Outside Bend

Sure thing, you're in. Anyone else?

Real nice

I'm not sure we should make the logical leap that because MDC hasn't declared open season on spots, they don't care about smallmouth management. It's more complicated than that. Many anglers have a tough time differentiating smallmouth and spots, much less smallmouth, spots, and their hybrids. Even then, many fish which look like pure smallmouth or pure spots often have genetics of both species- looks can be deceiving. Liberalized harvest regs on spots could wind up killing lots of smallmouth, as well. Nor do you want to give the public the impression that, since spots are a nuisiance in the Meramec, they're a problem throughout the state. Couple that with the sheer numbers of spots in the lower Meramec and other systems, their more generalized spawning and habitat requirements, and it'd take a lot of people killing a lot of spots to fish down the population.

Again, the link provided makes no mention of classrooms teaching family values or politics, just safety. The program is endorsed, funded, and put on through the National Rifle Association, and although I've had limited exposure with the group, I don't think they're dumb enough to undermine their pro-gun political agenda with an anti-gun school program. We send kids to school to learn math, science, english etc because not all parents are qualified to teach those subjects. Why would gun safety be any different? Some parents may know a lot about guns, some may have little or no experience. Frankly, the girl in the original video could probably do a better job teaching gun safety than I could, or many of the folks I know. Given different levels of experience, familiarity, and safety among parents, why wouldn't we want a qualified, experienced individual to come in and teach students about guns and gun safety? I guess I look at the news, and every incident from Dick Cheney to the guy at Duck Creek a few months back, and figure it never hurts to keep hammering the message of gun safety. The more folks making it a priority, and the more folks talking about it, the better.

I'm glad you've taught that lesson at home, hank, and no one is preventing you from continuing to do so. But I dont see the harm reinforcing those lessons at school, or why it'd be an affront to parents. There are lot of things students learn outside school - math, spelling, cooking, shop - it doesnt prevent them from being included in the curriculum, and it doesnt mean the school is behaving as a nanny state.

I dunno, seems from the link they're just teaching kids what to do if they encounter a gun. Nothing political, and no different in my mind than teaching kids not to pick up downed powerlines or drink the colorful liquids housed under the sink. Kids are naturally curious, and teaching them guns are not a plaything seems pretty pragmatic to me.

Bump- Ness's in.

Bump- any more interest?

I hope it'll be good for systems like the Current, but I'm not too positive the drought plus a blowout flood during/after spawn bodes well for our smaller wild trout streams. Take the good with the bad, I suppose.

That sounds ideal if we get less than ten or so- each person tie doubles of their pattern. Any extras I'll spread between the participants.

Both those look real nice!

Great to watch on a rainy night..gar are one of those things I want to focus on this season. Thanks for that!

Cool, everything should be up to date. Still plenty of room if folks want to participate!

black, red, tan, white, gold/orange, olive, brown...that about covers my experience. And trout can be adventurous eaters, so it's always worth it to have something a little weird in the box.

Working the bottom is probably the most productive, but seeing the fish smash on top may be the most fun. Youll want to cover as much of the water column as you can, and you can make it as simple or as complicated as you want. Cover the bqsic food items - crayfish, bottom- dwelling sculpins/ recmadtoms/darters, and midwater baitfish, and you should do fine. Id recommend gurglers, foam and deerhair sliders, as well as heavier, drab patterns imitating bottom dwelling food items. Cant go wrong with marabou, bunny fur, webby hackle and rubber legs.

I'm thinking.... Tailwater flies- whatever you want to tie, I don't care if it's midges, streamers, nymphs, whatever. Just so long as we all don't wind up with a dozen San Juan Worms or a dozen zebra midges, it's cool. Goin' for diversity here. Minimum six tyers, capping it at thirteen- that way the most we have to tie is an even dozen. Let's have everyone signed up by Feb 6th, does March 15th work as an end date? Can push it back or up if it interferes with the other swap. Who's in? 1.) OB 2.) DaddyO- Nymph/Midge 3.)Lancer09 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.) 10.) 11.) 12.)

I'm thinking.... Smallmouth/Warmwater flies Capping it at 13 tyers, that way each of us does an even dozen flies. Let's try to get this filled up by next Wednesday (Feb 6th). Does March 15th work as a deadline for everyone? If you're game, lemme know here. 1.) OB 2.)Flysmallie 3.)DaddyO- IN! 4.)Gavin- IN! 5.)Mic- IN! 6.)Ness- IN! 7.) MikeH- IN! 8.) Lancer09- IN! 9.)Sean C- IN!

I dunno, it's not as though the Meramec and north-flowing Ozark streams are the only systems in the Ozarks which have undergone landscape alterations. The St. Francis doesn't have a lot of spring influence, there's substantial urbanization in the Farmington area, and it's had to deal with mining issues on some of its tributaries, and there's a big reservoir downstream which could be a huge source population spots could colonize from. Yet we're not seeing the shift from smallmouth to spots that we're seeing in the Meramec and other northern systems. Similar situation exists with the Black- relatively little spring influence, substantial land degredation, mining, big reservoir full of spots- yet the proportion of smallmouth to spots seems pretty static. And in the James- rapidly urbanizing landscape, warmer stream temperatures, but it doesn't seem to be altering the proportion of smallmouths to spots. It's probably true that landscape changes and habitat alterations have made some north-flowing streams more amenable to spots. And I agree that, in terms of conservation, we really need to address stream habitat issues. But if that were the primary mechanism, wouldn't similar habitat alterations to southern streams result in similar shifts in the number of smallmouth versus spots?

I'd be happy to host both if there's enough interest. I'll get a thread for the smallie swap started later this evening.

Hey folks, been entertaining the idea of hosting a couple swaps this winter/early spring, wondering if there's any interest. Thinking about doing one for smallmouth flies, another focused on patterns for the MO/AR/OK tailwaters. I don't have a ton of experience with either, and figured it'll be a good way to get some new folks involved. Any interest?

Gavin basically nailed it - it's not that they are native to the northern ozarks, or that they're having no effect on smallies. Its just pointless to argue about it with Chief and drew. Despite the stocking records, the genetics, the biology, and the observations of anglers and scientists, theyve willed spots into being a native species with no negative impacts. Theyre working from the assumption that, since smallmouth & spots coexist in the streams they fish, the same must be true everywhere. I get it. I love the Cardinals, I think theyre a great team, and I grew up in a place where everyone else loved them, too. But itd be silly to assume, given my limited knowledge base, that everyone, everywhere likes them. Anyway my point is it's the same argument each winter. And for me it's reached the point of Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown. That spots are nonnative to the northern ozarks, were stocked in the 20th century, subsequently invaded other systems & hybridized with native smallnouth is all coroborated by research and angler observations. Unless they have information which disproves the body of evidence, I'm really not interested in rehashing the discussion.

If Im not turkey hunting, I could probably make it on th 29th. Sounds like fun!

I'd suggest reading the article, paying special attention to the sections on nonindigenous occurences and impacts of introduction, as opposed to just looking at the generalized range map.

Got out a couple weekends ago with some buddies from college. Caught quite a few on itty bitties- parachute dries, griffith's gnats, small zebra midges and rainbow warriors. Had a fair amount of success with a big Madame X too- can't complain about midwinter terrestrial action

Another winter, another revolution of the spotted bass circular argument. Nice photos Gavin, looks like fun!