ozark trout fisher

Is it pretty much a safe bet that the entire White Ribbon area will be stocked by Late May/ Early June?

Interesting..... Sounds like the Blue Ribbon Stockings are really helping the river. I'm gonna try to get down in May or June and float Greer to Turner day one, and Turner to Whitten day two, and see if I can't catch a trout or two. One sort of off topic question. Should someone who is somewhat of a beginner with a canoe try to run Mary Deckar Rapids, or would I be best to get out and portage it? And just in general, is the Eleven Point an alright river for someone who doesn't have much experience in heavy water? About the worst I've done is the lower end of the Jacks Fork River. Or would I be better to float somewhere easier, like the Current or the Meramec?

The North Fork is great I'm sure. I must say I have never been there before, but it seems like it would be an awesome place to try. But you can ocassionally catch some surprisingly large wild trout even in the smaller creeks. I think I mostly just like it cause it reminds me of cutthroat trout fishing back in Colorado. It's really not that much different, expect these Missouri wild trout are generally harder to catch. But you're right that mostly, the trout in the creeks here in Missouri are pretty small, they've averaged about 5" to 9", for me and I'm really happy to catch a 12 incher. But, in my opinion, they are pretty enough to make up for it 100%.

150 to 250 wild trout per mile alongside the stockies. That doesn't sound bad at all. I read in some book that the wild trout in the Eleven Point were at least partly McClouds. Any truth to that?

Yeah, the one time I ever went to Blue Springs, I can see what you mean. I didn't go in August or anything, but still, I mean there are places you can jump across no problem. I didn't catch a thing, expect a few smallmouth bass and suckers. The amazing the is that according to the MDC it has a trout population of around 290 per mile. That's pretty hard to believe though for that baby sized creek. You are right that Little Piney does have a bigger flow than the others, but it can get pretty skinny at low flows too, especially in the Highway 63 area above Lane Spring, although it rarely gets too small down in the Vida Slab areas based on my limited experience. But to be fair it also has the advantage though of receiving some small stockings in it's lower reaches. If you want to see an itty bitty creek, try hitting Mill Creek at low flows. It makes you wonder how those trout ever survive. Seems like Crane Creek is most popular. No surprise there

I was just curious what all of you guys favorite wild trout streams are. I didn't mention the bigger ones like the North Fork, just the smaller ones. If I missed any public creeks, tell me and I'll fix it. I vote Little Piney, but I have only been to it, Mill, Blue Springs Creek, and Spring Creek. I have a feeling I would like Crane too, but I haven't gotten there yet. Oh yeah, I forgot Barren Fork.

The only thing more beautiful than Crane Creek are the trout that live in it. That trout on the top may be the prettiest trout I have ever seen. I really gotta get down to Crane.

I was just curious if anyone knows about how many wild trout there are in the Blue Ribbon Area of the Eleven Point. I know this area does receoves some stockings, but are there enough wild trout to expect to catch a few? I don't really care either way, because I'm sure the resident stocked trout are plenty of fun to make it worth coming down anyway, but just curious. I've heard some say there are a lot, and heard some say there are only a few.

That's good. I have noticed the wild trout creeks around here fish better when they are up a bit and a little cloudy.

Crane sure is a beautiful creek. Am I wrong in assuming it looks like the water's up a bit?

Crane sure is a beautiful creek. Am I wrong in assuming it looks like the water's up a bit.

Pretty nice crappie you got there.

The only thing that I am saying is that I don't see the evidence in Ozark Riverways. Until I see some research that convinces me otherwise, I am going to think this is a wholly unnecessary law, which is really gonna make fishing a lot tougher for a lot of people, and is most likely gonna put some small tackle and bait shops under. I just don't think that there is enough waterfowl in the ONSR to warrant this at all.

Nope. Length limits aren't a bad thing. As a matter of fact, I support a statewide 18" length limit on smallmouth bass. I do think that fining companies that pollute our environment is a good thing. But I just don't see the evidence layed out before me that this ban is going to help Ozark National Scenic Riverways at all. I would support this in areas that have major waterfowl populations, but I just don't think that's the case in Ozark. Somebody else made the point that it seems really silly to ban lead weights in National Parks while SUVs are still being produced. I mean, think about it. It's not that I'm not willing to be inconvienced for the environment. If I felt that way, I wouldn't support length limits on species of fish that I enjoy eating very much. I just don't see the point to a nationwide ban in national parks. I don't see enough evidence to support it. By the way siusaluki, I'm glad to here there are some alternatives out there. I guess Spinner flies will still be okay, as well as most Mepp's spinners, because I believe Mepp's XD are the only ones that contain any lead. Their more popular models such as the Black Fury and Aglia should still be okay. I also see that some Panther Martins will be okay, but most won't.

So I guess I will ask, do Panther Martins, Mepp's Rooster Tails etc. contain lead. I'm gonna be seriously bummed if they do, because that's my favorite way to catch trout. I'm not much of a jig guy, but this is really a bad thing for both the people who have to make them, and those who buy them regularly. Also one more question, is there even a significant waterfowl population in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways? I don't usually see too many, but I may be mistaken.

So, I got a question. It seems this rule is gonna happen despite how much I complain, so will this mean it is illegal to use such lures as panther martins, rooster tails, and mepp's spinners in the affected areas? I honestly don't know if these contain lead, or even if they did whether they would be illegal.

Communist Russia, seriously dude? I don't agree with the lead ban but to say that we are like Communist Russia, and that soon China will have more freedoms than us is a ridiculous statement to make. I kinda makes me regret entering the topic at all. I don't think you really believe that, but I could be wrong.

That's nice work. I don't know much about taxidermy, but it looks like the real thing.

I don't usually fly fish, and I often do use things such as lead head jigs. And maybe I am incorrect on this count, (correct me if I am), but I usually don't see too much in the way of waterfowl along the Current River that would be negatively affected by lead sinkers. But, really, it is the spirit of the law the bugs me. The fact that the feds are gonna ban it in every single national park, that just isn't right. If there is a specific place where waterfowl are being severely negatively affected by lead weights, and I can see some scientific research to prove that lead is hurting waterfowl IN THAT SPECIFIC NATIONAL PARK, than consider banning it there. But I can confidently say this is a bad idea to ban it nationally, just think of the enforcement problems it will create. Why don't these people focus their attention on more important things than than this? I guarantee you lead shot is about at the bottom of the list of environmental hazards facing our national parks right now. Plus, this is going to make fishing with trout jigs and stuff in places like the Eleven Point and the Current River below the park almost or completely impossible. Do the feds really know what they are doing? I think not.

This sucks. I guess this means I can't use a lead split shot in the Current River. Wow, how ridiculous? Sounds like we're following in the footsteps of California. That's always a good thing. Oh wait, no its not.

To be honest, White Ribbon Areas are basically classic put and take style fisheries. There are certainly some resident fish to be found in most if not all of these areas, but the definition of a put and take fishery is a stream or lake that is stocked, with the intentions of many or most of them going home with fisherman soon after the stocking. That is certainly the case with all of our White Ribbon areas. And maybe you are right that more than 20% or 30% would make it through, but I doubt it would be as many as make it through in our Red Ribbon Areas as do right now. The fact is, that the only way we are going to make streams like Capps, Hickory, or Roubidoux less dependant on the stocking truck is by making a length limit, and reducing the number of fish can be kept in a day, and while it pains me to say this, possibly banning bait. I would like to see these happen on some of our White Ribbon streams with a lot of good habitat, such as Capps and Roubidoux Creek. But to stock fingerlings, but not change the regs would be pointless in my opinion. Those fish would go home in a cooler by the time they were five inches long! As far as the Red Ribbon Areas at the North Fork and the Meramec, and the Blue Ribbon Area at the Current, those areas are doing fine, so why change anything?

Now that I think of it I heard somewhere there are a few. Glad you you had a good time and caught some nice trout. Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe browns fight harder than rainbows.

I like the way the MDC stocks. The reason why they stock decent sized trout in white ribbon, and red ribbon areas are different. For White Ribbon Areas, they stock full grown trout, because these are put and take fisheries, and fisherman want to catch them right after the stocking, right or wrong. Red Ribbon, and the Blue Ribbon Area on the Current are stocked with 8" so that they aren't all gobbled up by other trout, suckers (I don't know if suckers actually eat small trout, but I guess they would), and smallmouth bass. Imagine how few would make it through if they stocked 3" to 4" inch trout. If 20 or 30% made it to a catchable size, I'd be shocked. I would vote to keep the stocking size the same, but I do wish they would float through stock instead of stock the access points on the larger streams. Of course that's not possible on the little creeks like Hickory or Capps. And you are right, the Roubidoux White Ribbon Area is a mess. If they ever want that creek to become anything worthwhile, they need to make the whole thing below Roubidoux Spring Red Ribbon. The current Red Ribbon Area generally has pretty warm water in the summer, and it would be great if they could add the cold upper creek to the trophy area. That could turn it into an honest year-round brown trout stream. And definitely crack down on the poachers. These selfish people really hurt the quality of our trout streams. How about instead of just fines, maybe start giving short jail sentences for more serious offenses, (such as keeping ten 7" wild trout from Mill Creek). I bet that would discourage poaching. Just my opinion

I fished Sherwood Saturday too, although not in the tournament, just for fun. I dock fished at the marina for an hour or so, and landed one nice bass and 10 nice bluegill/redear, all on nightcrawlers. I know some don't think that's very sporting, but that's all I can get them on in this weather. Caught two nice largemouth and an 8" bluegill on Sunday, the fishing was better with nicer weather.

I wasn't aware there were brown trout in Hickory. Sound like you had fun.