Intro

[hoover25]

Well, I figured that it was time for me to post here. My name is Christian Hutson and I live in Springfield. I have spent my entire life in Mo...STL to Kirksville to SGF.

Beside my kids, my biggest passion has always been fishing. I don't care if its a white bass, river redhorse, rainbow trout, goggle-eye, spotted bass, or spoonbill...either way I'll be excited to fish for them. Over the past few years, I have discovered the joys of saltwater fishing and realized how freaking strong those fish are compared to their freshwater cousins. I now find the time to travel to the Gulf of Mexico to fish for snook, tarpon, shark, goliath grouper, redfish, speckled trout, etc. Its all a blast...and the weather is much nicer.

Like I said, I have been a "fish-head" for as long as I can remember. I even received a Master of Science in Biology from SMSU (MSU) with an emphasis on fisheries biology and aquatic ecology. I did my thesis on the population structure of river redhorse in the James River. I have worked on rivers and streams from here to Pennsylvania to Wisconsin to Florida. I have also been employed as a Fisheries Biologist with Missouri Department of Conservation. I tell you, electrofishing Taney, Tablerock, BullShoals, Stockton, James River, Mermec River, etc.....is way to much fun.

I have also spent years at the bottom of our rivers studying freshwater mussels. I have been lucky enough to be a part of endangered species breeding programs. My job was to find the pregnant females of federally endangered species...this often took over 400 man-hours in the water to locate a single specimen. I would average between 200-250 "dives" per year. For those of you that are not familiar with Missouri's freshwater mussels, I would suggest you check out some of the literature. We have about 65 species in this state...many of which are in severe decline. Its a sad story to anyone who is interested in Missouri's aquatic resources.

Overall, I have pretty much been on most every body of water in Southern Missouri (having now said that...there are lots I have not seen yet). Unfortunately, my biology career did not work out as planned so I became an entrepreneur and own a dog toy manufacturing company. Yep, thats right, a zillion years in school in biology and now I have nothing to do with it...sigh. My advice for anyone thinking of a biology career in Missouri...don't do it...its all a government "old boy" mentality anyway.

Wow, this post got long! Anyway, I have two sons, ages 4 and 1. Because of my parental duties, I don't get to fish as much as Lilley, but I try. My primary haunts are Tablerock where I keep my boat (1997 Lund Fish and Ski), James River, Little Sac River, Pothole--Barker Hole--Beaver--Swan on Bull Shoals, Taney (night only), and Boca Grande Florida. I use everything from a spinning rod to fly rod to baitcaster, to snaggin' pole to a surfcaster....I don't care as long as I am catching fish.

Tight lines to everyone!

-CH

[Phil Lilley]

Great post!! Thanks for sharing your life experiences. I'm not sure your statement's true about not having anything to show for your schooling. I'd say we all have alot to learn by what you've done with your life so far.

As for the fishing part- you'd be surprised how little I fish - at least the past 2 months. But I do plan to fish alot this spring just so I can report back to the OAF world.

[Bobby M.]

hey Hoover,

I think I speak for a bunch of us here when I say I would like to hear some good stories about the

electroshock surveys and if the experience has helped you catch fish? I am also a biology major, I am finishing up my last semester, I have come to realize many of the things that you were saying is true. If I wasn't so far into this major I would drop, but it is too late for that. Anyway, I would like to hear about some

of the fish that you guys shocked up, especially on T-Rock.

good luck fishing

[hoover25]

hey Hoover,

I think I speak for a bunch of us here when I say I would like to hear some good stories about the

electroshock surveys and if the experience has helped you catch fish? I am also a biology major, I am finishing up my last semester, I have come to realize many of the things that you were saying is true. If I wasn't so far into this major I would drop, but it is too late for that. Anyway, I would like to hear about some

of the fish that you guys shocked up, especially on T-Rock.

good luck fishing

Yeah....the Biology thing is way too long of a conversation to discuss online. And I did not say that I have nothing "to show" for my education in biology, but rather I have nothing "to do" biology now.

There are MANY electrofishing stories....I'll have to think of a few and post them in this forum I guess.

[Phil Lilley]

I got a very sore back from a walleye shocking gig I helped witha couple of years ago on Bull Shoals. Lots of fun but hard on the back- all those BIG walleye. But would do it again in a heartbeat.

[hoover25]

.......I would like to hear some good stories about the

electroshock surveys and if the experience has helped you catch fish? ..........Anyway, I would like to hear about some

of the fish that you guys shocked up, especially on T-Rock.

Gosh....there are tons of stories.....and they are told better sitting around a picnic table enjoying a beverage or three. I really wish i had some pictures to show you as well, but we often too busy for a camera.

One of my favorites was shocking the James River arm of TR. I was studying river redhorse at the time and it was often a challenge to find them in winter and early spring. Most of the adults retreat to the impounded water when it gets cold.....but almost all at once they head upstream on their spawing runs. This particular day happend to be a few days before spoonbill season started. We never want to shock a spoonbill, they react very poorly to the "juice" and can be injured or killed. I was above Galena on the James looking for these redhorse, but they had not run that far up yet. We proceded downstream further and further until somewhere downstream of McCord Bend. Anyhow, I was netting at the front of the boat and my associate was driving. Out of the corner of my eye I started to see a wake rapidly approaching the boat.....getting excited I turned to face whatever it was. All of a sudden WABBO!!!! (This part is better when I can tell it in person) I got smacked head on with spoonbill flying out of the water, hitting me in the chest, doing a summersault, and continuing out the other side of the boat. It just shocked, no pun intended, the heck out of me. It didn't hurt really, just freaking scary. The best part is my buddy didn't see it at all. It is really loud in the boat and we wear ear protection. He was looking down when it happened and didn't see anything

A number of times we would shock mirror carp with lampreys on them. Mirror carp are a genetic strain of a common carp....very crazy looking.

One day on the finley we shocked up a giant orange koi that was swimming around in a school of carp. I am guessing that it was a pet that we "let go" and it found its closest cousins to hang our with.

Another favorite has nothing to do with fish. We were on our way back to the access.......coming around a bend on the St. Francis River, we saw two young ladies in tubes flagging us down. I stopped and they asked for a ride 'cause their boyfriends left them hours before. It was getting ready to rain and they did not want to get caught on the river. Something I should point out about these two ladies...they both had cheerleader bodies and were wearing the smallest bikinis that I have ever seen....dental floss comes to mind. Anyway, we are jetting back to the access when it starts to rain hard, but it was August and it was warm. So now I have two near naked hotties on the bow of our government boat. They looked like obscene hood ornaments. Arriving at the access, there was a park ranger type standing by the ramp watching us pull up and we were grinning ear to ear like schoolkids with a new toy. The look we got from him was PRICELESS. A camera would have gotten us fired.

You can't always see musk rats or beavers. A beaver introduced to electric current can move as fast as a cheetah on caffeine.

The pothole is called the pothole for a reason...everything lives there.

Thats all for now, I think of some more and post again.

[Fish Bork]

Hey I've met you a couple of times. Sucks your not with SMSU...MSU anymore. Just started grad school working with Beckman, but not planning on sticking around in Missouri. Never been a fan of the MDC seems like a big fraternity. I could go on but I'm not going to. I'm doing the Urban Streams gig that Parnell had and he's helping me out on it. Get ahold of me when Dodd comes back into town for the White Bass run this spring. Later

[hoover25]

Hey I've met you a couple of times. Sucks your not with SMSU...MSU anymore. Just started grad school working with Beckman, but not planning on sticking around in Missouri. Never been a fan of the MDC seems like a big fraternity. I could go on but I'm not going to. I'm doing the Urban Streams gig that Parnell had and he's helping me out on it. Get ahold of me when Dodd comes back into town for the White Bass run this spring. Later

Good luck with your studies...Beckman is a good guy to work for. Just watch out for the comprehensive exams before your these defense....although I can think of others who are worse. Dodd may come back sooner to try for some walleyes or go down to taney for coldwater carp.

Tight Lines!