World Class Fishing

[Gavin]

I think that most of our Ozark Streams offer a world class experience, trout or smallmouth...but the smallmouth fishing is sub-par...high numbers and no size structure unless you can find something that doesn't get hit by the bucket brigade on a regular basis.

As for Northern smallmouth being bigger...The average size is bigger, but growth is slower. I've never heard of a legit 10lb smallmouth coming from the Great Lakes Region...Some mid-9's but no 10'r..World Record and most of the 10's have come from the Tennessee Valley.

[Al Agnew]

What always had me convinced that Ozark smallmouth don't have the top end size of Tennessee Valley fish, or Great Lakes area fish for that matter, is that you simply don't catch many over 4 pounds even in the big reservoirs. The fish in lakes like Bull Shoals and Table Rock are in the same kind of habitat, and at about the same latitude, as the fish in Dale Hollow Lake, where the world record is from and which produces plenty of fish over 5 pounds and the occasional 8-10 pounder. I figure there is something in the genetics of Ozark smallmouth, maybe a bit of Neosho smallmouth genes, that keep their top end size down. But when you compare Ozark river fish to those in rivers like the New in Virginia and West Virginia, or the Menominee in Wisconsin or the upper Mississippi, you really don't see all that many fish even from those places that are over 20 inches, and very few that are much over 21. The difference is that there are a LOT more in that 18-20 inch range in those rivers. So while we'll probably never see a smallmouth from an Ozark stream that's over 7 pounds, I believe the streams do have the potential of producing significantly more 20-21 inchers than they do.

[Gavin]

Thinking that we need to dial back the harvest pressure a bit to see more quality smallmouth. Current regulations allow abundant harvest at 12", and limited harvest at 15" and 18" in the SMBSMA's. The SMBSMA stretches usually fish better than most, IMO...except some of them are on the wrong areas, and most are fished, poached, limb lined, and gigged heavily. Our streams get a ton of harvest pressure in comparison to places up north.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Thinking that we need to dial back the harvest pressure a bit to see more quality smallmouth. Current regulations allow abundant harvest at 12", and limited harvest at 15" and 18" in the SMBSMA's. The SMBSMA stretches usually fish better than most, IMO...except some of them are on the wrong areas, and most are fished, poached, limb lined, and gigged heavily. Our streams get a ton of harvest pressure in comparison to places up north.

Agreed 100%

[ozark trout fisher]

Smallmouth, for whatever reason, are just not as "respected" as they probably should be based on their value as a sportfish. It isn't just in the Ozarks.....In the foothills of the Adirondacks, a place I've done a lot of smallie fishing-there is some absolutely fantastic habitat. But the locals up there mostly see them as a trash fish, at least in the rivers (the lakes are a different story.) There is one stream that I'm thinking of in particular....it connects two massive lakes, both of them fantastic smallmouth fisheries. This stream has nearly picture perfect smallmouth habitat....but since they are competing with the stocked rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, etc, which is what the majority of people care about, nearly everyone basically keeps every one they catch over the length limit (which is even less restrictive than ours.) And so you have a river with excellent habitat full of 7-10 inch smallies with a 12 incher being a "trophy." And then you find a nearby river off the beaten path that doesn't see as much pressure (with habitat that is likely worse), and you are into more 17-20 inch fish than you know what to do with. Just such a stark difference. Which makes it hurt even more to see those rivers being beaten down, when you have a good idea of the amazing fishing they're capable of producing.

Until people treat smallies the same way they do trout or largemouth bass, they are largely not going to reach their potential anywhere. I know there are exceptions in some northern states as well as the Tennessee River valley, but mostly smallmouth are just disregarded, and it shows. If this was just a Missouri problem, or an Ozark problem it would be easier. But I don't think it is.

[mic]

Thinking that we need to dial back the harvest pressure a bit to see more quality smallmouth. Current regulations allow abundant harvest at 12", and limited harvest at 15" and 18" in the SMBSMA's. The SMBSMA stretches usually fish better than most, IMO...except some of them are on the wrong areas, and most are fished, poached, limb lined, and gigged heavily. Our streams get a ton of harvest pressure in comparison to places up north.

I'm talking out the side of my mouth here, but I think I remember reading that one of the catagories for setting limits or establishing special water area is local support. Basically, if a majority of the people in the area will not support the regulations, then there is no reason to even try to implement them.