Agfc - Over 152,000 Pounds Of Fish Stocked In State’s Waters

[creek wader]

And nary a smallmouth.

No bass at all, at least I didn't see any listed. Ark. should be good for catfishing, though.

[ozark trout fisher]

Actually, given the difficulty in raising smallmouth to a size that would insure good survival rates, there's no way it would be cost-effective. I'll tell you what WOULD be cost-effective...getting every MDC electroshocking boat on the Bourbeuse (and Big River) for a week or so in the best shocking conditions, shocking the whole river, and killing every spotted bass you shocked up. You wouldn't get them all, but if you did this once a year it would give the smallmouth a chance. Heck, invite the public to the accesses to take home all the spotted bass they wanted. Have volunteers to clean them and give them to food pantries. Sell them for cat food for all I care.

That's what I think we should do too, but after the last "discussion" about spots I was a little afraid to post that.

That would really give the smallies an edge without having to introduce a hatchery element to the fishery. And it would get the PETA folks all riled up, which is always a positive thing.

I guarantee you there's be plenty of folks down there that would be more than happy to take those spotted bass off the MDC hands if they did that. I doubt a single one would go to waste.

Eric, I know the state stocks a ridiculous amount of trout each year. But I'd sure hate for the smallmouth fishing in Missouri to look like our trout fishery, with them being a native species. Whether we should be stocking those trout is a different argument entirely.

[Wayne SW/MO]

That's what I think we should do too, but after the last "discussion" about spots I was a little afraid to post that.

It would be a terrible idea....if it would harm the Kentucky fishery, historical and created, but it wouldn't. You can bet that if a big Flathead made its way up Crane creek they would act.

[eric1978]

Actually, given the difficulty in raising smallmouth to a size that would insure good survival rates, there's no way it would be cost-effective. I'll tell you what WOULD be cost-effective...getting every MDC electroshocking boat on the Bourbeuse (and Big River) for a week or so in the best shocking conditions, shocking the whole river, and killing every spotted bass you shocked up. You wouldn't get them all, but if you did this once a year it would give the smallmouth a chance. Heck, invite the public to the accesses to take home all the spotted bass they wanted. Have volunteers to clean them and give them to food pantries. Sell them for cat food for all I care.

Sounds like a plan...now how do we get that done? I know where the governor lives...whoever is willing to go kidnap one of his kids, PM me and I'll send you his address. And while we got hostages, we might as well get all those regs changes we all want, so get your lists ready fellas.

Seriously though, I would have thought shocking would be far more expensive than stocking. What makes smallies so difficult to raise?

Eric, I know the state stocks a ridiculous amount of trout each year. But I'd sure hate for the smallmouth fishing in Missouri to look like our trout fishery, with them being a native species. Whether we should be stocking those trout is a different argument entirely.

I think we should, because I just got into it. Actually, like I said before when we were having a heated debate about it, I don't think the trout hurt anything, so why not? If it bothers someone as an angler that they're not native, they should fish for something else.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Seriously though, I would have thought shocking would be far more expensive than stocking. What makes smallies so difficult to raise?

One of the problems with stocking would be food, there is only so much available in a stream or river and if you overpopulate all the fish suffer. I suspect a lot of harm could be done to a stream by stocking it, and in the case of the Spot versus Smallie, you increase the risk of hybridization.

I don't know the answer to the hatchery Smallmouth question, but numerous "authority's" that I have read claim that stream Smallies can't be raised successfully.