The Al And Gavin Smallmouth Management System

[eric1978]

We could also draft a letter that everyone would agree on changes that we think will work and send it to the MDC for consideration.

I tried to get that ball rolling but it fell flat with no support. You should give it a shot, but don't expect too much participation.

I plan to join MSA in the coming year and help them with their efforts. I don't really know what else to do. I haven't looked into MO Conservation Federation yet, but I plan to do that as well.

[timinmo]

Eric, it maybe naive but the fact is they will more likely put rules into place that they like, rather than ones that we can not agree on here. If I read the reports right the SMA did work, as far as I could tell without increased enforcement, that many seem to be calling for, and according to their own reports, not always on the most favorable streams. I would like to see a start. If it is not right for every stream, so be it.

My point is that we get across to MDC that we want better smallmouth fishing. I will let them figure out how to do it and if I don't agree with their rules I will continue to complain and criticize. I for one, do not believe we can walk into MDC offices and tell them what rules to enact on what streams. I can't see that happening. I don't even see that we all agree on any one set of rules here. Just a guess but do you wonder if all the biologist agree on what regulations would be best. Maybe they sit around arguing about what would work best on Little Creek and Small River.

Tim

[eric1978]

My point is that we get across to MDC that we want better smallmouth fishing. I will let them figure out how to do it and if I don't agree with their rules I will continue to complain and criticize. I for one, do not believe we can walk into MDC offices and tell them what rules to enact on what streams. I can't see that happening. I don't even see that we all agree on any one set of rules here. Just a guess but do you wonder if all the biologist agree on what regulations would be best. Maybe they sit around arguing about what would work best on Little Creek and Small River.

Tim

We may not all agree on specifically what should be done, but the general consensus on OAF is that MDC is not doing enough to implement more SMAs. It wouldn't hurt for MDC to know what a group of concerned anglers thinks about the program, and what that group generally thinks should be done, which is simply: more SMAs, whatever or where ever they may be.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I tried to get that ball rolling but it fell flat with no support.

I don't think its letter that lacks support, but a consensus on regulations. For the MDC to consider something it has to be friendly to a perceived maximum use of the resource without degrading it. While I would have no problem with some of the more restrictive regulations, I think the MDC would.

We have to keep in mind that we don't know the background and interest of many of these biologist. I suspect that's a bigger problem than we realize.

[eric1978]

We have to keep in mind that we don't know the background and interest of many of these biologist. I suspect that's a bigger problem than we realize.

I don't really think it's the biologists that are the problem. I think it's probably more "other factors" within the MDC that stunts progress. The biologists provide scientific data, and then that data is plugged into a formula that includes variables like "regulatory support," and what comes out at the other end is, I'm fairly certain, usually not what the biologists recommended.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Eric i haven't known, or talked to many biologist, but everyone I have seems to have a narrow interest. One of the most memorable was when I expressed some displeasure in there being no limit on a burgeoning largemouth population in a high altitude reservoir. The lake above it had been illegally stocked with LM and had become well known, not to mention an economic asset, because of the LM. Early predictions that they would decimate the Rainbows didn't pan out, and it was then being manage with the LM, but each lake had its own Biologist. The fish naturally wandered down stream and became an even better fishery in the lake below. His response was that they were not native and therefore it didn't matter whether they were an asset or not. The problem I had with this was, the lake was formed by a dam and the most popular species, besides the LM, were Kokanee and Browns, one not native to the watershed and the other not native to the continent!!! When I pointed this out he abruptly realized he was very busy.