Why Does Fishing Continue To Decline In Our Rivers?

[LittleRedFisherman]

Me to MOsmallie. Saw a facebook pic back In the winter of a guy that fished upper Black river somewhere in the winter, had a 3 person limit of 14inch and up smallies. They were within regs, but still hurt to see that, made it sound like they went there regularly..

[marcusearlt]

I was in Wisconsin earlier this week and was explaining some of my opinions regarding catch and release, fisheries management, etc. I got the same look from them up there that I do down here, confusion and ridicule. Truth is that there is a deeply engrained paradigm of ignorance when it comes to sustainable fishing practices. It's not geographical, generational, or related to a certain species; it's all over. It saddens my heart to see such wreckless behavior. People just don't know what they don't know.

[Al Agnew]

No denying that big smallies are awesome, but in all reality do more bigger fish (over 15") do a better job of keeping a river system balanced than a bunch of 10-12 inchers?

I consider any 14-17" river smallmouth a darn fine fish, and plenty of sport on the tackle I use, but I get the impression that more and more of you are really becoming hung up on the whole 20" thing. You just can't get enough of them.

Is it possible that your expectations of a "great day" have been altered by studying forums such as this one where you hear about 18-21 inchers being caught almost weekly year-round ?

Maybe it just isn't gonna get much better than it is now, and if it doesn't are you gonna be OK with that ?

Just thinking out loud here.

Smallmouth die from all kinds of natural causes, so an unpressured population will still have more little ones than big ones. And it's not that I want to catch 20s every time I go out; if I did, they wouldn't be special. But what I WOULD like to see is fewer of them being cropped off early by various legal and illegal methods, so that perhaps there were twice as many, or three times as many, as there are now...which would mean that theoretically I'd catch maybe three or four a year instead of one or two on average. And more than that, it would mean that a few more of them had the chance to grow even bigger, 22-24 inches, making the chances of catching one that size a bit better than near zero. And more of them, twice or four times as many, would be in that 17-19 inch range as well.

I suspect that would be about the best you could get in most Ozark streams, and it would be good enough for me. I like catching lots of little ones and a few big ones just fine.

[Feathers and Fins]

This site has a lot of members registered and plenty of them and others just lurk. But it doesn’t mean they all feel like the ones posting. I believe that you will find that true of fishermen, though those of us posting are not happy with what appears to be at very least short fish on a stringer ( we do not know how many were in the fishing party ) MANY people might be reading this saying “You holier than all people need to shut up, if I want to keep fish and its legal its none of your business”!

And they would be right saying it so long as it is legal it’s not for us to belittle anyone or even open our mouths about it. But this sure doesn’t look legal at least on the “Short” fish argument. With the population increasing more and more people will take to the waters and more will without doubt be keeping fish. There is only one way to protect the streams and that is make some of them mandatory protected catch and release only. But then the who will enforce the law, its not like our streams are easy to patrol. Hate to say it but enjoy them now because if the population keeps increasing in 20 years a 12'' will be a monster.

[SmallyWally]

The MDC is just helping destroy the SM fishing in our state. If there was a general regard for keeping river and stream Small mouth numbers up, then there would be no 2nd guessing, they would not be allowed to be harvested. The MDC and the state have no vision FOR THE FUTURE. The mentality of our "overseers" leaves me wanting to pull what I have left of my hair out.

[Riverwhy]

Conservation versus preservation is a mater of lifestyle, heritage and a little philosophy. Short fish, over limit fish and poaching is not favored by either side.

[Justin Spencer]

The MDC is just helping destroy the SM fishing in our state. If there was a general regard for keeping river and stream Small mouth numbers up, then there would be no 2nd guessing, they would not be allowed to be harvested. The MDC and the state have no vision FOR THE FUTURE. The mentality of our "overseers" leaves me wanting to pull what I have left of my hair out.

If you stop all harvest you just upset the locals and they will go on a crusade to keep everything they catch. It takes so long for a smallmouth to get big, most will die of natural causes before they reach 18". There is a lot more to fish biology than just releasing everything and expecting big numbers of big fish.

[Quillback]

Those SM's aren't that good to eat IMO, If I was looking for a fish fry, they would be low on my list of targeted species.

[Flysmallie]

“if I want to keep fish and its legal its none of your business”!

I agree with that. I might not like it, but I agree with it.

The MDC is just helping destroy the SM fishing in our state.

I don't think they are on a mission to destroy it but if you want things changed then this is where the pressure needs to be applied. Not the guy on the river or lake that is well within the regs.

But i agree, there is not much legal going on in that picture.

[Feathers and Fins]

I heard a good one years back and this thread reminds me of it. "If fish had antlers the game and fish departments around the country would have an officer behind every bush and at every pool of calm water, young man you have to understand Bucks = Bucks."