rFisherk

A lot of people get pictures of large birds in flight, such as eagles, geese and gulls. I found a way to get pictures of small, fast birds, such as this sparrow.

I didn't know there were trout in Table Rock.

Doesn't matter what year, Daryk. Post 'em.

Yes, I took the picture. Oldest deer I've ever seen.

Here's another look.

Tony used to fish my Flair Hair Jigs a lot. Was it this?

Maybe they are starting to feel a little push back. Calls, emails and letters may have had something to do with it. Thanks you all very much. But there's still of lot of bad legislation on the docket and much more to come.

Rep Jay Houghton, by the way, represents District 043, which includes Audrain and Callaway counties. On the good news side, I was told Redmon, District 001, withdrew one of his bills, but I can't remember which one. Things are happening fast now.

How old do you think?

The latest legislative attack on the Missouri Department of Conservation is Hb763, introduced on the house side by Rep Jay Houghton. This is the house version of sb337. It is designed to make it illegal for the MDC to partner with non-profit organizations, or they with the MDC Here is a list of potential 501(3) c that MDC partners with: 4H and FFA Would threaten the future of conservation field days and shooting sports. Missouri Electric Cooperatives potential cooperative agreements on right of way habitat management and electric cooperative property managed by MDC (i.e., Thomas Hill Reservoir). Conservation Employees Credit Union Conservation Federation of Missouri Would eliminate Share the Harvest, Operation Forest Arson, Operation Game Thief, and grants for MO Archery in the Schools Program Missouri Corn Growers Association and Missouri Soybean Association currently have a cooperative agreement with MO Soybean Association for feral hog control in southeast Missouri. Would eliminate potential partnership with other agricultural groups. Missouri Forest Products Association Would eliminate logger training program, Master Logger Program and other partnerships with the timber industry. Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation Would eliminate private land habitat cost share. National Wild Turkey Federation - Would eliminate private and public land habitat management, research, seed program and cooperative dove management fields. Ducks Unlimited Would eliminate wetland protection and enhancement efforts, research and cooperative positions. Missouri Prairie Foundation MDC manages many MO Prairie Foundation Properties in southwest Missouri. This partnership would be eliminated. Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation Would eliminate Stream Stewardship Trust Fund and many grant opportunities. Quality Deer Management Association Would eliminate cooperative positions and private land focus areas. Whitetails Unlimited and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Would eliminate partnerships in youth programs such as the MO National Archery in the Schools Program. River Relief Would threaten river clean up and outreach programs. Midway USA Foundation Threatens youth shooting sport programs and future partnerships to encourage youth shooting sports. The Nature Conservancy Would eliminate cooperative habitat restoration efforts on private and public land and threaten wildlife restoration programs National Rifle Association Threatens potential partnership for public shooting ranges (e.g., Local NRA Chapter helped with Apple Creek Shooting Range). Great Rivers Threaten outreach and habitat management efforts. Ozark Regional Land Trust Would threaten habitat management efforts. Missouri Stream Team Watershed Coalition Would threaten the future of the Stream Team program. Kauffman Foundation Would threaten the future of the Anita Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City Forest ReLeaf Would threaten the future of this urban forest program in St. Louis and working to start in Kansas City. Missouri Consulting Foresters Would threaten program to train and provide professional foresters for private land forest management. Wonders of the Ozarks Learning Facility (WOLF a school) National hunting and fishing museum Hunter Ed/shooting Sports Assoc. I might also add the various National Fish Habitat Initiative partnerships, at least some of which have non-profit status, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, that has funded significant habitat work on Table Rock Lake, Lake Taneycomo and Bull Shoals Lake. Also and indirectly, the purchase of track chairs to support limited mobility hunters and anglers (including Wounded Warriors) was supported by both for profit and non-profit donors including the Darrel Gwynn Foundation, QDMA, Ducks Unlimited, RMEF, NWTF, Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever and NRA.

Thanks, Bigs. Yes, that is Marble Creek, but one also in from Stouts Creek. All of them are figuratively in my back yard.

A lot of people don't know about the Conservation Federation of Missouri. It is a citizen's organization of individuals and sportsmen's groups. They are not affiliated with any political group or government organization. They monitor and present a unified voice before the legislature, the MDC and the DNR. The members of CFM are the conscience of hunters, fishermen, foresters, campers, trappers, hikers, paddlers, birdwatchers and more. CFM speaks for sportsmen and sportswomen whenever and wherever it is necessary, to support our collective opinions on the future of Missouri outdoors. In fact, most of the conservation legislation in Missouri today exists, because of the federation’s strong advocacy work. To sign up for their Legislative Action Alerts, their newsletter and/or to join, visit: http://confedmo.org/A membership also includes a subscription to their Missouri Wildlife Magazine.

Fantastic, Jeff.

I didn't know about them retaining toxins. But it makes sense because mussels are known to filter the water. Are there toxins in Bull? I was guiding on KY Lake when they invaded there. A couple of years after the report, we started catching big redear, and they got bigger and more plentiful each year after, until fish of a pound were so common, no one even showed them off. I caught a few of about 2 pounds and saw a few close to 3 pounds. It actually created a great fishery.

I guided on KY Lake for a decade, and all we guides sunk brush piles in strategic locations during the winter. I have considerable experience with this and can tell you the best to sink and fish around are ones you make yourself from PVC. Pretty simple, and doesn't cost much, especially if you can find some scrap PVC. I found it to be less work than gathering trees and all that stuff. You take a 5-gallon plastic bucket and fill it with concrete. Then you push a 4- or 5-foot section of 2- or 3-inch PVC into the middle of it. After the concrete sets up, drill holes at various locations and run 1-inch PVC pipes through them so they stick out 2 or 3 feet on both sides. The more the better. I usually put about 12 1-inch pipes in a 5-foot trunk. These will last forever, and hook points don't snag in them. A few years ago, Ray Scott (founder of BASS), told me he makes PVC kits for sale, and he sent me some to test. Good product. But I'm not sure he is still making them. Google it.

Such a shame. Although I believe the majority of giggers avoid gigging bass, it doesn't take many outlaws to damage a fishery. I wonder how many hundreds of bass this jerk killed before he got caught? How many never get caught? I primarily fish the Black and Current rivers, and on my early trips, I catch a few smallmouth with gig scars on the Black, none on the Current (Owl's Bend to Log Yard). I think the difference is the amount of enforcement patrol on the perspective rivers. If any of the bills I posted about on Conservation Issues passes, one of the things sure to be cut is enforcement. MDC agents already are stretched thin, in my opinion, and any reduction will give poachers free reign. What do you think fishing will be like then? Check out the info in "2 Issues That...," join the Conservation Federation of Missouri and contact your congressmen. Tell them to keep their hands of our MDC.

Long after fish caught or lost are forgotten, such scenes will remain as your fondest memories of the outdoors. They are not only beautiful, but unusual, and you wouldn't have experienced it if you were an average, fair-weather fisherman.

Thanks, Chief. With one of the best, if not the best, conservation department in the nation, it is easy to become complacent. And the way politics is run these days, it's common to feel disenfranchised from the process, like your voice--and even your vote--doesn't really amount to much. But that's exactly why they have become so detached from us and attached to special interests: they figure they can do anything they want, as long as the special interests provide huge sums of money for their reelection campaigns. All they figure they've got to do is look good on TV. But as you, and a few others here, have surmised, this is a serious and dire situation, and further apathy could be devastating. I hope not too many wait until they actually lose things to speak up and get involved. The easiest thing anyone can do is join and support the Conservation Federation of Missouri by visiting http://confedmo.org/. They are our watchdogs and our unified voice. Those who already feel strongly about this volatile issue can contact their representatives and tell them to keep their hands off our Conservation Department. Few people know who represents them, but it is easy to find out by visiting http://wwww.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Even fewer people ever contact their representatives, so those who do...speak with a loud voice. A simple email, phone call or letter gets a high degree of notice, because they fully realize that we not only are paying attention, but that if we go to the trouble to contact them, we will vote, and we will get our friends and family to vote likewise.

Thanks. The top one, by the way, is Mina Sauk Falls completely frozen. When I pressed my ear against the ice, I could hear water trickling.

Before it's gone, share your ice pictures with me.

Is the Ned rig a variation of the shakey head?

Interesting. I've seen many times when one guy was outfishing another using the same bait. Everyone thinks of the right color first, but it is the presentation that makes all the difference: rod, line and the way you retrieve. I am, however, unfamiliar with the "Ned" rig, but I'm interested.

Thanks, Al, for your intelligent insights. I think you, too, realize this constitutes the most serious threat to conservation we've seen. And this is just the beginning. An inside source told me a couple of days ago that those who wish to topple the MDC are really going to step it up next year, though I find it hard to imagine a stronger effort than already being mounted. And Norm, I'm very familiar with how handicapped Illinois and Kentucky are by their respective legislatures. Most of us don't realize how good we have it in Missouri. "You don't know what you've got--until you lose it." Here's what we could lose if just the measures Redmon proposes pass (taken from information gathered by the Conservation Federation of Missouri): Closure of Department shooting ranges. Closure of Department Nature Centers Elimination of partnerships with rural fire departments Closure of fish hatcheries. Elimination of public and private fish stockings Closure of Department maintained boat accesses. Significant reduction in habitat work on conservation areas. Significant reduction in resource enforcement by conservation agents. Most fish and wildlife research projects and monitoring will end. Significant reduction in efforts to control invasive species. Limited support for the Share the Harvest Program

You are far from alone in your thinking, Ness. This is why they probably are going to win some of this. I confess I've been somewhat apathetic about such legislation in the past, but this is different. If conservation minded sportsmen don't get involved in the political process this time, we could lose big time. That's why I'm going to all this effort to bring it to your attention.The measure to reclassify deer already passed once, was vetoed by the Governor and narrowly failed the override by one vote. Muntzinger not only authored some of these bills, he's the head of the committee that decides to bring it to a vote. So there will be a vote.

This is the same bill, MFU, that was voted into law earlier this year, but it was vetoed by the Governor. The deer in question are raised in a high fence area. They come from breeder stock that produce huge racks and they are fed to produce huge, usually non-typical, racks. They're not exactly pets, but they are sort of semi-domesticated. People pay many thousands of dollars to go out and shoot them, most of the time while they are coming to the feeding dispenser. Some even pick the one they want to shoot from pictures before they even come to the facility. Then they pay to have it mounted so they can brag about being great hunters. Beyond the ethical question, the real problem is that penned deer are known to be the primary source of Chronic Wasting Disease, which is similar in many ways to AIDS in humans. Currently, the MDC has control over such facilities, dictating precautionary measures and banning the importation of deer from other state--which is the primary way it has spread between so many states already. These game farms have become big business, and they have lobbied heavily to have control switched from the MDC to the Ag Department to lessen or remove all these regulations. If this is allowed to happen, it could decimate the deer population of the entire state, which I suppose would be a windfall to the game farm operations, because that would be about the only place left to slaughter a big deer--and slaughter is the right word.