Chief Grey Bear

This isn't passing my smell test

I guess that would make sense. According to some of the East Coast crowd you can gig a smallmouth but if you don't keep it is not illegal. So again if don't possess any fish in a fly only section then you're not illegal matter what you use. That's the way I read it .

The only way to save that park would be to name it the David Humphrey State Park!

I guarantee you they will sell Jay Nixon Park! And I don't care what they say it's nothing but political.

Riddle me this If the blue and red ribbon sections of trout streams are closed to gigging why is there not an exorbitant bunch of 20+ inch smallmouth being caught in those sections?

Giggers are not the end game to the problem. They just catch all the heat from this crowd because they are easy targets. We point fingers at them for what THEY CAN DO. Not what they actually do. I am not so naive that I don't believe that some game fish get stuck. But I don't believe it is even remotely close to what some would try to have you believe. Smallmouth occupy nearly every mile of flowing stream in the Ozarks. Thousands of miles. Giggers don't come close to gigging that many miles. They can't. When the White Paper came and we analyzed the numbers, yes there was an increase in overall size and numbers of Smallmouth. But it was not the increase everybody thought it would be. I am totally with on this. We just can't grow anything big in the Ozarks except our women. But let's say we do. Let's say through the work of magic, we start catching fish consistently in the range as the places we dream of. Then what? How soon before we get bored of that? Then do we continue to lambast the fat, lazy, stupid, good for nothing because I am smarter than they are MDC? I'm not saying there can't be any improvements in the fishery. I think there can be. I do think we would be better served with a 1 over 15 on all black bass in streams. That will get you to the numbers you are looking for. Or at least closer. There has been a huge increase in pressure on our streams with the trendy yakers and the gratification of instant media. I think it is time to take a second look at our current regulations.

Yeah it only takes a few. But it's never happened either. As I have said for years, we loose more fish to legal and illegal rod and reel fisherman. It's not even remotely close.

I believe I was just saying that the other day. But then the whole Google thingy came up. Some are just too blind.

How'd that Hogmolly taste. I've been wanting to eat one of them.

When I got nasty and derailed it. You guys are hilarious. You start this crap every year trying to recruit to your cause. It never materializes and then you blame others. You tried a bit of a different tactic this year but the results were the same.

Well the discussion started out that it was OK to miss identify smallmouth while gigging. Then it turned into we need to ban all giggling because that is why there are no big smallmouth. Then it was Missouri does not know how to manage for Smallmouth just look at all the other states around us. And then you threw in pictures of large catfish. So I think Ronnie is right in that the discussion has turned into you can't catch a big fish you are not a real fisherman.

Now I'm not as hip as up-to-date as you other fellows are but the last I knew nobody was gigging Table Rock, Stockton or any other lake. Yet there still has not been one caught anywhere near equal in size to the ones in the states you are dreaming about. So I am of the mind that gigging is not the problem .

I remember this very subject just about a year ago. Some cat up north got a new state record smallmouth from some northern state and those in our area threw a big hissy fit because it isn't measure out long enough. P

Looks like the same people have the same itch

I know in my case I mentioned it and was told it didn't apply. But the case was later dropped too.

I've been wanting to try tongue myself. Kind of high priced if you ask me. That's the only thing stopping me. Ive heard smoked, it tastes like brisket. Some day.

I can confirm it was a Missouri resident

On a lighter note this evening, smoked yardbird. Simplicity at its finest.

Fascinating post. We've read countless posts over the years from STL7 about gigging and that there's no way possible to misidentify a Smallmouth while gigging. Until one of their own does it. Then it's no big deal. Just a part of the game. They want all gigging banned. Yet, go gigging themselves. Simply fascinating.

I figured you knew it was a generic you. But at any point, what was the response?

Any response?

You called the MDC and advised them that you illegally gigged two Smallmouth and left them behind?

True. I think her dad contacted the authorities. Did Aaron contact any authorities to advise of the "mistakes" of the party involved?

I'm having a hard time finding in the Missouri Wildlife Code book where it says if mistakenly identify your intended target and you kill it, it's not illegal. I'll look again but the code book is very specific on the only legal means of pursuing bass. No where have I seen yet does it make an exception for gigging.

You're right Gavin. So we all know this fish is at or near the end of its lifecycle. Being that you most likely will never catch one that size again from an Ozark stream, would you put it on the wall?