ozark trout fisher

I haven't been on in a couple weeks, so I just read Matt Weirs original post.I'm very happy about the new line of smallmouth management that it looks like we may have. This proposal sounds like it's even better than I thought could be expected. And that's all I have to say on the matter.

I was at Baptist last weekend and it was good. White and olive marabous as well as little panther martins should work... I was taking them mostly on woolly buggers, under an indicator, and I suppose you could probably do the same thing on an ultralight spinning rod.

I'll be headed down to Crane in a couple of weeks... This is a stream I've been wanting to fish for a long time, and it finally looks like it's gonna work out. If you don't mind saying, would you guys reccomend the upper or lower Wire Road access? I know I'll you need to be stealthy down there, but I get the since the fish aren't too selective so long as you don't scare them first. Is that about right? Thanks for any help!

Nice brown! Looks like a good time.

Yeah, that's the way it was when I floated it a couple years ago. I got enough rainbows to be happy with, but only a couple of small browns and a pretty little cutthroat. I didn't get any brookies, but it sounds like I was way too far downstream for that (We floated from Cotter down to where the Buffalo dumps in).

I think the one part I would take out of the original poll if I could do it again would be the barbless hook question. I think that may be too much to ask. If I gave the impression that I think fisherman should have to distinguish between wild and stocked trout, that's not what I meant. My point was just that waters that hold primarily wild trout should be no kill for all trout caught. My main thought on not allowing people to keep over 18" trout is that they are good breeding fish at that size. I would think taking one 20" trout from a little wild trout creek could have the effect of eliminating a lot of potential young of the year trout. I realize that wild trout are "free", but I think that's kind of beside the point. I don't think the value of a trout should be based on whether the state used it's money to raise it. In an ideal world, this is what I would like to see... The current Blue Ribbon waters would be divided into two sections: Hatchery supported Blue Ribbon, and Wild Trout waters. The wild trout waters would be catch and release with single hooks only, and the other Blue Ribbon waters would keep the same regs they have now. Hatchery supported water would include the Eleven Point and Current, and the rest would be under the wild trout, no kill regs. It's just an idea.

Great looking fish.

Eggs, Scuds, Coppers, and Hare's Ears should all be working well. Also bring along some Woolly buggers-they work well down there fished under an indicator. With the cold weather, I'd try Tan Vat. It's closer to the springs, and the fish may be more active.Oh, I almost forgot San Juan worms... They're pretty good down there too.There are many folks who know a lot more than I do, but I hope that helps anyway.

I thought this thread had died out a long time ago. I said what I said a few months ago when I first posted this thread, and I still pretty much believe it. I don't see a need to keep wild trout, but as long as it's legal, I'm sure not going to confront folks that choose to. With the rules as they are now, if it's over 18", it's a choice. I just don't like seeing wild trout killed.

A little feisty there, eh? I try not to fish wild trout water during the spawning season. The few times I do, I am pretty darn careful not to wade on redds, or to try to catch fish that are on their beds. There is no kind of trout water in MO that really has a closed season, unless you count the couple of weeks in fall and winter that the trout parks are closed to allow the hatchery folks to catch up on things. So it's pretty much impossible to fish out of season. There are places where wild trout are more abundant that I think it's okay to keep them. And I don't look down on folks that keep a wild trout here every once in a great while, it's just that I don't think it would hurt anything (and it might help a good bit) to make wild trout streams catch and release.

I'm honestly just surprised that this amount of thought goes into line... I've never had enough trouble with mono to try anything else, generally 6 or 8 pound when I'm going for bass, and 4 pound when I'm after trout. And that's the sum total of it for me.

Thanks for the help... I think the whole grand slam idea sounds like a good challenge.

If I came down there this spring, what would my chance be to catch some brookies, cutthroat, or both, if I was fishing in the catch and release area just below the dam or down in White River state park? Are they just kind of a chance catch, or is there a legitimate shot of catching a couple? Also, are there any specific ways to target the cutthroat and/or brook trout in the White that's different from how you'd go about catching rainbows? If I go, I'll be fly fishing and releasing anything I may catch. Thanks for any help!

I really think it's great... Many states don't allow fishing during the closed season, and I think it's really a nice thing that Missouri does allow it in the trout parks. What's really nice, is by the end of the season, those fish are really starting to act like resident trout.

Over the last few years I've been to the trout parks quite a bit during the regular season over the past few years, but I hadn't ever come during the winter catch and release season until this year. I have to admit I like it a lot... I had all but given up on trout park fishing as a rule, but winter season is totally different. I must say that I may not be back to a trout park until next November (although I can't promise that) but I'll definitely have to keep this in mind for next year. It really is one of the most enjoyable times of the year to catch trout. What do you guys think of winter C&R? I personally think it's the perfect mix of great fish numbers and lack of crowds.

I would highly recommend the Big Thompson... I've only fished it a few times but it's been good every time I've been there. September is a great time to be fishing in Colorado, it's probably the most consistent month.

Look, I'm perfectly willing to criticize Obama for his decision on this. It's seems pretty obvious to me he's doing the wrong thing. But that doesn't mean I have any intention of joining on your blatant political attacks (nobamahead carp? Really? It not even creative). I'm tired of the nastiness that has to surround everything remotely political these days.

Look, he's making a mistake here. I'll agree with that. But if you actually cared about the issue, you wouldn't be doing your best to alienate everyone who isn't right of center.

You have to love the cheap political attacks... I happen to think Obama is doing the wrong thing in this case if the website linked to is correct. I think this is really important, but I'm not going to join in on an effort that is just an excuse to slam our president.

I'm pretty sure that bottom picture is of the same fish I caught there two weekends ago... He wasn't doing too well after the release,I'm glad to see he's still alive.

I think a guy should do whatever the hell he wants as far as the opening day at trout parks and Busch. It's just not something I'm gonna take part in anytime soon.

You have to love it when the fish are looking up. Sounds like fun.

If Asian Carp make it into the Great Lakes, they will make the Goby and the Sea Lamprey look like benign little critters.

I'll start of by saying agree that the issue of non-native species taking over native ones is a huge problem. But I don't think we need to be so gloomy as to say that you're glad you aren't gonna live to see everything in our natural world go to hell in a handbasket. I agree that's the direction things are headed now, but it's never too late to turn things around. I ain't holding my breath, but I still hold out hope that the general public will realize the trouble we're in and try to turn things around. If we don't believe there's a chance for that, what's the point in trying to help our environment and our native species anyway? Personally I hope I can stick around here long enough to do some good.

Good point. That's kind of a frightening thought.