Vandals On The Ozark National Scenic Rivers.

[old larry]

Maybe we can explain catch and release to the giggers. Or maybe just fish ID chart?

As far as that stretch....I don't go there any more. The fish are just small.......and they have been that way before the otters were introduced. Size limits or better yet slot limits IMO would be beneficial.

Of course giggers don't generally care about any of that. It is a great and wonderful sport. My folks used to do this every winter on the Big Piney. I don't ever remember eating a bass.

Otters? Al makes some good points. IMO we are are the culprits and nature has a way of balancing itself out. It may or may not but we do have the ability to control ourselves. Well......... some of us can.

[Terry Beeson]

Very funny, and they don't pay taxes either. They must be Amish otters.

No... They are illegal aliens...

[Gary Lange]

Has there been any studies done on how much the Otters eat in pounds of fish. I used to Backpack in Isle Royal and the Wolf and Moose population would balance itself. In times when the Moose population was high they wolves would have more pups and when the Moose population was down the wolf population would be down also. With the numbers of fish that spawn each year in our streams I don't think the Otter's are going to eat us out of Smallmouths to catch.

[eric1978]

Has there been any studies done on how much the Otters eat in pounds of fish.

I've read that they'll eat up to 2.5 pounds per day. Fish makes up about half their diet, crayfish and frogs making up most of the rest of it.

[Gary Lange]

I would think that for them to be a real problem with the Smallmouth population there would need to be thousands on each creek and that is if they only ate Smallmouths. I am sure they eat what they can catch. It seems to me that people tend to make a bigger problem out of things then they really are.

[Gavin]

There have been some problems with the otters....but what can you do about it? They arent going away anytime soon so you might as well get used to having them around. Trap them if you can and you have the inclination to do so, but most of us dont have the ability or the inclination. Cheers.

[eric1978]

I would think that for them to be a real problem with the Smallmouth population there would need to be thousands on each creek and that is if they only ate Smallmouths. I am sure they eat what they can catch. It seems to me that people tend to make a bigger problem out of things then they really are.

Yeah, and I'll point out that 2.5 pounds is far less than what the average daily stringer of any meat angler would weigh. So if you have a problem with otters, you have to have a problem with catch and keep anglers, too.

[Smalliebigs]

Touche!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mhall02]

I wonder if otters are any good to eat? You know, otter stew, otter ala mode, otter on the barby, maybe even otter casserole? Maybe they taste like chicken.

[Bird Watcher]

I wonder if otters are any good to eat? You know, otter stew, otter ala mode, otter on the barby, maybe even otter casserole? Maybe they taste like chicken.

Nope. You are what you eat. They taste like trophy smallmouth, trophy largemouth, trophy trout. Roll em in corn meal and fry em' up!