Where Are The Fish?

[ozark trout fisher]

I know they are there, but honestly, I would rather catch a wild 5" fish than a 12" silver bullet.

I didn't seriously mean we should make the trout parks Blue Ribbon Areas, but I just think It would be interesting if they did, and I wouldn't personally mind it. I do think all the trout parks could at least sustain resident trout, if not wild ones.

And I agree, a 5" wild fish beats a 12" silver bullet by a million miles.

[drew03cmc]

I didn't seriously mean we should make the trout parks Blue Ribbon Areas, but I just think It would be interesting if they did, and I wouldn't personally mind it. I do think all the trout parks could at least sustain resident trout, if not wild ones.

And I agree, a 5" wild fish beats a 12" silver bullet by a million miles.

Montauk, yes, Maramec, no, Bennett, maybe, Roaring River, possibly in the lower 1/3.

A wild trout fights harder than a silver bullet also.

[dave potts]

There was an article in the St Louis Post sports section today on this. It said that the hatcheries at Taney and Bennett had very poor production last year due to flooding and resulting warm water going through the hatcheries. As a result they have reduced stocking in Bennett this year from 2.25 fish per expected angler to 2.00. Did not mention anything about size but it stands to reason that size will probably be reduced also, though hopefully not as bad as a few years ago when they were so small they were hardly worth catching.

This may well reduce the crowds at Bennett which along with the already poor economy will certainly hurt the businesses there.

Dave

[TroutFearMe]

Heres an idea I know it wouldn't help now but something to look at in the future, this would appeal to everyone and I think I have seen this mentioned once before. The trout parks should start alternating between catch and keep, and catch and release and do this on a yearly cycle. I know the parks are intended for put and take but in these times were people are catching fewer fish, I think the bait chuckers and everyone else that goes to fill there freezer should cut back on how many they keep or practice selective harvest. If MDC plans on stocking fewer fish they should adjust the length limits that people can keep or adjust the amount of (trout) fisherman can keep. Just my 2 cents worth sorry for hijacking the thread for a rant.

[drew03cmc]

You mean the hatcheries can't keep up? We might get some of our native warmwater fisheries back? No way...MDC won't allow that.

[ozark trout fisher]

Montauk, yes, Maramec, no, Bennett, maybe, Roaring River, possibly in the lower 1/3.

A wild trout fights harder than a silver bullet also.

I think Maramec could support resident trout, although it is doubtful it could support wild fish in it's current channelized state. There is no reason why it shouldn't. There is plentiful food (scud, suckers, insects), and of course there is plenty of deep water. The fact that they have taken away the the rivers true channel, as well as most all of the riffles, kinda makes me upset. It could be a much better trout stream if it was put back to it's natural state. The main problem would be that poachers could clean it out pretty easily. I think if Maramec Springs failed as a trophy trout stream it would be for that very reason. If it was unchannelized and the rock dams taken down, like I wish they would, I think it could become an excellent wild trout stream. But that would take more money than the MDC has to use right now, and I'm not sure if the James Foundation would be okay with it.

Sorry if I hijacked the topic, I did kinda get off the topic at hand.

[jjtroutbum]

If the fisheries management saw this a head of time they should have cut some of the urban lakes stocking. If they allready did that then guess less park fishing=more people in the rivers and wild streams then.

[tgard27]

If the fisheries management saw this a head of time they should have cut some of the urban lakes stocking. If they allready did that then guess less park fishing=more people in the rivers and wild streams then.

Well hold on. My tax money goes into put and take fisheries and I live in KC. Yes, at times it seems to be pointless to put a fish in an environment that has no possibility to sustain life, but you have to realize that fishing is recreation, whether the fish is stocked in KC or Taneycomo. Also that my tax dollars goes to the MDC as well as anyone else, regardless of where they live. I could make the same argument for reducing spending in the trout parks, what's the point of having a bait and wait area? I know that the bottom line is money, but more people in the wild streams=more people marching thru the redds and less wild trout. Or for Roubidoux and Hickory, why are we stocking these streams when the residents poach the population to obliteration? Here's the deal, it's a down year. So what? The economy will come back and those who are upset at the down-sized stocking can get over it. What is writing MDC going to do? They are going to tell you that last years attendance was down and that they are basing their stocking total from last years figure. Not every tax dollar that goes into MDC has to go to the trout parks.

[NoLuck]

First of all...There are NO native wild trout in MO waters. I believe that there may be some of these fish that were originally STOCKED are naturally reproducing in the streams though.

But, what IRKS me is someone trying to belittle someone for their passion of trout fishing REGARDLESS of what type each person partakes in. I simply pointed out the OPINION that I saw less fish than in the past. NOWHERE... did I ask for a lesson on what type of fishing should be enjoyed by all of us by someones beliefs. Bennett Spring is what it is. I like it just as much as i would like fishing elsewhere. Is it a crime for a person to want to catch more fish???? SHEEEESH

If I didn't know better, I'd say someone is trying to defend someone who's in charge of whats been happening at Bennett with the lack of stocking. People take fish out and they are not putting the amount of fish in that they need to sustain a put and take fishery. If there is such a shortage of fish, why don't they reduce the daily limit to 3 fish then?? I could care less how many they let us keep as long as there is still fish left to be caught. But if people are taking 4 fish out and they are only putting in 2 then it doesn't take an accounting wizard to figure out where its going. The MDC seriously needs to take a second look at how this recovery to the hatcheries is being handled.

I like trout fishing and the comraderie that goes along with the experience at Bennett and the other trout parks. Of course I could always like a little less crowd though just to give people a little more elbow room. When I go fishing, I want to catch fish. I guess theres something wrong with that thought process.

Rich

[tgard27]

Rich, I never said that I actually would want the MDC to change Bennett. I just said that I wonder what that stream would be like under different circumstances. Yes, catching fish is fun, regardless of what or how (as long as its legal). I think that the economy, not to mention gas prices which keep people from commuting for a nights stay. I have a hard time imagining that Bennet will somehow fall off; there is too much money to be made and too much already sunk into it. And there have been some floods which aren't good for raising trout. No, there aren't any native trout in Missouri, but there are streams that have housed wild resident trout for 100+ years. I was trying to state that taking away the urban program isn't the route to take, they have already cut back on this years stocking. This is a down year, these things happen. There are bad years for stocks, bad years for wine and bad years for raising trout. Tight lines and lots of smiles. Travis