Hobbs happenings

Expert anglers offer Beaver Lake fishing tips

Many folks are moving to northwest Arkansas, and a lot of those people are used to fishing small lakes in other states that may be up to 50 feet deep. They come to Northwest Arkansas and have trouble catching fish in Beaver Lake, which can be as deep as 200 feet. Flip Putthoff, reporter for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has put together a sterling panel of three fishermen who will tell you how to get that deep bend in your rods.

Springtime is fishing time at Beaver. Flip's panel of expert anglers have years of experience specifically fishing at Beaver Lake. They will offer tips for catching black bass, crappie and striped bass on the big reservoir during spring and into summer.

Bob Ross has been fishing at Beaver Lake since it was created in the 1960s. He'll discuss how to catch the three species of black bass -- largemouth bass, spotted bass, and smallmouth bass. Tiffany Usrey will reveal her tried and true ways for catching crappie during the spring spawn and beyond. She and her husband Payton fish for crappie all year and know how to put limits in the boat during any season. Tony Castro prowls the lake for striped bass, which are some of the biggest fish in Beaver. They can reach 50 pounds or larger. Castro will discuss how to fish with live bait and lures to catch trophy stripers during spring and summer. Putthoff will serve as the program moderator.

After the presentations, the panel will answer questions from the audience to help them learn the joy of fishing at beautiful Beaver Lake. If Mother Nature has cooperated the day before the panel discussion, and the group has caught some fish, the program will be followed by them demonstrating the proper way to filet fish.

Do not miss this free opportunity to learn from the pros on how to catch fish in Beaver Lake.

Where: Hobbs State Park visitor center

When: 2 p.m. Sunday, March 29, 2020

Cost: Free

For information on Hobbs programs, trails, picnicking, or meeting room rental: Call: 479-789-5000.

Also see: http://www.friendsofhobbs.com/ and www.ArkansasStateParks.com/hobbsstateparkconservationarea.

Fun with Mother Nature

It's not every day that we observe Mother Nature. She's careful regarding when she can be seen by humans. One of her favorite stops however, is Hobbs State Park. Every second Saturday of the month she drops in at the Park's visitor center to tell timely stories to her little human friends. Readings begin at 10:30 a.m. Story time will be followed by "hands-on" nature-craft activities. Humans of all ages are welcome, however most stories target those 3- to 6-years of age.

Upcoming Mother Nature visits:

March 14 -- Getting Ready for Spring: Changes in the Woods

April 11 -- Dandelions: Stars in the Grass

May 9 -- Around the Pond: Frogs and Toads

June 13 -- Animals in the Night

July 11 -- Water Dance-Water Cycle & Storm Drain Pollution

Aug. 8 -- Caterpillar to Butterfly

Sept. 12 -- Autumn in the Woods: Preparing for Winter

Oct. 10 -- Bats: Not Really Scary

Nov. 14 -- It's Turkey Time

Dec. 12 -- Who Goes There? Footprints and Animal Signs

Meet Mother Nature in the lobby of the Hobbs State Park Conservation Area visitor center.

Cost: Free - Length: one hour. For information call: 479-789-5000.

Unique, historic program: Rock Van Winkle -- slave/freed man

There will be an enlightening and significant program on the life of Aaron" Rock" Van Winkle at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, in the Hobbs State Park visitor center. Rock was Peter Van Winkle's former slave who, after the Civil War as a freedman, became his business partner.

There have been numerous programs given on Peter Van Winkle and his famous sawmill, but there has never been a program solely dedicated to Aaron "Rock" Van Winkle and the outstanding reputation that he achieved while working at the Van Winkle sawmill.

One usually thinks of slavery in a plantation or agricultural setting, but in Van Winkle Hollow at the present-day Hobbs State Park, slavery in the 1850s was happening in an industrial setting. Although not unique, it was not the norm.

Jerry Moore and Chris Huggard, instructors at Northwest Arkansas Community College, have completed extensive research on "Rock." They have found descendants of black Van Winkles in northwest Arkansas, Nebraska and California. These individuals will be coming to Hobbs State Park for this distinctively special program. Descendants of white Van Winkles will be there as well. This will be a one-time, historic get-together

Moore and Huggard have submitted an article on Rock for publication in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly. The article will appear this year. The program on April 25 expands on the content of that article and will tell Rock's story.

Where: Hobbs State Park visitor center located on Hwy. 12 just east of the Hwy. 12/War Eagle Road intersection.

When: 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2020

Cost: Free -- the public is invited

This program is a continuation of the Hobbs State Park Speaker Series.

Ozark Forest Forensics is topic

Dr. Fred Paillet to reveal a new way to look at the Ozark woods in his talk at Hobbs State Park entitled, "Ozark Forest Forensics."

It's all about the science behind the scenery in our regional forests. As we go hiking, there are things right before our eyes that happened yesterday, or even a million years ago, that are easy to understand if we take pause to look at them.

As Dr. Paillet puts it in the new book Ozark Forest Forensics he co-authored, "The book interprets our natural surroundings in a way that enhances a simple walk in the scenic deciduous woodlands of the Ozark Mountain region. Explanations go beyond trees and their habitat to include other diverse subjects: the leaf litter beneath a hiker's feet, strategies used by wildflowers for pollination and seed dispersal, diseases that can ravage our forests, and forces active in the landscape that impact conservation efforts. I've added simplified line drawings to demonstrate specific points of interest in a way that visually-cluttered photographs cannot do."

Taking a little time to look at and understand your surroundings greatly adds to the enjoyment of any hike in the woods. Learn how to interpret those things you see and appreciate on a hike, but never much thought about before.

Where: Hobbs State Park visitor center

When: 2 p.m. Sunday, April 5, 2020

Cost: Free -- Public invited

For information, call: 479-789-5000.

This program is a continuation of the Friends of Hobbs monthly Speaker Series. To learn about upcoming Friends of Hobbs speakers and other park programs, go to: http://www.friendsofhobbs.com/ and www.ArkansasStateParks.com/hobbsstateparkconservationarea.