MDC Public Comment Meetings - Part 2

[joeD]

SMA: Smallmouth Bass Management Area

That's the thing. It's not science, or money, or fishermen input, or gigging, or any of those things. Actually, it's quite simple. Not easy, but simple.

The key word is "Management."

It isn't done. Management implies active involvement and care taking. Setting a limit, making a rule, putting it in a wildlife code isn't management. It's just rule making. While the science may be correct, there is no follow up enforcement or personal contact or any sense that the MDC cares enough to monitor first hand the rules they implement. It's just a sign on a wooden post. Management requires reasonable attention and a sense of duty to make sure policy and goals are met to the satisfaction of those in charge. 

In other words, direct and constant human involvement in SMAs on a regular basis is required before any regulation can be considered effective.

 

[Hog Wally]

Chief, I'm the happiest guy you could ever meet.  I  can tell you the monies from violations go to the county they occur in. Anyone can google that though. You already know that or your as dumb as a fence post ( figuritevily speaking ) of course. I do enjoy catching extremely large smallies and I do on a regular basis. I would like to see more Giants and I think some good regulations would make a difference.  Happy happy happy. 

[Chief Grey Bear]

I'd sure love to go fishing with you some day.

And just to clarify, the monies are divided among the school districts in the county of which the violstion occurs. Not to the county itself. 

[mjk86]

Following this thread the whole time you can watch all the twists and turns.  But if you read the very first sentence of this thread the read the last post 72 comments later it's hard not to lol.  

[Smalliebigs]

If the the MDC'S science  is so good and the regulations so effective  with enforcement  backing that up......then I say let's  get a huge group  float that canvases  Missouri  streams and harvest as many smallies  as the law will allow......fry them up each night and move on to a new section. I think we should start with the Neosho  strain and work our way slowly  North East. I wonder how many we could fillet per person per night if we were eat well......sounds like fun. I plan on exposing the true science behind the regs.....I really need to get this together....The MDC'S  drive for 5, Missouri  meat.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Yeah come on down and get started. You and your posse are gonna be here a while so you might look at getting a change of address. 

Plus I can't wait to see this science you're going to expose! 

[Brian Jones]

And it will remain low on the list until it is shown that gigging is decreasing the stream population to a point that it is harming the resource. 

And you are a hell of a long ways from that. 

Stream populations are very healthy. So why waste your limited resources on a problem you don't have?

With all due respect, Chief, someone illegally killing a trophy buck isn't going to decrease the overall herd population to the point where it is harming the resource either.  However, the fines and penalties for someone who gets caught doing so sure are MUCH stiffer. 

[Chief Grey Bear]

With all due respect, Chief, someone illegally killing a trophy buck isn't going to decrease the overall herd population to the point where it is harming the resource either.  However, the fines and penalties for someone who gets caught doing so sure are MUCH stiffer. 

I don't disagree with you at all Brian. 

But it is the local judges setting the fine amounts and collecting. 

And like you and many others here, I get a burr in my saddle when any fishing violation is either dropped or greatly reduced in the amount of the fine.

I too would like to see fishing violations fines increase. And substantially so. 

But again it is not the MDC that sets the fines or collects the money. Their hands are somewhat tied. It is our local prosecutors and judges that we have to put the heat on in this situation. 

I just don't think that they value the fishing like we do. 

[SpoonDog]

If the the MDC'S science  is so good and the regulations so effective  with enforcement  backing that up......then I say let's  get a huge group  float that canvases  Missouri  streams and harvest as many smallies  as the law will allow......fry them up each night and move on to a new section. I think we should start with the Neosho  strain and work our way slowly  North East. I wonder how many we could fillet per person per night if we were eat well......sounds like fun. I plan on exposing the true science behind the regs.....I really need to get this together....The MDC'S  drive for 5, Missouri  meat.

...the math doesn't magically, mysteriously change when MDC's using it.  You're going to have a different amount in your bank account if you're paid $10/hr than if you're paid $20/hour, because changing the variable changes the outcome.  Changing harvest rates from 30% to 80% doesn't prove MDC's science is junk, it proves you don't understand algebra.  But if you'd like to cut off your nose to spite your face, have a ball.

That's the thing folks- a lot of the reasons you're so hot at MDC are only reasons if you don't understand what you're talking about.  You're upset MDC's samples aren't 100% accurate?  Let's release every felon convicted with DNA evidence because they're not 100% either- nothing in science is.  That you don't understand what a scientist is doing is not evidence it's being done incorrectly.  Learn why he's doing it that way.  Ask questions.  But assuming you have all the answers when that clearly isn't the case, blasting MDC based on your own lack of knowledge, doesn't get us any closer to the regulations we want.  Instead, you're providing them everything they need to write you off. 

As for the gigging/enforcement/fine issue, it is ridiculous smallies aren't prioritized- it takes what, 4-6 years to produce a trophy whitetail and 10-12 to produce a quality smallmouth?  Maybe there needs to be more education as to how rare these things really are.  It also strikes me as weird..if there's one thing gov't folks like it's job security, and I can't imagine a smallmouth biologist saying smallmouth are a low priority- that undermines their own career.  I wonder if some pressure through the commissioners/upper echelon MDC folks and the Conservation Federation could turn some heads. 

[MOPanfisher]

While I only get to go gigging on occasion I can guarantee that most giggers will go out of their way to avoid smallmouth, mostly because they are not nearly as tasty as a sucker.  Plus most giggers are also creek smallmouth fishermen and would rather catch them on rod and reel.  There are a small subset of folks who will gig any and every fish they can, those are the ones I would like to see in front of a judge.