What In The......

[Al Agnew]

Some things I noticed in reading the survey results:

It said that nearly half of organized anglers used jetboats. I would bet that a rather small minority of MSA anglers use them.

It said that less than 10% fished in or near the springs, and there was little harvest. Now, I don't think the exploitation of fish around the springs in the winter is a huge problem, but I suspect there is more harvest going on than the survey results showed.

It said that 1/3rd thought the existing regs allowed the right amount of harvest. Question here is, what percentage thought harvest was too high? It said that half of the organized anglers thought it was too high. Given the results of some other questions which I'll mention below, it looks like somewhere between 20% and 40% of the anglers surveyed either had no opinion on a lot of these questions, or had an opinion that fell outside the usual results. So let's say that at least 1/3rd had an opinion on the existing regs other than that they were okay. Why didn't they show those other percentages?

37.8% preferred the existing 12" limit, but 18.8% wanted a 14 inch limit, and 23.3% wanted a 15 inch limit. Which means that more anglers DIDN'T like the 12 inch limit and wanted a higher one. 42.1% to 37.8%.

27.1% opposed the reduction of the 6 fish limit, and like the other question above, they kinda made it sound like that was a majority. But 19.0% wanted a 3 fish limit, and 17.6% wanted a 4 fish limit. So 37.6% wanted a lower creel limit compared to 27.1% who were fine with it as it is.

I also found the numbers of smallmouth caught per trip interesting. It was something like 7 per trip for non-organized anglers, and 10.4 or something like that for organized anglers. I think there is something instructive about this. How many of you who fish for stream smallmouth regularly catch ONLY 7-10 per trip? I know I catch an average of 50 bass per trip, more or less, and figuring a percentage of them being largemouth and spotted bass, it would still come out to something like 30-35 per trip being smallmouth. I didn't think I was that much better than other good anglers. It seems to me that a couple of things are going on here. One, anglers who don't keep track of how many fish they are catching often underestimate the number they caught. Two, these surveys end up capturing data from a lot of casual, rather inexperienced anglers. They include the guys who only go on opening weekend, catch a few fish among the crowds, and otherwise don't catch much even if they go again.

It's always been said that 10% of the anglers catch 90% of the fish. With the wealth of info and the great equipment we have these days, it might be more like 20% catching 90%. But the point is that relatively few anglers can have a tremendous impact on the fish population if they keep fish. The casual anglers, even if they keep fish and even if they don't follow the regs, don't really have much impact.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I am glad you actuall took the time to read it and analyze the results Al. Now of course as you pointed out, some info seems to be missing but this is just a summary and not the full report. This gives us a great idea of what is going on, on our waters.

I think this is some very valuable information that we can use to develope our direction for the future of MSA. I spoke on the phone with Mitch last week and discussed some direction I think would serve the MSA well in cooperation with the MDC. Lets get some dialogue going off line and set the path we need to get the desired results. We can and will accomplish greater results with team work and dedication than we will with excuses, finger pointing, and dissension of the MDC and other organizations.

[fishinSWMO]

Lets get some dialogue going off line and set the path we need to get the desired results.

What results do you desire?

I'm starting to think you guys are getting too emotionally attached to just one species of fish.

[Chief Grey Bear]

What results do you desire?

I'm starting to think you guys are getting too emotionally attached to just one species of fish.

1. An enforcment policy on illegal gigging.

2. A reduced creel on all river bass. With exceptions.

3. An increased length limit on all river bass. With exceptions.

4 . A closed from harvest season on river bass from Nov. 1 to May 31.

That is a good start.

[fishinSWMO]

1. An enforcment policy on illegal gigging.

2. A reduced creel on all river bass. With exceptions.

3. An increased length limit on all river bass. With exceptions.

4 . A closed from harvest season on river bass from Nov. 1 to May 31.

That is a good start.

#1 is life, they already have the rules set its their baby to enforce if needed.

#2 thru #4

Sounds like creative manipulation to change

things that affect a LOT of people to satisfy YOUR desires.

Not everybody worships the same fish, but you

want to anoint it as THE god, and we all have to bow to your wishes??

Sit back and actually think awhile.

[jdmidwest]

1. An enforcment policy on illegal gigging.

2. A reduced creel on all river bass. With exceptions.

3. An increased length limit on all river bass. With exceptions.

4 . A closed from harvest season on river bass from Nov. 1 to May 31.

That is a good start.

1: Did the study even survey the giggers??? It is already illegal to illegally gig fish and there are agents to enforce it.

2-4: The report was just the results of the survey. The rest is up to the lawmakers, petition them. I would support the catch and release of all stream bass, but I know that will never fly from both a management and an end user result. Certain people expect to creel a fish or they won't buy a license. That is the moral of the story. Its all about the cash flow.

[fishinSWMO]

I can just picture someday in the future, talking

with the grand kids, using the term (back in the good old days) we used to be able to harvest some of these resources we have here on earth.

They would say WOW no kidding? Yep something in the way of sport blinded too many people.

[Justin Spencer]

People should be able to keep fish, they always have as long as populations are healthy and sustainable that's great. These fish will die one way or another might as well smoke a trout or fry a small mouth every once in a while. Don't touch the goggle eye though!

[Terrierman]

1. An enforcment policy on illegal gigging.

2. A reduced creel on all river bass. With exceptions.

3. An increased length limit on all river bass. With exceptions.

4 . A closed from harvest season on river bass from Nov. 1 to May 31.

That is a good start.

So you were pulling my leg all along. I thought so.

[exiledguide]

If you are an MSA member and actually got a survey, chime in. I don't know of any members that actually got a survey.

I got one, If I remember at the time my respose was pretty much I didn't see much of a need for change. I have always felt that people who don't catch bigger fish now won't catch bigger fish no matter what the regs are and I don't believe there is much water in the Ozarks that are capable of growing much larger fish. But I really don't care fishing to me is fun it doesn't define who I am. The survey results also puzzeled me, I agree with Al, I can'tbelirve people only catch 7 to 10 fish for trip. I myself would keep a 6 fish limit but they would be under 12 inches and no fish over 12 inches if you want large fish you can't be harvesting over 20 inch fish who have the chance of growing larger.

Justin, Goggle Eye are the reward given to us when we don't kill smallmouth.