Where Is Everyone?

[jjtroutbum]

Where Is Everyone?

Decent sized pods of fish ? Yep

Decent sized fish ? Sure enough

Seeing many big ones ? Absolutely if the lunker board means anything.

Where exactly are you finding this ?

Montauk

[DoveTail]

Decent sized pods of fish ? Yep

Decent sized fish ? Sure enough

Seeing many big ones ? Absolutely if the lunker board means anything.

Where exactly are you finding this ?

Montauk

[Greg]

I couldnt care less about Bennett Springs

Is a comment like that really necessary on THE Bennett Springs section of the forum? Bennett is not my favorite place to fish but I have many fond memories there and still enjoy fishing there from time to time.

Greg

[troutfiend1985]

So, if Bennett is down, and they run there numbers for future stocking from the previous years numbers and less people are going this year then last year is next years fish population going to be like this years? Thats what I am really wondering. That and when the heck they are going to have a fish cleaning station so the gut fly hatch stops. I think the lack of a fish cleaning station bothers me more than anything, I can live with down years and down numbers but they really need to do something about this. Not only is seeing trout carcasses unsightly, but it makes fishing really weird in that the trout become cannibals. And a C&R zone wouldn't hurt anything, as the great Forest Gump said; "One less thing" in that the MDC would have one less area to stock.

Tight Lines

[FlyFishinFool]

I was down at Bennett Spring 10 days ago (4/27-4/28) during the middle of the week (cool weather and a bit Breezy). I agree that there appears to be less fish than in the mid-summer, but remember - they stock based on average permit sales based on the last several years. There were also definitely less people there than normal, but the fishing was absolutely great.

I fished only Zone-1, started at the head of the island then fished down to the big pool above the hatchery dam (twice) - caught more than 2 dozen fish in about 3 hours. Took a break for lunch then after lunch went upstream and started fishing just below the Holland (rock) dam - caught 15 fish in less than 45 minutes in the fast water, then proceeded to move downstream and caught another 15-20 over the next 2 hours. Day #2 I did almost the same thing and the only difference is that I caught even MORE fish - ended up catching well over 100 fish over the 2 days.

I was also down at Bennett about 3 weeks before that during early April for 2 days (4/8-4/9) during the middle of the week (you just cannot get me down there on a weekend) and again the fishing was pretty good - on those 2 days I caught more than 80 fish while fishing all the areas in Zone-1.

Now I am not sure what equipment y'all are using nor what flies/lures you are fishing, but if you fish dark flies and fish them deep, the fish were more than willing to bite. The other folks I saw doing well were those swinging small wet soft-hackle flies, also those fishing very small white flies (like a mini-crackleback) in the afternoons - they were just knocking them dead on the topwater. I also talked to a couple of guys who had been fishing in Zone-2 and they had caught limits in less than 30 minutes fishing John Deere micro-jigs mid-zone above the hatchery outlet.

Now I am not saying that the fishing is the best it has ever been, nor am I saying that they have not had some periods where the stockers have been a little smaller than what we all like to catch - but I did catch more than a dozen that ran over 1.5 lbs including one that was well over 2 lbs. However, to say the fishing it terrible and there are no fish? Not hardly!!!!

[oneshot]

I couldnt care less about Bennett Springs, but why dont you call or email the hatchery and/or the biologist in charge and ask them what's going on. Lower stocking numbers, smaller fish, numbers of tags sold, trout production problems?I'd be very surprised if they couldnt provide an answer. Cheers.

Ok I just called them,they said they are releasing good numbers and good size.I also talked with the people at Weaver's saying all is well,good number of people.

Went looked at the river,looks perfect fish should be biting on a Bare Hook and last time I fished it the Fish were Big.

I know alot of people are going to say I'm full of BS that they've seen different.I'm just bringing it up because I hate hearing negative and keeping people away from the area considering the economy and so many of my friends and family depending on Tourist $$ to feed their family.

oneshot

[fishinwrench]

so many of my friends and family depend on Tourist $$ to feed their family.

I also talked with the people at Weaver's saying all is well,good number of people.

So I assume from this that everyone is eating ok. No worries then, right ?

[ozark trout fisher]

If Bennett is so bad, you have 10 miles of real trout water in the Niangua. Why crowd the 1 1/2 mile spring branch?

It kind of reminds me of how the folks pile into the social hole at Montauk. They'll complain about how bad the fishing is and how crowded things are when there is 9 miles of Blue Ribbon water and 7 miles of White Ribbon water a couple miles down the road.

[fishinwrench]

If Bennett is so bad, you have 10 miles of real trout water in the Niangua. Why crowd the 1 1/2 mile spring branch?

It kind of reminds me of how the folks pile into the social hole at Montauk. They'll complain about how bad the fishing is and how crowded things are when there is 9 miles of Blue Ribbon water and 7 miles of White Ribbon water a couple miles down the road.

OTF, I think it's Fear and Laziness, but whatever it is I'm thankful for it, in a selfish kinda way.

[oneshot]

So I assume from this that everyone is eating ok. No worries then, right ?

For now but look at the Places closing and changing Hands in the area,know the place my Son is working for this is their last year.

Just really don't need talk of Bad about the Trout and how people an't doing their Job.Yes the Flooding hurt the Trout last year but as far as losing Large Numbers they didn't.There was some problems with the fish but its clearing up this year and if a person didn't know what they was looking for they would have never noticed.

I'll admit I don't fish the Park but I do see on the river one Guy catching fish six people next to him not getting a nibble,just not doing what the fish want.Plus I've seen people just not knowing how to catch them,turn around show them,they start catching.Its not the fish not being there its just matter of giving what they want.

oneshot