msamatt

Gavin: We'd love to have you back buddy.

Tim: I would love to see more MDC enforcement; however, I know that, based on my brief conversations with MDC enforcemnt officers, they often spend quite a bit of time, for better or worse, writing tickets for non game law violations. That said, if there are more agents enforcing out-of-date regs is that really helping improve the quality of our smallmouth fisheries? I don't know. As far as speaking to your group in Rolla is concerned shoot me a p.m. to wierfish@yahoo.com and we'll talk.

Catman: You're the second person who has brought up a ballot initiative and I just want to chime in and state the the Missouri State Government doesn't create our game and fisheries regulations, the Missouri Conservation Commission does and that's the way it should stay. Just take a look at other states, say Illinois for example, where the state legislators control Conservation. Its a mess. If we're interested in chaning regs, then the we need to convince the Missouri Conservation Commission to do so. There's more than one way to do this but when we do so the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance is most likely going to work with the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Working with the CFM seems like the approach which is most likely to help us succeed. As far as your comments about the MDC's need to balance the needs of the public as a whole are concerned I agree with you, they do. I just don't think they have polled the public's attitudes abou the quality of our Missouri Ozark Steam smallmouth fisheries anytime this decade. The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance conducted our own survey at last years St. Louis Boat and Sports show and we're going to post those results on our website before the end of this week. The MDC has the resources to survey public opinion about this issue, the MSA does not. I still think there's work that the MDC can and should do to help manage the quality our Missouri Ozark Stream smallmouth fisheries. As you and others have noted; however, the MDC's mission is to help protect all fish and wildlife and not just our smallmouth fisheries. I too would like to see them reallocate more personnel and money to improving our smallmouth fisheries wherever possible. Its up to us, and by that I mean all passionate smallmouth anglers and not just the MSA, to persuade them the continue to work to that end. Write a letter to Bill Turner and let him know how you feel.

Hi Wayne: I remember you very well. If you and maybe one other guy are willing to put in the time to start a chapter in SW MO, let's talk. I'm sure I could convince some guys from the "home office" to take a trip down to Springfield sometime this winter to kick things off but if this is going to work it will have to be sustained by you and your fellow anglers. All I'm asking for is hours worth of unpaid labor to support a worth cause. Let's talk.

Guys: My name is Matt Wier and I’m the current President of the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance. I’m going to finally chime in. I’m more of a reader than a writer but I figure it’s time to add my two cents to this whole thread. I’ll start by quoting Al Agnew: “But we in the Smallmouth Alliance who are on the Blue Ribbon Committee working for better smallmouth fishing in Missouri were hopeful that once this White Paper and the Summary of Management came out, we'd see a direction for future management areas and other options for management to maximize the smallmouth potential. What I'm seeing now is that it seems that what we have at this point is pretty much what we'll have in the future. And I'm also seeing what I think are errors of judgment in the evaluation of the stream candidates, and perhaps some apathy from some biologists. I hope not. But I'm not sure that finishing the evaluation well ahead of time is a good thing...could be that some streams were finished early because they weren't really studied well” I’m part of the Smallmouth Alliance’s Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel and was awaiting this report just as eagerly as Al and I’m probably just as disappointed in its lack of any discernable suggestions for future direction. I simply can’t accept that this is as good as it gets. The only reason I’m a member of the Smallmouth Alliance is to work to do something to help make sure that Missouri Ozark Stream fishing is as good as or better for future generations than it is for me. There are all sorts of other benefits to being a member but that’s the bottom line for me. To quote Al Again: “It seems like there are an awful lot of stream smallmouth anglers who aren't joiners and don't want to get involved with anything but catching fish. The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance membership hovers around 150-200, with only a small percentage of them really active and mostly concentrated in the St. Louis region. They tried to get going with chapters in Springfield and Cape Girardeau, and those chapters never really got going. Again in my opinion, one thing that needs to be done is for somebody to get their act together, get a good organization going that covers the whole state, and go all over the Ozark region giving programs on how smallmouth fishing can be improved with better protection. It's got to be a grassroots deal that gets a lot of local anglers on each stream really interested and involved” I think that a fairly accurate assesment and I’m not taking it personally. Would we love to have more members from throughout the entire state? Sure. How many people participating in this thread are current members for example? Just Al and I as far as I know. What is the MSA going to do about all of this? Well, for starters we’re going to reconvene our Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel and then talk with Bill Turner and whomever else about what we believe are some of the problems with this process and offer them some suggestions. This whole process takes time. Having read several MDC reports about smallmouth bass in the Missouri Ozarks over that past few years I’m frankly surprised that the MDC published this White paper and the Stream Black Bass Special Management Areas Summary for Smallmouth Bass Project and Data Summary http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/21369.pdf as soon as it did. As far as starting a grassroots movement is concerned I’m all ears. It’s going to take work from folks at the very local level to work to change some perceptions. Take a look at the list of those streams which didn’t get included in the SMA studies because of “regulatory support”. How did they judge the perceived lack of regulatory support? If it actually exists, how can we change that? I don’t think that the MDC has surveyed public opinion about the quality of our Ozark Stream smallmouth fisheries for at least ten years and they admit that this lack of information is a problem “Existing information about smallmouth bass angler use, perceptions and attitudes is highly localized and incomplete. Significant input from St. Louis angling clubs and Big, Big Piney and Meramec rivers’ SBBSMA angler surveys provided very local information, but limited statewide applicability. Improved statewide understanding of smallmouth anglers would aid in MDC planning and prioritization efforts, as well as define angler interests in smallmouth management outcomes” p. 29 Stream Black Bass Special Management Areas Summary for Smallmouth Bass Project and Data Summary http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/21369.pdf If perceived resistance to regulatory changes is a legitimate impediment to making those changes then the MDC should figure out what people actually want. Like Al wrote, the MSA is a just one small organization which appeals to a pretty niche group of anglers. I glad to say that we recently added some new and younger members to our board of directors but I’m not exactly seeing large number of 30 year old and younger anglers flocking to join our ranks and I’d like to figure out how to attract them. Look around, how many young guys do you know who are serious river and stream smallmouth anglers and want to dedicate some time to working to do something about t he future of our Missouri Ozark stream fisheries. Heck there are hundreds of members of this particular discussion board and so far there are less than 40 of us who have taken the time to respond to this thread. I’m not despondent or anything and, given the fact that I’m President of the MSA, I do believe that even a small group of concerned citizens can work to change things, but getting this effort underway isn’t an easy or small proposition. I welcome your ideas and thanks for taking the time to read what I have to say.

Ladies and Gents: I'm writing to invite you to attend May 20th meeting for a terrific presentation about Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass in Missouri given by Terry and Roxanne Wilson from Bolivar, MO. In addition to being both accomplished anglers and authors Terry and Roxanne are also MSA members. So, save this date! We hold our monthly meetings and the MDC’s Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center http://mdc.mo.gov/areas/cnc/powder/ is located in Kirkwood, MO. http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=ie7&a...=14&iwloc=A Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and our meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. If you have questions please contact our Program Chairman, Les Anderhub @ 314-894-8945 or landerhub@att.net

I'm inviting anyone interested to attend the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance's meeting on Wednesday March 18th: this month we're holding the inaugural class meeting for Smallmouth Stream Fishing 101. Any MSA member who wants to work on improving their stream smallmouth fishing skills should enroll in Smallmouth U and register for this series of four classes in which participants will learn tips, tricks, and techniques which will help them become more effective stream smallmouth anglers. During this first class we’ll discuss the basic tools of the trade and hand out lists of required reading and tackle. Bring your friends and neighbors. Anyone who joins during this meeting will receive a free copy of Chuck Tryon's 200 Missouri Smallmouth Adventures and we'll also have copies for sale for $10.00 for current members (It's a $19.95 book guys so don't miss out on this deal). The next three classes will be hands on and are going to take place in April, May, and June. We meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 6:30-9 p.m. in the MDC's Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood, MO. Contact Les Anderhub 314-894-8945 or myself at 314-647-1679 for details. Regards, Matt

I'm inviting anyone interested to attend the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance's meeting on Wednesday March 18th: this month we're holding the inaugural class meeting for Smallmouth Stream Fishing 101. Any MSA member who wants to work on improving their stream smallmouth fishing skills should enroll in Smallmouth U and register for this series of four classes in which participants will learn tips, tricks, and techniques which will help them become more effective stream smallmouth anglers. During this first class we’ll discuss the basic tools of the trade and hand out lists of required reading and tackle. Bring your friends and neighbors. Anyone who joins during this meeting will receive a free copy of Chuck Tryon's 200 Missouri Smallmouth Adventures and we'll also have copies for sale for $10.00 for current members (It's a $19.95 book guys so don't miss out on this deal). The next three classes will be hands on and are going to take place in April, May, and June. We meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 6:30-9 p.m. in the MDC's Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood, MO. Contact Les Anderhub 314-894-8945 or myself at 314-647-1679 for details. Regards, Matt

Gents: As fascinating as this thread is, how in the world did it end up i the "General Angling Discussion" section? There are other places on the forum for this topic. Unless of course the guy who started it went to his local gun shop to buy some 9mm pistol ammo in order to go shoot some carp or something...

My buddy Steve and I hit the middle stretch of a Meramec trib this past Sunday afternoon. We both felt like doing some wade fising and figured that between the recent warm weather and the rain which were supposed to get on Saturday night might stir some of the smallies into action. To make a long story short we hit the water around 12:30 and fished until about 4:30. I hadn't fished this particular stretch of the stream for about 2 years and was a little suprised at some of the changes. Holes have filled in but that's not too much of a suprise given how some folks like to cut down as many trees as they can. Anyway, even with the bluebird skies and strong winds we both managed to catch seven and eight fish each. My biggest smallie was 15" and Steve caught a 17". Even though this stream gets hit pretty hard it can still produce some quality fish. If it wasn't pressured so hard and folks didn't keep as many fish it could really provide some consistently good fishing. I caught all of my fish on a 3" little otter which I've never really used but wanted to try. It's easy to rig on an 1/8 oz. jighead and I could skip it back into the tight spots in which the smallies in this steam like to hide. Steve was throwing some homemade hair jigs he ties. Even with some of the rain we had the water was still low and clear and we didn't have great hopes; until Steve caught a fish on his second cast. The fish in this stream all use every little bit of cover they can find and if we saw any holes which looked like they might hold fish we hit em. This was my first trip out this year and as far as I'm concerned it was a success.

Larry: Fish your windblown shorelines and look for coves and other areas with weed beds. Walleyes like moving water and weeds. In-Fishermen has all sorts of great books and videos packed with great walleye tips and tactics.

RPS: I haven't purchased and new gear or tackle lately. I am working on a list however. My goal for this season is fishing as much of the Meramec from its upper most stretches on down to Onandoga as I can. I really love fishing the upper most stretches of some of our rivers but there's only so much of the year during which you can float them.

Quetico Provinicial Park in N.W. Ontario. I've only been twice and I plan on going back as often as I can for as long as I can. You get the thrill of a physical wilderness adventure and you can catch huge smallies, walleye, nothern, and lake trout. I'm hooked. The upside: beautiful wilderness canadian shield lakes, plenty of solitdue (depending on where you plan to travel in the park), and potentially spectacular fishing. The downside: millions of mosquitoes when you're the larges mammal in the vicinity, wind and waves. I experienced the joy of paddling through three foot rollers last summer. I'm going back but I won't do that again if I can avoid it.

Gavin: Mike bought his vagabond at the same time several other guys in the club did several years back and you're right he was too darn tall for that canoe. He bought an Old Town Predator which is a bathtub to paddle but he seems to really like it. I typically run between 195-200 lbs and I'm 6'2" but most of my height is in my torso. I'd love it if the Vagabond had just a little more volume so I could lower the seat a little. I already can't rig a battery box rig like Al uses under my seat without raising it. Doing so would throw off my center of gravity. Anyway, I love tinkering with my boats. They're just tools and unless your've building your own I think you have to modify to tool so that it best fits how you like to use it. Right now I'm working on repairing and customizing a scanoe I got for nothing. It's one heck of a fishing platform. It sucks as a canoe. It's heavy and paddles like a barge but how great is it to have a watercraft in which you can put swivel seats and stand up in?

Gents: Like Al and Gavin I also paddle a Wenonah Vagabond and really enjoy it. I wish it were about a foot longer and maybe one or two inches wider but I really enjoy it otherwise. No one canoe is perfect for everyone. Al and Gavin are shorter and ligher than I am so that why I would like a little more length and a little more width. Al's photos of his setup are great. One thing he omitted was a photo of his anchor rigging system. He probably wasn't using it in Montana. I regularly use a drag chain and am reworking my rig this winter. I customized something to fit the stern of my Vagabond two years ago but the plywood I used as its base finally succumbed to stress and water and cracked at its weakest point. So, I took one of our older poly cutting boards, and am using it to fabricate a replacement which will, hopefully prove more resistant to the wear and tear posed by water, movement and sunlight. I'll post pics when I finish. BTW I do most of the cooking in our home so I didn't catch any flack from my wife about appropriating the cutting board!

Kyle: That's a beautiful looking boat. You must take a great deal of satisfaction in being able to float and fish from something you built. I've got two suggestions which you might find interesting. Since you live in Springfield you can get both from the Springfield Greene County Library system. Morrow, Lynn. Shepherd of the hills country : tourism transforms the Ozarks, 1880s-1930s Fayetteville : University of Arkansas Press, 1999. Turnbow, S.C. The White River chronicles of S.C. Turnbo : man and wildlife on the Ozarks frontier / selected and edited by James F. Keefe and Lynn Morrow ; introduction by W.K. McNeil Fayetteville : University of Arkansas Press, c1994.

Nice spot. I throw suspending jerkbaits alot this time of year as well but sometimes catch more fish on the tube or hair-jig. You have to be willing to switch up. Pretty great being able to get out in a t-shirt in the middle of January!

CCA: Welcome to the board. I'm planning on taking an Arkansas trip sometime this spring. Maybe I'll see you on the water. Matt

Brian: For the purposes of this survey I'm counting anyone who releases a fish as practicing catch and release. If you knock it over head and add it to your stringer, then you're keeping it. When I fish for bass I'm a C&R guy, except when I'm fishing for spots in certain rivers. I'm sure that keeping a fish in a livewell for hours may somewhat diminish its ability to survive compared to releasing it right back in the water right after you catch it. That said, I don't know if that potential negative impact is any worse for a fish than being caught and released over an over again over the course of a day or several days.

I just worked with my optometrist and I am very happy with what I have. I've used Cocoons in the past but I don't like the way that the earpieces rub against the sides of my head over time.

Fellas, I have to agree with J.D. and Al on this one. Greer Spring branch's value is far greater than the challenges it poses for kayakers or anglers whom are willing to hike a little. Like it or not, all of God's creation isn't here as our playground and we should be satisfied that some places are left relatively untouched when we can keep them that way. I too would hate to see the branch trampled because it really is a jewel.

Gents: Chuck is still alive and well. All of his books are really invaluable starting points for all of us seeking out new trout and smallmouth fishing destinations. Like you've all noted, some of the info is a little dated but that can't be helped as roads, bridges, and rivers all change over time. 200 Missouri Smallmouth Adventures was published over seven years ago but it's still a valuable resource when you couple it with a good atlas, the Floaters guide, and online resources like Google earth. Mr. Scott mentioned that you might be able to get a copy of Chuck's book's via our statewide library consortium MOBIUS. He happens to live in Sprinfield and the Springfield Greene County Public libraries and Missouri River Regional Library system are the only two public library systems in the state which belong to MOBIUS. So, if your local public library doesn't belong to either of those systems and you're not a student at a college or university here in Missouri, then you're not going to be able to request a copy of the book through MOBIUS.

Gents: The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance hosts a Spotted Bass Roundup at least once a year and usually on the Bourbeuse. Having read your posts it sounds like many of you are really interested in doing something to help improve smallouuth fishing in the Missouri Ozarks. While we are a statewide organization we don't have a Springfield chapter but that's something I'm very interested in changing. You can find out more about the organization by checking out www.missourismallmouthalliance.org or by contacting me directly. I'd be glad to have the opportunity to join the organization and I really do want to start that SW MO chapter in Springfield. Heck, I'd be thrilled if all of the anglers who responded to this poll joined forces with us (especially they guys who are keeping smallies because I would like the opportunity to change their minds). Matt BTW: Memorial day weeken usually marks the beginning of the time when its legal to keep black bass in our streams and rivers. You have to check the Fishing regs for the specific day.

Chief: Nothing you wrote offended me so no worries there. Believe me I'm always thinking at how ethical my type of fishing is and I try to harm the resource as little as possible. Like you, depending on where and how I fish I enjoy catching a mixed bag, which I really enjoy. I'm not advocating elminating any species in favor of another and that's not the MSA's position either. What we advocate is, in areas where we know that spots and smallmouth have to compete for the same and often diminishing habitat, say the Big River, we, and in the case of the Big River, the MDC, encourage people to keep spots if they catch them and when its legal to keep them. We're not going to stop the spread of the spots by doing this but maybe we can give some smallies a break. As far as changing "...the natural evolution of Missouri waterways..." for my own personal gratification is concerned maybe I am trying to do that a little bit. I do; however take expception to your use of the phrase "...natural evolution..." The spread of the spotted bass hasn't been entirely a result of natural processes. I happen to believe that man has had some influence over what we refer to as global warming and, accoring to MDC fisheries biologists, our Ozark border streams are becoming slightly warmer over time and that favors the spread of the spotted bass. In watersheds where they haven't been introduced they spread during periods of high water. We don't determine when or how often it rains but our land use practices definitely influence flooding. So, in summary. Do I just flat out enjoy fishing period, yes. Do I enjoy catching all three types of black bass along with whatever fish I happen to catch, you betcha. Do I really enjoy catching smallmouth above and beyond other species, absolutely. To that end I believe in advocating practices and regs which promote the overall health of our smallmouth population and increase the likelyhood that everyone is able to catch more big smallmouth whenever they fish in our Missouri Ozark streams and rivers.