Wayne SW/MO

Did you have to have it licensed to get the tag?

There's a mentality that college students are children and still need good role models. Personaly I think if the parents haven't done it by the time they get there, the faculty sure can't.

Darn Spaniards :lol:

Some introductions avoid leaving waters virtually useless, something the people don't want if it can be avoided and the impact is secondary. This isn't my position, but just the way it is. The White below the dams is now probably a world class trout fishery, at least the lowest section. It is an economic giant now compared to what it was in Jim Owen's day. The lower John Day was something of a sport fishing wasteland, except for a month or two in the winter, before the smallies were introduced, so good or bad they filled a void and that is probably what should drive all introductions, filing a void. If it can't meet that standard then it probably shouldn't be done.

last I heard they were doing the same with brook trout in Oregon. Isn't that a different animal? I would think if they want to do that they should return the White to a warm water fishery and let it be self sustaining.

I've seen them go upstream, downstream and even going down the highway.

I just don't know what else you can use? Quality can go a lot of different directions, and in my opinion requires a lot of judgement from the fisherman. A world class designation would need to impress far and wide and I don't what beyond size and numbers could do that. The John Day smallies are no different then your Colorado brookies, someone put them there so you might as well enjoy them. Our fish could use a lot of help, but the MDC is timid and doesn't want to interfere in the harvest of native fish anymore then they have to and the DNR is lost in the money pool.

No doubt if one wanted to compete in something involving bass, this would be soft on the resource.

I wouldn't worry too much, everything is ahead this year. We should be past the frog chocker period.

You could put in TR, Indian Point area wouldn't be too bad for your little boat. Another area would upper Bull Shoals below Powersite dam. BS has a good population of smallies. You're only about 50 miles from either area.

I saw a Koi in TR a couple of years ago, it was about 16"-18". I've often wondered if he came from a flooded pond or if someone dumped him and hoped he would survive.

I tend to agree. There's also the old "water under the bridge" saying that probably applies. No one living today has seen our waters without the common carp. There is also the fact that in hard bottom lakes there is no evidence of them affecting clarity. It is often all to easy to look at some factor that can cause a problem and then lay all of the problems on it. The salmon/smallmouth relationship in the John Day is a prime example. The two biggest predators of salmon smolts are the hydro dams and the squawfish, AKA the Northern Pikeminnow. the smolts from the John Day start high up in cold waters well above the smallies range, but then must travel through their range to get to the ocean. In the travels they pass by the squawfish and two dams. The squawfish is not only notorious for feeding on them in the river, but also for waiting in ambush at the dams. Another factor is that during many spring migrations the river is blown out, which historicaly helped the smolts pass the native predators, but the dams stopped that. Without smallies there would be more salmon reaching the ocean, but not enough to make a difference in light of the other manmade obstacles.

You'll realize what it is as you come in view of the hiway bridge. It isn't a dam now, but the base is still there and consists of a wall about a foot high reaching across the creek. The only thing that could cause you a problem would be to get hung on it and go sideways tipping over. The water on either side isn't really deep but it is a current. Only you know what your situation is so you might want to look it over. You can walk over it on the right bank if need be.

I think of world class as something based solely on numbers and on many rivers 20-30 fish would be a mediocre day. I'm glad this isn't considered a world class smallmouth fishery, there's enough competition with stringers and I don't see a need for economic pressure also. A world class fishing title would mean more guides, more pressure and fewer fish because like it of not our streams can only handle so much pressure because they aren't all that big when compared to many other rivers. I've fished these streams for roughly 60 years and sadly I can't think of one improvement.

I didn't assume anything and that is why I asked. I didn't know if it was an WSA fundraiser or what. You had stated there were prizes, but if you stated the source I missed it.

I've chased the whites hard this spring and they are spotty, but I haven't seen the A-rig outfish being in the "right spot".

I you're fishing for smallmouth it is what it is. The salmon in the river have bigger problems than the smallmouth. This in no way was meant as a negative remark on what we have in Missouri, but explain how it is infinitely better?

I think it depends on ones age. I've changed over the years in regard to what I consider a quality experience on the water and the fish only make up one part of it. Companions, weather, the stream and amount of solitude all add up. I've fished a world class smallmouth stream, the John Day in Oregon, a lot and Missouri doesn't have the environment to match it. It also can't match the big rivers back east. The water simply doesn't exist here. While world Class may not be feasible here it doesn't dictate the quality of the experience and Missouri does have the environment to have a first class trip many times over. The bigger worry to me is whether it will last. When I think back to what it was like when I was a child and what is going on with the rivers and creeks now I'm not encouraged.

So where do the funds end up? Are you the beneficiary of this tournement?

I agree with Gavin on the sizes and I would definately add olive or sculpin colored jigs to the mix.

It will be months ahead if they do.

But stripers don't need the lower temps that salmonoids would need. BS is stocked with bows on a regular basis, yet they don't wander. TR also get a few, but they only show up around Roaring River in the cold months.

Not to hijack either, but fisnwrench gets them pretty regularly, and on clouser's mostly, I think.

Did he come from Dallas county?

That's a dandy!