Below The Lake Springfield Dam.... Whats Biting?

[jbtiwns30]

I have not tried this but Im going to one of these days, I got a few questions for you all. I was reading on the dnr website and it said people catch walleye and sauger below that, is it true? What other fish can you catch below it? Im guessing bass and carp and other crap fish like that. Im from the north and if we catch any gar our dnr tells us to throw it on the shore and kil it, do they want you to throw them back down here, im guessing so. Also we dont have these paddle fish up there so someone fill me in on that. It seems a big deal for some people, are they good to eat or what do people do with them, just throw them back? To me its just a rough fish and us up north hate rough fish. Thanks for the info.

[Bassmaster21]

I dont fish down there really but about the paddlefish: there is a season for them in the spring where you can catch them. Most people just snag them. I havnt eaten any before. If you accidently catch one out of season you are to do whatever you can to release it unharmed. They are the state fish in Missouri i believe

[Wayne SW/MO]

As far as rough fish go, they were here before you and most people I know aren't to crazy about having the smell of rotting fish where they want to relax.

[usmcgrunt]

I've caught catfish, bass, carp, lots of gar, the ever present bluegill. Spoonbill have a season in April, and if you accidentally snag one out of season you have to release it unharmed immediately. And they taste pretty darn good. Just don't eat the eggs, they're poisonous. And carp and gar may not be every anglers dream fish, but they're a blast to catch and gar actually taste pretty darn good (never had carp), so please don't throw any "trash" fish up on the bank. It stinks and conservation isn't a fan of that practice and will give you a ticket for wanton waste of an animal.

[jbtiwns30]

thats all good, thanks for letting me know. ill have to give it a try and see what happens. i agree the rough fish are fun to catch but tne dnr up there frown on any rough fish being in the waters where i fished. i wouldnt think about throwing the fish on the banks unless i was told by the dnr. alot of our eagles that we have eat the fish that we are told to throw on the banks. i had smoked carp before it was ok but i wouldnt go smoking it myself. i know alot of people up there go after suckers and cut them into peices and throw them in their gardens. oh well, it seems that you guys have tons of great clean places to hang out by the water down here.

[usmcgrunt]

Yeah it's a great place to live and fish. Oh, and below the dam is pretty slow right now and it will be until we get some rain moving water over the dam. I've gone out 3 times in the past week and all I've caught was a very unfriendly turtle, and a gar that bit through my line. As soon as we get some water coming over the dam the fishing will pick up and you'll be able to tear into anything that swims there.

[emjay]

lucky for you I stopped by the other day before work. place is more dead than walking zombies. seen gars and carps jumping and some small fish (probably bass) keep hitting the surface but couldnt get anything to bite. save yourself being skunked and just find a good spot above the dam on the lake. some parts of the bank down below the dam smelt horrible, rotten fish, rotten liver and worms...so yeah, try not to toss anymore "rough" fish to the pile.

[RSBreth]

Maybe I read the original post wrong, but I just don't think I'm giving any tips to someone who called Bass "crap fish" and then says something about throwing the other fish they aren't after on the banks.

[usmcgrunt]

And what kind of DNR would tell people to throw rough fish on the bank? If it's an invasive species like Asian carp I can understand, but it still seems odd to me.

[powerdive]

In Wisconsin, where I came from, it is illegal to return any rough fish you catch to the water. Unused minnows too. So they often end up on the bank. By the same token, I see a lot of paddlefish and catfish carcasses hanging on fences around here...

In local walleye circles bass are called "green carp" because they're prolific and easy to catch (relatively speaking), but not so good to eat. Sort of a counter-culture thing from a resentful minority, I guess. Not everybody butters their bread the same way.