If You Could Interject Any Species

[twosets]

Most of the sows caught at the trout parks come from the brood pens at those places or from good old shepard of the hills hatchery. They have not lived very long in those rivers.

Look at the rainbow that taxidermist cought from tany this spring, I guarantee it has lived for years in this river.

[Trav]

Drew,

I wouldnt call it fortunate.

I call it fishing 3 to 5 days a week.

Spanning over decades.

And lets not forget, with alot more skill than luck.

I know the lower like its my own living room. Although, since the flood it feels like somebody broke in to my house a rearranged all the furniture. Haha

[Greg]

Drew I do agree with you in that I would like to see more catch and release on Taney. For both bows and browns. I think if that occurred we would see more truly big fish (although there are plenty in there now). But it is also possible the trout might become stunted due to too many fish and not enough food. Fish management is hard to predict I think.

But I don't think catch and release will ever happen. Too many people like a fish dinner. And I do think the slot limit is a very reasonable compromise. I've fished Taney for many, many years and the slot limit has really improved the fishing over the last 10 years or so. Maybe not quite to the glory years in the 70's. But still pretty great - IMHO.

Greg

[drew03cmc]

Drew I do agree with you in that I would like to see more catch and release on Taney. For both bows and browns. I think if that occurred we would see more truly big fish (although there are plenty in there now). But it is also possible the trout might become stunted due to too many fish and not enough food. Fish management is hard to predict I think.

Greg

Hence the need for an apex predator to thin out the smaller fish.

I rest my case!

[Trav]

Even if there were additions to the population, It will just be more "put and Grow" species. There is just not enough spawning areas for self sustaining fish. Not even the trout can self sustain and they spawn in cold water.

I personally will be fine with more "stocker" species. But in reality, Bull Shoals will get what is stocked every year because there is no way to keep them from diving out of the lake.

[drew03cmc]

Taney is a holding tank. The trout dive over the dam into BS every winter when the whole lake is cool enough to support a lot of trout. Trav, you and I are really on the same page here, but thinking of a way to present the need for a true apex predator to Taney to MDC is where everything becomes wishy washy.

[Trav]

Not really wishy washy....its all about money.

[drew03cmc]

Good point...they want their cash cow, and we want a predator...darn the luck.

[Trav]

Brown Trout are pretty big predators, BUT, they are very elusive and hard to catch. Very close to Musky, the fish of a thousand casts.

I think if they stocked three times as many, and at three times the size, and make them all Catch and Release we wouldnt even be having this conversation.

[bigredbirdfan]

I think the statement about the brown was copy/pasted and is an old article. Of course the brown trout state record has been broke twice since, both on Taneycomo.

We found a brown about 10 years ago dead, floating up from the dock that measured 44 inches long. It had been dead long enough that the girth was probably bloated and inacurate so the weight is unknown. But it's possible it could have been larger than the world record- it was longer.

Some have seen larger browns. We've seen them as large or larger under our dock but it's been a few years since we've seen them.

What if any details were available on these state records from Taneycomo? Bait or Lure type? Gear used particulary the line type and size used?