Dan Kreher

Great photo, Joe. Too bad I didn't take one of him driving away in a cloud of dust -- that man sure liked to drive fast on those country roads. He will be missed.

Fished Little Piney downstream of Newburg yesterday - wade fishing. Checked out cty rd crossing about 5 miles upstream -- nice water - but felt prospects might be better for smallies with more water downstream. Then drove west of P to see that Grotto Rd from south is closed (removed actually to LWB) and posted. So I drove a couple hundred yards further to Mill Creek bridge crossing on P. Saw nice sized pull out spot on east side of bridge so turned around and parked there. No Keep Out, No Trespass signs or purple paint, so it all looked good to go. Waded down Mill Ck about 500 yards to Little Piney. Immediately caught a few smallies on Schenks streamer making my way downstream catching fish here and there. Water conditions were beautiful with good flow and just a bit of color. Fished down about 1 hour past Army RR bridge into early afternoon before deciding I'd had enough and began trek back upstream at decent pace. About 3/4 of the way back to truck, heard a voice in woods to south followed by a surprisingly loud gunshot -- sounded like a shot gun but could have been a big handgun -- I wasn't too discerning at that point -- then a "You're trespassing. Don't come back" to which I replied, "I got ya." and kept moving with even more purpose back upstream to truck. Never saw the guy. I guess he believed I got the message so he didn't need to fire second warning shot. He had left a note on my truck with description of Mill Creek from the US Forest Service on which he highlighted their language regarding ‘the myth that you can fish any stream as long as you stay in the water’ or something to that effect as prohibiting fishing that stream where it borders private land without permission. Technically, I was in violation of that stipulation as I had waded down Mill Creek to get to the Little Piney. Following that gunshot I was not that interested in finding that mysterious landowner to plead my case yesterday afternoon. In 30 years of fishing the Ozarks I have never run into anything even close to this incident. We all understand that customary public access to float and fish Ozark streams is fairly clear in case law and practice, particularly on large streams with commercial canoe liveries/campgrounds. When we get on the marginally floatable streams or wade streams, the legal position becomes much more murky. And, whenever a landowner is wielding a firearm, I get the message pretty quickly that I’m not welcome there and move on. It looks like Blue Heron Kayaks does floats on Little Piney from Mill Dam Hollow downstream to Grotto Bridge but not below that. I am not certain if this is simply a matter of ease of logistics – most likely – or that they’ve had issues with landowners below this spot – which is where I was fishing. Not looking to get into a huge legal access question here, just inquiring if any others have had this issue on Little Piney in this area or anywhere else along that stream. Regardless, I certainly will not be heading back to that section below Mill Creek unless I decide to float from Grotto Bridge down to Jerome on Gasconade someday – and I’ll paddle quickly past that Mill Creek area.

Sorry, Corey. I didn't mean to include my comments within your quote. OA Forum user error.

"local butchers" == now that is a term I have not heard very often. Must be some hungry people up that way. "Fillet people" sounds a much gentler tone. On a more serious note, MSA will let folks know what the MDC is willing to say right now about proposed regulations changes once we get some feedback from them.

The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance is requesting more information/clarification from the MDC with respect to these proposed regs changes. While we remain disappointed that the MDC is not planning to do more to actually improve the size structure of our SMB stream fisheries, we will certainly support any expansion of quality-based management that we can get here at home. Its difficult to speculate, but the reduction in the MLL on Gasconade/Jacks Fork from 18" MLL to 15" may or may not have much of an impact on fishing pressure, the types of anglers (sport vs. consumptive) and/or harvest practices going forward. If the creel limit is kept at 1 fish, it still won't make much sense for an angler looking for fillets to chase smallies in these management areas. Yes, there may be some additional selected harvest of 15"+ SMB here and there but we can only hope that the impact in minimal. Hopefully the expansion in the regs area on Jacks (boundaries still unknown) as well as extending a 15/1 up the Big Piney -- perhaps all the way to existing special regs area at Ross Bridge will help the situation much more than lowering the MLL from 18 to 15 will harm it. Hoping that the proposed area on Current River will be lengthy enough to really make that a great fishery. It clearly has the habitat to grow some nice fish. We are assuming that Two Rivers will certainly be included -- in conjunction with sizeable special regs section on adjoining Jacks Fork -- downstream to some place like Log Yard. A great upstream boundary would be Round Spring or Hwy 19 bridge crossing there. Meramec expansion -- assuming here -- would likely be below Birds Nest downstream to possibly Onondaga (about 20 miles or so). That would make sense to me but could be a bit problematic with adjoining Huzzah Creek. That's one reason why MSA proposed having both Meramec and Huzzah under special regs when we met with MDC back in 2010. Not sure how much more of Big River to be expanded to -- go upstream as far as there's water and leave it at that. Still not sure why they couldn't just slap a 15/1 on Bourbeuse River which has many of same problems (spots)/characteristics as Big River, but I am assuming they are hanging their hats on relatively low computed harvest rates determined about 15 years ago as rationale for no action on Bourbeuse. MSA will definitely support the MDC's proposals at public meetings while continuing to push for voluntary catch and release and to increase angler awareness of the need to protect these fisheries. We as an organization cannot make "better" be the enemy of "perfect" when it comes to improved regs on our SMB streams. We certainly wish the MDC had the political will to do something more comprehensive here, but harvest oriented interests (real or imagined) and the status quo are large impediments to progress at times. Regarding goggle eye regs - seems odd to propose 7 inch MLL when current regs areas are 8 inches and angler support (per the 2011 Angler Survey) strongly supported 8" MLL statewide by 7 to 1 margin.

All smiles. I really like that upper North Fork as well.

There's quite an abundance of great SMB fishing in the Northeastern US - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont (Lake Champlain) and this species is becoming more popular with anglers all the time while these spots attract much tourism. In the Pacific Northwest the Columbia River is a major SMB fishery, while the Umpqua and John Day Rivers are renowned for their smallies -- albeit not a species native to these environs. Who's bank account? Certainly not that of this tiny non-profit organization. If were smart we should probably just keep all the good rivers to ourselves but we're trying to promote a conservation message to hopefully benefit our fisheries for the sake of current and future anglers. Nobody is working on behalf of MSA for any monetary gain, that's for sure, not even for a free annual membership. I'd like to give stream anglers some credit for knowing what stretch of river they are on and whether or not a particular species has a size/creel/seasonal limit. Unfortunately our general population too many times claims ignorance or maybe just isn't paying any attention much anymore. Regardless we aren't solving any problems with this dialog, so I'll talk to you later.

I find that C&R anglers usually aren't too worried about the particular regs on a section as far as their fishing goes -- since no smallies are being harvested anyway. But the regs, whatever they are, do need to be better communicated by the MDC so that harvest-oriented fishermen are aware of what the limits are. I know that is one of the ongoing objectives of the MDC with regards to signage standardization and access posting plans. As far as complicated goes, Missouri's fishing regulations are relatively simple compared to many states -- particularly those in the northeast and northwest which have a number of both cold and warmwater fisheries as well as maritime waters/species to deal with. It would make your head spin to read their regs chart. Not sure if their signage is any better but I imagine it would need to be.

Hell, even I totally forgot that additional violation of the law in that particular situation as well. Just goes to show you that such special regs need to be more widely publicized.

Enforcement is a huge issue with respect all game and fish laws in MO. Far too few agents to do anything close to an adequate job. The lack of enforcement presence on our streams has been a constant refrain from conservation minded anglers for as long as I can remember. I doubt that is going to change given the current budgetary environment with respect to the MDC. Take down info and call operation game thief is about all you can do unfortunately -- or release someone's illegally caught fish from their unattended stringer and then paddle like hell. As far as education goes, that is another matter entirely. The closed season has been in place since 1965 (the year after I was born) and was once common knowledge for anglers. But with little informational signage to remind them of the stream regulations placed at access points/tackle shops/etc. it is easy for fishermen to forget that such a law exists. Not sure if the guys who kept the big smallies on Big River were absent-minded or completely unaware that they were breaking the law -- it sounds like the latter. Regardless, we need much better signage at public access points, canoe outfitters and riverside campgrounds on exactly what the rules are. Just something simple rather than that long, tattered, paper=based sheet you sometimes find on a wooden sign board. Lots of northern states have closed seasons on bass, but MO is the state farthest South to have one in place. The MDC says they're working on updated signage as well -- which I'm sure they are -- but it's not keeping anyone legal at the present time. MSA's own efforts with our Outfitter Signs distributed to canoe liveries starting back in 2012 do include general statewide stream regs, closed season, etc. So those can serve as reminders for folks using an outfitter at least. Ignorance of the law is no excuse but citizens can gently remind would-be violators of the law if they feel so compelled. I know that can be a touchy subject when you're out in the field and dealing with strangers . . . or scary neighbors.

Mitch, I too was rather disgruntled at times during the MDC's presentation. We have wanted them to move faster in their work and to take more of a leadership role in enacting more quality-based regs to help improve and protect our stream SMB fisheries. We've been at this as an organization for 23 years now and have been more than patient as we await the MDC's enactment of a more comprehensive SMB management plan in our state. I do believe that change is coming here and soon will be the time for we sport anglers to step up and be heard in a unified voice. That voice should focus on supporting, questioning, challenging, refining, shaping whatever proposed regs the MDC puts forth with respect to length/creel limits as part of these public meetings. Certainly there are other areas of concern including illegal gigging, poaching, enforcement, otters, etc. We touched on each these a bit during Tuesday night's meeting. Perhaps some of these can be addressed down the road. But it would be most productive during the public comment period for sportsmen to focus on the issues at hand in an effort that new regs can be enacted and well publicized. Needless to say that I am very anxious to see just what MDC proposes along these lines.

To clarify what I heard with respect to the MDC's comment that the quality of some fisheries would not be positively impacted by the imposition of more restrictive regulations: this would be in the rare instance where a fishery suffers from no angler (catch and kill) mortality. If there are no anglers removing fish from the population, then a better reg would have no impact with respect to proportional stock densities of adult SMB. I did NOT hear them say that regulations on a fishery do not matter to the quality of SMB fisheries. If that were the case, then SB's comment about why have regulations at all makes sense. Let us not run off and make assumptions or take comments out of their context. It serves no purpose at this point. We and the MDC both know that our streams are very popular with anglers and, even with a minority of anglers keeping fish up to the legal limit, there's a relatively high amount of harvest of SMB in our streams - certainly compared to many other states. The only way to modify this situation is through the enactment of more restrictive regulations which limit and/or delay harvest such as higher length limits/lower creel limits. This is the agenda that we will continue to advance with the MDC.

We have requested a copy of MDC's presentation. I have a copy of the exploitation (tagging) study but have not yet had a chance to go through it in detail. At the outset of meeting, MDC stated that they would not discuss any particular regulation recommendations at this time as they will be putting them in front of the MDC commissioners within the next few months. During their presentation, however, they did indicate that they would be proposing the imposition of a 15-inch MLL on a section of the upper Current (Two Rivers/Owls Bend area) as the sampling/modeling indicated relatively high angler mortality (catch & kill) rate there such that it would significantly benefit from having a higher MLL. At first, I was disappointed that this may indeed be the only recommendation they propose, but as meeting wore on it became apparent to me and others who attended the full meeting that there would be more on the table for consideration. So do not despair at this point. There will be plenty of time for that later if no substantive regs changes are indeed enacted within the next 2 years (ha ha). BTW the other 5 river stretches included in the tagging study also showed that they would benefit from a 15-inch or 14-inch MLL but to a lesser degree due to composition of existing size structure and harvest rates. Again, this is all based on the data the MDC has at their disposal while our own anecdotal observations may differ somewhat. It is clear that angler input (as Gavin points out above) will play a significant role in the shaping the MDC's slate of final regulations proposed to the Commission. It is incumbent on those concerned sport anglers to actively participate in this process and to voice their opinions and support for the enactment of quality based regs for our smallmouth streams. If we sit on the sidelines as this process takes place, we are doing ourselves and our beloved pastime a disservice and will be left to griping on Internet forums about what's wrong with our fisheries, the MDC, etc. with no attention paid to that by anyone in a position of influence. So, I invite anglers to attend these meetings whenever and wherever held and to stand up for their beliefs as avid smallmouth SPORT anglers. Whether you are an MSA member, a TU member, a bass club member, or just an unaffiliated fisherman, your voice will matter in this process. MSA will highly publicize these meetings and will keep its membership informed of developments in this process. We will publish the MDC's presentation from last night on our website as well as publish an interpretative article on the Summer issue of The Bronzeback News, our quarterly newsletter. We sport anglers need to speak with a united voice in demanding that the MDC manage the SMB in our streams as the SPORT fish they are widely recognized here in the early 21st Century rather than the food fish they were viewed as back in the 1960s/early 70s when the 12/6 regs regime was first enacted. We cannot let a minority of consumptive anglers dictate how these fisheries should be managed. Maximum sustained yield is not appropriate for management of a sport fish at the top of its food chain. This is fishing; it is not farming. We are not fishing for food, we are fishing for fun and spend an awful lot of time and money (both here and across the country) pursing our quarry. We should not apologize for our passion, rather we need to embrace it and let the MDC staff and the four Commissioners hear it loud and clear. Message board postings are fun to read and engage in but the only real way to influence decision makers is to speak with them directly in a show of force and to let them know that there are a whole bunch of united fishermen pulling on that rope towards quality-based management.

Guys caught lots of smallies on Jacks Fork at MSA outing at Bunker Hill Resort while dodging raindrops last weekend. Some spawning activity here and there but most of that seemed to be winding down. Most of fish were on the smaller side with just a few 16-17s thrown in -- larger fish likely recovering from spawn while any nests we saw seemed to hold just smaller males. Even though smallmouth fishing can be a bit hit and miss in May due to spawn, weather and water conditions, we plan on making this an annual MO Smallmouth Alliance event. Bunker Hill makes a great HQ for the upper Jacks.

Probably a good plan to switch to from Hebron down for a group that large. Both in terms of finding a large enough gravel bar for a group of that size and in not dealing with any problem landowners upstream. I did an over night trip from Osborne Ford (the lwb below Indian Creek) to North Fork Rec Area (Hammond Camp in float guide) in May 3 years ago. Very nice water for a small group above Hebron. Camped on sharp left hand turn about 1.5 miles below Hebron. Small but decent site for a couple of tents with an nice bluff hole below. Day tripped from Topaz down to Osborne the prior year in early June (self shuttled). Nice water but pretty skinny that far up. Better fishing found below the first small creek that comes in on river right with increased size/volume. Enjoy your trip. I am anxious to go myself.

I appreciate the support shown for MSA generally across Ozark Anglers forums in this particular thread. But it would be best to refrain from unproductive personal attacks on posters here who have clearly illustrated they are kindred spirits when it comes to the appreciation for and strong desire to protect our beloved Ozarks smallmouth bass stream fisheries. Ron and I have worked the above situation out and there is no ongoing disagreement. Ron's hope was that MSA would become even more actively engaged in opposing the various legislative proposals which are posing potential threats to our natural resources and indirectly our favorite pastime. So, I respectfully request that we all cool it with respect to any negative vitriol against banter well-intended posters on this particular thread and focus our attention on the real opposition to our fisheries and fisheries management issues while acting as a more cohesive coalition, an alliance, if you will, of smallmouth bass anglers. Pun intended.

We're all cool. Onward.

Thanks for your support. We are far from perfect as an organization but we can only be as effective as those volunteering to pitch in on various projects and initiatives. Please continue to work in whatever way you can to promote smallmouth bass conservation efforts that improve and protect our beloved Ozark streams. We'll be sure to reach out to OA members when assistance in our own efforts is necessary.

Might want to check with Jimmy Walker at Crooked Creek Canoes for best up to date info. When I was last with him last spring, this access was not usable. Not sure about AG&F plans for additional public access. Jimmy can be reached at 8704046054

i must admit that I also read the first jibe before seeing this more conciliatory post. No hard feelings towards Ron but we're all in this together so let's work in concert on protecting and improving our beloved SMB streams. I might even get to do some actual fishing sometime soon.

While I am a bit confused as to the apparent tone of Ron's comment regarding MO Smallmouth Alliance as posted above, Matt Wier and I both will be manning the MSA booth at Conservation Day at the Capitol and taking time off work to do so. I am not aware of any other organized angling group in Missouri that is focused on protecting and improving our state's smallmouth bass fisheries. We are an all-volunteer organization and have spent thousands of hours of our own time and money over the past 23 years supporting this cause so dear to many who frequent the Ozark Anglers website. In fact MSA volunteers from across the state will be out posting smallmouth bass conservation signs at over 150 MDC stream accesses once again starting this weekend. Many who frequent Ozark Anglers have pitched in on this effort over the past few years which is greatly appreciated. So if folks could refrain from taking pot shots at our group on a message board, that would be appreciated. I would have responded sooner but I was out of town last week.

MDC coming to MSA meeting in May (19th I believe). They will be discussing results of tagging study and other work they've been conducting on stream smallmouth. They will provide an update on where they are headed with regulations changes in the management of smallmouth bass in our streams as well. MSA is hopeful that something substantive will come from their work and this discussion. We've been waiting 5 years since MSA first proposed an update to MDC smallmouth bass management plan.

Me and MSA Matt floated Kings from Marshall to Rock House two weekends ago with similar crummy luck. Beautiful weather and water conditions, but not much happening back on 4/25-26 on Kings up that far. Lots of other floaters on river upstream and down of us on that Saturday but we were relatively alone. Camped on that big gravel bar at your Dry Creek take out. Salvaged fishing portion of trip with awesome day on Crooked Creek during unsettled weather. Got rained on pretty good but fishing was great. Lots of good smallies and tons of nice goggle eye/Ozark Bass/Shadow Bass, or whatever sub-species they are in the White River watershed. I think that Kings fishes better in warmer months but water is much skinnier up that far come 2nd half of June.

Just want to say thanks to Ozark river guide Dennis Whiteside for coming up to St. Louis to speak at our MSA monthly meeting last night. For those of us in attendance it was a sure fire remedy for spring fever seeing all those pictures of nice river smallies and some bigmouths too plus the happy faces of your clients. I think Dennis will be getting as much guiding business as he can handle this summer. I know I'll be calling him. Check out his website at www.denniswhiteside.com for more information. Dennis is an Ozark native and as knowledgeable as they come. Seems he's has fished most of the better rivers and creeks in Arkansas and SW/S central Missouri for smallies, largemouths and spots. There's not too many places he hasn't been. His guiding is all done on the north side of the state line now. A great guide and a great guy with loads of experience (he's old after all) and a strong conservation ethic for our beloved Ozark streams. We need more guys like Dennis Whiteside.