Whats The Dept Of Conservation Deal

[Al Agnew]

trying to prevent "invasive" species of any kind to invade into a waterway is an effort in futility. Unless we eliminate all water fowl (ducks, geese, herons, etc). The dreaded flying carp DNA has already been found in Lake Michigan, although billions have been spent trying to stop it and study how to prevent it. I was part of a multi million dollar study to "prevent" zebra mussels from invading further back in the 90's. Hell, the biologists couldn't even come up with a paint/coating to prevent them from attaching to water intakes, dam machinery, etc. But..... if they had more money they could do more research. And yet today the Z's are making fishing better according to many sources. You got to love tree huggers. Sometimes you just have to live with it and adapt. Thank God there were no Greenies when the dinosaurs roamed. We would be dodging T Rex's instead of deer(and Elk).

As the resident greenie and tree hugger, I have to say that you're missing the point on invasives. Yep, it's tough to keep them out of waterways once they are established somewhere fairly nearby. And yep, AT PRESENT, the zebra mussels have appeared to make the fishing better in the Great Lakes, at least for smallmouth. But that's for now. The danger is that the forage species that the smallies depend upon may be suffering, since the food chain depends upon the things the zebras are filtering out. The whole point about invasives is that the results of their introduction is always unpredictable, and nearly always spells danger or disaster for whatever the native species is that mostly closely fills the niche the invasives are exploiting. So though it's usually expensive and often impossible to control them, it's still worth attempting. We might be able to adapt to them, but the native species they are replacing can't, and you never know what the repercussions are up and down the food chain.

And to tell you the truth, I get sick and tired of being made out to be the bad guy and the fool for caring about the environment and placing its welfare over and above short term economic gain for somebody, which is what it usually boils down to. Yes, there are a lot of "environmentalists" who don't have a clue about the science behind all those issues and just like cuddly animals and think they should be protected. But there IS science behind the issues for those who care to educate themselves, and when there's a problem that isn't easy to solve, it really DOES take persistence and MONEY to have a chance of solving it.

Rant over.

[ness]

Kansas is wonderful..

Well said.

[ness]

Kansas is wonderful? Do you fish rivers at all? Not in Kansas you don't. The access laws suck, management isn't great and our licenses are about 65% more per year than Missouri with less available water. I don't mind our small lakes, they fish well, but I want river access.

I know folks that fish the Kaw out of canoes and from the bank around here. I've fished Mill creek here in Shawnee and a smaller unnamed creek from a canoe a few times. Couple guys on OA here float the Blue in KC. I think Wayne did it way back when they were building nuclear weapons at the Bannister complex. I'd bet an enterprising young buck could figure out a crick to float. What about the Wakarusa down by the Baker Wetlands? Hell, I did prairie restoration work there when I was in school. Anybody gives you any crap, tell them ness gave you permission. Try not to trample the Indian Paintbrush, Blue Gramma, Little Bluestem and whatever the heck else we were planting.

[fishinwrench]

Prairie restoration? That's how your tuition dollars were pissed away? I'd expect the best way to restore a prairie would be to stay out if it. LOL.

[Gavin]

Thought prairie restoration meant no funds to cut the grass;).

[ness]

Prairie restoration? That's how your tuition dollars were pissed away? I'd expect the best way to restore a prairie would be to stay out if it. LOL.

Pissed away, huh? That was a valuable learning experience that I use in everyday life, like here on OA (see above)

[drew03cmc]

I know folks that fish the Kaw out of canoes and from the bank around here. I've fished Mill creek here in Shawnee and a smaller unnamed creek from a canoe a few times. Couple guys on OA here float the Blue in KC. I think Wayne did it way back when they were building nuclear weapons at the Bannister complex. I'd bet an enterprising young buck could figure out a crick to float. What about the Wakarusa down by the Baker Wetlands? Hell, I did prairie restoration work there when I was in school. Anybody gives you any crap, tell them ness gave you permission. Try not to trample the Indian Paintbrush, Blue Gramma, Little Bluestem and whatever the heck else we were planting.

The Wakarusa there isn't enough water to hardly float a boat. I can wade it, Mill, and a few others in the area, but floating would have to be limited to the larger streams, Blue, Kaw, etc...Do you know what they target on the Kaw?

[Wayne SW/MO]

Blue in KC. I think Wayne did it way back when they were building nuclear weapons at the Bannister complex.

Yup, not to compare compare geography under the guise of states, there was a lot of fishing in Eastern Kansas. Anything south of 95th, by flow, was good fishing. That was before all the lakes and access were added.

Take small waters, mix in boats, float tubes and bank fishermen and everybody loses. The idea of JAR was to provide fishing for urban bound Jackson and Cass county residents using small waters that could be controlled for specific fisheries. They could have left it too the hunters.

[ness]

The Wakarusa there isn't enough water to hardly float a boat. I can wade it, Mill, and a few others in the area, but floating would have to be limited to the larger streams, Blue, Kaw, etc...Do you know what they target on the Kaw?

The guy that floats the Kaw was catching crappie and largemouth and puts in at public accesses near De Soto and Eudora. I've never done it, but I do hit SM Park, Kill Creek Park, Lake Lenexa either in canoe or float tube fairly regularly. Another idea coming to you PM

[drew03cmc]

I never considered the Kaw for largemouth bass.