Fishing Report 2/7/08

[Thom]

I stopped by the dam at outlet 2 just before dark. They were running 4 units and the water was up to the fourth step. I tried a orange zebra under a chartruse and red eggfly. Hooked two small rainbows on the egg then I tried a sculpen 1/180 jig about 5 ' under a indicator and caught two. I only had abut 1/2 hour of light left so I tied my version of the salmon y2k and they started to nail it immediately. I put a split shot about 8 inches above the fly and flosted it about 5 to 10 foot from the edge of the ladder throwing up toward the outlet and dead flaoting down. Most of the strikes just stopped the indicator of drug it sideways or back like draging on the bottom. I broke off a nice rainbow and released 12 or so more. I had forgotten my headlight so I went back to the condo until morning. I will probally try outlet 1 or up by the cable tomorow. I am going to try to throw some white jigs or wooleys out and float them down from the cable or outlet 1 if it is not to crowded.

[Greg]

Nice report Thom. I've never used the Y2K fly.

Greg

[Thom]

After seeing the number of folks in the outlets today I passed on competing with the snagroes there for a trip to Bennet instead on the way home. Now I remember why I haven't been to Bennet for the last few years. The first thing I say was two stringers of fish tied to the bank with seven total fish. A guy hurried over to tell me that those were his kids fish and that they left to go to the cabin because they were to cold. Later one of the kids returned who was bearly 2 foot tall with a snoppy rod and stood by dad. Dad took the seven fish to the cabin to the cabin and returned later with another empty stringer to fill. So much for a 4 fish limit.

The spring was boiling and water a little murky. I arrived around noon but didn't stay to long since the crowd was side by side in most of the hot spots. I did catch 4 at the spring hole on a peach egg fly fishing it deep and weighted.

BTW snagroes is the politically correct word for snagers which seem to enjoy catching fisht in the tail and then letting them fight in the fast current until they are completely exausted. What sports. I thought they had stocked spoonbill in taney for a while.

[Greg]

Thom

I agree Bennett is usually a bad experience on Saturdays. It's a lot different during C&R season, weekdays, and most Sundays though.

Greg

[brittsnbirds]

Not trying to change the thread and in respect to Thom's observation at BSP-

Has anyone observed violators getting busted? The only time I have seen the CA's it was during the summer and they were working "undercover". Still didn't see them ticket anyone.

[Thom]

The agents are usually very descrete and ask the violator to leave the water and then take them aside and make their case. I know because I got so fed up with one guy at BSSP on one trip that I documentated and then went up to the office and turned him in. They took him to his van and checked his cooler which was all they really needed.

The agent asked my name and I gave him a business card. He later sent me a note telling me the man had all of his fishing gear taken, fish taken, got a $400 fine and lost fishing priveledges in Mo for 3 years. He was out of state.

In 50 years of fishing that is the only time I saw someone busted. I have been asked to show a license twice in MO and 3 times out of state. I fish in Texas and Florida and see people checked often especially in places that attract lot of folks and out of staters. Why don't Missouri come down to Taney on weekends when it is crowded? I guess the honor system must be our policy. We were told that the higher fees for boat registration would allow the state to hire more agents and pay the existing ones more. It just seems that if they would show up once and a while with a fishing vest on and make some random checks the word would get around.

[Greg]

I guess the honor system must be our policy.

I see what you are saying but I'm not sure that's it. I said very similar things on this forum a couple of years ago. Then the next week while fishing Taney one evening I saw an agent bust a couple guys for keeping slot bows and undersize browns. The agent chatted with me and my wife and son for a while. Nice guy and it was unbelievable the amount of territory he was expected to cover. I just don't think there are enough of them not that the agents themselves are not diligent. I definitely agree that more of a MDC agent presence would help clean things up both in the parks and upper Taney. But I think they are just spread way too thin.

It would be interesting to see the # of agents allotted per square mile in MO as opposed to some other states.

Greg

[Thom]

When I said "honor system" it was tongue in cheek. You are absolutely correct. The agents are too few and cannot cover the large territory they have. I think agents do a great job but I wonder why when we see so much abuse at Taney especially on week ends why spot checks aren't made.

I remember a recent thread where there was lots of comments pro and con about the crack down on the streams this summer with canoe traffic and drinking, nudity etc.

[perchjerker]

2 years ago I turned in a person using live bait in the trophy area on a pontoon boat .The night before he was bragging he had been fishing Tayney for years and no one was going to tell him how and where to fish.He was caught the next day with a healthy fine.I also know of another boater who pays no attention to the limit and has had large fines twice.So a few are being caught .Hope everyone just keeps an open eye out for the abusers.

[rainbow]

A couple years ago we saw an agent bring some guys off the dock at Lilley's who each had a limit and were still fishing. He took them to their cabin and they had a lot of fish in the freezer. Way over the daily and possession limits. They got some fat fines. We talked to him afterward and told him we could not believe people did that. he said they do stuff like that all the time. I am all for helping those guys do their job.