Kurt Kirchmer with a Castor River smallmouth caught on a live crawfish.

I find it amusing that the folks who constantly complain about restrictions on fishing all have the same argument. “It takes the fun out of everything” to quote Ken Elfrink of Robertsville.

I have been fishing for 30 years now and I have never had a day that wasn’t fun. I have been caught in some of the worst storms, been bit by a copperhead, and been hooked by my buddy but I always have a good time. That is the whole point of going for me and everyone I fish with. We catch plenty of fish to eat and have plenty of stories to tell, it may not be every trip but that’s okay because the grocery store will have plenty. (I wish I knew where they fished).

Every now and then we catch a big fish (my personal best small mouth is 18 inches) caught out of the Jacks Fork in a management area. My goal is to catch one 20 inches or so and that is another reason I go so I can try to match or beat my previous best. Yes I could travel to Tennessee or to Michigan and catch a 6 pound smallmouth out of a lake or large river but it doesn’t have the same appeal to me that wading an ice cold Ozark stream and fighting the best sport fish I have ever had a pleasure to catch close to home does.

Another argument I hear is that restrictions kill kids fishing because they can’t keep anything.Really, because as a kid on the Current and Jacks Fork I caught a ton of sunfish, goggle eye, and if I was lucky a decent sized smallmouth and if it was legal to keep the fish we did and had it for dinner. Kids don’t care what they catch as long as they catch fish, and I can’t remember a trip that we couldn’t catch something with a crawdad below a split shot.

The Ozark streams in my opinion are the prettiest and best fishing in the state. The restrictions have never kept me from wanting to go fishing, it may limit the type of fish I can keep but I never go away unhappy and if you have ever seen me you know I definitely don’t go away hungry.

I am not a biologist and I don’t know what is best for our fisheries but I do know I always catch bigger fish in the management areas. Case in point is floating above Alley Springs and floating below Alley Springs. The last five years I’ve floated both every year and it isn’t even close in comparison. The management area produces bigger fish and larger numbers of fish.

I agree with Mr. Todd that the Ozarks are great but I disagree when he says the management areas aren’t working. I also don’t think he fairly compared the Ozarks to bodies of water that were the same when it came to catching large smallmouth. I believe an 18-20 in smallmouth in those streams are amazing and I would love to see more of them. I don’t agree that regulations run people off and keep them from fishing. I have never met a person who stopped fishing because of regulations. I can always find a place to fish that suits what I’m looking for whether it be a stringer for dinner or a personal best for a replica mount.

The MDC gets paid to study and protect our fisheries. I may not always agree with their regulations but they are looking at a broad picture and in my opinion most people who disagree with them are doing so based on their own wants and not what is best for the wildlife.

Everyone has a right to their opinion and I’m glad we have one of the best Conservation Departments in the country that actually listen to the residents when considering regulations. And I have faith they will ultimately make the right decision and do what is best for the wildlife and not what is best for us. Without the wildlife we will have nothing to hunt or fish and nothing for future generations to enjoy because you will always have people who abuse every system and ruin it for everyone else. Regulations aren’t a bad thing in my opinion.

I hope Mr. Todd and Mr. Elfrink have fun the next time they go fishing and we may disagree on certain regulations but I think we all have a passion for fishing and that is a great thing to have in my opinion.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe summer and gets to catch a lot of fish. (Even if they are too small to keep)

Kurt Kirchmer
Arnold, MO