World Class Fishing

[exiledguide]

Al recently mentioned World Class Smallmouth Fishing on another post and I was wondering if it is really possible on Ozark Streams? I ask that because other than the Gasconade and Meramec do we have the volume of water on our streams to support World Class. When you look at streams like the Cedar in Iowa or the Wisconsin or Menominee in Wisconsin which people are able to fish quite a lot of those streams out of 14 to 16 ft v bottoms with outboard motors or in some cases bass boats I just wonder if we have the water volume and depth to have that type of fishing.

[MOsmallies]

I don't know if the Ozarks can produce the same number of 17-21" smallmouth like those East coast rivers can, but they can definitely produce more than they currently do. If nice sized fish were released to grow bigger themselves and reproduce so their genes are engrained in the population, I think the Ozarks could be even more special than it already is. I just wish it was easy to mandate catch and release on all Smallmouth Bass and prevent all illegal gigging. You pose a very good question about sheer water volume. I look forward to seeing this discussion.

[Guest]

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[DADAKOTA]

I guess it depends on the definition of World Class. Is it quantity? quality? or both? I believe a lot of it has to do with water quality, fish population, habitat, the size of the stream, the nutrient load in the water, forage base, and harvest rules and regulations. A released smallie has the chance to grow and be caught again. I too wish there were catch and release only on smallies and that artificials only were allowed. But there would still be a lot of folks fishing bait for other species that would catch smallies. Any day I get to spend on a creek, stream, or river chasing smallies is a world class day to me.

[exiledguide]

I' m not trying to belittle Ozark streams or smallmouth fishing in the Ozark streams, I've fished Mo and Arkansas waters most of my adult life so its just a question I thought of while I was up in Iowa for my Grandsons birthday in early June and noticed on the Cedar river park in Cedar Falls that the people fishing that river were not using canoes or kayaks they were in Lund V bottoms and Tracker Boats and this is way up on the Cedar its 60 miles by road from Cedar Rapids and the river still has a long way to go from there and for the last 20 years they seem to catch bigger fish then we do here and the river holds quality Walleye and Northern fish. I'm all for total catch and release if that would do the job.

[Jerry Rapp]

here is an idea. Let the state set up 4 smallmouth parks, where people pay for a daily tag to fish and keep 5 smallies, bigger than 12 inches, that the state releases daily from hatcheries. Then make the remainder of the Ozark Streams trophy fisheries, 1 fish limit, 20 inches or bigger.

[Mitch f]

If you ever go to Wisconsin, Michigan or Minnesota you'll know what real world class fishing is. I'm talking true 75-100 fish days averaging 15 inches and fat. With 8-10 fish 18" or over.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Something to ponder. As you move from north to south, in the deer world, they get smaller. Will Alabama ever have "world class" deer? Not when comprared to Michigan or say Wisconsin. But in their own right, they pretty much do.

May be the same can be said of Missouri deer. We have some very fine outstanding deer harvested in this state. Yet most don't think we compare with the northern states. And maybe not. Those deer up north are just plain brutes!

When talking Smallmouth, I see similarities. More bigger fish are more common the further north you go. The further south, not so much.

So here we are in the middle again. We have great fishing and we have enough pigs sprinkled in to keep things interesting.

Will you be able to catch 20 inchers all day? You probably were never able to do that in the Ozarks. Life in the Ozarks is hard. It probably is no picnic for this brownies either.

Although the White Paper was not popular with this crowd, it was a very telling report on what we have and probably what we are always going to have.

[Greasy B]

If you ever go to Wisconsin, Michigan or Minnesota you'll know what real world class fishing is. I'm talking true 75-100 fish days averaging 15 inches and fat. With 8-10 fish 18" or over.

Yep, and what's the real difference between the fisherys? catch and keep pressure.

Up north is a lake centric angling culture, most of the catch pressure is focused on lake dwelling Walleye. Oh and they do have modern regulation, my favorite Minnasota river had 50 miles of 12-20" slot water.

[RSBreth]

Despite occasional rants about poaching or whatever I'm pretty happy with the fishing for Smallies in general. Maybe instead of trying to make it something it may never be, we could try harder to protect what it already is, and share the love of that some more.
"World Class" is in the eye of the beholder anyway. I know I still get a kick out of catching bigger fish out of a smaller creek than vice-versa.