>> WELL IT'S ANOTHER GONE FISHING DAY FOR US ON "EXPLORING ARKANSAS" AS WE HOOKED UP WITH MANUEL BLOCKER ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LAKE OUACHITA IN SEARCH OF THE BASS STRIPERS, OH YES.

BEAUTIFUL MORNING MANUEL.

>> YES IT IS.

>> IT WILL BE A GREAT DAY.

AND SURE ENOUGH WITHIN THE FIRST 15 MINUTES OF BEING OUT ON THE WATER WE LANDED OUR FIRST STRIPER.

>> GOT HIM.

>> GOT ONE OUT ALREADY.

HOW ABOUT THAT?

>> YEAH.

WHETHER WE GET HIM UP CLOSER AND WALK BACK A LITTLE BIT.

>> ALL RIGHT.

>> GET STARTED.

THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.

.

CAN YOU IMAGINE HAVING TWO, THREE ON THERE AT ONE TIME?

>> YEAH, I WOULD SAY NOT TO SHABBY FOR THE FIRST CATCH OF THE DAY.

OF COURSE PRACTICING CATCH AND RELEASE I WILL ADMIT IT KIND OF HURT TO THROW MY FIRST STRIPER EVER BACK IN THE WATER.

>> OH YEAH.

USUALLY THIS TYPE OF YEAR YOU DON'T HAVE TROUBLE THROWING THEM BACK.

THEY CAN SURVIVE.

SUMMERTIME IS HARDER ON THEM.

>> I SAW THAT GO DOWN AND IS THAT A SNAG?

>> HE WAS PULLING HARD AND SOMETIMES THERE ARE TWO, THREE ON THERE LIKE THAT.

THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.

THAT'S A BUNCH OF BAITFISH AND A PILE OF THEM RIGHT THERE.

>> MANUEL'S BAIT SET UP YOU MIGHT SAY IS A WORK OF ART.

>> THESE ARE CALLED UMBRELLA RIGS AND RUN NINE GIGS AND QUARTER OUNCE ON THESE WITH SWIM BATES OR A REGULAR TRAILER ON THEM.

THESE THINGS ARE TRAVELING ABOUT TWO AND A HALF AN HOUR.

YOU CAN CATCH MULTIPLE FISH ON THE RIG ALSO.

ALL HAVE HOOKS AND CAN CATCH UP TO NINE FISH IF YOU GET THEM TO BITE BUT IT'S A REALLY GOOD RIG THIS TIME OF YEAR, WINTER.

THAT'S ABOUT ALL I PULL THIS TIME OF YEAR, THIS TYPE OF RIG, GETS LOT OF FISH ON THEM.

>> LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING FROM A BABIY CRIB.

>> YEAH EXACTLY, BUT THAT'S THE UMBRELLA RIG.

I USUALLY TIE THESE UP MYSELF AND BUY THE MAIN FRAME AND FIX YOUR OWN LEADERS, WHATEVER LENGTH YOU WANT, AND WHATEVER GIG YOU LIKE.

IF YOU HAVE A PREFERRED GIG YOU LIKE IT WILL WORK.

IT TAKES A SCHOOL OF FISH AND WE WILL RUN TWO DIFFERENT COLORS JUST TO LET THE FISH TELL US WHAT THEY LIKE THE BEST, BUT THERE IT IS.

THE UMBRELLA RIG.

>> IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING.

>> IT IS INDEED ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S GOT A FISH ON IT.

>> YEAH.

THE RODS AND REELS TO CATCH THE FISH ARE IMPRESSIVE WITH THE 50-POUND TEST LINES.

I IMAGINE THE RIGS AREN'T CHEAP.

>> THE RODS AREN'T THAT EXPENSIVE BUT THE REAL -- [INAUDIBLE] THEY'RE EXPENSIVE.

REALLY HAVE AN EXPENSIVE REEL THAN A ROD.

>> WHAT DO THEY RUN AVERAGE?

>> ABOUT 250.

>> YEAH.

>> THE RODS YOU CAN GET THEM FOR ABOUT 40 BUCKS.

>> YEAH.

>> BECAUSE YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO HAVE ANY FEEL LIKE BASS FISHING AND GO BACK.

YOU JUST NEED A GOOD STRONG ROD.

>> AND IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG BEFORE WE WERE REELING IN ANOTHER BUT NOT EXACTLY A STRIPER.

>> YOU THINK IT'S A BLACK BASS?

>> BLACK BASS OR SANDY.

EVERYTHING HITS THESE RIGS AND IMITATES THIS AND LARGE MOUTH, EVERYTHING BUT A [INAUDIBLE] ON ONE.

>> YEAH.

IT IS A BLACK BASS.

>> YEAH.

AND SWING HIM IN HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

[INAUDIBLE] >> IT'S A BASS.

>> THESE THINGS MOVE LIKE SNOW BIRDS TOO.

HERE ONE MINUTE AND GONE THE NEXT.

THAT'S WHY I LIKE FISHING LIKE THIS AND CONSTANTLY COVERING WATER CHASING THEM.

>> YEAH.

>> AND SO WE DECIDED TO DO JUST THAT, COVER SOME MORE WATER AND GO TO ANOTHER PART OF THE LAKE, AND IT PAID OFF.

>> STILL ON THERE?

GET HIM AROUND THE BACK SO HE DON'T GET IN THE MOTOR.

WE HAVE HIM COMING YOUR WAY NOW.

>> OH YEAH.

OH YEAH.

>> THAT'S WORTH THE DRIVE OVER, WASN'T IT?

>> YES IT WAS.

YES, IT WAS.

>> IT'S SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN THE OTHER ONE.

LOOKS SLIGHTLY BIGGER.

>> PRETTY FISH.

FINE JOB YOU DID.

GREAT JOB.

>> YEAH.

THAT'S PRETTY GOOD REELING THAT ONE IN.

>> THEY'RE STRONG FISH, AREN'T THEY?

>> YEAH THEY ARE.

>> THAT'S WHY PEOPLE LIKE TO CATCH THEM.

>> NOT BAD.

NOT BAD.

>> IF YOU'RE A MOUNTAIN BIKE ENTHUSIAST AND LOOKING FOR SOMETHING MORE THAN A SINGLE TRACK TRAIL IN THE WOODS WE HAVE THE THING FOR YOU, THE RAILYARD BIKE PARK IN ROGERS.

>> WELL, THIS PARK, THE FEATURES ARE WELL BUILT.

THE LINES KIND OF PROGRESS.

THEY GET BIGGER AS YOU GO.

THERE ARE SMALLER JUMPS AND WORK YOUR WAY UP.

THERE ARE BIGGER FEATURES UP THERE.

THERE'S A WHALE TAIL, THE RAIL CAR JUMP, GOOD FEATURES.

THEY'RE TRICKABLE, GOOD PLACES TO START, GOOD FUN.

>> THE RAILYARD BIKE PARK IS DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIKES.

>> THERE'S PEOPLE RIDE 26-INCH DIRT BIKES.

THAT'S WHAT I PREFER TO RUN LIKE THIS ONE YEAR.

AND 26-INCH BMX BIKES AND REGULAR BIKES, TRAIL BIKES.

YOU CAN RUN WHATEVER YOU WANT.

IT'S DIVERSE AND YOU GET DIFFERENT RIDING STYLES HERE SO IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THAT DIVERSITY.

>> TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIKE IN PARTICULAR.

>> THIS IS A 2014DD CRIP KEEPER AND 26-INCH DIRT BICYCLIST AND SET UP FOR TRICKS AND JUMPING AND MADE OUT OF STEEL AND IT'S WELL SET UP.

I LIKE RIDING IT.

IT RUNS REAL GOOD HERE.

>> THIS WAS A VISION FOR MANY YEARS AGO BEFORE MY TIME.

I HAVE BEEN WITH THEM FOR SIX YEARS NOW AND IT HAS BEEN A GREAT BOOST FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA SO WE ALWAYS WANTED IT SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE, AND SO THE CITY AND OTHER PRIVATE ENTITIES GOT TOGETHER AND HAD THIS VISION AND BEE HAD LOTS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS AND WE CAME UP WITH THIS BIKE PARK RIGHT HERE ON THIS PROPERTY.

>> THE BIKE PARK WAS LOCALLY DESIGNED AND BUILT THANKS TO A FAYETTEVILLE COMPANY.

>> PROGRESSIVE TRAIL DESIGNS -- THEIR PRESIDENT IS NATHAN WOODRIFF AND WE LIKE TO CALL HIM WOODY AND THEY DID A GREAT JOB.

THE CREW BUILT IT AS THEY WENT AND WORKED WITH THE LAND AND MADE THE CONTOURS FIT JUST RIGHT.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE BIG FACTORS IN THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS PARK IS THE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION SO YOU HAVE A LOCAL BUILDER THAT BUILT THE PARK.

YOU HAVE A LOCAL FOUNDATION AND A LOCAL CITY THAT SUPPORTED THE FUNDING OF THE PARK SO IT SEEMS LIKE A COOL COLLABORATION.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A BUILDER COME FROM OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY OR ANOTHER PART OF THE WORLD TO BUILD THIS.

THEY'RE LOCAL NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

SOME COOL FEATURES ABOUT THE PARK THAT ARE UNIQUE IS THE FACT IT HAS LITTLE TRAIL FOR KIDS AND INTERMEDIATE JUMPS AND THE BIG STUFF SO IT'S A UNIQUE PARK.

IT RIVALS NO OTHER PARK IN THE COUNTRY.

THERE IS A PARK IN BOLDER, COLORADO AND ON THE WEST COAST.

THIS IS A NEW CONCEPT IN MOUNTAIN BIKING FREESTYLE RIDING AND MIX OF BMX AND THE MOUNTAIN BIKE THEME AND FREESTYLE IS POPULAR.

IT CREATES MORE OF AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT FOR KIDS TO GET BACK ON BIKES SO WE WANT KIDS TO GET ON BIKES, OFF THE COMPUTERS AND OUTSIDE AND ON BIKES SO IT'S A GOOD WAY TO SEGUE AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT ON TO THE BIKE, ON TO THE RAIL YARD AND THE TRACK IN THE FOREST SO THAT'S THE CONCEPT WITH THE BIKE PARK.

>> THE RAILYARD BIKE PARK ROGERS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A LARGER PROJECT.

>> IT IS.

IT'S PART OF A LARGER PARK.

THIS IS A SMALL PORTION OF THE 236-ACRE PARK THAT WE HAVE HERE IN DOWNTOWN ROGERS.

THE ENTIRE PARK IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RAIL YARD WHICH JUST OPENED.

THIS IS PART OF A CATALYST PROJECT FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA, AND IT IS THE RAIL YARD IS A GATE WAY TO THE REST OF THE PARK FROM THE DOWNTOWN.

>> AND ONCE IT'S COMPLETED I IMAGINED THIS IS COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE STATE IT WILL BE QUITE THE ATTRACTION.

>> IT WILL BE.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TRAIL HEADS IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, ONE OFF OF PLEAS APT RIDGE ROAD AND WALNUT AND THE CLARK PAVILION.

ALL OF THE AREAS ARE GETTING NEW PAVILIONS, NEW BATHROOM FACILITIES, STRUCTURES OF VARIOUS KINDS.

WE HAVE A BOARD WALK ON THE LAKE AND WHICH WILL GIVE ACCESS TO 2/3 OF THE LAKE AT THE TIME WHEREAS BEFORE IT WAS ONLY A THIRD OF THE LAKE COULD BE ACCESSED FROM THE BANK.

WE'RE DRUNKING THE LAKE ALSO AND HAVE A LOT OF OTHER AMENITIES PLANNED.

>> BUT FOR TANNER STOLT IT'S SIMPLE.

>> I LIKE JUMPING, DOING BIG JUMPS AND THROWING MASSIVE TRICKS GETTING SUPER HIGH OFF THE GROUND.

THERE IS NOTHING MORE FUN.

IT'S A GREAT TIME.

YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR.

>> SLAY CAVE IN SNOWBALL ARKANSAS IS NAMED AFTER NATHAN SLAY AN HOMESTEADER FROM THE 1800'S AND WHAT WAS UNEARTHED IN THE CAVE IN THE 1930'S COULD BE THE SUBJECT OF A LEGEND OR FOLKLORE OR IS IT MUCH MORE THAN THAT?

WITH PERMISSION FROM THE CURRENT OWNER ACCOMPANIED BY LOCALS WE VENTURED DEEPER INTO THE CAVE WHICH WAS MADE INFAMOUS BACK IN THE 30'S.

ACCORDING TO A 1941 NEWSPAPER ARTICLE IN THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT AND IN THE MARSHALL MOUNTAIN WAVE AN EXCAVATION TOOK PLACE IN 1937 AND UNEARTHED DWELLERS WHO OCCUPIED THE REGION MORE THAN 10,000 YEARS AGO.

PALEO-NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE BEEN DATED BACK AS FAR AS 12,000 B.D C OR ABOUT 14,000 YEARS AGO.

ONE OF THE SKELETONS THAT WAS REPORTEDLY EXCAVATED ACCORDING TO THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE WAS A WOMAN MEASURING MORE THAN 7 FEET WHICH WAS CERTAINLY NOT THE NORM.

A LARGE PORTION OF THE EXCAVATION TOOK PLACE AND USED AS AN APPARENT FIRE PIT WITH THE ASH DEPOSITS AS DEEP AS 30 TO 60 FEET.

>> I WOULD SAY THAT THIS RIGHT HERE WOULD BE THE FIRE PIT BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE CEILING IT'S A NATURAL DOME BENCH AND SEE THE STAINS UP THERE, THE CHARRED.

I WOULD SAY THIS WOULD BE IT RIGHT HERE.

>> I FOUND SEVERAL SKULLS IN HERE I THINK 20.

20 SKULLS AND EVERY TIME THE AIR WOULD HIT THE SKULL IT WOULD DISINTEGRATE EXCEPT THE WOMAN AND FOUND HER IN THE SITTING POSITION WITH AN ARROWHEAD IN HER BACK AND THE ONLY THING THAT I FIGURED OUT THEY JUST DROPPED HER IN THE PIT AND COVERED HER UP WITH THE ASHES.

BUT THIS PIT IS REALLY ROUND.

IT'S SURPRISINGLY ROUND WHEN YOU STOP AND REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

WHEN WE CAME IN HERE WE WERE WONDERING IF WE COULD FIND THE FIRE PIT AND NOW THAT WE HAVE IT'S PRETTY NOTICEABLE.

THIS CAVE IS PRETTY UNIQUE BECAUSE THEY DATED THE ARTIFACTS 14,000 YEARS WHICH MAKES IT THE OLDEST KNOWN OCCUPIED CAVE IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA.

>> FOLKLORE, FICTION OR FACT?

WE WILL LEAVE THE NATHAN SLAY CAVE BE AS IT IS WITH ANY POSSIBLE FUTURE EVIDENCE OF A LOST CIVILIZATION BURIED IN ITS DEPTHS.

>> IT'S 6:30 A.M. AT THE HOGPEN IN CONWAY AND WE'RE GO TO GUT A LOVE LESSON IN BARBECUE.

>> YOU KNOW I COME HERE IN THE MORNING EARLY AND I TURN THE BLUES ON -- OH YEAH.

>> AND IT PUTS ME IN THE MOOD.

IT TAKES A LOT OF DEDICATION AND GETTING UP EARLY AND GOING TO BED LATE.

AND YOU SEE WHEN WE GET FINISHED, WHEN WE GET THAT LOADED UP, WE WILL HAVE 300, 400 POUNDS OF MEAT IN THERE.

>> WOW.

>> I CAN SAY I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR PROBABLY 30 SOMETHING YEARS BUT ONLY SELLING IT FOR GOING ON 16 YEARS AND GOING ON THE 17TH YEAR, AND I STARTED OUT LIKE THAT ON THE CURB.

>> DENNIS FORTE' SAYS THAT IT TOOK HIM AND HIS WIFE FOUR YEARS JUST TO PERFECT THE RIP SEASONING.

>> I PRETTY MUCH DO THEM ONE AT A TIME.

>> TENDER LOVING CARE.

>> TENDER LOVING CARE.

I GIVE EACH RIB THIS MUCH, SHOW LOVE TO EACH RIB AND YOU KNOW -- I PRETTY MUCH DO EVERYTHING ONE AT A TIME.

THAT WAY THAT IF SOMEBODY COME IN HERE AND TELL ME SOMETHING IS WRONG I KNOW SOMETHING IS UP BECAUSE I DID IT.

IT'S ALL ABOUT CONSISTENCY, YOU KNOW.

YOU SHOW A LOT OF LOVE AND BE DEDICATED TO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, YOU WILL SEE THE END RESULTS.

YOU WOULDN'T THINK THIS MUCH WORK GO ON THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING.

>> I KNOW.

>> LIKE I SAID IT'S A LOT OF WORK BEHIND THE SCENES THAT PEOPLE DON'T SEE.

>> YEAH.

>> SEE WE HAVE THE RIBS THE RIB TIPS, THE CHICKEN, THE FISH.

WE HAVE TO GET THE FISH CUT UP SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO START EARLY IN THE MORNING.

WE TRIED TO MAKE SURE BEFORE WE STARTED THIS, THIS RESTAURANT, ME AND THE WIFE AND THE KIDS AND THE IN-LAWS WE WENT AROUND TO DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS JUST TRIED THE FOOD AND TRIED TO SEE WHAT THEY OFFER, AND WE CAME BACK AND WE SAID "WELL, WE WANT OURS TO TASTE A LITTLE BETTER THAN THIS".

>> HE HAS A SPECIAL NAME FOR THE SPECIAL SECRET BARBECUE SAUCE.

>> I CALL THAT THERE "LIQUID GOLD" .

NO ONE CANNOT SAY THAT I DON'T PUT MY HANDS ON EVERY PIECE OF MEAT THAT GOES OUT OF THAT DOOR EVERYDAY.

>> LITERALLY THE TENDER LOVING TOUCH.

>> THAT'S IT.

>> THE PULLED PORK GETS THAT TENDER LOVING TOUCH AS WELL.

>> YOU SMELL IT?

>> OH YEAH.

>> TOO BAD IT'S NOT SMELL-A-VISION.

>> SMELL-A-VISION.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE COME IN AND PUT IT IN A BUFFALO CHOPPER, BUT YOU KNOW YOU OLD SCHOOL -- WELL, I AM OLD SCHOOL AND THIS IS THE WAY I DO IT.

>> YOU LITERALLY PULL IT BY HAND.

>> BY HAND TOUCH THIS MEAT EVERYDAY.

AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

LOVE.

AND THIS IS WHAT I LIKE HERE.

YOU GET THAT AND MEAT COME RIGHT OFF THE BONES.

>> TO THE FORTE FAMILY RUNNING A RESTAURANT IS A FAMILY LOVE AFFAIR WITH EVERYBODY DOING THEIR PART.

>> WE PRETTY MUCH USE ALL THE KIDS AND THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING HERE EVER SINCE THE RESTAURANT HAS BEEN OPEN, AND THEY LOVE IT.

>> WE HAD TO ASK FORTE WHY HE'S NEVER ENTERED ANY BARK WE COMPETITIONS?

>> WELL I DON'T HAVE TIME.

>> BECAUSE I BETTER IF YOU ENTERED COMPETITIONS OH LOOK OUT.

>> WELL, YOU KNOW WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT YOU KNOW THIS TAKES A LOT OF LOVE.

>> YEAH.

>> AND I'M PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY COOK IN THE HOUSE AS FAR AS COOK BEING THE RIBS, AND THE MAIN THING THAT I TRY TO MAKE SURE OF IS EVERYTHING BEING CONSISTENT EVERYDAY, AND FOR YOU TO BE CONSISTENT IT'S PRETTY MUCH YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE MIND ONLY, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT MEAT.

>> A LOT OF LOVE GOES -- >> A LOT OF LOVE.

>> AND ALL THAT LOVE HAS PAID OFF WITH CUSTOMERS' SATISFACTION.

>> EVERYTHING HERE IS GOOD.

IT'S HARD TO PICK FROM BUT THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS.

THE PEOPLE ARE GREAT AND IT'S A CLEAN RESTAURANT, VERY GOOD, REALLY POPULAR.

>> I WILL NEVER FORGET THE FIRST PERSON THAT CAME IN AND GOT A NORMAL BARBECUE SANDWICH AND DENNIS SAID TRY THIS WITH A RIB AND NO SAUCE AND KEET IT LIKE IT AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I HAVE PURCHASED SINCE THAT TIME.

>> IT'S ALL GOOD.

IT'S REALLY BEEN A BLESSING, REALLY BEEN A BLESSING.

>> NOW THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT HERE DENNIS.

>> IT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.

>> YES, SIR.

>> IF YOU ALL LIKE TO SEE THIS EPISODE AGAIN OR ANY OF OUR OTHERS VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT AETN.ORG/EXPLORINGARKANSAS AND DON'T FORGET TO LIKE US ON OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE AND SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR AN EXCITING ADVENTURE OF "EXPLORING ARKANSAS".

>> MAKES YOU WANT TO SLAP YOUR MAMA.

[LAUGHTER]