MDC stocks urban lunkers

[snagged in outlet 3]

4 hours ago, Quillback said:

So when you guys say the parks were better back in the day - was it because they stocked more fish and they were bigger overall than now?  Never have fished the parks myself, always thought about giving Roaring river a shot during catch and release, maybe someday.  

@laker67 hit it right on the head.  I’ve been going there since the 60’s. 

[Smalliebigs]

1 hour ago, Smallie Seeker said:

Went back out to January-Wabash park in Ferguson last night around 8pm and the trout were there and very active. One older fisherman fella who offered me a bucket of 30 dink crappie from Busch lake #33 was leaving and he said the trout were stocked yesterday (Tues.) so the hotline was incorrect with the listed Monday stocking. Said he only saw 1 trout caught earlier in the day. 

My gf came with and I invited a buddy who is former law enforcement. He jokingly declined because he said he didn't want to get robbed. No bites on the jigs and flies I tried, and Ashley got no action on the powerbait, surprisingly. I'm guessing that such recently stocked trout might not be feeding so soon? 

Now at this point we have been the only people in the park and we're fishing near my truck, when a few odd things occurred that didn't seem random.  Several empty parking lots with 50 spots open, and an all black, tinted out mustang pulls in and backs into the spot 1 over from my truck. Just sits idling and no one gets out or cracks a window. 15 mins later, another figure appears on foot in all black, hood up, and after passing 6 other benches, sits down one bench over from us, never acknowledging us. I'm not saying it was a set-up to be robbed, but when there's shady characters on either side of you, in North StL in a park after dark, it's probably time to go. My former L.E.O. buddy said the thugs clock out by 6am, and I don't work till 9am so I may be focusing my efforts to early morning excursions! 😂

Night bite was zilch so hopefully the am will be more productive. 

 

We used to live right down the street from J Wabash and we moved in 1983 when our neighborhood went dark overnight seemingly, oh and I got mugged twice at Walbash as I fished pretty much everyday. A group of 6 Black kids surrounded me trying to take my tackle and beat my posterior. I had a large bell sinker on the end of my one rod with some 20lb test line on there and fended them off with vicious blows from the end of my rod like they were a pack of dawgs. They got the tackle but, I kept my rod and a cut on my head and a bloody lip. The second time I had a gun pulled in my face and I gave him everything I had which was a 20 and fishing tackle. Ah the memories of the Ferguson Berkeley border there......great times.

I have caught 3 rainbows from Jefferson lake that were all over 25 inches so they are in there and it seems pretty dumb to me that they are in there but, who am I to judge as they are just pellet pigs. It seems they would be better served to put them in the rivers that could sustain them??? who knows??? 

[Smallie Seeker]

30 minutes ago, Smalliebigs said:

We used to live right down the street from J Wabash and we moved in 1983 when our neighborhood went dark overnight seemingly, oh and I got mugged twice at Walbash as I fished pretty much everyday. A group of 6 Black kids surrounded me trying to take my tackle and beat my posterior. I had a large bell sinker on the end of my one rod with some 20lb test line on there and fended them off with vicious blows from the end of my rod like they were a pack of dawgs. They got the tackle but, I kept my rod and a cut on my head and a bloody lip. The second time I had a gun pulled in my face and I gave him everything I had which was a 20 and fishing tackle. Ah the memories of the Ferguson Berkeley border there......great times.

I have caught 3 rainbows from Jefferson lake that were all over 25 inches so they are in there and it seems pretty dumb to me that they are in there but, who am I to judge as they are just pellet pigs. It seems they would be better served to put them in the rivers that could sustain them??? who knows??? 

Well that's disheartening and encouraging at the same time. My mother is a Berkeley High grad. and witnessed the same decline.

I agree that it seems pretty silly to grow a lunker just to condemn it to a stillwater death sentence. Stockers are one thing.

[FishnDave]

[oneshot]

Crazy I catch more Trout out of the river than park.

I know just an’t fishing but one time went with two other guys and one Rod caught 3 limits in 30 minutes.

When I feel good and lake is right I like Truman Lake setting on the bank in a cove catching Catfish. Same with Crappie but they keep a person busier.

oneshot

[Smalliebigs]

On 11/6/2019 at 12:24 PM, Smallie Seeker said:

Well that's disheartening and encouraging at the same time. My mother is a Berkeley High grad. and witnessed the same decline.

I agree that it seems pretty silly to grow a lunker just to condemn it to a stillwater death sentence. Stockers are one thing.

Well I just nailed Two 24 inchers and a 22 incher and a handful in the 2 to 3 lb range..... so I would say they(the MDC) stocked most of the lunkers in the city ponds??? Why they do that is beyond me and pretty much killed my Winter trout fishing in the parks and below in the rivers. Why they stock these big trout in these ponds is silly and a slap in the face a true trout fisherman that would like to catch their non natives from an actual river or moving water. Sorry these pics will suck but, there were 3 definite hawgs. The one longer one launches out of the pond like 3 feet in the air and the old man down from  me shrieked “that looked like a steelhead my god” hahaha

[Smalliebigs]

[Smalliebigs]

[fishinwrench]

What a shame!   Look at that pig!   

If that is their way of luring folks into the sport of trout fishing.....all they are doing is setting them up for years and years of frustration and disappointment.

That's the furthest thing from healthy/friendly encouragement.

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, fishinwrench said:

What a shame!   Look at that pig!   

If that is their way of luring folks into the sport of trout fishing.....all they are doing is setting them up for years and years of frustration and disappointment.

That's the furthest thing from healthy/friendly encouragement.

I told my buddy to take his kid to Dry Run Creek.  He called me a week later and said WTH?   Kid slaughters em in Dry Run and then didn’t catch any in the river.  In fact hasn’t caught anything like dry run since.  Worst mistake he ever made.