Trophy Lake

[inshore]

As an old fart who in years past was a trout guide on tailwaters in Tenn.. Also was a charter captain on a private boat out of Panama City Beach,Fl.

for ten years. Had some thoughts on TR or any lake in Mo..

1. All fish over 21 inches are to be released. Only 4 keepers between 15 and 21 would be allowed to be kept. This would include tournaments.

2. From 4/1 to 6/1 fishing would be catch and release only. This would be hard on tournaments but not impossible.

3. All tournaments would have to be certified that release fish were held properly and released unharmed.

This may sound like I'm anti tournament but I'm not. I am against the money in fishing as in politics. It appears since I moved back to Mo. no one just fishes for the pure pleasure of fishing.

Please try to make your replies civil.

[rainbow]

no one just fishes for the pure pleasure of fishing.

I do so that's at least one.

[Quillback]

I do so that's at least one.

Make it two. Catch and release for black bass would be fine by me.

[exiledguide]

I do so that's at least one.

Add me, thats two. I don't like your slot limit, I'd rather have no keepers between 12 and 21 inches and keep your limit under or above. I don't normally keep anything over 12' to eat but if I want fish and I can't eat the smaller ones than I might be tempted to kill larger fish. Sorry, I like fresh fish. I haven't killed a Smallmouth since 1999 in a lake in NW Ontario and haven't lilled a stream smallmouth since the early '80s. But if it's a Largemouth,Kentucky, Crappie, White Bass, Walleye, Catfish, or Trout they are released to the Grease.

[steveearle]

--Money is going to play no matter what, whether its directly or indirectly. There are industries that count on fisherman (tournament and otherwise) such as lodging, tackle etc. These tournaments pump money into these business at an exponential level, compared to leisure-level fishing.

--Tournaments can be an easy targets, as there is "visible' mortality. I am much more concerned with "non-tournament" meat eaters damaging a fishery than tournament anglers. Most of this is simply not visible.

--Spawn tournaments, I believe, are an emotional issue, not a conservation issue. I believe a lake will have a similar recruitment of young, with or without spawn tournaments...There is a stress level invloved, but from my personal experience, post-spawn, warm water fish are much mrore stressed than spawn fish.

--Many or most of today lakes are at a peak, even a tournament fihsing is at an all-time high. For the lakes that are not, it is mosly due to envirnomental factors and human factors not associated with fishing. Droughts, grass-removal (even though much of it is non-native), etc.

--Many (not saying you) anti-tournament people, that I have run across, usually have their opinions based on a "perception" of tournament anglers, not a reality.

--Killing an 8-pounder (over 21" obviously) is, in most cases, much less detrimental to a fishery than killing a 3lber, that is at its peak with many more spawn season to go. BTW, I don't advise doing either.

--The majority of fisherman are still recreational and not tournament fisherman. Once again, this is a visibility issue that can distort reality.

These are just a few of my thoughts, with some being a little outside the scope of your original post...

[Guest csfishinfool]

I think MDC does a great job setting regulations. Our fish populations are great the way they are. When you can go to Table Rock and have a chance a catching a smallmouth over five pounds, as well as a spotted bass over five. And large mouths that can break ten pounds. I would say that we already have a "trophy lake".

[Feathers and Fins]

I use to fish tournaments and understand the mentality ofthe non-tournament participants toward them. First off it is the goal oftournament anglers to bring the fish to the scale alive or face penalties thatin the pro-level can be worth 10’s of thousands of dollars. Hence now we havebetter live well systems and additives to help insure fish survival.

Large fish at the end of their life cycle are not the bestbreeding range/age class to have. That has been well studied and documented.Slot limits for maximum production have been done for years and based off theinformation MDC seems to follow in-line or within reason with other lakesaround the country. Many of which produce fish in the “trophy class”

The management practices seem to be very well thought outand provide for a very good fishery. Remember you are not dealing with FloridaStrain which grows to the enormous proportions people think of when they thinkof black bass. And as for Small mouth I have fished northern lakes anddependant on the day Tablerock produces as good as or better than them.

Your Slot limit severely limits the general public’s abilityto have fish for the frying pan and the fish are there for everyone to use notjust people in tournaments or those wanting catch n release only but also as afood source.

Your Trophy keep restriction is Horrible! Say a personcatches a fish they know is a potential state or world record and because ofyour rule can not certify it! That rule just disallowed a person from potentialmonetary gain from a record as well as the record and all it stands for. Wrongon all counts.

4-1 to 6-1 closure would cost Millions if not more inrevenue for the areas surrounding the lake. Do you want to explain that to allthe business’s around the area. How about the justification for it because itis sure not harming the resource. That argument was proven out years ago.

I fish for pleasure as well so add me to the list. And Ilike to keep fish to eat as well and share with people. Been awhile since Ikept a Bass as I much prefer Striper and Walleye over bass, but if I decided tokeep one I sure wouldn’t want your rules and seasons to have to worry about.

I HOPE you were talking only bass in this post and assumeyou were because most walleye and catfish I like to eat are above your 21inchlimit and I can promise the stripers I catch are all way above that limit andthat includes the ones I pry out of the Rock.

I respect your intentions but there is more to the fish thenjust the fish anymore it is also about the communities that rely on the incomegenerated by those fishermen. When I go to Tablerock for the day I spend about80$ on gas another 30$ on food and drinks and I live close to it for 110$ atrip. If I go to Taneycomo I spend 100$ on gas 70$ motel room 50$ on a show 80$on food easily 20$ on flies and at least another 50$ on misc stuff. Then tackon the 2 to 300$ my wife spends at the outlet stores 500 to 600 easily! Thereason for the trip was fishing but you can see it quickly adds up for aweekend trip. Multiply that by how many thousands of anglers go each year.

If anyone doesn’t think a DNR Agency doesn’t take thatimpact into considerations they are fooling themselves.

[magicwormman]

Posted Today, 07:43 PM

I think MDC does a great job setting regulations. Our fish populations are great the way they are. When you can go to Table Rock and have a chance a catching a smallmouth over five pounds, as well as a spotted bass over five. And large mouths that can break ten pounds. I would say that we already have a "trophy lake".

I don't what Lake you're talking about. I've fished the Rock for forty years and haven't caught a five lb. smallmouth or Kentucky. I've not broke the 10 lb Largemouth mark either. I did get close with a 9.1 lber before the fish kill. I bet less than 10% of the people on this forum have broke those records either. Is the Rock a good bass lake, yes, and getting better. Still not even close to the Lake it was, back in the Seventy's and Eighty's.

[roy_eros]

It would make much more since to set a slot of 14-17 or 15-18 inch fish must be released immedietly..just my 2 cents

[dblades]

I think if they would just put a 12 inch limit on spots, the largemouth and smallmouth populations would take care of themselves.