Multi-language regulation signs

[Phil Lilley]

The law changed this year. You need a stamp if you're fishing above highway 65 bridge, regardless if you're keeping or releasing fish. Goes for everyone.

[Danoinark]

Here's the trout stamp info from Phil's site:

Trout Regs

Dano

[Mike B]

Hey guys, I think the using of bait is getting worse rather than getting better. When they first put in the trophy area I would see a few people using bait and I would advise them of the new rules and I think most people really did not know the new rules. Now I think most know them they just ignore them. The last two weeks I have made several trips to Taney and almost every time I catch a trout that has been gut hooked and has line hanging out of its mouth. THe last one I caught like this was a 16 inch rainbow on saturday morning and it still had the synthetic egg in its mouth attached to the hook.

ALso, I see fewer fish in the trophy area than before. It seems to me the last two summers the numbers have diminished in the trophy area. In the winter it appears to be full of fish and it is not unusual for me to catch 50 to 60 fish in a few hours, but in the summer that drops to about 20 to 30 in the same time frame. I don't think the fishing has changed, just in the summer the fish are not there. Does not make sense to me, because with them not running much water lately you would think more fish would migrate to the cooler water up the lake.

Last Saturday I fished for trout for a couple of hours in 55 degree water above fall creek and then boated down past Branson to fish for bass in 80 degree water. You can't tell me that the trout like the 80 degree water over the 55 degree. I guess they could go deep in the lower end of the lake, but I imagine they would migrate to the upper end eventually.

I think better signage telling people the rules would help. You don't see a sign warning you of the trophy area unless you actually stop and read it on the one sign at the hatchery location. I would be glad to pitch in a few bucks to post some better signs, Then make the fines higher for violation.

Anyway, something has to put a stop to it, or our problem will grow. People that get away with bait fishing and keeping fish in the slot and over their limit will tell their buddies, and their buddies show up and do the same thing and it just snowballs.

Sorry, so long, but I don't write very often, but I do love to fish in Taney and it gets me when people disobey the rules. One last thing, is there a local phone number that we can call when we see a violation to report it?