New smallmouth and rock bass regs approved

[JUNGLE JIM 1]

If I had my way the length limit for smallies would be 20 inches with one in possession. I fish public access spots only and it's getting harder to catch even short fish at these places lately. The last smallie I kept was in 1986 and the only way I might keep one is if it's over 5lbs and fish of that size is uncommon. If I want fish to eat I have no problem catching crappies.

[Griffster]

So no more 18 inch minimum special management area's at all?   That bites!!!

[go4ducks2]

Kutos to the new regs....but my 2 cents...if I had it my way would be catch and release on all meremac, all Big River all current river and all Jacks Fork...all Huzzah....I know I

forgot something....just saying.

[Gavin]

More 15" water, but delivered nothing else. Think their studies were off, but is what it is. It is done, so I see no reason to keep all of those biologists on the payroll anymore. 

 

[joeD]

Give it a rest fellas. Go fishing. Be happy. The streams are still there. The fish are still there, We still have so many accesses and hundreds and hundreds of miles of public water to fish. I catch big fish every year.  Apparently, so does HogWally. Have you seen his pictures? Good grief.  That's just on the Meramec, an hour from St. Louis. You and many others catch nice fish all over Missouri. Sure, it takes work and skill and knowing where to go. But that's just it. IT, is out there, ready to be used. 

I'm not naive. I'm well aware of the issues that face us Ozark stream anglers. I agree we must be ever vigilant to protect and advocate for our resource. Yet, I sometimes think that we are always griping about one thing or another (government and private landowners are favorite targets), instead of actually going out and enjoying and extolling to everyone all the possibilities that ARE available to us. Take a break from the hand wringing over size limits and spend more time planning Ozark fishing trips, whether there is a management area on your desired stream or not. 

Fishing is fun. I love it.

[Deadstream]

joeD   Wins!

[Chief Grey Bear]

4 hours ago, Gavin said:

More 15" water, but delivered nothing else. Think their studies were off, but is what it is. It is done, so I see no reason to keep all of those biologists on the payroll anymore. 

 

What was off?

[Harps]

I saw this in the Conservationist — would have been nice to see exactly where the management areas have been extended to. I'm good with 18" length minimum and one in possession on most of the medium to small streams in the state for LM and SM. JMO.

[Al Agnew]

I said I was about done with fighting this battle, but I do have to vent a bit...

I've never been much of a fan of the 15 inch minimum length, combined with a one fish limit.  I'm not sure what the point is.  If you're a law-abiding meat fisherman, one 15 incher isn't going to make a meal--you're gonna have to supplement it with some largemouth and/or spotted bass.  If you can catch enough of the other species to make a meal, why bother with one lonely smallmouth?  They all taste about the same--not to mention that the bigger the are the worse they taste.  If you're a trophy fisherman and want to show off a big one to your friends or have it mounted, 15 inches ain't anything to brag about.

On the other hand, how many "almost" law-abiding meat fishermen catch a 15.1 incher, and "reduce it to possession" (put it on a stringer or in a live well), then catch a 16 incher and toss the smaller one, then catch an 18 incher and toss the 16 incher, etc.?

If the idea is to reduce harvest of smallmouth, period, why not just a one fish limit, without some minimum length?  If the idea is to produce more "trophy" smallmouth, letting people keep them once they reach 15 inches isn't going to make all that much difference in the number of 20 inchers.  If the idea is to still allow some harvest to appease the meat fishermen, see above.  Seems to me the one fish limit is the important thing...it should do a lot of good if enforced.  The length limit is just window-dressing.

I'd still rather see slot limits.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that. 

But I would like it to be for all species of black bass.