Steady decline of the fish population.

[Mhyde]

2 hours ago, Kramr said:

Phil, how do you know who your MDC fisheries biologist is?

Call one of the MDC office's for one of the counties that the lake is in  (POLK, DADE, CEDAR) they can get you that info.

[Mhyde]

this link might help....

 this link might helpthis link mihghttps://fishing.mdc.mo.gov/reports/stockton-lake

did some digging and this being an odd # year the survey should take place  on the little sac arm of the lake (east side or state park side) and next year being an even # year it will take place on the Big sac arm ( old state/Hawker side) you would have to call the Number that's on the page of the link I posted to get more details on who and how the biologist go about doing the shocking surveys.

[MOPanfisher]

I think currently Stockton Fisheries Biologist is Todd Parnell, although I think he goes by Ben.  A quick call to the Regional Office in Spfld will get you his email and or phone number.

[Big Keene]

i dont have the experience on stockton, but ive fished TRL the same week(give or take) in the same area(kimberling city) for nearly 30yrs, and some yrs are better and worse than others, but it has been very consistent. up to 18-19" bass yearly, with an occasional hawg 20"+.

 

[Walcrabass]

I didn't know that the "Hogs" started at 20". Must be something new. 30 years ago it would have started at about 24........................................

 

Wally

[Old plug]

12 minutes ago, Walcrabass said:

I didn't know that the "Hogs" started at 20". Must be something new. 30 years ago it would have started at about 24........................................

 

Wally

Thats true but you do not see many of those period anymore. This year on LOZ a 20 inch bass ran better than 4 + lbs. I caught one 22" this year that was one of the 2 seperate 5 lbs ones I caught. That one was in a spot I did not expect it to be in. First time I hook it I lost it. Went ahead and fish other newrby spots and got this  nagging notion to try that spot again. Went back there and  caught it in the same spot about rhat was about  as bog as a toilet seat. Over the next 3 weeks I cauight it twice more out of that tiny spot. have not caught it since mid june. It was just one of those rare things you experience in fishing that makes it so wonderful

[MoCarp]

Walleyes ran bigger...I could catch a limit of 20-24" most days....smallmouth were plentiful near the dam area..seems the water is much clearer these days...not that it was dirty...you used to see a really big walleye show up every now and then, when I mean big I am saying 14 pounds big..when TR had the drought and all the ramps where way out of the water...it was noticeable how many more people were hitting stockton, as well as it seemed to get worse when they started taking water out for springfield.....

[Kramr]

Funny how those pictures used to inspire awe in me, now only disgust.

[Big Keene]

call them whatever you want, the point is that for the last 30 yrs we have been going to the same spots and catching the same fish. 

we catch about the same numbers of the same sized fish that we always have. we didnt catch anymore "pigs","hogs","whoppers","lunkers","dinks", or "shorts" 30yrs ago than we do today.

if anything we do better now.

[Flysmallie]

I'm not doubting what Moflash is saying. If that's his experience then that's his experience. And I believe it. 

But in my experience it has not changed. Now in all honesty I don't fish the lake like I did in the late eighties, early nineties. And haven't fished it much at all in the past 3 or 4 years. But I never saw a decline when I did. It seems like it has always produced at times and not at others. No different than any other lake that I have been on.

As far as it getting worse when they started taking out water for Springfield? Well that's just BS or a weird observation. I fished it all the time before and after and it never made a difference. Mainly because they rarely pump any water out for Springfield.