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

[lizard]

If it was a toppless zone, no one would care if you were pitching bait or pitching a bug.... lips and guts take on a hole new look

[snap]

..atta boy lizard....getting us thinking straight again!!!

[lizard]

might have to make it a new topic...

[ness]

Some interesting stuff being thrown out here.

I think the key to a lot of the issues we encounter could be better enforcement. The regs are about right, I'd say. It's just hard to get attention on these places for a number of reasons. First - there's only a limited number of agents. When I called to report some violations on Crane Creek a while back, she asked 'what county is that', then said they'll send 'the agent' down to check it out. I know it's a stretch to assume there's one agent per county based on that, but the point is - there's limited manpower to cover a very wide area.

Add to that the size and remoteness of these locations, and the agents have a pretty difficult time policing it.

But here's something all of us can do: Call the Game thief hot line as soon as possible when you see something. And, be prepared to give details like physical descriptions, license number, whatever. Be the squeaky wheel, and keep this front-of-mind for the agents. They'll respond, and though they might not catch anybody red-handed, the increased presence will encourage the bad guys to straighten up, or move somewhere else.

The number is 1-800-392-1111. Stick it in your phone.

As to fly fishermen looking down their noses at bait fishermen. Welp, I think that's probably overplayed a bit. None of the ffermen I know give a hoot, and most fish by other means as well. I suspect that attitude carries over to the vast majority of people.

[Mark]

Maybe I was a little defensive about being a bait fisherman, but I sure don't like the idea of expanding the Blue Ribbon area by taking away from the White Ribbon area. I actually haven't float Greer to Turner in 25 years and have never fished it, simply because we do like to eat fish when we go to the Eleven Point (and maybe we're a little gun shy of Mary Decker Shoal - HA). My favorite stretch is Turner to Whitten because it has more wadeable water that Whitten to Riverton and less stretches of long slow water.

But I guess the fair thing to do for all who use the Eleven Point is to determine the answers to a couple of concerns;

How many strictly flyfishermen are there compared to bait fishermen and those who use both methods?

Is there congestion in the Blue Ribbon area because of the number of flyfishermen in that 5 mile stretch? (I am curious about that one. I don't know because I don't use the Blue Ribbon area, but I doubt congestion is the issue for those advocating expanding the area to below Turner.)

How many flyfishermen only fish the Blue Ribbon area?

How many strictly flyfishermen also fish the White Ribbon area?

Will expanding the Blue Ribbon area lead to a decrease in the number of fishermen using the Eleven Point River (and spending less $$ in the area)?

Will expanding the Blue Ribbon area increase the size of the fish in the Eleven Point River?

I believe this last one is the major contention of those advocating expanding the Blue Ribbon area and we don't know if that is necessarily true. Mike Jones from Hufstedlers has told me that he doesn't think the Blue Ribbon regulations has led to bigger fish. He claims there just aren't as many big fish as there use to be. There are just more and more people fishing the Eleven Point than there use to be. Our group of 6-8 guys have been coming to the Eleven Point for the past 12 years on a regular basis (from Ste. Genevieve County) and we have seen an increase in the number of people on the river. But still in the spring and fall, and an occasional summer weekdays, very often you can spend days without a lot of traffic.

As I stated previously, I do believe further restrictions in the areas we like to fish may cause us to not make the 4 hour trip as often as we do now. And last year I spent almost 30 days throughout the year at different times on the river (and spending $$ in the area). We love the river just the way it is!!

[snap]

You getting a grade on this essay Mark???...and yes...you were defensive about being a bait fisherman!!! relax...it is Friday!!!

[flyfisherman]

I agree with Snap, would give up an 18 incher for some topless action, being an oldster that I am. I will be the first to sign the petition.

[Mark]

Not me, I've seen Snappy shirtless and his hairy man boobs don't do much for me!!

[Brian Sloss]

Just in the past five years since they started stocking the blue ribbon area more, I have noticed a little bigger fish on average in that area. I don't think the blue ribbon area needs expansion, but it is a little more congested during the prime season and poaching is a problem as it is everywhere in the USA and probably around the world. I think the biggest problem with growing really big fish on average in the blue ribbon area and riverwide is that I think the stokers have problems surviving the spawn. This is just a thought, but I wonder if instead of just stocking catchable size trout in good numbers, what about stocking thousands of fingerlings. It might come out in the wash as far as cost is concerned, because they won't have to raise them and the fish will have grown up in the river. They have tried it with 6 inchers, but I'm thinking of just hatched fish being stocked in spawning areas so they can imprint. This way they might become hardier. Of course brown trout have higher survival rates after being stocked, but I think that will probably never happen. Any thoughts?

[snap]

....at least I don't look pregnant like one of us does.....!!!