Trout Fishing...has Anyone Gone Yet?

[stlfisher]

All the winter trout lakes are catch and keep at some point. I don't think anyone is trying to conserve the resource, but would like to see the regulations enforced for the alloted time period. It is respectful to the other people that fish there and follow the rules. Doesn't seem silly to me all.

[ozark trout fisher]

All the winter trout lakes are catch and keep at some point. I don't think anyone is trying to conserve the resource, but would like to see the regulations enforced for the alloted time period. It is respectful to the other people that fish there and follow the rules. Doesn't seem silly to me all.

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with calling the hotline if you see a poacher- do it by all means. I'm certainly not defending the people who use bait or keep fish out of season- If that's the impression that my last post gave, that wasn't my intention.

It's just that I think the MDC would be better off to spend a little more time enforcing the regs on waters where the fish actually have a chance to survive, and provide enjoyment for more than just a couple months.

[troutfiend1985]

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with calling the hotline if you see a poacher- do it by all means. I'm certainly not defending the people who use bait or keep fish out of season- If that's the impression that my last post gave, that wasn't my intention.

It's just that I think the MDC would be better off to spend a little more time enforcing the regs on waters where the fish actually have a chance to survive, and provide enjoyment for more than just a couple months.

If the only purpose for stocking these fish were for dinner then I can see how this argument makes sense. But I think, and have seen on MDC's website is that this urban trout program is also there to supplement fishing in urban areas where there would not otherwise be a viable winter fishing species. So with that in mind, I can see why MDC has regulations on keeping trout. It makes sense, we don't want to spend more money than we have to in order to provide this form of recreation, and like you said these fish aren't going to survive throughout the year. Thus, why not make the amount of fish last as long as we can for the least amount of resources spent?

I'm hardly going to buy that the guys sitting on the buckets are the only reason that the Urban Trout Fishing program exists, they may be a part of the reason, but this is no excuse to deplete a resource. Yes, I said resource in reference to stocked trout that have no chance of surviving. This is a resources because it is public and is a way of people to spend their leisure time. What's is the best for the most? To have a stocking truck continuously restock a pond that has no way of sustaining trout past late April, or to regulate these areas in order to extend a resource? I see no problem with keeping trout for dinner, and that’s not my point. My point is, especially in regards with KC where there is no C&R regulations, there needs to be regulations to maximize the amount of quality angling provided by our resources.

Just my opinion.

[ozark trout fisher]

Yes, I said resource in reference to stocked trout that have no chance of surviving. This is a resources because it is public and is a way of people to spend their leisure time. What's is the best for the most? To have a stocking truck continuously restock a pond that has no way of sustaining trout past late April, or to regulate these areas in order to extend a resource?

As I said earlier in this thread, I'm not against having some of the ponds being C&R only- I think the regs as they are now are about right. As much as anything, I am just kinda poking fun at the folks who fish these winter ponds and think it's some kind of high sport. These are dumb, pellet fed hatchery trout, that had the unfortunate luck to end up in a pond where they are not going to survive more than a couple months. I love releasing a trout (or a bass, or anything else), and thinking about how it may grow larger someday, and maybe even spawn and create offspring to keep the fishery going. But that feeling is pretty hard to come by when I know the fish is gonna die anyway in a couple of months. So it's fine by me if you have your catch and release winter trout ponds. I'm just saying that I'm not interested in fishing them personally.