Oaf Angler Is, Eeeek, A Baitfisher Of Smallies..

[kkirchmer]

Kurt Kichmer you my friend are a fool if you think that the smallie pictured in the article, caught on a live crawdad is going to live after you release it back into the Castor. That fished looked so stressed and striped up, it looked like it was on it's last seconds of life.What a tool!!! give me a brake!!! My nieces and nephews know the rules and regulations of every stream we go fish, and they have been schooled on C&R and they are so enthusiastic about going fishing with me I have to beat then off with a stick. C&R does not discourage a kid from fishing because they can't keep one, that is the biggest farce I have ever heard of!!! Generally a kids opinons and thoughts on fishing are developed by who takes them fishing and ansewers all the questions. It sounds like if you are bummed about not dragging a Smallie home to show off then so will your kids.This article is crap and so is that publication and the mentality of some Missouri fisherman is pathetic and will never change. That is the biggest reason why Smallies are under the gun, some landowners don't give darn about the enviroment in which the rivers and streams flow thru.They are not stewarts of the land and water.Some guys have to stroke their ego and kill a fish and show it off, fisherman like that are pathetic joke!!! I don't care what your argument is, if you have problems with me come to 1314 Charmwood dr Saint Louis,MO 63122 or you can come to my farm # 29 Thickety Ford rd Bourbon,MO 65441...look for the sign that says : If you can read this you ARE in range of my gun...beware unless you have permission to be here: I am so sick of the attitudes of of some Missouri outdoorsmen........thanks for pissing me off before I go on a three day float.........I think I'm going to use crawdads and minnows exclusively and keep all the big Smallies in a cooler to bring back home to show the nieghbors!!!

Where did I ever say anything bad about Catch and Release? Where did I say I've used live bait as an adult?

Lol, I have never kept a smallmouth since I have been old enough to fish on my own. I do keep sunfish goggle eye, and crappie but even those are usually caught on a tube. I prefer a bitsy tube texas rigged. The smallmouth I caught was on a yum crawbug and it not only lived but has been caught since the picture.

If you notice I was talking about bait fishing as a child because I wasn't real skilled with throwing a baitcaster at 4 and 5 years old. I think when children are young that is part of the fun, catching crawdads and minnows is part of the experience.

I catch and release all bass regardless of smallmouth or largemouth because I choose to but I don't have a problem with people using live bait if that is what they choose because they aren't breaking the law.

I love the fact that you publicly threaten people, I hope nobody ever gets hurt on your property because you might have a lawsuit on your hands.

I also like the fact that you called me a tool without ever meeting me. It's kind of funny considering we agree in most threads.

I hope you caught lots of fish and had a good time because that was the point of the original post to show that no matter what your reason is for fishing it should be fun and that the MDC has regulations for a reason.

Have a great day.

[kkirchmer]

I agree with you, BTW, how did you get bit by a copperhead?

I was about 10 and was fishing the creek that ran behind my house for sunfish. I wasn't paying attention and the copperhead was using my tackle box for shade. I reached down to grab something and it bit my hand. I still get a little edgy around them.

[kkirchmer]

Sorry, just had to post this one. What is the survival rate of a smallie that swallows a crawdad and a hook?

River Hills Traveler Link

Never had a fishing day that wasn’t fun

I find it amusing that the folks who constantly complain about restrictions on fishing all have the same argument. “It takes the fun out of everything” to quote Ken Elfrink of Robertsville.

I have been fishing for 30 years now and I have never had a day that wasn’t fun. I have been caught in some of the worst storms, been bit by a copperhead, and been hooked by my buddy but I always have a good time. That is the whole point of going for me and everyone I fish with. We catch plenty of fish to eat and have plenty of stories to tell, it may not be every trip but that’s okay because the grocery store will have plenty. (I wish I knew where they fished).

Every now and then we catch a big fish (my personal best small mouth is 18 inches) caught out of the Jacks Fork in a management area. My goal is to catch one 20 inches or so and that is another reason I go so I can try to match or beat my previous best. Yes I could travel to Tennessee or to Michigan and catch a 6 pound smallmouth out of a lake or large river but it doesn’t have the same appeal to me that wading an ice cold Ozark stream and fighting the best sport fish I have ever had a pleasure to catch close to home does.

Another argument I hear is that restrictions kill kids fishing because they can’t keep anything.Really, because as a kid on the Current and Jacks Fork I caught a ton of sunfish, goggle eye, and if I was lucky a decent sized smallmouth and if it was legal to keep the fish we did and had it for dinner. Kids don’t care what they catch as long as they catch fish, and I can’t remember a trip that we couldn’t catch something with a crawdad below a split shot.

The Ozark streams in my opinion are the prettiest and best fishing in the state. The restrictions have never kept me from wanting to go fishing, it may limit the type of fish I can keep but I never go away unhappy and if you have ever seen me you know I definitely don’t go away hungry.

I am not a biologist and I don’t know what is best for our fisheries but I do know I always catch bigger fish in the management areas. Case in point is floating above Alley Springs and floating below Alley Springs. The last five years I’ve floated both every year and it isn’t even close in comparison. The management area produces bigger fish and larger numbers of fish.

I agree with Mr. Todd that the Ozarks are great but I disagree when he says the management areas aren’t working. I also don’t think he fairly compared the Ozarks to bodies of water that were the same when it came to catching large smallmouth. I believe an 18-20 in smallmouth in those streams are amazing and I would love to see more of them. I don’t agree that regulations run people off and keep them from fishing. I have never met a person who stopped fishing because of regulations. I can always find a place to fish that suits what I’m looking for whether it be a stringer for dinner or a personal best for a replica mount.

The MDC gets paid to study and protect our fisheries. I may not always agree with their regulations but they are looking at a broad picture and in my opinion most people who disagree with them are doing so based on their own wants and not what is best for the wildlife.

Everyone has a right to their opinion and I’m glad we have one of the best Conservation Departments in the country that actually listen to the residents when considering regulations. And I have faith they will ultimately make the right decision and do what is best for the wildlife and not what is best for us. Without the wildlife we will have nothing to hunt or fish and nothing for future generations to enjoy because you will always have people who abuse every system and ruin it for everyone else. Regulations aren’t a bad thing in my opinion.

I hope Mr. Todd and Mr. Elfrink have fun the next time they go fishing and we may disagree on certain regulations but I think we all have a passion for fishing and that is a great thing to have in my opinion.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe summer and gets to catch a lot of fish. (Even if they are too small to keep)

LOL, this wasn't about Catch and Release but I guess you can make that arguement. I haven't bait fished since I was a kid and I guess I should have been more clear but to be honest I wasn't thinking about that. If you notice I was talking about my fishing trips as a child and we did bait fish more back then.

I still don't have a problem with people who choose to fish with bait, it's not illegal and I think for little kids it is more fun since they have a chance to catch crawdads and make minnow traps.

For me it's more fun to throw on my back pack and grab my gear and wade fish, it's a heck of a lot easier to grab a tube out of my pack than catching crawdads and then dragging a minnow bucket. That's just my opinion.

[kkirchmer]

Make that a can of worms, or a bucket of minnows......

I think this one is going to go well. When I fish with live bait, what I catch is what I keep if it is legal. I use crickets and meal worms for gills, minnows for crappie, worms for catfish. But, when I plan to catch and release other species I don't eat like bass and trout, I use artificials or flies. The fish just swallow bait too deep and you damage gill and gullets more than artificial. Less mortality.

Quick question though, how do you keep from catching smallmouth if you baitfish for other species. And what if you catch a non-legal fish that swallows the hook while baitfishing for other species?

[kkirchmer]

"Oaf Angler Is, Eeeek, A Baitfisher Of Smallies.. And a Meat Fisher Too." LOL, this is funny, great spin by the way.

Where did I specifically say I target smallmouth with live bait?

I did say "as a kid on the Current and Jacks Fork I caught a ton of sunfish, goggle eye, and if I was lucky a decent sized smallmouth and if it was legal to keep the fish we did and had it for dinner." And we did keep the occasional smallmouth when I was younger. But we were always following the MDC regulations, I always had a copy of the rules in my tackle box.

I also said "Kids don’t care what they catch as long as they catch fish, and I can’t remember a trip that we couldn’t catch something with a crawdad below a split shot.'

I guess if you try to spin it and run the two together it sort of makes sense. And we bait fished alot as a kid growing up, that was most of the fun spending an hour or so catching crawdads and minnows first thing in the morning.

I do eat fish quite often, sunfish, goggle eye, and crappie are my favorite and I keep what the MDC says is legal. The majority of the fish I eat is tilapia from the store though. You can still fry it up and make it taste good.

I'll give you an A for effort on making me look like some crazy fish destroying maniac. You did forget this one though "The MDC gets paid to study and protect our fisheries. I may not always agree with their regulations but they are looking at a broad picture and in my opinion most people who disagree with them are doing so based on their own wants and not what is best for the wildlife."

I choose to catch and release and if I do keep it has never been bass of any species. You seem to have forgot to mention this part too " I can always find a place to fish that suits what I’m looking for whether it be a stringer for dinner or a personal best for a replica mount."

I hope everyone is having a great year of fishing, I haven't been out as much as I would like but I'm looking forward to fall and hopefully catching my personal best smallie that gets photographed and put back like all of the other pictures I have posted on here. LOL

[Fly_Guy]

Poor bloke - a fellow shouldn't have to defend himself from a bunch of yahoos for how he fishes inside the law. period. When times have been tight, I've been glad to bait-fish for some local white bass, and I was kicking myself for throwing back a good lgmth (instinct I guess) when I was trying to catch supper.

[kkirchmer]

Sorry, just had to post this one. What is the survival rate of a smallie that swallows a crawdad and a hook?

River Hills Traveler Link

Never had a fishing day that wasn’t fun

I find it amusing that the folks who constantly complain about restrictions on fishing all have the same argument. “It takes the fun out of everything” to quote Ken Elfrink of Robertsville.

I have been fishing for 30 years now and I have never had a day that wasn’t fun. I have been caught in some of the worst storms, been bit by a copperhead, and been hooked by my buddy but I always have a good time. That is the whole point of going for me and everyone I fish with. We catch plenty of fish to eat and have plenty of stories to tell, it may not be every trip but that’s okay because the grocery store will have plenty. (I wish I knew where they fished).

Every now and then we catch a big fish (my personal best small mouth is 18 inches) caught out of the Jacks Fork in a management area. My goal is to catch one 20 inches or so and that is another reason I go so I can try to match or beat my previous best. Yes I could travel to Tennessee or to Michigan and catch a 6 pound smallmouth out of a lake or large river but it doesn’t have the same appeal to me that wading an ice cold Ozark stream and fighting the best sport fish I have ever had a pleasure to catch close to home does.

Another argument I hear is that restrictions kill kids fishing because they can’t keep anything.Really, because as a kid on the Current and Jacks Fork I caught a ton of sunfish, goggle eye, and if I was lucky a decent sized smallmouth and if it was legal to keep the fish we did and had it for dinner. Kids don’t care what they catch as long as they catch fish, and I can’t remember a trip that we couldn’t catch something with a crawdad below a split shot.

The Ozark streams in my opinion are the prettiest and best fishing in the state. The restrictions have never kept me from wanting to go fishing, it may limit the type of fish I can keep but I never go away unhappy and if you have ever seen me you know I definitely don’t go away hungry.

I am not a biologist and I don’t know what is best for our fisheries but I do know I always catch bigger fish in the management areas. Case in point is floating above Alley Springs and floating below Alley Springs. The last five years I’ve floated both every year and it isn’t even close in comparison. The management area produces bigger fish and larger numbers of fish.

I agree with Mr. Todd that the Ozarks are great but I disagree when he says the management areas aren’t working. I also don’t think he fairly compared the Ozarks to bodies of water that were the same when it came to catching large smallmouth. I believe an 18-20 in smallmouth in those streams are amazing and I would love to see more of them. I don’t agree that regulations run people off and keep them from fishing. I have never met a person who stopped fishing because of regulations. I can always find a place to fish that suits what I’m looking for whether it be a stringer for dinner or a personal best for a replica mount.

The MDC gets paid to study and protect our fisheries. I may not always agree with their regulations but they are looking at a broad picture and in my opinion most people who disagree with them are doing so based on their own wants and not what is best for the wildlife.

Everyone has a right to their opinion and I’m glad we have one of the best Conservation Departments in the country that actually listen to the residents when considering regulations. And I have faith they will ultimately make the right decision and do what is best for the wildlife and not what is best for us. Without the wildlife we will have nothing to hunt or fish and nothing for future generations to enjoy because you will always have people who abuse every system and ruin it for everyone else. Regulations aren’t a bad thing in my opinion.

I hope Mr. Todd and Mr. Elfrink have fun the next time they go fishing and we may disagree on certain regulations but I think we all have a passion for fishing and that is a great thing to have in my opinion.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe summer and gets to catch a lot of fish. (Even if they are too small to keep)

Oh you forgot to mention this part too "Everyone has a right to their opinion and I’m glad we have one of the best Conservation Departments in the country that actually listen to the residents when considering regulations. And I have faith they will ultimately make the right decision and do what is best for the wildlife and not what is best for us. Without the wildlife we will have nothing to hunt or fish and nothing for future generations to enjoy because you will always have people who abuse every system and ruin it for everyone else. Regulations aren’t a bad thing in my opinion."

I guess I should have been more clear on the two sentences that were mixed together to turn me into the bait fishing, smallmouth killing, child eating, bunny crushing, he man woman hater that some would like me to be. LOL

Sorry I'm just a guy who likes to fish and enjoy the best of what god gave us. I have plenty of pictures posted so you can give me horns and a tail if you like, I don't mind.

[kkirchmer]

Oh you also forgot this part "Yes I could travel to Tennessee or to Michigan and catch a 6 pound smallmouth out of a lake or large river but it doesn’t have the same appeal to me that wading an ice cold Ozark stream and fighting the best sport fish I have ever had a pleasure to catch close to home does."

All of the people I know that use the term sport fish catch and release the fish they are talking about.

[stlfisher]

I must be missing something because i didn't really get the same impression that many of you have.

[Trav]

Parakeets or Finches? Both have worked well for me. Rottweiler is a bit of overkill.

Using a Rott is like throwing dynamite into a farm pond....lol