Greetings and Happy New Year to All Our 1990 Customers

We’re not just saying it. Our customers of 1990 are the Best! We had our hardest year as far as weather and high water, and our customers dealt with every twist and turn of circumstances like water off a duck’s back. Without their cheerfulness under adverse conditions, we surely would have thrown in the towel more than once. We had customers who, when they checked out, checked out their soggy shoes in the garbage, with never a complaint. How understanding and patient you all were!

Articles

     1991 Calendar of Events
     New for 1991
     New Attractions In ’91
     1990 Results: Our Annual Resort Fishing Contest
     Record Spawn Guarantees Best Fishing Ahead
     Tackle Talk
     Besides Fishing...
     “Best” Local Restaurants
     Scuba Divers Welcome!
     It’s A Fact

What happened was this past year we were hit with the highest lake levels in over 30 years. Ours is a flood control lake, and in years of heavy rainfall, the water is held back to prevent flooding on the river below the dam. We put in our dock in 1988, and had no idea of where the water level could eventually wind up. We watched as our electric poles were swallowed up by the rising water, and our road disappeared into the lake. Our nice flat parking area was also gobbled up. Needless to say, some of you had to occasionally run up the road to tell us that we needed to move the dock in AGAIN real quick. Of course, wet shoes and pants were the rule!

We want to express our sincere thanks for bearing with us so patiently during some rough months. Anyway, it was a learning experience for us, and now that we know just how high the water can rise, we have made the necessary changes in our road and parking area to accommodate high water conditions whenever they occur again. And the good news coming out of last year’s headaches is that we had the best spawn ever! See “Record Spawn Guarantees Best Fishing Ahead.”

During 1990, our plans for the resort went along as scheduled, despite all the trials and tribulations that the unexpected can bring. We completed our deluxe one-bedroom cabin on schedule, and it is a very popular choice for couples. It has everything our two-bedroom deluxe cabins have: Whirlpool tub for two, (this one has a waterfall faucet), separate shower stall, central heat/air, king-sized bed, deck, full kitchen with microwave, and TWO fireplaces, one in the living room and one in the bedroom, and of course, all new furnishings and appliances.

We had a contractor improve our road to our dock. It is now like a superhighway (almost)! We widened it and smoothed out all the steep parts and repaired all the ruts that had developed during the rainy months. It has held up beautifully now that some crown has been added to keep the runoff water off the road. You’ll be surprised at the improvement.

Some other smaller improvements: a deck was added to Cabin 4, a new kitchen table for Cabin 9, a new bedroom fan in Cabin 7, a new refrigerator in Cabin 4, new and bigger refrigerators in our two-bedroom deluxe cabins, and a new 45 HP motor for our pontoon.

As far as our business goes, our philosophy is still the same: Where others are cutting back, we do more. We all know that poor service is rampant everywhere. We’ve found that going that extra mile for our customers has been our best business practice. The rewards are in the growing number of repeat customers and referrals we have each year. That’s what enables us to constantly improve our facility each year. We hope that by continuing to do more for our customers, that we will all benefit. Of course, for our repeat customers, we also show our appreciation by offering you a 10% discount off your cabin when you come back. We’re looking forward to being able to serve you again in 1991!

We hope you like the new look of our newsletter. We tried to make it a little more readable and also something you’d want to hang on to for future reference.

1991 Calendar of Events

If you haven’t yet decided the exact dates of your vacation, the list below (a partial list of 1991 area events) May help you make the decision. If an event interests you, give us a call (870-431-8363) and we’ll tell you about it.

January 11-13
Eagle Awareness Weekend, Bull Shoals State Park

January 25-February 3
Come see us at the Chicagoland Sports Show (Booth 820) at O’Hare Expo Center

March 16-17
Oakland Area Resorts Spring Opener Tournament,
Bull Shoals Lake
March 31 Easter Egg Hunt, Bull Shoals State Park
April 6 Mountain Village 1890 and Bull Shoals Caverns open for season
April 7 Red Man Tournament, Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock
Mid-April Trout Release, Bull Shoals Lake
April 27-28 Dogwood Festival, Lakeview
May Fun Mountain Amusement Center, Mountain Home, opens for season
May 4-11 BASS Pro Am Tournament, Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock
May 25 Pool opens at Black Oak Resort
June 7-8 Craft Fair, Village Mall, Mountain Home
June 9-15 Ozark Mountain Bicycle Challenge (6 day tour $99)
June 16 Fathers Day Trout Fishing Tournament, Bull Shoals State Park
June 28-29 Craft Fair, Village Mall, Mountain Home
July 4 Fireworks Display, Bull Shoals Dam
August 21-24 Marion County Fair
September 1 Ozark Mountain Air Festival, Flippin
September 11-14 Baxter County Fair
September 19-21 Hootin’ and Hollerin’, Gainesville, MO
October Best Fall Colors
October 4-5 Craft Fair, Village Mall, Mountain Home
October 4-6 Colorama, Bull Shoals
October 11-12 Turkey Trot, Yellville
October 25-26 Craft Fair, Village Mall, Mountain Home
December 7 Meramec Valley Bass Tournament, Oakland Marina

New for 1991...
We’re excited about our plans for 1991!

The demand for our deluxe cabins is so great that we have decided to build another two-bedroom deluxe cabin, completely replacing Cabin 8, Scheduled for completion April, 1991.

We plan to have microwaves in all cabins for 1991.

We also have video rentals for your enjoyment. (Nobody can ever really get away from television even on vacation!)

We will also have available for rental our 17’ Ranger Bass Boat, which was completely refurbished this year. It is fully rigged with 90 HP motor, trolling motor, butt seat, Eagle LCD fish locator, and two live wells. Available by the week only.

We will still have our orientation fishing trips on our pontoon for new guests, and of course our returning customers may join in too! You can never learn too much about our lake. We will escort our guests on morning walks on Ozark Isle each morning except Saturdays. Each week when we have enough children staying at the resort, we will hold a weekly fishing contest for the kids, with prizes. We will also hold horseshoe tournaments on Thursdays for our guests during the summer.

New Attractions In ’91

“Concert Vineyards,” Lakeview, AR. Free tastings and tours can be arranged. Open year-round. Sample Arkansas’ own fine locally grown wines of distinction.

“Mountain Village 1890 and Bull Shoals Caverns,” Bull Shoals, AR. Historic 1890 vintage mountain village and caverns. Opening April, 1991.

“Fun Mountain Amusement Center,” Mountain Home, AR. Carnival rides, water slides, pools, pony rides, petting zoo, concessions. Opening May, 1991.

1990 Results: Our Annual Resort
Fishing Contest

Our annual resort fishing contest proved once again that Illinois and Arkansas have the best fishermen (and women)! The top month for big fish continues to be May, followed by April. But notice that the biggest bass were caught outside of prime spring fishing season this year! Prizes going to the winners will be 10% off on their cabin on their next stay, a Black Oak Resort cap or t-shirt, plus a wood and brass wall plaque recognizing their achievement. They will also have their name go down in history on the 1990 Black Oak Resort Fishing Contest Plaque here at the resort. Congratulations!

*Denotes a repeat winner. You see, it pays to stick with the same lake!

Record Spawn Guarantees
Best Fishing Ahead

They say that every cloud has a “Silver Lining.” Well, that’s exactly what last year’s spring rains brought to our lake for the next few years. Normally, Bull Shoals Lake has very little vegetation in it to stimulate production of nutrients at the lower end of the food chain (plankton, crawfish, minnows) for fish to feed on. But last year’s heavy rains added an abundance of nutrients to our lake, supporting an unusually large, successful spawn. That fact, plus the availability of thousands of acres of new vegetation cover during the spawn, produced a record-high number of fish that successfully made it through the spawn.

Arkansas Game & Fish Biologist Mark Oliver sampled the lake late last summer and found that the spawn produced 14 times the average young-of-the-year per acre, and these fish were larger than normal. In fact, there are more fish per acre than ever recorded. It is estimated that these fish will be over 12 inches by this spring. These fish will generate outstanding fishing for the next several years.

Tackle Talk

Some tips that should help you in planning your fishing trip on Bull Shoals Lake: Bull Shoals is a man-made reservoir, and when the lake is at normal level, there are no weeds or lily pads and the water is very clear. Structure is rocky and steep. Because of these characteristics, we normally use light to medium action tackle. You should have 6, 8, or 10 pound test line. Fluorescent, clear, or low visibility green is recommended. DO NOT use high-visibility yellow.

Methods used in catching fish are motor trolling with lures, and casting with artificial bait, or live minnow or worm. We suggest that you NOT invest in a lot of lures before your trip. Because the lake is so clear, the color and size of lure is critical and can change from day-to-day.

If you vacation during the summer and early fall, you might try night fishing with black light.

An often overlooked method of fishing is using down-riggers. Because the lake is so deep, downrigger fishing is ideal here. If your boat is equipped with down-riggers, don’t leave them at home! Trolling with down-riggers at depths of 20-70 feet will produce excellent catches of rainbow and brown trout, walleye, whites, and smallmouth.

Besides Fishing...

If, by chance, there’s someone who doesn’t absolutely want to spend their every waking hour out on the lake, there are many other things to do that are lots of fun too! Try some of these on for size:

Stock Car Races
Area Craft and Antique Shops
Tours of Boat Manufacturing Plants Nearby (Champion, Ranger, Bass Cat, River Rats)
Bass Pro Shop, Springfield, MO
Bingo
Auctions
C&W Dancing
Music Theater
Golfing
Square Dancing
Canoeing
Ozark Folk Center
Blanchard Springs Caverns
Dogpatch U.S.A.
Float Trips on the White or Buffalo
Horseback Riding
Scuba Diving

We’ll help you with any arrangements or information on any of these activities during your stay.

“Best” Local Restaurants

Best Fried Chicken:
Durbon’s Restaurant, Promise Land

Best Appetizer:
Potato Skins, 178 Club, Bull Shoals

Best View from Your Table:
Gaston’s on the River, Lakeview

Best Steaks:
The Top Kat, State Line in Missouri

Best Buy (Fast Food):
Dairy Queen, Mountain Home

Best Buy (Dinner):
Durbon’s Restaurant, Promise Land

Best Buffet:
Bowen’s, Mountain Home

Best Seafood:
178 Club, Bull Shoals

Best Barbeque:
Gerry’s Longhorn, Lakeview or
Couch’s, Mountain Home

Best Hamburger:
The Back Forty, Mountain Home or
The Top Kat, State Line in Missouri

Best Biscuits & Gravy:
Raintree Restaurant, Mountain Home

My ALLTIME Favorite Pigout Place:
The 178 Club, Bull Shoals

My Favorite Place For Healthy, Fresh Food:
The Vegetable Garden, Mountain Home

Scuba Divers Welcome!

Discover the best kept secret in fresh water diving. Experience the crystal clear water of Bull Shoals. We have year-round diving. The lake never freezes, and the clear waters provide excellent visibility.

We have a 9-month spearfishing season for game fish (walleye, crappie, catfish), except bass. There are numerous rock wall cliffs pockmarked with caverns, huge underwater forests of oak and hickory, and dozens of old homesites waiting to be discovered, that will provide you with an exciting variety of dive sites.

The water is warm with average surface temperatures ranging from the 50’s in winter to the 80’s in summer. Bull Shoals Lake Scuba Center at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock can provide SCUBA instruction, from an introductory resort course to complete PADI certification courses. For those already certified, everything you need is available: equipment rental, equipment sales (Best prices in the Midwest), equipment service and guided dives (day or night). For further information contact Jim Jensen, PADI Instructor (870) 431-8355 24 Hours.

It’s A Fact

Bull Shoals Dam contains over two million cubic yards of concrete and is 2,256 feet long. It is among the largest concrete structures in the world

Water from Bull Shoals Lake follows caverns under a mountain and the White River to create “Big Spring” in Bull Shoals State Park.

Bull Shoals Lake, between Missouri and Arkansas, holds eleven state fish records.

We, at Black Oak Resort, believe that you deserve the best vacation you've ever had. That's why we work to make your stay everything you've dreamed it could be. At Black Oak Resort you'll enjoy the very best of Ozarks' hospitality, at the best vacation resort on Bull Shoals Lake near Mountain Home, Arkansas.

Nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, Black Oak Resort sits on 6.5 wooded acres overlooking Bull Shoals Lake. A ten-foot high natural oak privacy fence borders the resort, providing you with a sense of privacy and serenity. Our 62' x 26' swimming pool is the largest in the area. And for added fun, a whirlpool adjoins the swimming pool. A large playground swing and slide set are near the pools, as well as a horseshoe pit.

Whether you're searching for the ideal fishing resort, a romantic haven, or a family vacation resort, Black Oak Resort offers private cabins that cater to your needs. This year, choose an oak and enjoy the most relaxing vacation of your life.

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