jdmidwest

Looking at the reasons that they are having to revamp the reg on the craws is that the MDC could not enforce the old regs and the bait shops There was still illegal craws showing up in bait shops..

There are laws in place to prevent pollution of streams, but it still happens. There was a huge fish kill on a creek near Columbia, MO this week.

I finally had a good report for a change. Friday at Lake Girardeau, fishing was horrible. Front came thru, wind from the east, only a few dinks. 2 weeks ago at Terre Du Lac lakes for 2 weekend days on Shane and several of the other smaller ponds and lakes, same story, a few dinks. Otherwise, not much fishing going on.

I think there is a problem with the Rusty Craw out competing the locals where they are introduced somewhere, it has been going on for a few years. What I wonder, with all of the government regulations and watchdogs, why are they just now "checking" a few bait shops and finding the culprit for sale? Why not outlaw the sale and restrict the bait shops and bait providers from carrying the craw in the first place. Lets look at the stats on this one. SUPPORTING RESEARCH FINDINGS 40% of anglers surveyed by MDC continue to release live bait in waters where they fish. More like 100%, we have all dropped live bait while trying to get it on the hook. An MDC study of Missouri’s bait industry conducted from 2002 to 2007 found that current approaches to crayfish bait regulation, regulation enforcement and regulation management have not adequately protected Missouri’s fisheries from non-native crayfish invasions. And, even with the old laws we could not enforce, lets make it more confusing by making more laws. · 27% of shops were selling illegal species of crayfish, including the highly invasive rusty crayfish. · More than 50% of shops were selling species of crayfish not native to regions where they were being sold. Was it legal to collect and SELL native crawfish? · 97% of bait shop owners admitted or demonstrated that they didn’t know what species of crayfish they sold. I bet they did not know the species of minnow, cricket, or worm either. · MDC inspections of bait shops found that many were unable to produce legally-required transaction receipts, many crayfish were being obtained from outside of Missouri and some shops were illegally selling crayfish collected from the wild. But now we want them to sell native craws? A study that took 5 years to complete, found a problem, did not correct it until 2012. Why did it take 5 more years??? MDC surveys conducted during the summers of 2010 and 2011 found: · Based on a survey of all Missouri’s bait shops registered as crayfish sellers, about 30% derive an average of 7% of their annual income from live crayfish sales, with 1% being the most commonly reported value. Don't look like they sell alot of them. · Based on a survey of all registered Missouri aquaculturists, about 29% derive an average of 4% of their annual income from live crayfish sales, with 0 to 2% being the most commonly reported values. Don't look like they raise many of them for Bait. · Based on responses from a survey of 188 Missouri pet shops, about 10% reported selling live crayfish with those sales amounting to an average of 1% of their total annual income. I always seine minnows and pick up crawfish out of the creek to feed my bass when I kept a few in an aquarium. I never bought any live food for them. · About 70% of all 70 Missouri commercial fishers who use bait were either strongly or somewhat supportive of proposed regulation language that would prohibit live crayfish bait sales and purchase, but still allow for anglers and commercial fishermen to catch and use their own live crayfish bait wherever they choose. About 17% were either strongly or somewhat opposed to the proposed regulation language. About 91% of written comments supported the proposed regulation language. Alot of 7's there. Most commercial fishermen I know use nets or seines. But at least they support the regs as long as it does not affect them. · About 12% of 2,612 high school science teachers surveyed and 40% of 58 college and university natural resources, biology and environmental science departments surveyed reported using live crayfish for educational purposes. About 72% of high school teachers and 54% of college instructors obtained their live crayfish from the wild. About 12% of high school teachers and 7% of college instructors got live crayfish from five biological supply companies. Sixty-four (64) % of educators admitted releasing live crayfish to the wild after use, although several regulations already prohibit such release. Flushing down the drain after dissection does not constitute a stream release. MDC staff have also received reports from pond owners, fisheries managers and fisheries consultants that crayfish are being stocked into outdoor ponds in regions of the state where they are not native. I stock some from time to time in a big silver pot on the stove, then I release the leftovers into my underground sewer stream.....

The fat in crawdad tails may make a great alternative fuel. Good idea fishinwrench.

I noticed that also. I was reading the article after I posted and noticed it. It used to have a link to a person in charge of the feral hog elimination, that is gone also. One thing I have noticed, locals in Wayne, Iron, Washington counties are actually promoting the hog business and are having guided hunts. But that kind of management leads to more hogs. More hogs are bad. Like Oneshot stated, it is a tough hunt. They are nocturnal for the most part, MDC does not allow spotlighting or night vision. They never seem to stay in one place long and travel alot. A friend along the Castor River has seen problems twice in a hayfield. But, they came, damaged the field, and left.

Monday. Coming off a 3 day weekend, arrived at work to find that over half of the office staff decided to make it a 4 day weekend. Pounded by impatient customers all day, 4 o'clock arrived and visions of morels on a friends farm was calling me. A fellow worker exclaimed that he wanted to go fishing at his Grandfather's farm near town. Luck be on my side, I had a fly rod and a box of flies. It has been too dry for mushrooms, lots of hunting and no finding. We arrived at the farm and pulled up along side the big lake, about 6 acres. He had a spinning rig rigged and cast out a jig. He hooked up on a nice bass about 16". Fishing was on and it only got better. I had my Trout Bum 5wt 8' rod and tied on a yellow bead head wooly with a peacock herl stripe and brown tail. I walked around the lake and started fishing a corner. Lots of bluegill came to hand, most were stunted, little on the small side for a frying pan. I hopped up on a floating dock and noticed a swirl near the bank. I cast to it and my line started sideways. A nice little 20" largemouth came to hand. Several bluegills later and another bass 18". My buddy was pulling crappie out of the other side about every cast. I decided to search for them. I found a bed of them in the fading sunset and started having the best crappie fishing of my life. My first crappie on the fly. I caught over a dozen medium size, kept 6 in the 10-11" range and had several smaller ones. Along with a mix of bass and bluegill in between. Rough estimate of over 50 fish to hand in less that 3 hours of fishing with the same fly. A deer walked up behind me and watched. Turkeys flew up to roost in an oak tree nearby at sunset. A pair of Canada Geese made several flyby's trying to get in during that time. A perfect end to a rotten day.

Your best bet is to contact the MDC and find out where there are concentrations of them they want to target. Many call in to report them and they are more than happy to share the info with you. I think if you search the MDC web, you will find contact info. Corps of Engineer lands, MDC lands, and Federal Forests in SE MO are all free for the taking and have populations. Mules and dogs are helpful. Best time is in the winter months of Jan thru March. There is no season in MO. They are feral and need to be eliminated. No licenses needed other than hunting license unless you are hunting during a firearms deer or turkey season. http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/invasive-species/invasive-animal-management/feral-hog-control

Just some thoughts on the matter. Are they gonna fine a gooney bird if it transports from a pond to a stream? How many persons use real crawdads as bait? I personally do not know of any for sale at a bait shop near here. Of course, if we outlaw bait fishing, the whole waterway system will be protected. Artificial baits and flies only statewide. How many crawdads fit on the new A-rig?

Better late than never. I did not realize it was a problem to own an alligator in this state. I remember when pet stores carried them. I was even nicked on the finger by a little feller, the teeth on the small ones are like a snake, but a stronger bite. I really don't know what the scare is, even if let go, they would not survive one winter here. If they could, they would have already populated naturally from Ark in the south.

How many could you have killed with an autoloader? Talk about an Invasive Species.

Trout and Musky are exotics, and we love to play with them. Tilapia are coming up thru Ark due to their stocking program, they may become an invasive species. I quess our winters are too long for them. It is a shame, some research and genetic manipulation, maybe we can create a bluegill that gets the size of a Tilapia and can withstand our climate. The first time I had Tilapia was at a bar in Carbondale, Il. They were on the menu as bluegill fillets, but when I saw them on the plate I knew they were not bluegill. I quizzed the waitress and found where they were coming from, it was a fish farm near Murphysboro that was raising them as a part of a Ill. Ag. project. I have been hooked on them since, but have never wet a line for them.

I have dumped morel water and trimmings around trees in the yard to no avail as of yet. I really don't know any reason why it won't work, but it is not an easy venture or everyone would be farming them.

How about Tilapia in some of the southern MDC owned ponds. Nothing like catching some huge tasty bluegill like fish.

Who needs cellphones. Nature is alot better without them.

Finally got back out this afternoon for a short while. Fished for bluegills in local lake then stopped off by my honey hole. 80+ degree days, no rain for over a week, windy. Did not really expect to find much. But I was wrong. Nice big yellows, unfortunately some too far gone. Look at the one whopper against the beer can, The bad ones are destined for a spot in the back yard around some old ash trees. The genetics in this patch are wonderful. I have been hitting it for 5 years now and there is always a few bigger than a beer can. Most are on the large size. Hit other spots that have failed to produce a single mushroom yet this year. Those spots are usually greys and small yellows. Looking forward to rains this week.

I had to blame it on the carnivores. The real reason is the upcoming election is causing another shortage of firearms, ammo, and parts. I thought I would act now while I could still get the components. Probably won't be any in Nov, when I need it for hunting. I was looking at a complete, optics ready compact for about a month and weighing the option to build. In the last month, supply has diminished, parts are getting hard to come by. Ruger and Smith and Wesson are extremely backlogged in orders. Most distributors are back ordered too.

They tend to get that way in lighter colored gravel.

Now I see.

I am sorry, but being stuck on dialup means you can not click on all of the links. Care to elaborate as to why they don't just run both generators?

Why don't they put it thru the other generator and generate electricity?

With Ness and the MDC getting me all skeered about all the big carnivores stalking the outdoorsmen, I thought I would up my firepower. It started with some components. 3 beers later and some cussing of the roll pins, TADA! My first AR build. DPMS mil spec lower, LT lower parts kit, UTG 6 position stock, 1 in 8 twist stainless 16" heavy barrel, free float alum handguard, flat top gas block and receiver, mil spec receiver with forward assist and dust cover, TruGlow 4x32 mil dot scope with quick detach mount, UTG bipod, UTG led light and red laser, Voodoo Tact 2 pt sling system. I need to pick up a slanted attachment point and I can add my QD Compact red dot scope. AR modular platforms are really interesting, I have been wanting to build one for a while. Next additions are a standard M4 upper, a 6.8 spc upper, and maybe a 9mm. The nice thing is that configurations are endless and lots of customizations. Things have really changed since my first purchase of my Colt A2 back in the 80's.

Usually natural lime from local limestone will add calcium. Just be sure to check the Ph as it will raise it also. I have sprayed a mix of Epson Salt and water to give them Manganese. I have been told that is what is causing the splitting. I just write it off to the heat the last few years.

That species of lumbering beasties is not in any way to be construed as a carnivore. Those are buffetavores. Most would have a hard time wedging their lumbering figures into a bear den. Most carnivores are sleek and muscular, fast and swift. Buffetavores are more along the line of scavangers.

Looks like Ness is getting senile, posted this one twice.