Johnsfolly

They don't squirt blood from its eyes. However when I caught my first toadfish, I found out that they have teeth as well .

Marty those fish were all released. Just had them on the stringer for the photo 🤣

I love them all even this guy

I understand what @Ham is saying. It can become such a grind to try and figure out what fish to go for and where to go to get it. Then you invest hours of driving, gas, and money, to get to a location and not catch that new fish. That was a big reason for me not to pursue a total species goal last year after hitting 82 species the year before. I just focused upon a few new lifer targets. I didn't have to think about what new fish could I catch right after Christmas because I still needed a couple more species to hit my goal. If I wasn't planning these Florida trips I would not be going for 100(+) species for this year. Also you can just miss out on the fun of slamming a bunch of stupid fish on any given trip.

Referring to the colorful ones. Most of my fish are bland in comparison to those koi.

The recent publication by the University of Washington (UW) in the scientific journal Science was a major breakthrough in understanding the challenges wild-run salmon face. Every Spring and Fall, millions of Salmon up and down the West Coast voyage from the Pacific back into their native rivers and streams to spawn. Unfortunately, significant numbers of Coho Salmon never make it to the spawning grounds and instead go belly-up and perish for no apparent reason. This has puzzled scientists for decades. The cultural and economic impact of this die-off has only worsened with time and could threaten the future of wild Salmon overall. The breakthrough at UW was identifying the acutely toxic compound to the Salmon: 6PPD-quinone. The compound, 6PPD, starts as a tire additive designed to prevent tires from breaking down and aides in meeting federal safety guidelines. These important compounds are known as antidegradants and can protect tires from anything from sunlight to oxygen to extreme temperatures. In the very process of protecting tires from oxidation, 6PPD is transformed into 6PPD-quinone, which was unknowingly toxic to Coho Salmon. As tires wear, the worn rubber is continuously deposited on roadways. This deposited material invariably makes its way into waterways through runoff from rains. Although rain naturally dilutes the runoff, the 6PPD-quinone was found to be toxic at the low concentrations found within streams and rivers. Can you believe this biologist BS. Who can even confirm that there were any coho salmon in those rivers before runoff from tires entered the river.

Love seeing all the variety. That gets me excited as the year progresses. Hoping to get to fish some of those species that we haven't caught yet. I hope that some of the fish that I catch inspire folks to go to a new place or try different techniques. I also hope to let people see fish that they may have never even heard of before.

@Smalliebigs congrats on hammering those toads! Great day indeef!

I have big plans for briny fish. May be behind now but we'll see how things look come June😉

I tied this guy last night. Worked well for yellow perch 👍

That's a giant!

Did they kick you out of the buffet after catching all their koi? Seriously cool fish. Did you catch those locally, aka your locally?

They are hard fighters. They are able to use the current as well during the fight. Both Livie and Sue enjoyed catching decent shad. We're still learning how to catch these fish, but I foresee more March trips to NC to start the year off with some shad. I'll get after them here in MD or PA in April and May😉

JF 11) Redbreast sunfish, Lepomis auritus Not a big one but will catch better ones later in the year.. Only fished about 25 mins due to darkness. Also caught a decent yellow perch.

They're wrinkly and rare, and the biggest ones can grow up to 2.5 feet long. Missouri's population of endangered hellbender salamanders recently got another boost from the St. Louis Zoo, Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help them survive in the wild. After hatching and raising a bunch of hellbenders at the zoo, more than 1,000 of the slippery salamanders were released into Ozarks streams and rivers in southern Missouri that provide suitable habitat for them. They'll seek out submerged flat rocks to hide under and ambush their prey of fish, crayfish and small invertebrates. They also, hopefully, will breed new generations of wild hellbenders. Since 2008, and including the most recent effort, MDC and the zoo have teamed up to raise and release more than 8,600 hellbenders into Missouri waters. "We want them to join the wild hellbender population," said Lauren Augustine, curator of herpetology at the St. Louis Zoo. "All are tagged before they're released, and MDC does surveys to see how they are doing." Neither the zoo nor MDC would say where exactly the hellbenders were set free. There's a reason for that. They're trying to prevent unscrupulous wildlife poachers from catching and selling hellbenders to people who want a rare, endangered and exotic pet. "Some people want to have rare and unique species in their collection," Augustine said. "It has been an issue. That's why we keep their release sites so secret." For the record, it's a crime to catch and sell hellbenders. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, hellbenders are the official endangered species of Missouri and the largest aquatic salamanders in North America. Missouri is the only state that has both subspecies – the Ozark hellbender and the eastern hellbender. A population assessment showed all hellbender populations have an above 96 percent risk of extinction over the next 75 years unless the population increases. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, both the Ozark and eastern hellbender populations in Missouri have declined more than 70 percent over the past 40 years. To slow endangerment of the amphibians, the Saint Louis Zoo began raising hellbenders from eggs. Every year, they are released to Ozarks rivers based on when they were hatched. MDC State Herpetologist Jeff Briggler says the process was different this year due to the pandemic. “The restoration team’s priority was to reduce contact and maintain social distancing among individuals,” Briggler said. “To achieve this, animal transfers from the zoo staff to the state herpetologist occurred in open-air parking lots.” Briggler said crews who released hellbenders were reduced and limited to two individuals per boat. MDC says in addition to breeding efforts, the zoo has also been head-starting juvenile Ozark and eastern hellbenders, hatched from eggs collected in the wild, for future release. Once the captive-bred larvae are two to eight years old, they can then be released. In 2001, the Ozark Hellbender Working Group of representatives from state and federal government agencies, public universities and zoos in Missouri and Arkansas launched a number of projects to combat the Ozark hellbender’s decline. These included egg searches, disease sampling and behavioral studies. The adult hellbender is one of the largest species of salamanders in North America, with its closest relatives being the giant salamanders of China and Japan. It has a restricted range and is only found in the cold-water rivers of south-central Missouri and north-central Arkansas. Hellbenders have broad, flat heads, small lidless eyes and pronounced skin folds on the sides of their body. They can live for more than 25 years. Large rocks on the river bottom provide refuge and nesting sites. Anglers using crayfish, worms or small minnows might occasionally catch a hellbender. Anyone who hooks a hellbender should remove the hook as gently as possible and immediately release the salamander back into the water.

Livie 11) American Shad, Alosa sapidissima, a Lifer for her . She got the stink on!

As much as I would love to tangle with a 100+lb fish, this is not the one that I would want to see on the line. Unfortunately this fish may be the tip of the iceberg and other giant invasives could be swimming in the Osage an other MO rivers . Osage County angler catches 112-pound invasive black carp Black carp is one of the few fish species listed on Missouri’s Prohibited Species list. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Osage County man got a surprise last week after catching a 112-pound invasive black carp from the Osage River. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has listed black carp on the Prohibited Species List – a list of species that may not be imported, exported, transported, sold, purchased, or possessed alive in Missouri without written approval of the director. Jesse Hughes of Bonnots Mill was originally catfishing with friends March 4 when he hooked into the fish. “We hooked into it and knew it was something big, but I originally thought it was a catfish,” Hughes recalled. “It was the first I’d heard of a black carp. I didn’t know anything about it, so this has been quite the learning experience.” According to MDC, black carp are an invasive fish from Asia that eat mussels and snails. The fish damage populations of native mollusks, many of which are critically endangered. There is a strong possibility the species is becoming established, with breeding populations, on our continent. Black carp have been found in the Mississippi River system, including the Osage River, where in 1994 about 30 reportedly escaped from a fish farm during a high-water event and entered that river. Most of the black carp in the United States were introduced to control problematic snail populations in commercial fisheries, and these individuals are presumably sterile. Yet fertile individuals can be present, too. Given that black carp can live for 15 years, even the sterile individuals can present a serious long-term problem for native mollusk populations. “If anglers happen to catch black carp, or any invasive fish, while fishing in Missouri waters, it’s imperative to contact their local conservation agent,” explained MDC Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson. “That way, our Fisheries staff can be notified and monitor the spread of these destructive species.” The black carp caught by Hughes is currently being studied by the United States Geological Survey. “It’s a little disappointing, as I don’t think I’ll ever catch a fish that big again,” joked Hughes. “But at least it’s one less invasive fish in Missouri waters.” Black carp appear similar to the common grass carp, but the black carp is darker, though not truly black, and some report the adult black carp have a relatively narrower snout. It also has large pharyngeal teeth, or throat teeth, that resemble human molars. These teeth are used to crush the shells of mollusk and prey. For more information on black carp, visit the MDC website at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZRa. To learn more about invasive species, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZeV. MDC confirms Jesse Hughes of Bonnots Mill caught an invasive black carp in Osage County March 4. Hughes was catfishing when he reeled in the 112-pound fish from the Osage River upstream of the Bonnots Mill Access. Find this and other MDC media releases in our MDC online Newsroom.

I have seen quite a few papers where common drugs like Prozac were found not only in the water but also in the fish tissues. Concerns were raised that bluegill and other sunfish would less aggressively defend nesting sites due to pharmaceuticals inhibiting those responses. Lots of talk about atrazine as an endocrine active or disruptive compound that causes intersex (i.e., both oocysts and testicular tissues within the gonads of many fish species. Atrazine concentrations are way, way, way, below the concentrations of estrogens released into the environment due to birth control and hormone replacement therapies.

I have seen juvenile eels climbing up waterfalls to get into new water. Would give you the creeps if you didn't like seeing hundreds of squirming slimy fish clinging to and climbing the damp or wet rocks.

Livie 10) Hickory shad, Alosa mediocris. changed the photos.

I thought our GS were big but those are giants Dave! They've been eating well.

That's a great looking fish! I haven't seen one with that dark dorsal coloration. May answer@Quillback question about subspecies. If you head North and catch the orangethroat darter in MO or Plateau darter near or in KS. I will count them all since all are recognized subspecies.

@Ham Jealous of those cool darters. Did catch my PB American shad this morning with this doe. Close to 3.5 lbs. Still have to measure the mark on my rod. Did land what I thought was a hickory, but couldn't get a photo so counting it as an American. Did get the stink (with shad most things get a stink on them ) on Livie's rod by landing one out of three hookups.

Non-native brook trout are even better. Out west folks should keep and eat as many as the law allows

Sounds like a great trip. Congrats!