SpoonDog Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 I don't know how expanding current SMAs and establishing a new quality SMA on the Current River qualifies as "nothing." That said, the Public Input Summary smalliebigs linked to is pretty amazing. Two pages in you realize no one proofread that thing before it was published, and from a personal "take pride in your work" position it's kinda pathetic. I was baffled MDC justifies a 7 inch rock bass length limit because they're slow growing and heavily harvested....and yet they're still insisting on the 12" statewide MLL for smallmouth. Nor does it actually justify their prescription. The sample of survey responses about maintaining the statewide 12" MLL include : "Anything to limit a harvestable smallmouth," "it's an improvement," and "I support all these regulations. Would like to see statewide 15"-1 limit someday. Thanks for all you do." NONE OF THOSE ACTUALLY SUPPORT MAINTAINING A 12" MLL. To me that raises a ton of red flags. The same thing happened with their online responses: one ambivalent, two supporting the status quo, three advocating a 15" MLL. And in the full list of survey responses in the back of the document, it seems pretty clear increasing statewide MLL is one of the most popular measures. The best way I can think of to polish this turd is it puts numbers on angler's perception that the comment process is a joke. Which means anglers get to ask their conservation commissioners and MDC personnel what the value of the public comment process is, or the purpose of paying biologists to attend meetings, if the outcome has been preordained. There's nothing biologically significant about a 12" smallmouth, in '66 or '73 or whatever it was some long-dead MDC biologist decided that was a quality fish in Ozark streams, in 2016 MDC biologists are using that now-outdated definition to manage the region's fisheries. It's not unreasonable to insist MDC adopt a statewide 15" MLL, given the results of their own investigation. A statewide 15" MLL isn't going to collapse smallmouth fisheries, and larger females with higher quality eggs and better capacity to defend nests may stabilize recruitment in smaller or widely fluctuating streams (hey, it's possible). If MDC's really interested in streamlining regs it makes more sense to have 15" statewide, with a bag limit of 1 in special regs areas and (3?) everywhere else. AND a 15" MLL is already widely popular. That specific proposal should be a no-brainer, shouldn't even be a serious question. If enough folks put a bug in the ear of the Commissioners ahead of the August 25-26 deadline, one would think they'd be able to amend the regs. Instead of being angry about it, do something. 14 hours ago, Haris122 said: No details yet as to what the exact special management area expansion proposals are, I take it? Big Piney- Everything downstream of Slabtown would now be special regs. Big River- Everything downstream of Council Bluff Lake would be special regs Jacks Fork- Everything from Hwy 17 to Two Rivers would be special regs. Meramec- Hwy. 8 to Birdsnest would be special regs- I didn't realize until I read this how lame it is that the "new smallmouth area" would basically just overlap the current trout management area. Current- Two Rivers downstream to Van Buren would be special regs.
moguy1973 Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 1 hour ago, SpoonDog said: Big Piney- Everything downstream of Slabtown would now be special regs. Big River- Everything downstream of Council Bluff Lake would be special regs Jacks Fork- Everything from Hwy 17 to Two Rivers would be special regs. Meramec- Hwy. 8 to Birdsnest would be special regs- I didn't realize until I read this how lame it is that the "new smallmouth area" would basically just overlap the current trout management area. Current- Two Rivers downstream to Van Buren would be special regs. I agree on the Meramec. They should extend it the other way, like down to the State Park. The rest all seem reasonable expansion areas. -- JimIf people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles. -- Doug Larson
Hog Wally Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 Meramec should extend below robertsville. Mitch f and MOsmallies 2
Terrierman Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 Somebody needs to post some Smallmouth Chowder recipes.
Terrierman Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 Somebody else needs to post how we get rid of about half the people that go to the river. Daryk Campbell Sr 1
Gavin Posted August 8, 2016 Posted August 8, 2016 They don't get it, but that's all we are gonna get. It's done, and I will support a cut in their funding in the future. Did have the good fortune to float a rarely floatable creek on Saturday. No pressure on it, because the 15-17" fish were common. Factory split rings and hooks on the Giant Dog X suck though. Had a hook ripped off of two plugs. What do you replace those with?
Terrierman Posted August 8, 2016 Posted August 8, 2016 4 minutes ago, Gavin said: They don't get it, but that's all we are gonna get. It's done, and I will support a cut in their funding in the future. Did have the good fortune to float a rarely floatable creek on Saturday. No pressure on it, because the 15-17" fish were common. Factory split rings and hooks on the Giant Dog X suck though. Had a hook ripped off of two plugs. What do you replace those with? You will be cutting off your nose to spite your face. MDC is the worst state conservation agency except for all the rest of them. Keep politics out of their funding and support the conservation sales tax. top_dollar 1
Mitch f Posted August 8, 2016 Posted August 8, 2016 31 minutes ago, Gavin said: They don't get it, but that's all we are gonna get. It's done, and I will support a cut in their funding in the future. Did have the good fortune to float a rarely floatable creek on Saturday. No pressure on it, because the 15-17" fish were common. Factory split rings and hooks on the Giant Dog X suck though. Had a hook ripped off of two plugs. What do you replace those with? Ask and ye shall receive! Depending on the size of the lure, maybe size 4 EWG Gavin, Hog Wally, Johnsfolly and 1 other 4 "Honor is a man's gift to himself" Rob Roy McGregor
Gavin Posted August 8, 2016 Posted August 8, 2016 What would change if their money goes away? Not much most likely. Laws are on the books, and they know what it costs to run the infrastructure. We have it good compared to most but thinking time for a house cleaning. Why pay for overhead that says it can't improve anything? I'd fire that person. Fast as you can, done right, constant improvement, be accountable, exceed expectations.....I don't see that. Time for a change. Hog Wally 1
Gavin Posted August 8, 2016 Posted August 8, 2016 Thanks Mitch. Thinking rings were the culprit. Have a peg full of those EWG's.
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