Good Smallmouth Creeks?

[Chief Grey Bear]

It's not the fault of MDC, never said it was. And you're right, I don't expect a forced kill. I think you're right about the present regs being as strict as we'll see. I just don't think they go far enough, but on the other hand, perhaps there really isn't a lot we can do, given the fact that these streams ARE perfect spotted bass habitat. I would just like to see, just once, an experimental regulation on one stream section that would show what would happen with complete protection for smallmouth and no protection whatsoever on spotted bass. Hey, if it didn't do any good, then take it back off after a few years and accept that these streams will never be what they were before.

Ehhh, you were kind of eluding to it.

I hate to say it, and I have said it before, I think you are stuck with them. I just can't see any viable solution to total eradication of the spotted bass in those waters.

[Mitch f]

What??? NO brownies???? Hummmm.....

Arguing with you is pointless. Illegal gigging of smallmouth happens to a point that would make all on this forum sick. Only the big fish are taken, leaving only the evidence of a carcass that will be gone soon. Since only a handful on this forum fish in the winter with jet boats, they will never see the reality. If you dont believe there is a problem you simply don't know jack dung, period!

[Greasy B]

Don't want to hijajck this thread but:

A friend told me that a Pulaski County gigging check point caught 3 boats Saturday night with 337 suckers over the limit with 1 walleye. A little effort makes a difference....maybe word will get out in the gigging community that they better have 1 eye in the back of their head while poaching. Now if the prosecutor will just do his job..................

Ah, another example of the appalling lawlessness the fuels my cynicism. I would be very curious to see how this plays out in court.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Arguing with you is pointless. Illegal gigging of smallmouth happens to a point that would make all on this forum sick. Only the big fish are taken, leaving only the evidence of a carcass that will be gone soon. Since only a handful on this forum fish in the winter with jet boats, they will never see the reality. If you dont believe there is a problem you simply don't know jack dung, period!

Let me see if I have this correctly. You and your crew have screamed for years on this very forum that the MDC are idiots and you all know best because it only you all that really know what is going on under cover of darkness to the smallmouth. I can't count the number of times you all have stated the loss of big smallmouth is because of giggers. I have read numerous accounts of wintering holes being cleaned out. You all have beat the MDC to death because they won't touch giggers.

Then....then, you get a report of giggers getting busted, and rightfully so, for being over the limit. All suckers and one walleye. Not one smallmouth bass. I am not saying there is not a problem. But is it to the scale we are force fed to believe? How many giggers have been checked that we don't know about because nothing was found to be illegal? We won't ever know becasue those stories never make it. Not arguing, just making an observation.

[Mitch f]

. But is it to the scale we are force fed to believe?

Dont care if you believe it or not, It's real. We don't make this stuff up, we have seen it ourselves. One boat can kill dozens of 10 year old bass in one night. We find the filleted dead bass bodies on the river. We see gig marks of the lucky ones, they get away with gig marks that happen to occur the week after gigging season started. Yeah, like a spontaneous attack on an embassy on Sept 11th! The wintering holes that once held huge numbers of large bass are void of bass trip after trip.

Don't listen listen to us Cheif, listen to someone 200 miles away with an opinion.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Shouldn't the MSA be all over this then???

[Wayne SW/MO]

I don't know why you don't think it happens Chief? It does, but how often do you think the one or two agents in a county stays up late to wait for giggers, especially not knowing where they'll take out. Then there's the crowd of hungry friends and kin at the takeout, firing up the oil and watching over the area, oh and carrying cell phones.

The MDC doesn't seem to be as aggressive as in times past and they seem to watch the tourist areas more often then not. I suspect part of that is because judges are more apt let the locals go while hammering tourist that have an attitude.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I don't know why you don't think it happens Chief? It does, but how often do you think the one or two agents in a county stays up late to wait for giggers, especially not knowing where they'll take out. Then there's the crowd of hungry friends and kin at the takeout, firing up the oil and watching over the area, oh and carrying cell phones.

The MDC doesn't seem to be as aggressive as in times past and they seem to watch the tourist areas more often then not. I suspect part of that is because judges are more apt let the locals go while hammering tourist that have an attitude.

Oh, I am sure it happens Wayne. But I also know that when there is a problem of a scale like this, the MDC does act. Just a few years ago, they set up their own taxidermy shop. Busted a ton of people for illegal game. I know that they have undercover agents the infiltrate groups jsut like the FBI does. But these actions do not happen over night. Some take years. Could they be doing something right now and we don't kow? Possibly.

So let me put this out there. If Mitch, Al, and the rest of them members of the MSA really want to get serious about this and truely combat rouge giggers, I pledge to put forth the time and effort to get action emplemented to counter illegal gigging. Lets quit talking about it and do something. I'm ready right now.

[Wayne SW/MO]

There's no doubt Chief that this is a big state and enforcement cost money. They can't be everywhere. I think they fail, IMO, in not using the media more. I've advocated for years that they form a couple of teams that work areas that agents feel need attention. Then they should paper the results of the operation everywhere. One reason that there are so many violations is that there is a sense that they won't get caught because the agent is home.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I spoke with Mitch one time about a very cost effective way to check huge swath of Missouri in a very short time. It can be done.