Where Are The Wardens?

[Al Agnew]

Keep in mind that in MO the trout stamp is only necessary if you KEEP trout from the places outside the trout parks. You can fish for them to your heart's content without a stamp as long as you don't keep any. I buy a stamp even though I don't ever plan to keep a trout (don't like the taste much, for one thing) just because I like donating the little bit extra to MDC, but I wouldn't have to. The same thing could easily be done for stream smallmouth. Proceeds from trout stamps theoretically go back into the trout stocking and management programs, and I would be happy to see proceeds from stream smallmouth stamps--or even call it a stream bass stamp--going either to provide more enforcement or to develop better habitat along the rivers. But it would only be required if you keep bass from the streams.

As for relative popularity of smallmouth as opposed to largemouth or catfish, you have to figure that it's a question of how widespread they are and how much opportunity there is to fish for them. You can fish for catfish just about anywhere in MO that has water, and most casual anglers just want to catch something of significant size so catfish fills the bill. Largemouth are also considerably more widespread than smallmouth with plenty of public waters furnishing good fishing for them. But if we're considering ONLY Ozark streams, I'd bet that smallies are either at the top or close to it in popularity.

[rps]

OTF, If the Funding from the schools is not comming from where it should then that is an issue that should be dealt with through the State and laws. Maybe its high time that the people start forcing accountability to the elected officials to get money to go where it should and stop robbing peter to pay paul. I know its a old story but still true none the less.

In Arkansas, the legislature has set a minimum tax rate counties must assess for cost of eduction. Naturally, every county has set the minimum as their rate. In all but three districts, that minimum equals less than the amount the legislature has allocated for per student funding so the general budget is used to make up the difference. The Department of Education maintains that the three districts that collect more than their allocation must give the excess to the Department of Ed and cannot keep it. That issue is in litigation.

Where to prioritize funding from limited resources is a problem all states and the feds face right now - especially in the face of those who would reduce the revenue stream

Any day I expect some bozo to suggest that hunting and fishing be banned because it costs the government so much money

[Chief Grey Bear]

As for relative popularity of smallmouth as opposed to largemouth or catfish, you have to figure that it's a question of how widespread they are and how much opportunity there is to fish for them. You can fish for catfish just about anywhere in MO that has water, and most casual anglers just want to catch something of significant size so catfish fills the bill. Largemouth are also considerably more widespread than smallmouth with plenty of public waters furnishing good fishing for them. But if we're considering ONLY Ozark streams, I'd bet that smallies are either at the top or close to it in popularity.

Ehhh, I understand what you are thinking but, I can name a lot of streams you won't catch a cat in. And many others that brownies far out number cats. Most Ozark streams, in my opinion are too cool and just don't have the proper habitat for cats. Especially in numbers that one would target them.

[ozark trout fisher]

I used to think that too, but have been surprised to hear people having decent success on heavily spring-fed rivers like the Big Piney, upper Meramec, Huzzah etc where I've spent a lot of time smallie fishing (but never would have thought would be good habitat for cats.) I'm not much of a catfisherman, but I think they are a little more widespread in most Ozark streams than I would have originally thought. I even saw a couple of set-lines presumably for catfish once when I was floating through the white ribbon stretch of the 11 Pt, one of the more spring-fed stretches of river in the Ozarks. But I'm guessing they weren't catching anything on those...

Anyway, I know there's no way to really quantify smallmouth as the "premier species in the Missouri Ozarks", the wording I think I used. But I think they would have to be for anyone who's ever caught a smallie!

[Jerry Rapp]

it seems like everyone wants to pay more in permits and tags. I am tired of paying so much into the governments. Most of us pay 30 to 40% of our income into various taxes. A little common sense in spending by our elected officials would go a long, long, way. I worked for the Corps for 32+ years, and they waste a a whole bunch of money, as do their partners(MDC, IDNR, F&W). Some of the stuff I have observed would blow a lot of people's mind. Until our elected officials actually represent us, it will never change. They are lining their pockets from dog catcher all the way to the White House. I think the best thing is one term limits for every office, And, I am voting every incumbent out again this year, from dog catcher on up. Career politicians are a very bad thing.

[Al Agnew]

MO resident fishing permit is 12 dollars. About the price of a couple of small bags of your favorite soft plastic baits. Add the optional trout permit and it's one more bag of plastics, or maybe three flies from the local fly shop.

I don't know what the average person spends in products subject to sales taxes, but for every $10,000 you spend, you pay a whopping $12.50 to MDC.

And you think you're paying too much money for a sport you profess to love? Sure you can find waste in MDC spending, just like any big agency, public or private. But in many cases one person's waste is another's desirable project. And to begrudge them the money you have to pay because a few pennies or even a few dollars of it might be "wasted" seems to me to be more than a little short-sighted. Just how much is good fishing, public waters, public accesses, etc. worth to you?

[kevthebassman]

MO resident fishing permit is 12 dollars. About the price of a couple of small bags of your favorite soft plastic baits. Add the optional trout permit and it's one more bag of plastics, or maybe three flies from the local fly shop.

I don't know what the average person spends in products subject to sales taxes, but for every $10,000 you spend, you pay a whopping $12.50 to MDC.

And you think you're paying too much money for a sport you profess to love? Sure you can find waste in MDC spending, just like any big agency, public or private. But in many cases one person's waste is another's desirable project. And to begrudge them the money you have to pay because a few pennies or even a few dollars of it might be "wasted" seems to me to be more than a little short-sighted. Just how much is good fishing, public waters, public accesses, etc. worth to you?

This post needs a "here here!"

If MDC could promise me that everybody would get checked, say 10% of the time, so that any given poacher has a 10% chance of getting busted every single time they violate, and they get serious about enforcing the rules regarding littering, dumping, and erosion control, I'd gladly pay $100 to fish my own state. I truly believe the fishing would be that much better.

[Jack Jones]

Politics is like any other career. To be good at it takes time and effort. Diplomacy is neither inate, nor learned over night. The best example of all of this is the latest Congress filled with freshman members who are taking the :"my way or the highway" approach. It's been oh so effective in accomplishing something. I agree that every agency has its desk riders and waste, but in the end, there's usually a lot less waste than most people think. I've worked for government for 10 years now and most of the waste I've seen is as a result of having to pander to an ignorant population that can't accept certain truths and realities. Therefore, time and money is spent to make it more palatable, or attempt to resolve them.

As for the fishing, we all agree we would pay more, so I'll reiterate my call for someone to maybe get together with me to research or discuss these issues with some of our representatives. I loved the idea of a bass keeping permit. I've always felt there should be split fees for keeping and C/R anyway.

[Quillback]

The concern I have with a "keep bass" permit, is that once folks buy one, some of them will keep the fish to justify the expense. It could backfire, and end up with more dead bass than what we have now. Unintended consequences - it happens.

[Al Agnew]

This post needs a "here here!"

If MDC could promise me that everybody would get checked, say 10% of the time, so that any given poacher has a 10% chance of getting busted every single time they violate, and they get serious about enforcing the rules regarding littering, dumping, and erosion control, I'd gladly pay $100 to fish my own state. I truly believe the fishing would be that much better.

Kev, they wouldn't even have to check everybody. I've always been convinced that the real key to enforcement is a visible presence. I've had MDC people tell me several times that the agents are out there watching people a lot more than you think, and don't make themselves visible unless you do something wrong. That may be true and it may be all well and good, but it's the difference between the cop on the street and the undercover cop. The undercover cop catches people after they've done something wrong, the cop on the beat keeps them from doing something wrong. I'd rather keep people from doing wrong than have them do it and then punish them. If the agents were often visible on the rivers, it would tend to deter the poachers from doing anything, or even keep them off. By staying hidden and trying to catch people doing something wrong, it gives the poachers a sense of security. Except for my local agent, who has checked me twice in the same place and was ticked off because he didn't recognize me until he'd waded across the creek and through the brush in his shiny shoes, I've only been checked a total of three times in more than 50 years. And I've actually seen agents on the water a half dozen times during that 50 year period. That is NOT deterring crime.