Report 12/17

[fish hunter]

What about the "boot and a scud" technique?

[Roaring River Veteran]

Fish Hunter,

Mainly fishing RR, where wading isn't allowed, or Taney at night I don't see the boot scud boogie around here much. I have seen it at bennet spgs a few times and even Taney once during a day trip.

Your question goes back to the ethics of fishing. I don't know if it applys to anyone on this board. It seems like most of the people on this board are fishermen and not meat hunters. I think most of the people we see doing the boot scudding boogie couldn't care less about ethics they are there for one reason and that is to get a limit of fish. They might as well throw in chum at least that way they wouldn't be harming the scud population.

I have seen fish down stream of me at times and I can see where it would be very tempting to throw a fly in the middle of them, but if you're not keeping fish I don't see the point. I would rather catch less fish that I had to work for than to catch a bunch that I was feeding.

Now before anyone gets on me about the meat hunter comments. Y'all know what I am talking about. I am not a die hard catch and release man. If you want to keep fish great. I'll take mine with lots of butter, lemon, garlic, salt and pepper and placed on a smoker full of apple wood for about 2 1/2 hours please. I pay for my license and tags just like y'all and I figure that I'm entitled to eat a fish now and then just as you are.

Good Luck and Good Fishing

RRV

[tippet7]

There are a ton of fishermen with bad manners, no matter where you go. I witnessed 2 guys almost get into a fist fight in the middle of Taneycomo last summer! Why? Because the 1 guy walked directly in front of the other guy while he was casting. There is so much room out there, even when there are a lot of people out there. There is no excuse for walking that close to another fishermen. NONE.

As far as the having a wildlife officer near. I have NEVER seen one in almost 5 years of fishing on Taneycomo. Back in Oct, there was a guy fishing at outlet #2, actually he wasnt fishing he was snagging. he would throw his fly into the runoff, then snap his wrist in a snagging motion. I laughed at him and asked "Are you sure thats a legal way to "catch" fish?" I said catch in a very sarcastic tone. He just ignored me, he was hooking into a fish on almost every cast. I finally got sick of it and went to Anglers & Archers to ask them to call someone. I was told that the guy was reported the day before as well, by the time an officer got there he was gone. same discription (camo waders, goofy looking hat) well, no officer ever showed up that day either.

[Phil Lilley]

Go to or call the hatchery. 417-334-4865, dial 0 for the operator. Ask for John, Brian or James.

I called them yesterday after a guest just came from outlet 2- he told me there were 2 anglers using bait from the bank below the outlet. I talked to John- he went down and talked to the guys (they were using scuds, spin gear). John called me back inside 20 minutes and reported back to me.

I call Quinton first. If I don't get him, I call the hatchery. The hatchery personell have responded everytime I've called. They can't write a ticket but they can, as an offical, tell them what the rules are and that they can have an agent there in ?? minutes... it's done the trick every time for me.

Best to get as much info as possible- description of person(s) and if you can identify a vehicle, lisc # and make/model.

Make sure they're doing something illegal... snagging in the outlet- the agent has to 100% sure that's his intentions cause it's hard to prove in court otherwise. But I understand what you're saying about that- I hate it too.

[Steve Smith]

I tried to stay out of this one, but just can't stand it. Interpretation of MDC law is hard enough to sort through without throwing ethics in the batch. Just prior to C&R opening, the local paper in Cassville had a MDC article that clearly stated the fish could not be removed from the water. When they posted the rules in the park, the wording was changed to “released immediately”. I can’t speak for the other three trout parks, but Roaring River has one to three agents circling the park almost constantly. Some of them have been in uniform and some not. As I believe RRV mentioned, reasonable effort to abide by the law is acceptable and expected. If you hold a fish just long enough to quickly snap a picture… that is considered reasonable as immediate release. If you carry a fish away from the bank you’ll probably have at least one agent in your face. There are way too many that drag their fish on the bank, let the fish struggle there while they retrieve their dollar fly; and then kick the fish back into the water. Unethical… yes; but the violation is at the digression of the agent.

[Arkamo Traveler]

Good stuff, here is what I struggle with: When and how do you approach someone? Usually, I am burning up on the inside when I see someone doing something assinine, which makes it hard to communicate. Ocassionally, people just don't know, and ocasionally they are jerks who do know. Any tips on the confrontation front?

[Roaring River Veteran]

aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh, here we go . The can of worms has been opened and now it is time to pick them up .

Steve is absolutely correct, about the article in the local paper. I was not aware that it had been posted diffrent in the park until after the first weekend I fished. That is why I was shocked when The agent that took my picture on that weekend told me to lift the fish up for the picture. Now my understanding is the same as Steve's. A quick picture is fine but don't dally.

I too have seen people drag fish up the bank during C&R or use a net, then lay them on the bank 10ft from the water, the fish flops now he is on the bank 10 ft from the water and causing damage to itself. I probably don't let this bother me as much as it should, because most of the fish caught are small stockers, but It does aggrivate me when someone does that to a big fish . Like I said earlier, I don't know if a net is okay or not. I have heard arguments both ways. I do have a net that I have carried for several years, but I don't know that it has ever been used. If I were to use a net I would dip the net well before it touches the fish and the bottom of the net would never leave the water especially during the C&R season because like steve said it is the discression of the agent. In my opinion there isn't a fish out there worth paying a fine over. When in doubt error on the side of caution.

The problem with the ethics of fishing is it doesn't only incompass the catching and releasing of fish but the way you treat other people be it another fisherman or their family that came down to watch for the afternoon. It doesn't stop at the stream bank. There have been several times that I have gone down to fish at RR and never put a line in the water. I will strike up a conversation with someone in the parking lot or see someone that I know and spend afternoon watching them fish. I am sure that you all have had people come up to you and ask what you are using or something similar. I would prefer to stop fishing and help them any way I can. I have handed over my fly rod and tried to teach them how to fish with it. Or set up their rods to help them catch fish. I get just as much enjoyment out of helping others catch fish as I do out of catching fish myself.

If I do see someone doing something illegal, I approach the situation as if they don't realize what they are doing is illegal, and I am there to help them. If I get told off then so be it. Because they will get caught, even if I have to turn them in myself. It is just a matter of time. If they wrong you personally by cutting you off or something of such nature I can't help you there, just remember to follow the correct fishermans conduct even it they are not. Assume they don't know any better. Believe that as they become a better fisherman they will learn what they have done is wrong and mend their ways.

Sorry guys didn't mean to get preachy it's jmo.

Good luck and Good fishing

RRV

[tippet7]

"Any tips on the confrontation front"

Throw rocks behind them, they will think a fish just jumped. When they turn to fish that way, throw rocks below them.

Its kind of like "How do you keep an idiot busy?"

[CaptainT16]

"Any tips on the confrontation front"

Throw rocks behind them, they will think a fish just jumped. When they turn to fish that way, throw rocks below them.

Its kind of like "How do you keep an idiot busy?"

Nicely said Tippet! I like that one!

[Tiger Tom]

Had a great time fishing both 12/23 and Christmas Day (confirming I am officially a trout bum), but was really distressed to witness a guy catch a beatiful 24 incher on 12/23 only to drop it on the rocks TEN TIMES (yes I counted) while trying to pose for a pic. The guy was braggin to his buddy about this being the "biggest rainbow he'd caught in the lower 48" and how "he'd caught larger in Alaska." If you're lucky enough to fish in some of the most beautiful places on earth, why in the WORLD aren't you smart enough to properly catch and release a fish. Drop a fish on the rocks once should automatically cause you to forget the picture and get it back in the water. I watched him try to revive the fish in the water for about 5 minutes before I left, cussing under my breath.

Kudos to MDC for a fantastic place to fish, but bah humbug to "fishermen" who kill what took so long to raise. I think instead of a ticket, the violator should be dropped a few times on the rocks from an appropriate height....just my 2 cents.