Size Of Stocked Fish?

[Wayne SW/MO]

If I had MY way, I'd restrict the whole lake if I thought it would grow bigger trout (and it would) but I understand the marketing and politics of the area and I know that will never happen.

I agree. Trout are important to the area economically and catching trumps size. I realize there would simply be a transition time to achieve a bigger size and that would work for most locals, tourist would just go somewhere else next time.

[exiledguide]

I don't disagree but if tourist go somewhere else their money goes along with them

[Wayne SW/MO]

Exactly! That's one of the reasons I was so disappointing in the slow progress in stocking stripers. With the lack of any reason to believe there is a negative impact black bass it can't do anything but help the economy. The new level on BS will hurt Forsyth in the spring most likely. The prime walleye area will be flooded if the lake is normal. Eventually there could be a run of stripers in the spring to offset that.

[Bennett]

I have been coming down to fish Lake Taneycomo for 25 consecutive years, sometimes multiple times in a year, many of which have been bait fishing trips because it’s the type of trout fishing I enjoy and it is a nice break from Tournament Bass fishing. While this may earn us the title of “tourist” this in no way means that we don’t practice good conservation and follow the letter of the MDC laws. Over the years we have caught dozens of fish (brown & bows) exceeding the 20” mark and all of them were turned back into the lake with only their photograph being kept. We do, admittedly, keep a few bows for the dinner table during each trip but target the lower end of the slot limit when doing so. If the goal is to improve the quality of the fishery why don’t we look harder at all the pollution (construction, run off, etc.) that comes into this lake and the impact it has had on the indigenous forage rather than suggest we change the restrictions on the lake to meet the needs of only one segment of Taneycomo’s fishermen & women.

[ozarkgunner]

I would make a 2 fish limit from copper creek to fall creek 16 inch min. Make a special bait tag that costs another 5 dollars if you want to use bait in that zone.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I would make a 2 fish limit from copper creek to fall creek 16 inch min. Make a special bait tag that costs another 5 dollars if you want to use bait in that zone.

Why? It's put and take and everyone already pays the same. if you want bigger fish put some heavy restrictions on the above Fall creek zone.

I would start with no fishing, AKA snagging, in the outlets. No fish can leave the water and all have to be released, if you want a picture take one of it in the net. Make it the safe zone given the fact they are most vulnerable there. I doubt you would get too many complaints because most people who fish there C&R, but it would eliminate battering the bigger fish from snags and long times out of the water.

There is no reason on a P&T fishery to single out any particular method when you have as much water as Taney does. I don't see it personally and fishing of all kinds is important to the economy.

[fly2fish]

I don't know how many trout they stock per year, but one time I counted close to 100 blue heron between the dam and Fall Creek. If each heron eats 3 trout a day that 3 X 100= 300 trout a day or 109,500 a year. Just watching some below the dam they eat more than 3 a day. So how much are we spending feeding the herons.

F2F

[Wayne SW/MO]

Have you seen a heron eat a trout? I was on a trip from 65 to Rockaway recently and we saw about 6 herons and 3 eagles. Eagles will no doubt eat a full sized trout, but I've never seen a heron pull up a fish that was very big.

I doubt that herons eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner either.

I started this thread about size, but I haven't necessarily noticed an overall shortage of fish.

[bfishn]

I had plenty of experience with herons at the Trout Farm. They'll eat any trout they can swallow whole, which is up to about 9". Anything bigger in stabbin' range, they spear right behind the head, drag out on the bank, and eat the eyeballs... and nothing else. Some of these fish get away, often turning very dark colored, and with one or both eyes missing, and the telltale spear wound on the upper back. Others become coon & mink fodder.

[BassHunter132]

I like the no fishing the outlets idea. I saw someone catch (snag) a brown that was probably 22 to 24 inches out of outlet two this weekend. After fighting it for probably 15 min he then grab the fish with no net, took to the bank, dropped it on the bank 3 times, took a picture, then dropped it in 6 inches of water and kicked it after realizing that it wasn't swimming away. Didn't see if the brown lived or not (probably not) but that is ridiculous. I don't even see how you can feel good about catching that fish when all you are doing is snagging. I believe if they restricted the outlet fishing it would stop a lot of the bigger fish from being killed or injured and it would also allow for better fishing throughout the lake.