Trout Addict

Great point. I was just getting ready to address similar topic. Antibiotics, growth hormone, estrogen, testosterone, psychotherapy drugs are passing thru humans and animals from large confinement operation into our rivers. It has some scientist questioning the future effects on humans. Here's an article I was reading and found it interesting. https://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/growing-smallmouth.html

The 1st one appears to be an interactive database. It may take some time for me to understand it. The second one is an incomplete, imo. Nitrates, ammonia, chloride and a good baseline would be good to have, imo. The turbidity seems kinda high, but idk without a baseline.

Has the water chemistry change? What I mean has the water color change? It's been my experience that Water high in nutrients tends to have a green tint. This will also promote more weeds growth. Have you seen an increase in weeds, moss and algae in areas where the spots now reside?

I'm not much into small mouth fishing. But I've kinda been following along. So here's my dime. It Sounds like they're several variables, but when I read Urban sprawl ding ding ding alarms started going off In my head. The river where I caught most of my smallies, I saw lots of foam. I've treated industrial waste water and drinking water. So when I saw the foam and not necessarily from flow, I'm thinking dang, why is this Water so high in phosphates. Phosphates are found in several chemical compounds such as soaps and fertilizers. My guess is with Urban Sprawl there's new subdivision and therefore new roads with storm sewers. These storm sewers typically dumps into the closest drainage ditch. And a direct route into the river. Phosphates is not the only chemical compounds that can enter the river threw these storm sewers. My experience says these Home owners in these subdivision tend to upscale and proud of their investment, so they not only use fertilizers, but also herbicide and pesticides which could leach out during rainfall events. Green spaces and wetlands can act as filters to help slow the process. It really doesn't matter how they got there, imo, They are there and it sounds like you're looking for ways to improve your fishery. One other note in regards to leaching of fertilizers (ie phosphates) into your fishery, it adds lots of nutrients to the water which may be why your spots are thriving where smallies use to.

.

.

Next revision Date for Lake Taneycomo??? Some great information And back on track? From the Missouri Conservationist Magazine. THE SAGA OF LAKE TANEYCOMO Publish Date: Apr 02, 2001 Revised Date: Nov 08, 2010 Mike Kruse In the last 42 years, many stories have appeared in magazines and newspapers about Lake Taneycomo, Missouri's largest trout fishery. Its transition from a warm-water lake containing bass and catfish to a cold-water lake full of big rainbow trout made big news. Later, as growth of the Branson area surrounded the lake with theaters and condominiums and brought more and more anglers, the press predicted Taneycomo's decline as an important fishery. What a pleasant surprise then, to find that Taneycomo has met all those challenges and still is considered one of the nation's best fishing destinations. In fact, Taneycomo's trout are getting larger, not smaller, and a successful new management program is improving fishing for everyone. Lake Taneycomo's story began in 1913. With the construction of Ozark Beach Dam at Powersite on the White River, Taneycomo became the first in a chain of four reservoirs that includes Bull Shoals, Table Rock and Beaver lakes. For the first 38 years of Lake Taneycomo's existence, native sport fish of the White River basin sustained a popular fishery that helped create one of Missouri's first tourist areas on the shores of Rockaway Beach. A new chapter began in 1958, when Table Rock Dam was built immediately upstream. Until then, Taneycomo was basically just a wide spot in the slow, meandering White River. After Table Rock Dam was built, Lake Taneycomo was fed by water that came from 160 feet below the surface of Table Rock Lake. The water was cold year-round and was unsuitable for most of the White River's warm-water fish. Their populations declined, as did the popular fishery they supported. A rainbow often follows a storm, offering hope and promise for the future. In this case, hope came in the form of rainbow trout! Native to the streams of the West Coast, rainbow trout were well suited to the chilly waters that now filled Lake Taneycomo. Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery was constructed to compensate for the loss of the native warm-water fishery that had existed before the dam was built. The hatchery provided a reliable supply of trout for stocking. Amphipods (known to anglers as freshwater shrimp) gathered from Ozark spring branches and stocked along with the trout, flourished in the cold waters. The result was fat, fast-growing trout to fuel a trophy rainbow fishery. In the "glory years," light fishing pressure allowed many of the stocked trout to grow large. By 1969, stringers of 3- to 5-pound trout were not unusual. Outdoor writers called Lake Taneycomo the best trophy rainbow trout lake in North America. As Taneycomo's fame grew, so did the number of anglers pursuing its big rainbows. A voluntary length limit encouraged anglers to limit their harvest to protect the big fish. It seemed to work for awhile, but eventually there were just too many anglers. Fishing pressure quadrupled from 1970 to 1990, requiring a steady increase in the number of trout stocked. By then, the Branson boom had begun. Development claimed more and more of the landscape, and sediment entered the lake during rainstorms. In addition, white suckers suddenly became common in the lake and outnumbered trout in some surveys. In addition, the cold water from Table Rock Lake contained low levels of dissolved oxygen in the fall, stressing both fish and their food sources. Two things were certain: the big rainbow trout were gone, and freshwater shrimp were not as numerous as before. By the early 1990s, the once-great Taneycomo trout fishery had fallen on relatively hard times. Anglers who wanted something more than stocker-size rainbow trout demanded that something be done to bring back the big rainbows. Their demands were partially met by a new brown trout fishery that produced enormous, even world-record size, brown trout. However, brown trout are harder to catch, and a few behemoth browns didn't satisfy anglers who remembered the glory years when rainbows were measured in pounds, not inches. The Missouri Department of Conservation developed several research studies to determine what caused the decline of the big rainbows. Some of the studies suggested there simply wasn't enough food in Lake Taneycomo to grow large rainbow trout. Clearly, the lake's freshwater shrimp population had declined. Other studies showed that Taneycomo was still capable of growing rainbows, but few fish lived longer than a month before being caught and removed. Gradually, a picture emerged of a fishery that could still produce large fish, but not without some changes. First, because there was less trout food, fewer trout could be stocked. Reduced stocking levels helped the freshwater shrimp population recover slightly. Still, rainbow trout harvest remained high, and while trout now had more to eat, most were harvested before they could grow large. It became obvious that the rainbows needed protection from immediate harvest. So, beginning in March 1997, the Conservation Department established new fishing regulations in the upper part of the lake. These regulations were designed to protect some of the rainbows and allow them to grow larger. Fishing pressure is heavy in upper Lake Taneycomo, and the trout there needed more protection. Studies show a trout is about five times more likely to die if caught and released on natural or prepared baits than one caught on artificial lures or flies. Because the new rules require anglers to release most of the trout they catch, it was necessary to limit fishing tackle in the upper lake to artificial lures and flies only. The new rules protected many of the rainbows from harvest and minimized losses of released fish to hooking mortality. The new fishing regulations created an almost immediate improvement in the fishery. Before the rule change, fewer than 10 percent of the rainbow trout in the upper part of the lake exceeded 13 inches. Only five months after the regulation change, the percentage jumped to 30 percent. In a little more than two years, there was also a ten-fold increase in the number of rainbows in the upper lake. More than half were longer than 13 inches, and 10 percent exceeded 16 inches. Bigger rainbows are back, and with one- to three-pound fish being caught daily, anglers are recalling memories of the glory days Taneycomo still has some problems. Branson continues to grow, white suckers are still abundant, and water from Table Rock Lake still has low oxygen levels during late summer and fall. The Conservation Department is working with other agencies to protect the lake and its fishing, and to determine if it's possible to make changes in the operation of Table Rock Dam that would help the fishery. Not everyone who fishes Lake Taneycomo is interested in catching a trophy. Many simply want to catch a few trout to eat, and the Conservation Department has devoted considerable effort to helping anglers who choose not to fish in the special regulations area of the upper lake. Below the mouth of Fall Creek, for example, the Department heavily stocks rainbow trout. Anglers may keep any trout they catch up to the daily limit of five, regardless of size, and they may fish with any kind of bait, lure or fly. In addition, the Department has built a new access facility at Cooper Creek, and improved the access facilities in Forsyth and Rockaway Beach. These areas bring the thrill of fighting a rainbow trout to more anglers by increasing bank fishing opportunities, making boat access easier and easing access for disabled anglers. The saga of Lake Taneycomo continues, providing plenty of grist for new stories of how the fishing in this unusual cold-water lake promises to get better and better https://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2001/04/saga-lake-taneycomo

I drink tea, and have been called several names. I suppose it make people who don't agree with me feel Superior, but i really don't see where it benefits anyone. I don't know why we all can't simply agree to disagree. Some of the best problem solving teams I've been involved with had a mixture of people with different skills and beliefs. Anyways it appears to me that a casino in the Trip Lake area is very much on the table. http://m.bransontrilakesnews.com/mobile/news_free/article_7d21927c-80df-11e6-8958-6fd9fbc0c77d.html

I was being sarcastic. I don't think the last annexation made to many happy either.:) But I'm sure it increased Branson's tax revenue.

.

Yes, please do. I was wondering if the mind set is changing? A few years back I got into a discussion with a younger local angler and he said "Branson is dieing." I questioned him about that. And his response seemed logical. "Branson has catered to the elderly for so long and now they're all dieing off. My generation is simply not interested in country music." Things did seem more depressed, imo. But the overall economy wasn't as good either. Anyways since then, it appears that some shows have been suffering, but also it seems to me there's been a shift towards an adventure and shopping themes and the Branson's economy has improved. So I'm just wondering if you are seeing younger angler's and if the mind set is changing some, if so?

...

.

...

I don't know what happened here, i quoted myself I guess.

Several apps tracks your movements and other things. Read the fine print of some apps and it will scare you. You don't even have to install the apps for them to track your movements now. I see something like "by continuing to view website you agree to our terms." They can now sell the data they mine to business and big brother and its Perfectly Legal. Ask yourself, why does a flashlight app want access to your entire phone even your mic? Scarry, imo.

I have a friend who throws those Jap lures. I hate to say it, but most of the time he catches more fish than I do when we are in a boat.

Lol, One reason they're down for them German Baptist is because more and more are putting slow moveing signs on their buggies. The smart ones have flashing lights. Thursday night are their Singings and I went to the farm at 2:30 am Friday morning once and counted 14 horse and buggies with nothing more than a candle in a lantern. Black buggy no moon, man I was upon the 1st before I knew it.

...