Missouri Smallmoth Alliance Chapter

[Wayne SW/MO]

I think their have been some posts on this forum about this that have been wholesale attacks on the MDC. And I do not support that in any way. They do a good job, but I really can't get around the fact that I think they're kinda abandoning the smallies here. So I have no problem saying that the MDC made a mistake, but I will not insult them.

Well put, too have nothing but praise for the bulk of the work done by the MDC, but we have to be vigilant because nothing is perfect. They have and will have personnel changes and influences that from time to time will rub the wrong way. I think the White Paper is one of them and while the idea behind it may have been noble, the reasoning behind remaining at the status quo isn't in my mind.

As far as a chapter here goes, I believe to be successful it will take enough members to keep the chapter viable by being active in some way. This doesn't mean attending meetings or a fishing "get Together" 100%. If enough have an interest than there will always be enough to make a meeting worth a visitors time. It will simply be a chapter of the state organization, but allow members here to invite speakers, keep track of the health of SW Missouri waters and fish, and hopefully enjoy some comradeship with like minded fishermen and fisherwomen.

If someone has any ideas where a meeting could be held they might put it forward. I don't know if BPS has any "free" space or not.

[Chief Grey Bear]

This may sound completely crazy, may even be but, I would like to take this time to say that I thank each and every one of you for not dog piling on me. I know what I posted was not very popular but it is my thoughts. You all had a every opportunity to beat me black and blue but you all acted like gentlemen.

[eric1978]

This may sound completely crazy, may even be but, I would like to take this time to say that I thank each and every one of you for not dog piling on me. I know what I posted was not very popular but it is my thoughts. You all had a every opportunity to beat me black and blue but you all acted like gentlemen.

I don't always agree with you Chief, although for the most part I do, but I respect people who say what they think, regardless of its popularity. Of course that's coming from someone who HAS been dogpiled on for expressing his opinion, so maybe I'm just more aware of how crappy it feels when people try to twist things around and make you look like an idiot or a jerk because they don't agree with you.

[Gary Lange]

I am a member of the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance and live in Nixa, Mo. The South Western Missouri Chapter would be interesting and I am sure I could attend some of the meetings. When I lived in Illinois I was a very active member of the ISA and what they have done for Smallmouths in Illinois is awesome to say the least. They work very close with the Illinois Department of Conservation and in fact the Director of the Conservation Department is a long time member of the ISA and the Chief Speaker at the ISA's Blowout Dinner this year which is the ISA's biggest money raiser. If you want something from the MDC you have to give them something back and support them. Running head long into their face will get you nothing but a bad name. If you go to www.illinoissmallmouthalliance.net and look at what they stand for and what they have done you can see what can be done with a lot of hard work.

[Al Agnew]

Well put, Gary. We need to make sure that in our impassioned advocacy of smallmouth fishing, we don't trash the very real and substantial work MDC and some of its employees have done for those fisheries. As unhappy as I am with the apparent direction the White Paper took--that what we have now is what we can look forward to in the foreseeable future--that doesn't negate the SMAs we have now thanks to MDC, and the attention they have paid to stream smallmouth in MO. We need to work with them, and support them just as strongly when they do something we think is right as we complain when they do something we don't like.

The IL SA (or ISA) is a great organization. I had the privilege of being their guest speaker last year, and it was a great banquet. I have certainly been impressed by what they've accomplished.

[msamatt]

If each of the people who responded that they are interested in a Soutwest Missouri chapter of the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance please contact me at wierfish@yahoo.com we can discuss what we need to do to start this.

Thanks for your interest.

Matt