is actually a mineral, one of the few that allows us to observe its formations in process. Kathleen Brotherton recalls how storytelling and handicrafts warmed the Indians winters.

Pat Todd is still in the kitchen. She writes that warm, comforting food goes good in cold, blustery weather and shares recipes for Chicken Pot Pie and Slice ‘n’ Go Oatmeal.

Traveler’s useful travel maps are packaged a little differently this issue. They were printed in late December in a special section that we handed out at the Collinsville Let’s Go Fishing Show, the St. Louis RV & Vacation Show and the St. Charles Boat Show. That special map section, with great descriptions of the outdoor opportunities in Traveler Country, is included in the January-February issue.

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