What Do You Think

[FishinCricket]

I'm sure your Niangua smallies enjoy eating trout just the same as all of those smallies you guys stuck on the NFOW on rainbow colored Rapalas.

Well smallies can't get into the raceways, and they don't stock them in the spring/river until they are at least 8-9 inches (used to be larger).. So I dunno how often a Smallie will get to the stocker rainbow population...

[Gavin]

I dont have much of a gripe with folks keeping an occassional trout in the 18" plus category off the blue ribbons...I keep one occassionally...2 browns & 1 rainbow in the past 3-4 years...maybe 5-6 in the past 10 years....I just see a disconnect in between managing for quality trout with a 1>18" limit below Montauk, and allowing an angler to keep 4 small tidler 15" browns within the park limits.

Browns are a stocked exotic...but they are a fish that has a high trophy value among the anglers in this state. We have restrictive limits in virtually every place that they are stocked. Lake Taneycomo...1>20" limit, Current River & North Fork of the White 1>18" limit...its no wonder that these streams produce allot of quality brown trout.

Then we have our second tier streams that recieve brown trout. The Meramec, Roubidoux, & Lower NFoW. They are managed for 2 fish over 15"...both can produce some quality fish, but not as well as the first tier stream sections...Finally we get to our third tier streams that recieve brown trout...The Niangua & Capps Creek...These streams dont have a great track record of producing quality brown trout...The Niangua can, but doesnt produce many for some reason...might have something to do with the ability to take 4 browns >15".

Frankly, I think the Niangua would be the stream that would benefit the most if MDC adopted a statewide limit of 1 brown trout...Legal harvest would be reduced by 75%....just look what happened on the Current when the went from 3>15" to 1>18"...Legal Harvest was reduced by 66%, and the average size of the brown trout went through the roof. I used to be rare to catch more than a couple over 14.5" brown trout in a weekend down there....These days, those 14-15" fish dont even register.

[stlfisher]

I dont have much of a gripe with folks keeping an occassional trout in the 18" plus category off the blue ribbons...I keep one occassionally...2 browns & 1 rainbow in the past 3-4 years...maybe 5-6 in the past 10 years....I just see a disconnect in between managing for quality trout with a 1>18" limit below Montauk, and allowing an angler to keep 4 small tidler 15" browns within the park limits.

Browns are a stocked exotic...but they are a fish that has a high trophy value among the anglers in this state. We have restrictive limits in virtually every place that they are stocked. Lake Taneycomo...1>20" limit, Current River & North Fork of the White 1>18" limit...its no wonder that these streams produce allot of quality brown trout.

Then we have our second tier streams that recieve brown trout. The Meramec, Roubidoux, & Lower NFoW. They are managed for 2 fish over 15"...both can produce some quality fish, but not as well as the first tier stream sections...Finally we get to our third tier streams that recieve brown trout...The Niangua & Capps Creek...These streams dont have a great track record of producing quality brown trout...The Niangua can, but doesnt produce many for some reason...might have something to do with the ability to take 4 browns >15".

Frankly, I think the Niangua would be the stream that would benefit the most if MDC adopted a statewide limit of 1 brown trout...Legal harvest would be reduced by 75%....just look what happened on the Current when the went from 3>15" to 1>18"...Legal Harvest was reduced by 66%, and the average size of the brown trout went through the roof. I used to be rare to catch more than a couple over 14.5" brown trout in a weekend down there....These days, those 14-15" fish dont even register.

I agree. Nice summary. Glad to see we are back to the topic at hand.

Why do you think the Niangua is managed as a white ribbon section? I guess i am curious as to why there are not as many big brown's as in Current. Is it due mostly to habitat or management practices? Maybe a bit of both? The water looks good, but I have only driven down to see it and haven't been able to fish it.

[Gavin]

Cricket & Wayne would be the fellows to ask about the Niangua's ills...I havent floated it more than a half dozen times, the scenery wasnt anything special, and the habitat appeared to be degraded in lots of spots (floater trash, eroded mud banks, & cows). Lots of eagles down there in the winter time though.

[FishinCricket]

Cricket & Wayne would be the fellows to ask about the Niangua's ills...I havent floated it more than a half dozen times, the scenery wasnt anything special, and the habitat appeared to be degraded in lots of spots (floater trash, eroded mud banks, & cows). Lots of eagles down there in the winter time though.

You're pretty well on the button with that assessment.. What the eagles can't get to, the giggers can when the river is low all winter...

Lots of meat hunters around here.. I know one guy who eats 8 trout a week or more, and he LOVES hookin the bigguns... (he's poor and lives near the river)

[stlfisher]

Sounds like a combination...kinda what I figured. Too bad the habitat isn't better, but probably the right management all things considered. Thanks for the info guys.

BTW Cricket I never did make it down to the Niangua on my trip to the area in June. I still have the info you gave me though and hopefully can make it down for a day during the winter.

[FishinCricket]

Sounds like a combination...kinda what I figured. Too bad the habitat isn't better, but probably the right management all things considered. Thanks for the info guys.

BTW Cricket I never did make it down to the Niangua on my trip to the area in June. I still have the info you gave me though and hopefully can make it down for a day during the winter.

No worries, I'm sure we'll see you around eventually..

[mikepeace]

Hi,

This is Mike Peace from Larry's at BSSP. With the hot July weather, we are seeing alot of the big brown trout move up into the stream, and several large lunkers have been taken at the dam.

We also question the limit reduction to 4 since the hatchery had been able to sustain a limit of 5 for decades even when zone 2 at BSSP allowed soft plastic worms and salmon eggs which

resulted in everyone limiting out and also many fish gut hooked and still released. With the major expansion of the hatchery, they should be able to sustain the original park opening limit of 6 trout.

Many of our customers are upset over the limit reduction. We are planning to add a survey to our website and possibly even a petition. Our efforts to get a rationale response for the limit reduction from MDC have gone unanswered. I would be very keen for feedback from everyone.

Kind Regards,

Mike Peace

Webmaster

http://www.bennettspring.com

That is great news regarding the angler in question. Congrats to him for his catches. Better than I would have done.

You are right fish will move and will put themselves at risk, but I think the habitat is different between the Niangua/Bennett and Montauk/Current. I believe the Niangua below BSSP park is managed as a white ribbon section...possibly because the habitat may not be as good as the Blue Ribbon stretch. It makes sense to me to have the Niangua managed as a White Ribbon stretch. I am sure there are big brown's in the Niangua, but I don't think the potential is anything like the Current. It seems counter intuitive to what the MDC is trying to manage to have a 4 brown limit of legal fish in the park while a few yards downtream they are trying to produce and maintain a trophy type fishery with one fish over 18. This seem counter productive since migration between the fish in these areas is well noted.

I don't have enough personal experience regarding taney besides what i have read so I can't offer an opinion on that water...besides that i need to fish it soon.

Another thing I always found odd at Montauk/Curent is that sections of the bait water (the area these fish were taken) above the blue ribbon stretch on the Current are closed during the winter. I don't know why that is, but it seems strange.

I found it very surprising you could keep 4 browns of legal size a day in a trout park when they are stocked and managed quite differently than rainbows. I found it odd the MDC wasn't even sure of the regulations.

It almost seems like an oversight or a loophole to me.

[Idylwilde]

Hi,

This is Mike Peace from Larry's at BSSP. With the hot July weather, we are seeing alot of the big brown trout move up into the stream, and several large lunkers have been taken at the dam.

We also question the limit reduction to 4 since the hatchery had been able to sustain a limit of 5 for decades even when zone 2 at BSSP allowed soft plastic worms and salmon eggs which

resulted in everyone limiting out and also many fish gut hooked and still released. With the major expansion of the hatchery, they should be able to sustain the original park opening limit of 6 trout.

Many of our customers are upset over the limit reduction. We are planning to add a survey to our website and possibly even a petition. Our efforts to get a rationale response for the limit reduction from MDC have gone unanswered. I would be very keen for feedback from everyone.

Kind Regards,

Mike Peace

Webmaster

http://www.bennettspring.com

So with the rules that have in place now 6 Brown trout could be taken at 15"?????? I don't realy care about the rainbow's that the state want to give up inside the park but at this point I for one hate to see the trophy water we worked so hard for get robbed of the fish that wander into the onslot of the park. Heck give them 10 Bows a day if they feel they can keep pace with the put & Take of the park.

[stlfisher]

So with the rules that have in place now 6 Brown trout could be taken at 15"?????? I don't realy care about the rainbow's that the state want to give up inside the park but at this point I for one hate to see the trophy water we worked so hard for get robbed of the fish that wander into the onslot of the park. Heck give them 10 Bows a day if they feel they can keep pace with the put & Take of the park.

I agree.