ozark trout fisher

If this makes you feel better, this was one of my first posts on OAF (about 6 years ago.) "I am planning on trying to hit Maramec Springs several times once the catch and keep season begins, and I just have a couple of questions. I've fished here twice before, and each time fished all day and only caught one trout. Based on the number of people I see taking their limits in the first hour or so, I am clearly doing something wrong. I mainly spinfish, but I have a fly rod and will use it if it works better down there. I would just appreciate any advice on tips, baits, lures etc. Thanks a lot." Trout can be frustrating. In the end the only thing that worked for me was trial and error. Sometimes you have to try every conceivable wrong way before you stumble on what works for you. That's how it ended up for me, but looking back it was as frustrating as hell but I don't regret a single minute of it.

Yeah, Dallas will suck as long as Jerry Jones is the owner. With that said, this is a potentially smart football move for them. Their defensive line is AWFUL and if Sam is just okay they could potentially get a decent backup for essentially nothing. If not they cut him and it costs absolutely nothing (I don't think Jerry Jones is sweating a $6000/week salary.) There will be someone else lining up to take his practice squad spot. Zero risk, plenty of potential reward.

Well then you still got to sit around a campfire, tell stories, and get skunked on a nice trout stream in a pretty corner of the world. There are worse ways to spend a weekend.

That there is good advice for anyone who is simply desperate to catch fish.

Eh, I don't think anyone is really even making the accusation that the Rams cutting him has anything to do with anything besides football reasons. Their D-line was too crowded. That's it. That said, while he had most of his production in three games, I would point two things out: a. He was really dominant in those three games, including against a very good Vanderbilt offensive line. b. He had a less pronounced version of the "Clowney effect" going on where teams schemed around him, thus reducing his opportunities for production. I don't know whether he'll really "make it" though obviously being picked up by the Cowboy's practice squad is good news (he's going from a team with the majority of its talent along the d-line to a team almost entirely bereft of talent anywhere defensively.) But the bottom line is he's getting as good of a chance as any other player with his ability level. That's all I wanted to see.

Hey don't listen to the folks calling you a troll etc. There are some people on this forum who can be real jerks on this forum as you've apparently found them. You have to disregard that and keep posting anyway because there are plenty of others who would want to help. If this forum isn't for questions about fishing/how to catch fish, then what's it for? Guess what: when I started fishing the trout parks I struggled like crazy. It can be super frustrating-all those dozens, hundreds, thousands of fish......and you can't fool any of them. I know that feeling and it's enough to make you throw your rod in the water . I wonder if maybe you should take a step back from this and try a different approach. I don't know your area well, but surely there have to be some ponds/smallish lakes in the area you could get on? I don't mean Lake Springfield or bigger water like that. Like 10 acres or less. Get a basket of crickets (or little red worms in a pinch), some tiny hooks, and a few bobbers and head out there. Fish along any type of brush/woody cover, and you'll get some bluegill/green sunfish unless wherever you're fishing is really terrible. I can almost promise, though of course you know there are no certainties in angling. That will whet your appetite a bit and when you're ready you could go back to hitting streams. Just an idea.

If you were talking about a trout stream I'd agree with that assesment. But on a typical Ozark river the dead water is often worthwhile especially if you're into largemouth. I essentially approach them like long, narrow ponds. It can be a lot of fun if you're in the right mood. They can hold smallies, too. On one river I fish, I rarely catch a smallie over 13-14 inches what you'd typically refer to as "smallmouth water". The dead pools don't hold many bronzebacks (you'll catch 10 spots and largemouths for every smallie in those areas) but those are about the only places you can reasonably expect to hook into a really nice smallmouth. And you'll rarely catch any of the little ones that you find in more traditional habitat.

Dang, that's disappointing to hear. Was planning on doing that float Saturday........may change plans and hit the Current below Two Rivers.

I originally posted almost the exact same thing Mitch F did about the roundup on the Bourb, but deleted it. I generally try to avoid mentioning the words "spotted" and "bass" consecutively on this forum. It's not a good idea. I think I spent a year arguing that and all the points/counterpoints are as dried up as the Bourbeuse in the drought of 2012. Why you are badgering me about my support of an organization that I'm not even a part of has to rank right up there as one of the greatest mysteries on earth. I mean, we're all posting here more or less to waste time, but that kind of takes it to a new level.

Not. Getting. Dragged. Into. Another. Spotted bass. Argument.

The reason why I'm not answering this is because my response would have something to do with spotted bass I don't want to get that one started.

Once again, I'll just say that I have zero opposition (and plenty of support) for most of what they stand for, but I find it odd that I've now twice been asked to answer for them when I've never been a part of that organization for reasons of my own. There are plenty of MSA members on here, so ask them. Perhaps, but I'm probably not the right one to judge..... I can only say I agree with you. Rod and reel poachers (and those who consistently keep legal limits) hurt the smallmouth population. No argument there. So does illegal gigging. I don't like any poachers of any type. The number of (rod and reel) anglers (meat hunter or otherwise) is greatly reduced during the cooler months (ie, the gigging season outside of the first month and a half or so.) While some certainly do stick it out and it's possible to have a lot of success, that's not really an arguable point......Meanwhile gigging generally takes off when cold, dry weather has made the water crystal clear, ie the time where the majority of those catching (and keeping) bass are long gone. So at least for that season, it seems somewhat logical that gigging may be a more significant problem than rod and reel poaching/legal harvest. At the bare mininum it's close. As for trout being pests: I could technically point out that they are not almost certainly invasive in the scientific sense....considering their limits on reproduction here and their general inability to colonize wide areas. But for the sake of continuity in my personal belief system, I have to admit they probably shouldn't be here. With that said, I have no immediate plans to quit fishing for them.

You are asking the wrong person. It's a question I've posed before, though. I have never been an MSA member, though I support a bulk of what they do.

"Lopsided, vile hatred". Ok. Yes, it's a legal practice. And, I don't think that it should be made otherwise, at least not until such time as there is a compendium of evidence that the illegal faction is doing significant damage to game fish populations. But here's that staw man again. You're saying that rod and reel fishermen probably poach more fish than giggers over the course of the year, which is an almost undeniable fact. But no one is even saying otherwise, so I'm left wondering exactly what your point is. I can think that rod and reel poachers are a problem while also thinking some more measures need to be taken against their gigging counterparts. I believe we just spent a thread berating suspected "regular" poachers, so it's not like we're discriminating against anyone here. I think that increased enforcement presence especially on streams heavily pressured by giggers is a good place to start. While rod and reel anglers cause more damage overall in all likelihood, it seems extremely likely that during gigging season (especially from November on) it's very much the other way around. Sure, a few of the better anglers do fish during the cooler months but your typical rod and reel fisherman has hung it up for the year. To your final point: obviously the MDC is under the impression that gigging is enough of a threat to trout populations in blue ribbon sections that gigging isn't allowed. With SMAs essentially being the warm-water equivalent, it's difficult to understand why our highest quality smallmouth waters are not afforded the same protection.

Sam was at the game yesterday and got a standing ovation from the crowd. Just a few minutes after that, reports came out that he got cut. The timing was......not ideal. Nonetheless, the Rams were the one who gave him the chance to show how good he can be during the preseason so I applaud them for that. Hope he gets signed to the practice squad, at least.

Fair enough. Not for me though.

There is too much talk on the extremes of this issue IMO. Chief, I just don't get the argument of "well, you all are still posting plenty of pictures of nice fish, so it must be okay." No one thinks that these giggers are taking all of the big smallmouth out of our rivers, or if they say that, it's obviously an overstatement. Of course people still catch nice fish, and sometimes post pictures of them here, which has very little to do with the conversation at hand. Just because there are some left doesn't mean that illegal gigging of smallmouth isn't a problem. We occasionally get a deer hunting in the south-central MO, sometimes a nice one, but all the people running deer with dogs is still something that is a problem. So it seems like you're attacking a strawman there. Here's what it its: it's the knowledge that, with the wrong attitude and the right skills, a gigger can do significant damage to the bass population, at least within limited areas. It's the knowledge that some of those fish that have been in the river for 4, 5, 6 years and are tough to catch by traditional methods by this point can be taken out of the river in relatively wholesale fashion without even having to be fooled. Just because every gigger in the Ozarks isn't doing this (and I'll be the first to admit it's almost certainly a minority) and because there are still smallmouth in the river doesn't mean it isn't a problem. As I've said, I don't advocate we ban gigging. That isn't the right solution. What I would advocate is increased enforcement presence (something I believe we'd all agree on) and yes, at least considering the possibility of shutting it down altogether in smallmouth bass management areas. If we can do the same thing for non-native trout in their best habitat, then I certainly think our native smallies are worth that protection in several of the better stream stretches. But again, a wholesale ban on gigging probably isn't the answer IMO.

Well, this has been a weird weekend. Very surprised to see A&M look like they did. South Carolina suddenly doesn't look like a conference title contender, though I wouldn't count them out just yet. UGA looks fantastic though, clearly the favorites in the division. Vandy is the one team in the SEC that just looks attrocius. They are going to have to look very hard to find a conference win this year, even Kentucky looks way out of their league. Mizzou wasn't sharp today, which you could attribute to overconfidence, a vanilla playbook, and a darned good FCS team with an all-world running back. But still, it wasn't encouraging, especially the way our secondary got bullied by their tall receiving corps at times. I'll take the win but they'll need to improve over the course of the non-conference season to compete for another SEC east title. Bottom line is that we don't know much more about Missouri than we did this morning, other than they weren't real focused against an opponent that they were regardless able to beat by several touchdowns. At the end of the day, that last part is the only one that counts.

Yeah, I think this was a case of "accidental trolling". In other words, our fault for being argumentative about everything, not his for asking a question.

Yep, I think that's a good place to start.

Eh, I don't like gigging. But I can't entirely justify it. My go to argument is that I think you should have to fool fish instead of stabbing them. But then I hunt rabbit and deer and I don't have to "fool" them, I just have to try to get close enough to get a decent shot, which is basically the same idea. So here's where I'll come down on this: just because it's an "Ozark tradition" (so is hunting deer with dogs) I don't have to like it, I reserve the right to wish it weren't happening after seeing those gig marks in bass, but I guess when it comes down to it I don't think it should actually be banned. But in-season, I sure do think there should be a higher level of enforcement on the more popular streams to curb illegal gigging of gamefish. But at the end of the day, I don't quite see how one could get so bored catching fish on a good old hook and line that you'd simply feel the need to go at them with a spear. That part won't ever make sense to me.

Nice, I plan to chase smallmouth on that stretch of the Jacks next weekend. Scenery's always nice there, if nothing else.

That stretch is decent for spots and largemouth and highly marginal for smallies. It's okay, but not my favorite reach. The Bourb isn't an ideal river for wade-fishing at all. Lots of deep pools and private land, and longer stretches of poor habitat than most places. And the areas near the accesses tend to the only places that get significant pressure. If that's the only option, think upstream.

Your question would require a pretty long answer. But to start, if it's a game fish (which includes both walleyes and cats) you had better be using a hook and line and nothing else at least within Missouri. Now, Table Rock is within Missouri, so you can do the math on whether your buddy was poaching or not. Within season, on non-game fish (ie suckers/carp) and where legal, I wouldn't call it a terrible unsportsmanlike blight or anything.....but I wouldn't ever actually do it. You can catch suckers just fine on worms bounced along the bottom, and gar on rope lures or live sunfish/minnows. Sure, I love trout and smallmouth, but have spent (and will continue to spend) time chasing these "trash" fish on hook and line. It's not only possible but a whole lot of fun. Point is, I there's no judgement here if you if you get into gigging (as long as you stay on the legal side) but it's gonna be my natural implication to want to discourage it. Once you learn to fool fish on a regular basis you'll become addicted to it and if it were me I'd let that happen before I resorted to other methods. Just my opinion.

Yeah, I'm a big fan of SEC Network. Always having the option to flip over to some type of SEC game will be a real boon when it's some awful Big Ten game on ESPN or ABC. For example, we can now watch Auburn/Arkansas when we might otherwise be stuck with Northwestern/Cal midday Saturday. At least the first game has 1 good team. One thing I will enjoy is watching Missouri's Big 12(-2) replacement get beaten up on by 'bama.