Trout Fishing...has Anyone Gone Yet?

[Geoff]

Whats working good out there now? wolly buggers? mohair leeches? Think im gonna try to get some at Tiles this week durning lunch break

[Adamg]

Fished 21 yesterday with my bro. Caught about 7 total in 2 hours on the fly rods with olive and brown woolies. Didn't see anyone else land any except the two poachers using the powerbait. We watched them keep at least 7 or 8 a piece. My brother got there plate number and called DNR. I yelled at them and they treated it like I was the bad guy. The fishing was fun but that put a bad taste in my mouth. They were driving a white dodge ram pickup.

[Gatorjet]

Fished 21 yesterday with my bro. Caught about 7 total in 2 hours on the fly rods with olive and brown woolies. Didn't see anyone else land any except the two poachers using the powerbait. We watched them keep at least 7 or 8 a piece. My brother got there plate number and called DNR. I yelled at them and they treated it like I was the bad guy. The fishing was fun but that put a bad taste in my mouth. They were driving a white dodge ram pickup.

Operation Game Theft 800-392-1111

Don't know how soon they will respond, but it looks like a real problem at Busch.

[stlfisher]

Whats working good out there now? wolly buggers? mohair leeches? Think im gonna try to get some at Tiles this week durning lunch break

I think jigs under an indicator will do well. Stripping has been hit or miss so far with a lot of short strikes...even at night...and really slow stips. I would stick to the float and jig method. I have caught some drifting leeches under an indicator as well.

[T Hood]

I've been out to Busch a few times. Trout Magnets (white, yellow, or green) under an indicator worked at time on lake 21; mostly off of the points. I went out on November 2 when it was first stocked and caught six. I haven't caught more than 3 in a visit since at either 21 or 28.

Jefferson has been decent at times and horrible at times. Mostly small worms along the bottom (white seems to be best followed by green). It was horrible today. When the wind is up, it's hard to get a decent cast. Tillis was OK today as well. I caught one on a small Cleo spoon. The worms and jigs don't seem to work well there, but, the water is awfully dark.

According to the MDC website, and, unfortunately I might add, Suson Park is not catch & release. I took my daughter there this weekend and saw all the folks out there with the powerbait, spinning reels being used upside-down, and sitting on 5 gallon buckets just like they're out for catfish. It's sad to see, but, it's true as I checked with the ranger on duty. This would be a beautiful place to fish if they cleaned up the lake. The water is not anywhere near clear.

It's great that we have trout to go after close to home, but, I'd like to see some of the laws on the books enforced better.

[Geoff]

Hmm, so if i can get out to Busch, looks like i'll keep the 300mm lens on my SLR and get some evidence no one can ignore.

[Gatorjet]

Some food for thought on the Catch and release vs catch and keep trout fisheries. Of the 17 lakes in the St. Louis area, only 7 are catch and release. Of those 17, 5 are at Busch, and three of them are catch and keep. In Kansas City all 5 are catch and keep, with one being restricted to ages under 16. Cities with only one area, Columbia, Jackson, Jefferson City, Kirksville, and ST. Joseph are all catch and release.

Now, my question. Do you think the program would even exist without the interest of those who choose to keep the fish they catch. It is just like Taneycomo with it's Trophy area. If people want to keep fish that have been stocked in the lake they can below Fall Creek. If people want to fish for trophy fish they have the area above Fall Creek. I don't even agree with the 20" limit. I think they all should be released up there. They will live past the warmer months, not like the fish that are stocked in the Winter Trout Program.

A mixture of catch and release, and catch and keep lakes is what is needed to provide enough interest in the program to keep it alive. You may not like it, but those people sitting on 5 gallon buckets with a stringer attached are a big part of why MDC even provides this opportunity for you and them.

The regulations need to be enforced, but catch and keep is legal in more than half the areas.

Just my 2 cents worth. I haven't even fished any of them in a couple years. Might give it a try this year.

[stlfisher]

I agree with your post. I don't have any problems with the catch and keep lakes, but of the 7 catch and release lakes in St. Louis you see guys using bait and not following regulations when there are 10 other lakes they can go to to catch there limit. They come to the catch and release lakes because there is more fish and the fishing is better...hmmm..wonder why that is. The p0aching has been better this year at Forest Park, but I ran into 3 guys on Saturday that were using power bait and had 5 dead fish floating in front of them. My buddy politely told them the rules, they pretty much stated "if we get caught so be it." I walked to my car and called the hotline...they watched me the entire time and left shortly after...before the agent could arrive.

It is not catch and keep lakes that i have a problem with or even the few anglers that just aren't sure of the regulations, but the blatent disregard for the rules by some get's me pretty fired up.

I am not much of catch and keep guy. I really don't eat fish or even want to mess with it, but I realize others enjoy that. For that reason I pretty much stay at the catch and release areas and leave them to fish in peace the way they enjoy. Trout parks I don't mind either and I do keep a few fish every now and then to eat if I think it might not survive the release. There are plenty of fish in those areas that the experience for the most part is good for everyone.

Overall, I love the Urban Trout Program...mostly for the fact that I can drive 10 minutes hang with the other regulars and enjoy a relaxing day shooting the breeze and catching a few fish.

However, there are two things I would change about the Winter Trout Program. One, post a sign about the regulations that all can see. At some lakes there is no sign that is readily visable. I have thought of doing this myself, but I don't think the MDC would like that very much.

Second, extend the catch and release season at the catch and release lakes to March 1st. Those fish could survive easily through the end of March and probably most of April. Come February 1st I don't fish much as the lakes get cleaned out in a few weeks and the environment that ensues is some of the worst fishing behavior of the year.

[mhall02]

Second, extend the catch and release season at the catch and release lakes to March 1st. Those fish could survive easily through the end of March and probably most of April. Come February 1st I don't fish much as the lakes get cleaned out in a few weeks and the environment that ensues is some of the worst fishing behavior of the year.

I would agree with this, usually there is ice on the lake on Feb. 1 and it would be nice to have one more month of fun, and hopefully the ice would be gone in mid Feb. I have no intentions of walking on the ice out there.

[ozark trout fisher]

I am all about catch and release trout regulations where they have a chance to hold over, but not so on the winter trout ponds. They have no year-round fish carrying capacity-they simply are not trout habitat in any since of the word. Frankly, the idea of "conserving the resource" on a water where the trout have absolutely no chance of surviving spring warm-up seems downright silly. I understand that the MDC wants to make the fishery last longer into the winter-and that's certainly not all bad. I think their current system of some C&R lakes and some catch and keep lakes is about right.

So I do fish the winter lakes, but only the catch and keep ones, or the others after Feb. 1. The only reason I do it is for a trout dinner-and why not? They're gonna all die anyway come April or May. Quite frankly, I figure I'm doing the trout a favor-being immediately killed and eaten is a much better fate for a trout than dying in the warm waters of late spring. For all other types of trout fishing for me, it's all about fly rods and catch and release, but on the winter ponds it's all about Powerbait and a trout dinner-a little hillbilly trout fishing if you will. Keep the first two I catch, go home, and get the lemon and butter out. And there's no guilt whatsoever seeing as how they're going to die anyway.