ozark trout fisher

Welcome to the forum.

The catch and release area just below the dam holds trout all summer long, almost all rainbows, with a few browns. You'll find some fish there, but they are holdovers, and are surprisingly hard to catch. Below the summer catch and release area, and at Albert Pike, fishing is more of a spring and winter thing. Small spinners and 1/64 ounce jigs are good bets.

Well, we just finalized our plans. Gonna go from Greer to Riverton in three days, camping along the river. Really looking forward to it. Just stocked up on Panther Martins and Little Cleos today.

There is no doubt that gravel mining has worsened some of my favorite smallmouth and trout streams. It does much more harm than good to the bass, and other stream life.

Thanks a lot.

Interesting point of view... I thought Bennett did have c&r, I guess I was incorrect. Maybe a half mile or so in zone 1 or 2 of catch and release would be a nice compromise, maybe something like the catch and release area at Montauk, except a bit longer. I would have no problem with such an area being in existence, and I bet most would agree.

Just curious if anyone has any idea whether the Cane Bluff to Greer stretch of river will be floatable next week.... Considering that as one of our floats.

No problems.....

There is bound to be more and bigger fish some days than others, considering they stock different numbers each day... And sizes vary by season. That could explain this. I just don't see how a daily stocked fishery can really be "declining" for any reason except for less fished stocked. It's just a pretty hard sell for me. Of course if they stock 10% less fish each day, it will appear as if the fishery is declining, but that is a hatchery problem, not really a problem with the fishery itself, if you ask me. Frankly, I fish 95% catch and release in the red, blue, and white ribbon areas, but I will be honest with you, when I go to a trout park, I come back with a stringer of fish. I don't think there is a thing wrong with it either. I mostly fish with bait, catch four, keep them all, and spend a nice, relaxing day at camp, or maybe go squirrel hunting, or fish for smallies on a nearby stream. It's all just part of the trout park experience for me, and I like it. If other people want to fish with flies, and catch and release, that's fine (there's even a catch and release area just for folks like you). I don't see why people have a problem with the way I choose to fish, and want to make 2/3 of the trout park catch and release only.

Personally I like stocked trout to eat......

One thing you have to figure in is hooking mortality in released fish..... That could explain a good part of the discrepancy. Really, the idea of making 2/3 of the park c&r sounds a bit much for me, heck the main reason why I go to the parks is so I can keep fish without feeling like I'm hurting the fishery... Considering they restock them tommorrow. I always feel a bit bad when I keep fish out of the Blue or White Ribbon areas (not that I don't do it occasionally in a white ribbon area, but still), trout parks in my mind have always been the place that you can go and get a trout dinner when you want one, and have a heck of a good time doing it. When I want real, catch and release fishing, that's where our White, Red, and Blue Ribbon areas figure in. Plus, that would concentrate all the catch and keep anglers in zone 3 and "zone 4" aka Niangua River. That may well further hurt the fishery (and cause immense crowding) in both of those places. Just a thought.

Awesome pic.... That is the sort of fish we all dream of catching.

It is possible about the browns making the impact, but I would tend to doubt it personally. A big brown trout can maybe eat a few stockies, but it really would take a pretty large trout to be able to eat a 10-12 inch stockies. There are probably a few large enough, but imho not enough to cause a decline in the fishery.... Plus I'd take one of those big browns over 20 stocked rainbows I haven't fished Bennett long enough in the past to really say whether or not it is declining.... And I'm not really saying there are any less fish at Bennett than at Montauk. I mostly just like Montauk because there are quite a few awesome, and pretty un-fished fast runs that I can fish in solitude, and have a pretty good chance to catch fish after fish. There are probably such places at Bennett, I just haven't spent enough time there to find them. I've spent most of my time around the dam, so that could explain my lack of solitude at Bennett......... Never been to "zone 4", but it does sound like a nice place to fish.

So I'm just curious. I found the Little Piney last November, and have been fishing it ever since, but I was wondering how she fared as fared in the summertime.... I'm specifically thinking of the areas around Lane Spring recreation area and Vida Slab. I don't mind spooky fish, but they will still be catchable in July and August, right, provided I fish early morning/late evening?

Word has it orange glo-bugs are killing 'em

The making it longer part was a joke, although maybe it could be done :lol: :lol: :lol: In my opinion Bennett is definitely better than Meramec though. Never been to Roaring River.

You might want to run the tailwater below the dam. Great trout fishing down there.

Glad to hear she's fishing well despite the heat... Heading down for my first trip in a couple weeks.

Well the number 1 thing, (which happens to be quite impossible) would be to make it a bit longer . Bennett Spring is really a fine place to fish, I just happen to prefer Montauk a bit, because its a bit closer, and because the atmosphere is more wild, at least in my opinion, and you can find some pretty productive riffles and runs that almost no one fishes. With that said, I'm sure if I fished Bennett as much as you do, I would learn to love to fish it. I'm sure its all just a matter of preference.

Didn't mean to sound too harsh about it, just not my cup of tea...................

Agreed. I don't go to Bennett any more ever. It's all Montauk for me, if I want stockers. The stream is just too short, and it's a bit crowded for me at Bennett.

Fly or spin?

State record..... I have a feeling nobody's lunker pictures will top that :lol:

Awesome table fare for sure. When I was up in Montana a few years ago, we spent a week on a lake that was absolutely loaded with them (you would catch ten of them for every brown trout, kind of annoying, but oh well), they are the best eating fish in my opinion. I'll sign the perch stocking petition if there is one.

I'm sorry about your loss.