Sell Me On The M S A Matt.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Drew, its not secret but its kinda a need to know number. I know and I'm not sure why you need to know. Is there some magic number which you would read which will either be the incentive for you to join or the reason why you don't want to join?

I would have thought you would be happy to tell how big your organization was. I don't understand the tone of your response.

[denjac]

I would have thought you would be happy to tell how big your organization was. I don't understand the tone of your response.

Have you read the Lost Symbol? Maybe its a branch of the Masons.

[denjac]

I would have thought you would be happy to tell how big your organization was. I don't understand the tone of your response.

Have you read the Lost Symbol? Maybe its a branch of the Masons.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Mason's???? Oh no!!!!!!!!

I thought this would have been a great opportunity to showcase the MSA.

I think he blew it.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Just now reading this and kinda shocked at Chief. Don't join! Nobody has to "sell" you anything and I'm shocked at the "tone" of your questions. What does your $25 membership fee (or whatever it is) get YOU? As in, whats in it for me? What a humbug.

[ness]

Yeah -- I think these guys (MSA) are trying to do some good, and this thread and the other is filled with negative waves, man. It's ok to ask questions, but this seems to be putting them on the defensive -- and I don't think they deserve it.

[eric1978]

Yeah -- I think these guys (MSA) are trying to do some good, and this thread and the other is filled with negative waves, man. It's ok to ask questions, but this seems to be putting them on the defensive -- and I don't think they deserve it.

Agreed. MSA isn't going to be able to solve world hunger. It's a small group of devoted smallmouth anglers contributing the little bit that they can to support the cause. I don't know what they could have done to draw this negative tone. Lobby MDC? Hmmm...

Don't care for MSA? Don't join MSA.

[drew03cmc]

Drew, its not secret but its kinda a need to know number. I know and I'm not sure why you need to know. Is there some magic number which you would read which will either be the incentive for you to join or the reason why you don't want to join? We're a relative small organization, we currently have, to the best of my knowledge around 230 paid members. Our number of members always go up and down. That said, because we partner with other organizations such as the Conservation Federation of Missouri our voice is larger. As far as your other questions are concerned here goes:

Is anthing done West of the Current: what do you mean by done? Do we have members who fish and live West of the Current? Sure. Have we posted our signs at river accesses West fo the Current? Yep. Do we pay attention to an represent the interests of anglers who live and fish in Western MO, you bet.

Do we survey fish size? Nope, we don't have the means to do that, in fact that's the MDC's job.

I don't understand what you mean about the "incentive is there for profection of the western Ozark streams..."

I think you misconstrue what we do. We don't make the fishing regs, the Missouri Conservation Commision does.

Have I fished any streams west of Springfield? Not personally, I've fished the James, Finley, and Flat creek but that's as far West as I've fished in Missouri. Does that mean that I don't care, and the MSA doesn't care about the waters and smallies in that part of the state? Nope, it doesn't have anything to do with it.

Why should you join? 1. You took the time to respond to this thread so, unless you just like stirring the pot, you probably actually care about the quality and health of our Missouri Ozark stream smallmouth fisheries. 2. It sounds like you're passionate about the smallmouth streams in your part of the state 3. There isn't any other fishing/conservation group focused on improving the quality of and conserving our Missouri Ozark smallmouth fisheries 4. If you join you can, as others have already mentioned, be our eyes and ears and voice in your part of the state.

When we start a SWMO chapter of the MSA its going to be up to the members of that chapter to work with the rest of us to sustain what you want to do. We don't have any full time personnel in a home office which we can send down to do things for you. We can, by working together, help make the MSA stronger and work to do the best that we can to work towards making smallmouth fishing in our Missouri Ozark stream fisheries better for future generations that it has been for us.

Matt, I do care about the western smallmouth streams in the Ozarks, and in my opinion, and I am sure that of others, these streams get the short end of the stick in Missouri. They are not the poster streams that you read about, but offer some darn fine smallmouth angling in their own right. About the protection of the western streams, the White Paper pretty much writes off the western streams in that there is a combination of black bass species in the streams, little enforcement, and the size is not on par with that of the eastern streams. I am sorry, the genetic makeup of those smallmouth make the fish in the western Ozarks unlikely to reach the magic 20" size that anglers judge the health of a fishery on in the east. The streams in the western Ozarks have a smaller following, but in my experience, offer an experience that trumps the eastern streams I have been on. I would like to see stretches of certain streams over here managed differently, as in an 18" length limit (meaning almost exclusive c&r) or a slot from 10-14.

I almost forgot, there are no bluffs here to add to the scenery as these streams are all spring creeks that have not cut through the rock over the millenia.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Just now reading this and kinda shocked at Chief. Don't join! Nobody has to "sell" you anything and I'm shocked at the "tone" of your questions. What does your $25 membership fee (or whatever it is) get YOU? As in, whats in it for me? What a humbug.

They look to be very legit questions to me. No sarcastic tone.

[Gavin]

What you GET from MSA is what you make of it. I havent devoted any time to MSA, but I've served on the boards of a many non-profit organizations. You "get back" what you put into it for the most part.

Go to meetings, meet folks, and devote some time to volunteer work, maybe fill a seat on the board when your time comes...You get a lot back that way...Sit a home, read the newsletter, and complain on the internet...you wont get much. Ya gotta "DO" something to get something. Cheers.