Dan Kreher

I really like Al and Gavin's wish list for Ozark SMB mananagement. It would effectively raise the bar for all fisheries with a higher statewide MLL and reduced creel limit while offering a meaningful diversity of SMB management on selected streams/sections as warranted. The sizeable protected slot limits protect the majority of adult SMB while providing a more reasonable amount of harvest based on both biological (remove smaller fish for the betterment of growth rates) and dare I say social (appeasement of catch and keep lobby) factors. The enhanced protection of SMB on streams heavily infiltrated by non-native spotted bass (Meramec Basin and Gasconade) is key as well to preserving/improving these once solid SMB fisheries. The color designations suggested by Gavin would be relatively easy to understand and mirror what the MDC has already introduced for stream trout. I believe that a system of regs as you both suggest would be a remarkably enlighteend and bold step for the MDC that would once again return it to the forefront of stream SMB fisheries management agencies. Convincing the agency of the need and widespread support for such sweeping regulations will of course take substantial effort on the part of the MSA Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel and concerned SMB anglers on a grassroots basis. The discussion I've witnessed on this forum, while featuring the views of a relatively small number of participants, reveals a serious passion and commitment towards improving and protecting our native SMB stream fisheries for current and future generations. As the organizer of MSA's Blue Ribbon group, I am very encouraged to hear solid discourse (and occassionally discord) from the knowledgeable posters on this forum. MSA will be carrying these messages to the MDC Fisheries Department when we meet with them in early 2010. This is good stuff. Happy Holidays to all.

Here's a power point presentation I gave to the MO Smallmouth Alliance back in February 2008 concerning stream SMB regs throughout North America. Although a tedious project, it did reveal how MO stacks up with the rest of the states/provinces in regards to management practices. Overall, about 75th percentile or so back then, but many nearby by states were quickly catching up (IL, AR, TN). My findings on fisheries regs reflected a very positive trend in managing smallmouth bass as a separte unique species from both lake populations or black bass as whole. Most recently, Tennessee has made some bold moves on smallmouth management on both its top rivers and impoundments. See attached. Note: the findings for the MDC management areas noted in article were obtained from article written by lead MDC smallmouth biologist Kevin Meneau based on data avaialble for selected streams; actual statewide results published in recent MDC reports varied. PS -- site did not let me upload powerpoint. I'll need to attach word file. Tennessee Implements New Quality SMB Regs.doc Imagine the Possibilities.doc

My post does not relate the spotted bass direction that this thread seems to grativating towards, but I believe that the one poll question that asks voters whether they prefer changes in the statewide/Ozarks-wide SMB limits on streams OR more special management areas. I voted for statewide regs changes because I firmly believe that Missouri needs to raise that bar, but I am also strongly in favor of significant expansion of special regulations on selected waters. I feel that my answer is in no way ambiguous as both approaches can work wonders on improving the overall quality of Missouri's stream SMB fishing as well as helping to elevate this wild and precious game fish (and its required habitat) to the position of prominence it deserves. With more attention paid to improving Ozark SMB stream fishing quality, perhaps more emphasis will be placed by governmental agencies and by private landowners in protecting and improving riverine habitat. The 6 fish/12 inch statewide limits have been around since the early 1960s and mid 1970s, respectively, and represented pretty cutting edge fisheries management by the MDC back in the day. Statewide MLL of 15" and a reduced creel limit of 3 fish a day would once again put Missouri towards the head of the pack on SMB management and would be more congruous with both the threatened state of our SMB stream fisheries and what I believe are the overall best interests of most serious stream SMB fishermen today. The 17-year special regs initiative that resulted in sections of 12 Ozark streams (about 350 miles of water) under special regs is a good step in the right direction. The MDC has proven that the science works. They simply need to keep things rolling and look at SMB management in a more creative fashion (slots, high MLL, etc) as suggested elsewhere on this forum. My name is Dan Kreher and I am a founding member of the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance and am currently helping to organiize the MSA's Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel's efforts to directly address the vital role that more restrictive and enlightened fisheries regulations can have on improving the average sizes of stream SMB populations (proportional stock density in MDC biologist terms). Our panel includes nearly 20 "angling influentials" such as Al Agnew, canoe outfitters, fishing guides, concerned anglers, fisheries biologists, and others who are passionate about smallmouth bass and making the Ozarks home to world-class SMB stream fishing once again. We are working closely with the MDC and anxiously awaited (for more than a year) their recent issuance of the two SMB management reports. I am new to the Ozark Angler forums but have seen lots of insightful and passionate discussion about the results of the White Paper, assessments of the candidate streams, potential future regulations proposals, etc. on this board. MSA's Blue Ribbon panel will be convening again shortly to discuss these reports amongst ourselves before then sitting down face to face with the MDC to better understand both the results of the study, but more importantly, where the MDC is headed with stream SMB management in the state. In preparation for this process, I will closely monitor the conservation forum threads on the Ozark Angler site and include a summary of those observations in the panel's discussion. There have recently been a host of interesting SMB-related threads created that I need to separately comment/provide input on when time allows. The MO Smallmouth Alliance website and newsletter have included articles/pieces that directly address many of the topics being discussed. I will need to dig up the links to that material and direct interested readers/posters to those online locations. For example: Al Agnew wrote a well-researched article on the history of Spotted Bass in the Eastern Ozarks that would be of interest to many. I conducted a nationwide inventory of SMB (stream) fisheries regulations/limits/special management areas to gain insight on how MO stacked up against the rest of North America. There's a power point presentation on that which I will post on Ozark Anglers soon. Articles on MSA's Blue Ribbon panel's genesis and its developments may also be worth reading for some background. As far as the MO Smallmouth Alliance is concerned -- we are largely a St. Louis-based organization (about 230 active members in total per Matt Wier) with a handful of members hailing from SEMO, Central MO, SW MO and western Illinois. We had a SW MO chapter back about 15 years ago that had about 25 members. Unfortunately, it disolved when its small leadership team became burned out. Very hopeful that with help from guys on this board, Al Agnew, et al that something can get going again in that important area of the smallmouth's native range. Love to have some guys from Arkansas hook up to make it a regional effort. There's lots of great SMB tradition and future potential there for sure. Arkansas Game & Fish dept seems to think so with those blue ribbon regs designations on Kings, Buffalo and Crooked Creek. Those are 3 of my favorite fisheries and they aren't anywhere close to St. Louis. Our membership dues have been $20 for at least the past 10 years. With the great Tryon book, magazine subscriptions, etc. thrown in, I'd say that first year's membership is free at worst. As a registered non-profit organization, any surplus funds held by the group are put right back into supporting its mission to educate anglers and to protect and improve our Ozark SMB fisheries. I think that despite some differences in philosphy we smallie fans are all working for the same goals. More opportunities to catch larger numbers of quality (15=18") SMB in their native moving water environments. Can we one day expect to catch boat loads of 20 inchers in Ozark streams? Very doubtful given their slow growth rates, stresses from low/high water, stream fertility, habitat pressures, etc. These aren't lake fish with little stress and an unlimited forage base after all. But things can surely be much better than they are with better management. Certainly habitat/water quality are vitally important factors that will ultimately determine just how successful our stream fisheries can be. Unfortunately, both of those multi-faceted issues are far-reaching in nature and are well beyond the control of a group of bass fishermen. We can, however, as an organized voice of concerned anglers either through affiliation with the MO Smallmouth Alliance, bass club, stream team or simply socially networked through a well-crafted online forum such as Ozark Anglers, have significant influence on helping to shape the future of Ozark stream SMB management going forward. Sorry this post is so long but the interest shown in this topic among the forum posters has me pretty enthused that folks do indeed care about the quality and reputation of our native fisheries and appear ready to be part of the solution. Our gripes here as group do not seem to be with the MDC, rather they are against the status quo and angler apathy. We need to stand up and let our state fisheries managers know what we want from our natural resources and that we are willing to actively work to achieve it. I know that we're just talking about fishing when there are many more material statewide issues for folks in Jeff City to address. But, with additional angler education and insihgtful fisheries management practices, I think we can really achieve something here that can create a lasting legacy to be enjoyed by all SMB anglers who like to wet a line in the Ozarks. I'll try to get those links to those articles mentioned above set up soon on the forum. Thanks for reading.

Al, you dog! Practicing what you preach nonetheless. I decided to trout fish on Current River today with very modest success. Landed four (3 bows and a small brown) and lost 2 browns (1 seemed pretty nice sized) and a small rainbow. A beautiful day from Tan Vat down about 1 mile past Baptist Camp, great water but not enough fish swimming around. No one else was doing much good today down there from the couple of guys I spoke with. I should have gone smallmouth fishing -- I would have if I had a comfortable jet boat like yours. Maybe I should give Corey C. a call -- next week perhaps?

A newcomer to the forum as well. Al Agnew recommended the site during his presentation at the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance banquet last night. As expected, Al gave a great presentation about Ozark stream smallmouth fishing . . . but, wouldn't you know it, he forgot to give the audience the stream name and exact stretch where he's been catching all those big smallies over the years. Well, maybe next time. My interests include floatfishing for Ozark smallies, flyfishing for them when I can and gravel bar camping. After Al's talk last night I'm itching to get out and do some fishing like most folks this time of year. For now, I'll just have to be content checking out all the web forums here. This looks like a cool site to talk fishin'. Glad to have finally found it.