Share comments with MDC on gigging on Ozark streams

[Quillback]

20 hours ago, Johnsfolly said:

I added my two cents on gigging regulations.

I'm going to one up you and give them my three cents.

[Al Agnew]

I went back and answered the first question differently the second time.  If you say you do gig, they ask how many times per year and how many years you've been doing it, then they ask the same questions as if you'd answered that you didn't gig.  So...not any particular bias that I could see.

[MoCarp]

18 hours ago, Al Agnew said:

I I'm as convinced as ever that it has a significant effect on the numbers of BIG game fish, though I agree with MDC's position that it doesn't affect overall populations.  Gigging 5 or 10 smallmouth over 18 inches from a wintering pool over the season is removing a tiny, tiny percentage of adult bass, so it won't matter for the next year's spawn, but it removes a far more significant percentage of smallies over 18 inches from that stream stretch.  But most giggers are law-abiding, and probably nobody is going to be for punishing them for the transgressions of the few pinheads.  So I don't expect to see anything like shortening the season or closing certain stream stretches.

I agree

[MoCarp]

not gigging, but poachers poach