Hello, I'm FishnDave

[Johnsfolly]

Nice variety of fish photos! Lots of multispecies creeks available all over the state. I love that you caught a bullhead on a fly. Thanks for posting those photos.

[FishnDave]

On 8/12/2019 at 4:20 PM, Flysmallie said:

I think you found the right spot to figure out what you need to know to get going. Welcome to Missouri, whenever you actually get here. 

Yes, thank you!  I agree....looks like I've found the right place! 😀

[FishnDave]

Attached a few more pics.

As someone who has never been there...the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area lakes look very intriguing...since they are close to St. Louis.  What are your guys' experiences and reviews of those lakes?  Are they worth going to?  Too much pressure, or not too crowded?

[moguy1973]

6 hours ago, FishnDave said:

Attached a few more pics.

As someone who has never been there...the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area lakes look very intriguing...since they are close to St. Louis.  What are your guys' experiences and reviews of those lakes?  Are they worth going to?  Too much pressure, or not too crowded?

 

Busch wildlife gets pounded being so close to St. Louis.  That being said it can be really good too.  They rent jon boats for a couple bucks in some of the lakes that you can put a trolling motor on but no outside boats are allowed. The big lakes (33,34 and 35) have nice bass upwards of 5-6lbs in them although they can be tough to catch.  They stock tiger musky in 35 that have been known to get huge. In the winter they stock trout in a few of the lakes also. 

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Busch's Wildlife is really a neat place.   As Moguy1973 said,  it can see a lot of people.   There are many good reports from there.  I was able to fish one of the handicapped lakes as a teenager.   One of my better days.  The other lakes I have not done great,  but I now have a better arsenal.   

[Al Agnew]

On 8/13/2019 at 6:08 AM, moguy1973 said:

For the most part if you stay below the high water mark on a stream and it has public accesses somewhere on it, it's floatable and wadeable legally.  Now does that mean that there aren't any really hostile landowners that will chase you off it you go wading through their stream?  Nope, there's lots of those.  All the major creeks and rivers are fair game though for floating and fishing on them though.  I'm sure others will chime in but that's a real basic overview of the river laws here.

That's about right.  Missouri doesn't have a river "law".  Public access has been determined by a MO Supreme Court decision back in the 1950s, Elder v Delcour, which basically says that if it is POSSIBLE to float the stream in a small watercraft, the public has an easement to float it, wade it, and camp on gravel bars.  The problem is that there is no definitive list of stream sections that qualify, so sometimes on smaller, marginally floatable streams you'll run afoul of landowners, and occasionally some idiot will try to chase you off a gravel bar even on a popular float stream.  And...sometimes the local county sheriff and prosecutor are on their side, and you get ticketed and fined, and would have to fight it in a higher court to get the decision overturned.  So as you can see, it's all kinda fuzzy sometimes.  And as for streams too small to float, they are private, though on some the landowners are apparently okay with anglers.  Since it is difficult to find all the landowners along even a short section of stream, getting permission is problematical.  

[FishnDave]

Do the smaller ponds and lakes freeze over in the winter in the St Louis area?  I'm accustomed to icefishing during the winter here in central Iowa, its the only way to keep fishing during the cold months.  If I had a choice, I'd prefer to just keep fishing open water all winter.  Crappies and bigger bass especially stay pretty active during the winter.

 

Oh, and about the trout.  What size (length) trout does Missouri generally stock?  Iowa stocks trout generally in the 11"-12" range.  When I lived in Illinois, seems like they stocked larger trout...like maybe 14"-16" range.  Again, I let everything go, but just wondered what sizes to expect.

[moguy1973]

9 hours ago, FishnDave said:

Do the smaller ponds and lakes freeze over in the winter in the St Louis area?  I'm accustomed to icefishing during the winter here in central Iowa, its the only way to keep fishing during the cold months.  If I had a choice, I'd prefer to just keep fishing open water all winter.  Crappies and bigger bass especially stay pretty active during the winter.

 

Oh, and about the trout.  What size (length) trout does Missouri generally stock?  Iowa stocks trout generally in the 11"-12" range.  When I lived in Illinois, seems like they stocked larger trout...like maybe 14"-16" range.  Again, I let everything go, but just wondered what sizes to expect.

Depends on the winter if the lakes freeze over.  Last winter there was a small pond near my place that people were ice skating on.  Usually they don't get thick enough though.

MDC stocks a few lunkers every year in the urban trout program lakes but I think most are typical 10-12" stockers.  There's always those reports of kids catching 10lb trout on a spiderman pole every year or so though. https://mdc.mo.gov/blogs/fresh-afield/nothing-says-love-big-rainbow-trout

[Johnsfolly]

My daughter and I would love fishing the urban lakes after Feb 1 when there was enough ice to ice fish safely. Usually used #16 to #18 treble hooks with three red salmon eggs.

Lots of fun😁.

[FishnDave]

Caught my PB Common Carp on a fly yesterday.  35" long, 22.5" girth, calculated weight of 22.14 lbs.