ozark trout fisher

You're right.... Honestly, I'll admit that I just read that the MDC isn't funding this.... I should have read the whole thread before I began my session of rant session. I had just assumed that they were funding it, and it does change things now that I see that it's private money going into this. I guess it just shows what assuming does LOL I guess it just kinda to each their own. I personally prefer to fish the creeks and rivers that are undammed, because I really like to be fishing in a natural setting. But you all do have some big fish down there, Anyway, I'm done with this for the time being

The fact remains, though, that the vast majority of native fisheries are not stocked. Also, musky, stripers, and hybrids are all non-native species. None are native in any capacity to the state of Missouri. The pallid sturgeon, as you pointed out, is the only native species I'm pretty sure that is stocked in a natural Missouri stream. The 864 stocked waterways in Missouri are all small ponds and lakes. Also, the MDC does raise native species to be stocked on private farm ponds, but that doesn't count. Walleye, which are raised and stocked in some Missouri streams where they are native is another exception I suppose. But that only occurs on three rivers that I know of, the Lower Current, the Black, and the St. Francis. It's hardly a comprehensive stocking program. It may have sounded like throughout this I'm being hard on the MDC, and I suppose I have been. But I do want to make it abundantly clear that I believe the MDC is a very good department. As Chief Greybear pointed out in another thread, I don't want to bite the hand that feeds. They really are better than the fish and game departments in most states.

I'll be there Saturday, don't think I'll be down Friday though. I'm probably going to fish Tan Vat anyway. Good luck.

I guess technically I don't know it as fact, maybe I went too far in saying I'm sure... It just seems to make perfect since. Is it a coincidence that the smallie streams around here (which don't have a great deal of commerce associated with them, with the exception of a canoe rental here and there), receive no money from the MDC except what it takes to maintain fishing access sites, but they spend millions of dollars a year maintaining the fishery on Lake Taneycomo, where the banks are lined with resorts. Doesn't it then make perfect since that the MDC is spending all that money to placate guide services? Really I'm not trying to go out of my way to step on people's feet with my opinion, but I suppose it's inevitable. Laker, you're comment about native species being "on welfare" is plain ridiculous. First off, consider the fact that the MDC doesn't spend hardly any money maintaining native species. They do not need to be stocked, and I don't know of any habitat improvement projects going on in any native fishery. How can native species be on welfare when nothing is spent maintaining them? No matter how much we do not want to face this, trout are simply intruders to our ecosystems in the Ozarks. However much we like to catch them, they don't belong here. I'm not saying we shouldn't stock them, but native species must always come first. They are natural. Trout are not.

Really when I came up with this poll, I intended it more for the little creeks, not so much the big rivers like the NFOW, Current, Eleven Point etc. Really just the little fragile creeks like Little Piney, Mill, Blue Springs, and Crane. I find that barbless hooks don't decrease my hook up to catch rate much at all really. Maybe I'm just errant on that, just my opinion. I totally respect you all who fish for native species, and when push comes to shove, I think native fish should be given the priority. By the way, I'm not some fly fisherman sitting way on his high horse here. I like to spin fish nearly as much as I enjoy fly fishing, but I have been transitioning to using single hooked lures and pinching down the barb. It's not hard.

It's just a bit west of the Eleven Point, it's the main tributary of Norfork Lake. I just can't get over how perfect of a river the Eleven Point is. I've fished trout streams across the country, and it can compare with any of them. It reminds me of fishing a big old western freestone.

I know why Taney get's more attention than the Bourbeuse. What I'm saying is that's not how a conservation department should operate. I believe (actually I know) that Taneycomo gets more attention because of all the resorts, fishing guide services, etc that operate on it. What I am saying though, is that a conservation department should be about preserving natural resources, not about helping to stuff the wallets of resort owners and fishing guides. This is not in any way an attack on the resort owners or fishing guides on here, hell you have my dream job right now. I just believe a conservation department should be about conserving natural resources resources, not puffing up unnatural ones. Sure, I do think they should stock Taneycomo just so there will be some sort of a fishery, but that's it. Trout do bring in more bucks than smallmouth, but here, living in Missouri where trout are not native, one would think a conservation department would be firmly in the corner of smallmouth and other native species, when the two interests clash. Not so unfortunately

What I'm saying is the money we currently spend trying to improve habitat on unnatural fisheries should go to trying to enforce regs on natural fisheries. Is it not the mission of the MDC to protect natural resources? Heck, I am watching the smallmouth becoming extinct in the Bourbeuse River for example, and the MDC spends $0 whatsoever trying to help that situation. But heaven forbid the trout in Taneycomo don't have the perfect habitat, and everyone is rushing to spend a bunch of money to get boulders hauled in. I just don't get it. I feel like we're forgetting our native species in natural waters, and dumping all our money into the tailwaters and reservoirs.

They are naturally reproducing in many areas, which is almost the universal definition of wild. They are not native, however.

What I'm saying is I think it's silly to spend a bunch of money puffing up a purely artificial fishery. I would much rather see that money spent trying to do what a Conservation Department is really there for: Trying to protect natural resources. Lake Taneycomo is in no way a natural resource, it is 100% unnatural. Yet the MDC spends untold $$$ on it annually, when they could be trying to catch the poachers that are ruining the fisheries in natural streams. I firmly believed that a dammed river system is a broken ecosystem. All we can do by installing habitat "improvements" on Lake Taneycomo would be toward making an unnatural ecosystem even more unnatural. I do not believe that we can make the natural world any better. It's best the way it was originally made. In short, I am opposed to even one penny being spent on habitat in Lake Taneycomo.

I've never heard a bad word put in about the North Fork of the White... I'll have to get down there soon.

Why exactly do you think that native fisheries should not be given preferential treatment? Look, I'm basically a trout guy, and they're what I spend about 90% of my time fishing for. Still, I firmly believe that when push comes to shove, we need to put the native species first. I know my opinion on this will be widely disagreed with, but I believe that for whatever reason, these particular native species were put here, and it needs to be our first priority to protect them. Lake Taneycomo, and the White River are exceptions to this rule, because they can't support any kind of warmwater life in any kind of self sustaining fashion, because of the (in my opinion detrimental) changes man made to the river system. Since man desecrated that river system by building a whole bunch of dams, we may as well provide some sort of a fishery I guess. If that means habitat improvement on a purely artificial fishery, whatever. I would rather see it spent enforcing regs on smallmouth streams.

The Eleven Point sure is great. I've only fished it twice now (once floating 3 days, covering the trout water, and once wading at Highway 19), but I sure had good luck both of those times. It seems like the fish there are not nearly as picky there as any other non-trout park stream around, so long as you fish deep. Plus it seems like every good run has a fair number of decent fish. My biggest from there so far was an 18 incher, but it was a brightly colored wild fish (gently released of course). I'm headed down before Christmas to try my luck again. Between the scenery and the trout, that stream can just about equal any trout river anywhere. If only it wasn't 3 hours away!!!

That's an interesting looking river there.... I bet there are some really big bass in there to be caught. Thanks for posting.

Whatever .... Call it what you like.

Doesn't matter to me. Whatever you think makes a stream the best.

Yeah, I got there about 1 PM.... I caught a few rainbows on a globug, but man I had to work for them. Next weekend I'm heading down to the Current!

I was wondering what everyone on here thought was the best "big" trout stream in Missouri. By this I mean the Meramec, Current, North Fork of the White, Eleven Point, and Niangua. Here's how it kinda breaks down in my mind: Current River: Great wade fishing for big browns and rainbows, but the canoe traffic is kind of a bummer. Meramec: Sometimes some decent trout fishing, but the wading is a bit difficult, and canoe traffic really slows things down in the summer. Always a good chance for a large trout or smallmouth though. Niangua Never fished it, don't know much about it. I bet it's not much different than the Meramec though. North Fork of the White- Never fished it Eleven Point: Most scenic trout stream in the state, plenty of trout, and the fish don't seem to be selective as long as your bait is bouncing bottom. Wading access is kinda tough though. When it comes down to it, I'll have to say my favorite is the Current, but the Eleven Point is only close behind in my mind. The Meramec is certainly not bad when I can't drive all the way to the Current, but it can't compare to the south central streams.

I've always wondered if Little Piney might be floatable when it's running high, maybe 150 CFS or so. I was thinking that there might be some interesting floating and trout fishing from Lane Spring down to Milldam Hollow. I guess my question is, when the water is running high enough to float, are there a whole bunch of log jams and things that would make it totally hellish to float? I don't mind portaging some, but I'd prefer it not be a constant thing. I know that's really a better stream for wade fishing, but I was just thinking of trying something new and different.

I've accidentally caught some carp while catfishing with worms... The few times I've caught them I've fishing nightcrawlers on the bottom.

I fished #21 today.... Got a couple to show for it, but it was real slow. A glo-bug was the best for me.

Well, I absolutely can't make it to an Ozark stream this weekend, so I'm gonna be heading down to Busch. Does anyone know what is going on stocking wise? The hotline isn't working. Specifically, have all the trout lakes been stocked at least once or twice?

The more I think about it, the more it makes me wonder why anyone would want to build a dam there....... Great fish. That there's wild trout fishing in it's purest since.

Wow.... Still laughing............

Oh yeah, I have another one.... I was fishing one time at Montauk, and I was stringing up my fourth fish. I untied my stringer from my vest, put the fish on, and then immediately dropped my stringer. I was fishing just above a long riffle, so I knew if I didn't get it right then, it would be gone for good. So basically, I had to dive in after it. A guy was sitting on the bank watching, just laughing his brains out. He told me I could sure catch fish, but I couldn't hold on to them afterwards. Good times.............