Just For Fun, What Would You Like To See Different On Thr Eleven Point If Anything

[ozark trout fisher]

This one certainly won't happen this year, but I would like to see the White Ribbon area become a Red Ribbon area. Stock brown trout in this section, and I think you could get some real trophies, as well as happy anglers. Possibly stock a few rainbows too, but I would support a 15" length limit on both species in this proposed red ribbon area. I'm not sure if bait should be allowed. I think maybe it should, because there are no nearby trout waters for displaced bait anglers to go. I say keep the Blue Ribbon area the way it is. Currently, from the what I have read from the MDC, there are about 1200 Trout Per Mile in the Blue Ribbon area, and that seems like that is pretty good for a stream this size. Maybe I'm way off on this, because I have no personal experience on the "Point", but I would like to hear responses to this proposal. Just curious.

[flyfisherman]

Its hard to improve on perfection in regards to the Point, however there are several things I would like to see, better inforcement in the trophy area. I would like to see catch and release from the spring to turner, maybe tougher regs from turner to whitten, and keep the regs as they are from whitten to Riverton. The point is a jem, and we all should pick up clutter that was left there by those who do not appreciate its beauty.

[Brian Sloss]

The idea of a red ribbon area i agree with and could be done from Turner to Whitten or Whitten to Riverton, but I think we have to accept a white ribbon area as well. Frankly getting any of the white ribbon area changed over to red would be difficult to get done as there are a lot of strictly meat fisherman in the area. The spring river is only 18 miles away for catch and keep fisherman, but requires an out of state tag and that may not seem fair. Rather than anger people over another reg change, enforcement of current regs would be better in my mind. That is a whole other problem due to limited resources in the enforcement area. I would love to see brown trout, but again, this issue may be a lost cause. As for the 1200 a mile number, that is true right after the annual stocking, but that number does dwindle signifigantly by the time it is ready for a restocking. There is a modest number of wild trout in the trophy area year round and some fish that make their way upstream from the white ribbon area. I think we lose a large number stoker trout after they are weakened from the spawn, which by the way, I saw a lot of spawning this year. Hopefully it will pay dividends by the spring this year.

I would love to see Greer to Turner become catch and release or the size limit increased to 21 or 24 inches.

[Mark]

WOO FELLAS!! I'm gonna have to disagree with ozark trout and flyfisherman. There are us bait fishermen that part of the enjoyment is catching a few fish to keep for supper. We stay in the White Ribbon area and leave the Blue Ribbon to you guys. If MDC changed regs in the White Ribbon area from what it is now and went to regs in the area we fish to include artificial baits only, size limits, and reduction of number of fish kept, it would certainly cause our group of guys to reconsider coming to the area (and spending our money) 4-5 times a year as we do now. I know you flyfishermen look down your nose on us baitfishermen who like to harvest some fish when we go fishing like we are doing something you consider unethical. They're fish for goodness sake, we're suppose to eat 'em. But you know what - I don't understand what the big deal is with flyfishing the way it's done on the Eleven Point. I thought flyfishing was about throwing a hairy little booger that looks like an insect and letting it float on top of the water. From what I understand, most flyfishermen on the Eleven Point fish the same way we do - with enough weight added to bounce it along the bottom - the only difference being the bait being presented and we use ultralight rods instead of skinny canepoles!! Me and my buddies actually laugh at you guys while you look down on us!!

KEEP OUR WHITE RIBBON AREAS THE WAY THEY ARE NOW!!

That's my opinions - FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH - as Buffalo Springfield would say!!

[soggyfeet]

Big difference between bait and fly fishing is fly fishing hooks the lip and bait fiashing hooks the gut

[flyfisherman]

WOO FELLAS!! I'm gonna have to disagree with ozark trout and flyfisherman. There are us bait fishermen that part of the enjoyment is catching a few fish to keep for supper. We stay in the White Ribbon area and leave the Blue Ribbon to you guys. If MDC changed regs in the White Ribbon area from what it is now and went to regs in the area we fish to include artificial baits only, size limits, and reduction of number of fish kept, it would certainly cause our group of guys to reconsider coming to the area (and spending our money) 4-5 times a year as we do now. I know you flyfishermen look down your nose on us baitfishermen who like to harvest some fish when we go fishing like we are doing something you consider unethical. They're fish for goodness sake, we're suppose to eat 'em. But you know what - I don't understand what the big deal is with flyfishing the way it's done on the Eleven Point. I thought flyfishing was about throwing a hairy little booger that looks like an insect and letting it float on top of the water. From what I understand, most flyfishermen on the Eleven Point fish the same way we do - with enough weight added to bounce it along the bottom - the only difference being the bait being presented and we use ultralight rods instead of skinny canepoles!! Me and my buddies actually laugh at you guys while you look down on us!!

KEEP OUR WHITE RIBBON AREAS THE WAY THEY ARE NOW!!

That's my opinions - FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH - as Buffalo Springfield would say!!

[flyfisherman]

This is in response to Mark, for starters I agree with everything you said other than us looking down our noses. I do not subscribe to that kind of class BS as do my children. Sterotypes hurt our society The reason I release the fish is that I am not a big fish eater and if I do keep the fish it is for my father inlaw for lent. My post is what I would like to see, I am perfectly comfortable sharing the river with anyone. I pick up jars of powerbait and corn between Greer and Turner, so I would like to see rules inforced through that stretch, afterall we are a society of laws. In most cases just being on the point is enough for me

[ozark trout fisher]

Big difference between bait and fly fishing is fly fishing hooks the lip and bait fiashing hooks the gut

Soggyfeet, please don't stereotype. Yeah, you can gut hook trout on bait, but if you are careful to set the hook, it is very rare. I mostly baitfish, and I only deep hook maybe one in ten trout. The people that gut hook trout really peeve me, because it is the very behavior that gets more and more of our waters shut off to bait fisherman, but don't think all of us, or even a good percentage of us do that. Blanket statements like yours make me feel like you believe that fly fisherman are somehow better than bait fisherman, and I don't really appreciate it. I agree that some waters should be closed to bait fishing, but I believe that your statement is as a whole, inaccurate, and downright offensive.

[jdmidwest]

This one got ugly in a hurry. Who's having an Obama party next week?

[ozark trout fisher]

Yeah, I agree, JD. What I said was a wayyyyyy overreaction on my part. Sorry about that Soggyfeet. I just got a little riled up, no harm right? Also kinda feel bad about getting off the subject a bit. I believe Brian is correct, given his experience, about making it Red Ribbon from Turner to Whitten, maybe artificials only there, and allow bait in the White Ribbon area from Whitten to Riverton.