Why not create a 2nd "Restricted Trophy Zone" On Taney???

[jim murphy]

Slay and fillet four rainbows 12" and under a day, everyday, 365 days a year. No mercy to stocker rainbows. If this is carried out, it would eliminate 1,460 stocker rainbows a year, by one person. If 514 anglers participated, the approximately 750,000 rainbows stocked annually, plus a few extra, would be remove from Taneycomo and would not have as much opportunity to compete with the larger fish for food. Piece of cake, as concerned as those are for wanting to have a trophy fishery, there should be no problem in accomplishing this plan.

But seriously, the one thing that everyone is OVERLOOKING is that, Lake Taneycomo does have a TROPHY FISHERY, for BROWN TROUT. No matter were you are on the entire lake a Brown Trout must be 20" or longer before you can legally keep it. Isn't that why there are so many people fishing the Upper End of Taneycomo now, and this phenominon seems to happen every Fall. Fly fishing publications all the time are putting out stories, that if you want to catch a trophy brown, to go to Tierra Del Feuego (spelling?), the Great Lakes region and once in a while the Yellowstone region, and these fish are only available for a short season as well. But for only an approximatley 23 mile long fishery, with <1% of natural reproduction, Lake Taneycomo produces its fair share of Trophy Brown Trout. The best thing is you do not have to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars in travel or at least those of us who live locally do not.

When you take the time to think about it, Lake Taneycomo provides us with TWO premium, quality, coldwater fisheries. It's hard to believe, though it really does.

1) A put and take fishery for Rainbow Trout.

2) A Trophy Fishery for Brown Trout, which has produce two IGFA records and current State record.

What more do you want? The one thing I would like to see is to be able to take suckers from the Restricted Area with other methods, gigging and grabbing.

jim

[fishin]

I am on both sides of this issues. My wife and kids are strict bait fishermen at this point and I would like to see that stay the same for their sake plus we like to keep fish to eat. I don't think that the any bait slot restriction is viable in reality but sounds good in theory. Phil's point is well taken x number of fish out of 50 will survive so what is the difference other than a 14 + incher may survive there is still a mortality issue that would need to be contended with. Also the ability to transport through trophy zones is just asking for trouble.

On the other hand I love to fish in the trophy area and have no problem at all with restrictions.