Fished Yesterday!

[Smalliebigs]

Called operation game theft and nothing happened. Even told the lady I talked to on the phone if he met me at the ramp I would take him to them but never got a call back. And yes he was one of those. I honestly think the conservation doesn't care about Taney as soon as bow season starts but that just might be what I'm thinking and what I see from being there off of deer season and during deer season.

GOOD FOR YOU BROTHER!!!...you did all you could do....kudos

[Bill Babler]

Have a really hard time believing you saw what you think you saw and knowing it was a guide boat. I think Phil and I know ever Federal Captain on Taney, and that just simply does not happen. I'm more than sure you are mistaken. The main reason is it is just not necessary for guides to use bait in the restricted area to catch fish.

Yes if folks that do not fish everyday wish to retain their legal catch in the lakes lower section, it is not a problem and the guides will use bait in the proper zones. Lately however there are very few of us even fishing bait below Fall Creek.

If you would have said you saw a guide boat using a trout magnet it would have been more believable. If they were using crawlers of course you know it would have been a piece no longer than perhaps 1 to 1.5 inches. San Juan worms, egg patterns and small pink streamers and jigs look very similar to illegal baits.

I saw Stan from the Orvis shop get in serious trouble up there one day and I just love Stan, think he is a great guy. He accused a guide of using crawlers and got a big brown San Juan with a 1/4 oz weight smacked into the side of his boat. It is completely impossible to know what someone is using unless you put that bait in your hand. It is also very hard to judge fish size from a distance.

I also made a mistake up there of doubting the size of a guides catch several years ago, and confronted him about it at the dock. Both my clients and I thought he was keeping fish in the slot, as they just looked to big from a distance. Saw him measure everyone of them at Lilleys' and what I thought was fish over 12" were all legal at sub 12. Bad mistake on my part and really our friendship has not been quite as good since.

I have personally not seen a guide fish clients in the zone in an inappropriate manner in the last 10 years being on the water up there 150 plus days a year.

Not taking up for the guides here, but it just does not happen as there is simply no reason to do it and everyone knows the regulations. It is possible it could happen, but I don't see any of our resident guides screwing up like that.

I think MDC pretty much knows this also. They are not going to throw down what they are doing and drive miles and spend time looking for a person that may or may not be using a red wiggler in the restricted zone.

I would have immediately motored over to the boat and taken down his numbers or at least asked if he knew the regulations. He could have told you to have gone to Heck, but you would have had the proper information to assist the agent, if he or she had chose to come. As Phil said their are other avenues.

If you have the least idea or any description of the boat we will know who this is. This is a very tight community and really there are very few guides on Taney compared to other fisheries.

Good Luck

[Micheal Kyle]

I was fishing down there this summer at night on a guide trip, when I went to launch my boat at the MDC boat ramp up by the dam there were 5 people fishing power bait, called agent he was on vacation. So I called Branson PD they you would have thought a major event was taking place, they sent 4 officers down there. Took pictures confiscated equipment measured fish checked licenses which no one had one. The Branson pd turned every thing over to MDC and they were ticketed. So if Mdc does not have the resource to respond there are other resources that will

[Bill Babler]

I was fishing down there this summer at night on a guide trip, when I went to launch my boat at the MDC boat ramp up by the dam there were 5 people fishing power bait, called agent he was on vacation. So I called Branson PD they you would have thought a major event was taking place, they sent 4 officers down there. Took pictures confiscated equipment measured fish checked licenses which no one had one. The Branson pd turned every thing over to MDC and they were ticketed. So if Mdc does not have the resource to respond there are other resources that will

Excellent point. Thanks Michael

[JCW355]

Got what they deserved

[Fly_Guy]

Yes... someone uses powerbait too close to the dam, and they may end up gut hooking a trout and killing it. Much worse than playing a fish to death with spider Web tippet (but at least looking like a sportsman in the process). Scum like that may even keep fish. .., and that would wreck havoc on the natural spawning that occurs...um... never in Lake Taneycomo. MDC would have to do something drastic like... dump more fish in?

I've talked to people about obeying the regs in the trophy section of Taney, and have been well received. Talk to people, and maybe a warden, but the police?? Over people using powerbait? Seems extreme for a put and take fishery that is also a major tourist destination. Let's not take ourselves too seriously, "purists"

[Seth]

They could drive 10 minutes to Cooper Creek and be perfectly legal soaking power bait. Ignorance and stupidity don't make you exempt from breaking the rules. What's the point of having rules if they aren't enforced? Sometimes folks just have to learn the hard way.

[Terrierman]

Yes... someone uses powerbait too close to the dam, and they may end up gut hooking a trout and killing it. Much worse than playing a fish to death with spider Web tippet (but at least looking like a sportsman in the process). Scum like that may even keep fish. .., and that would wreck havoc on the natural spawning that occurs...um... never in Lake Taneycomo. MDC would have to do something drastic like... dump more fish in?

I've talked to people about obeying the regs in the trophy section of Taney, and have been well received. Talk to people, and maybe a warden, but the police?? Over people using powerbait? Seems extreme for a put and take fishery that is also a major tourist destination. Let's not take ourselves too seriously, "purists"

Rules are for suckers.

[tippet7]

Yes... someone uses powerbait too close to the dam, and they may end up gut hooking a trout and killing it. Much worse than playing a fish to death with spider Web tippet (but at least looking like a sportsman in the process). Scum like that may even keep fish. .., and that would wreck havoc on the natural spawning that occurs...um... never in Lake Taneycomo. MDC would have to do something drastic like... dump more fish in?

I've talked to people about obeying the regs in the trophy section of Taney, and have been well received. Talk to people, and maybe a warden, but the police?? Over people using powerbait? Seems extreme for a put and take fishery that is also a major tourist destination. Let's not take ourselves too seriously, "purists"

Well we know where to look next time someone finds an empty worm box up there.

[Fly_Guy]

When I fished down there often, I ended up talking to people twice - and both times they listened. The trick is not to seem like a jerk about it. I am relatively certain most people (not all) who break regs are tourists, who are just there to enjoy Branson and the novelty of catching a trout. Informing them about the regulations under the guise of concern for them not getting fined worked both times for me. "Hey, I noticed you're using soft plastics - wardens keep a watch on this area and I wouldn't want you to get a ticket". If they refuse or get rude, inform them you will be contacting the wardens and walk away.

Taneycomo is fun to fish in, but lets not kid ourselves - it is a put-and-take fishery. It receives a lot of fishing pressure form tourists, and I would rather them be using powerbait there than on trout or keeping smallmouth out of a small Ozark stream. If rule breakers are going to exist, let them exist at Taneycomo. Again - I love to fish at Taneycomo, but lets be real about this. Is the fishery going to be ruined if a few people use powerbait now and again? No.

Just for the record, I've kept fish under 12" in the trophy area, but never have broken regs. I knew I'd get reamed for this post, so nothing you say will offend me - it's just how I feel.