Regulations For Browns Need To Change!

[Feathers and Fins]

Please inform me why it should be 1 over 18'' ?

Keep in mind the arguement will be that Brown Trout as with all stocked trout are part of the (Put n Take) program and as such should be eligable for them to kept at the current regulated size and bag limits. These are NOT naturally occurring fish and it is the tax dollars or license dollars for you pc freaks that pay for them and the general public who goes to catch a fish doesnt care if its brown, rainbow or a neon pink trout so long as they can catch and keep it for dinner.

I would like to see it at 22' 1 fish with closed season to keeping durring October and November myself, but I like many here are probably not your weekend warrior type who just want to catch fish to eat.

[Idylwilde]

Regulations need to change in Montauk now! The regulations on browns in the park are 4 fish with a minimum of 15". On the other side of the steel cable, in the Blue Ribbon water, the regulation is one fish at 18" minimum. The park needs to follow the same model as the Blue Ribbon section. A steel cable twenty something feet in the air doesn't stop large browns, that many fly fisherman throughout the Midwest cherish, from moving into the lower half of the park and being taken out four at a time at 15".

We are losing far too many generations of brown trout. I have seen metal stringers full of browns in the park, and less and less of these fish on the other side of the cable. If you check the "Lunker Board" in the lodge you can see evidence. Some people report harvesting more than seven a year. It takes years to rebound from over harvesting and I hope we can start now!

ONE BROWN 18" MINIMUM! PLEASE!!

Lets keep the Current River alive and well for many generations to come in our families! When it's gone down to far, we won't have many options left.

I am with you on the limit of one and I would like to see it at 20". We have lost most of the trophy browns in the Blue Ribbon area over the last summer. The winter season had only a few over 3# that was hooked. The 5-8# browns which were caught in the park last summer did a job on them. And 4 guys keeping 1 20" trout is better than the same 3 or 4 guys taking 4 a day. Just Saying.

[LunkerB]

Your Idea seems good to me. I fish above and below the cable and wouldnt mind a 20", one brown limit. At least a 18", one brown limit to the handicapped spillway. I also agree that the trout are not native and are there for put and take as well, but I would like the oppurtunity to catch bigger fish too

[Gavin]

FF, there is a disconnect in the management strategy for brown trout below the trout parks and some are taking advantage of it. All of our best brown trout water is under special regulation...2>15" limit, or 1>18" limit. Set foot in the park...and that changes to 4 browns over 15". 15" is just a tiddler of a brown trout. Why would you let folks keep 4 tiddler browns when your trying to manage for quality brown trout fishing downstream? It doesnt make any sense.

Frankly, I think it was an oversight when MDC revised the trout regulations several years ago. I think the intent was a 1 brown trout statewide limit...but they dropped the ball....

[Nortrad]

It was very frustrating last summer during the low water when the big browns moved up into the cooler park water, only to be taken. More enforcement of the reg's would be nice in the Blue Ribbon section, but I've harped on that one quite a few times. We should write/email MDC like Gavin suggests.

[Feathers and Fins]

Gavin, I understand the frustration but a trout park is the perfect example of (put n take) peopel go there purely for eating trout, or at least the average person. Fish swim and go where they will, just like ducks going to a closed zone are safe but come out and i will be happy to shoot them. A solution is not tighening the regs in this case but simply building a dam that they can escape out of the park but not get back in. Above the dam keep the park regs, below it enforce a 20'' or larger. Its a simple solution that should keep all happy.

[Idylwilde]

No one is saying it's not a put and take matter. I am only saying take one 20" (If thats something you have to do) & let the others go only on the Brown Trout. I would like to see some 30" brown's in the Trophy water. Why have a Trophy area if all the bigger browns are caught in the park before they get to grow to that size. And I have been told by folks in MDC that the science does not support changing the size or limit. I have no idea where they studied science but they sure must of not skipped any classes to fish for brown trout. Or for that matter they must not do any fishing for them now. The only way to get a rule changed with MDC is make as much noise as you can and not stop. If you stop they think it will go away and you have to start all over again from the start.

[Gavin]

FF, browns are rarely stocked in the parks..They stock the river below and most stay there, but some move up to spawn or to seek cooler water during a long hot spell. I have no issues with someone killing a brown trout for the table or the wall, but dont make a glutton out of yourself.

Brown trout are a scarce commodity in Missouri. The state raises & stocks millions of rainbow trout, but brown trout production is somewhere around 50,000 fish a year. The 4>15" park limit...just doesnt cut it.

[Nortrad]

FF, browns are rarely stocked in the parks..They stock the river below and most stay there, but some move up to spawn or to seek cooler water during a long hot spell. I have no issues with someone killing a brown trout for the table or the wall, but dont make a glutton out of yourself.

Brown trout are a scarce commodity in Missouri. The state raises & stocks millions of rainbow trout, but brown trout production is somewhere around 50,000 fish a year. The 4>15" park limit...just doesnt cut it.

Well said.

[Feathers and Fins]

Gavin, again you are talking parks and those are where the "general public" will spend their time and money and want to catch fish {doesnt matter type or color} they are there to catch fish.

So far there noone has answered the question i posed with any logic that cannot be rebuffed by the MDC as anything more than "I want to catch a trophy brown trout"!

The arguement will have to be made as to ( why the limit needs to be increased and how will it benifit all anglers ) If MDC science has shown its is not needed, then those wishing for it to be changed will need to show why and be able to back it up with something more than { I want }. The I want arguement of those of us who would like to have the size limit and increased and bag limit decreased has to out weigh the arguement that the greater majority of people will come back with, which simpy is "Our tax and license dollars pay for these fish and we want to catch and keep and eat them!" That arguement hold far more weight with MDC then the want for a few who want to catch a trophy.

I seriously doubt that anyone will get regs inside the parks changed! However if you can use justification for outside the park to be raised then there is a possibility MDC will listen. One option as I pointed out would be construction of a dam allowing fish to escape the park but not return to it. You need to think of not only our wishes for trophy trout but also the general public who's voices far out weigh ours.