Trout Park Mentality?

[Smalliebigs]

I saw an old friend on 11/27 and shared quite a few beers with, in the course of the evening he told me he hadn't caught a smallie in 2013!!!! I couldn't believe what I was hearing as he used to fish with me a lot and always seemed to be on smallies all the time. His wife has been sick most of the year with a bad deal and he has been taking care of her like a good husband should, so his time out fishing has almost been nothing.....I know the feeling.

I exclaimed we were going to go get some smallies on the day after Thanksgiving and we knew there would be some fish seeking thermal refuge near springs so we hauled our asses down to Bennett for some action. I usually stay the hell away from trout parks and for good reason as they are full of some of the worst fisherman with some of the worst etiquette you will ever come across. This day was a perfect example as my buddy and I are just hauling in one smallie after another all from 10 to 14 inches with only three around 16 to 17 inches from a well known road block in the spring we were completely bitched by two Orvis sisters.

I will never understand why guys in trout parks or at most areas I have fished for trout in Missouri are more than willing to 1) come right up next to you and fish even though there were only like ten people total in the park???? and 2) why do you have to wade right in the hole were the fish are holding and scare them away like a bull in a china shop???

Can you not fling your fly more than 6 feet and you have to just bulldoze your way down the stream.....f#*king crazy!!!!!

After beeing screwed by the Orvis sisters we went down to the where the river meets the spring and caught several more smallies and some nice trout.Then we waded from the confluence there down to the access on the Niangua and back.....in all we ened up with 77 smallies between the two of us none were that big but all were fun. We also caught 26 trout of which 5 were Brown, the biggest was 21 inches. We were fishing a couple of hand tied jigs in 1/8 and 1/16 ounce in an Olive and drab Brown. The best jig of the day was one Gavin tied for me, a crawdad pattern that was absolutely deadly.....Gavin I will pay you good money for some more of those....wow are they the dung!!! I used it until it was torn to pieces by the fish. As we drove back out thru the park we couldn't help but laugh at the Orvis sisters flinging 1/132 ounce scuds with an indicator......TOOLS!!!!!!!!

[Gavin]

Were is the 21" brown? Cant remember what that jig was...but I probably have more or I could tie some if you have the remnants or a clue about the tie. Spent the weekend at Montauk with my WFT family. Scouted fish a bit while hiking/training the new dog but did not fish. Kip Jr. & Sr...caught a couple nice browns in the 17-18" range but nothing big. Josh & me did not fish. Needed a break to rest up, and think about all the new challenges at my doorstep (career change for the better). My Highlight reel.....Oldest girl riding her bike w/o training wheels, youngest did a mile on her bike before complaining..Thanksgiving dinner#2 in the wall tent....better than the first.......Watched a pod of trout non-stop feeding on top in the closed zone in loop 4 all weekend. #26-32 olives, and caddis of various sizes(14-22). Bigger fish behind the scrum...eating below.

[Smalliebigs]

Gavin you tied it with pinchers on the back with a touch of orange on an Arkie head.....it's in the smallies mouth in the pic of me.....the Brown had gig wounds and I will post, it was quite skinny and seemed to be on it's last leg from the wounds but still hit but founght like a ziplock bag....the 11 inch smallies we were catching were fighting more than any of the trout. congrats on having the balls to make a career change I hope it involves fishing??? or allows you to fish....or just makes you happy to wake up and go in .....unlike me.

[Greasy B]

Thanks for the report. I good example of quality fishing right under the nose of the clueless masses.

[laker67]

Well smalliebigs, first off, wow. I have always fished for the smallmouth in winter, but like I said,wow. Never caught more than about 8 in one day. As far as the trout park mentallity, you nailed it. Myself and several other on here are "trout park" fishermen. We have watched, over the years, people bring their everday, roadrage, black friday, I paid my three bucks attitude with them. Parks used to be a respectable place as many on here can recall. Somewhere in the late 80's, everything wth. I guess I have just learned to put up with it. A great catch from you and your buddy. thanks for sharing.

[Terrierman]

Trout park my butt, that's a smallmouth bass park.

[fishinwrench]

Thanks for the report. I good example of quality fishing right under the nose of the clueless masses.

Oh they're not clueless, they just don't broadcast it over the web.

[Flysmallie]

Oh they're not clueless, they just don't broadcast it over the web.

Agreed.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Agreed.

Yeah he just thinks it was crowded before. And I should point out that it isn't patroled very well and many believe they have stumbled into a Mrs Grotons free store.

[Smalliebigs]

hahahahaha.....I'm pretty sure smallies seeking thermal refuge at springs in the winter is not one of the great mysteries of the universe......they are safe in that park....you should be more worried about all the fish we caught with gig wounds in the river

Oh they're not clueless, they just don't broadcast it over the web.