Missouri Department of Conservation’s Fisheries Division Chief Chris Vitello and members of his staff will be guest speakers at the Nov. 17 meeting of the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance at Powder Valley Nature Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood, Mo.

Vitello will have a major role in any changes to smallmouth regulations inMissouri. A blue ribbon panel working under the auspices of the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance has proposed to the MDC an extensive set of recommendations in regards to smallmouth bass fishing in Missouri.

The Smallmouth Alliance meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at Powder Valley. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the meetings run from 7 to 9 p.m. Prospective members are invited.

The Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center is located at 11715 Cragwold Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122-7015.  From the intersection of Interstates 44 and 270, take Watson Road to Geyer Road. Turn north on Geyer for 200 yards to Cragwold Road. Go west on Cragwold for one mile to nature center entrance on right. Here’s a link to a Google map.

If you have questions about the organization or meeting, contact Les Anderhub at 314-894-8945 or landerhub@att.net for more details.

“Dad, this is why I fish,” I said.

He’s relatively new to Missouri and very new to the creek fishing many of us enjoy in the Ozarks. It has taken me quite some time to convince him that, in the Ozarks, creek fishing is a blessing.

The Ozark streams are gems of peace and beauty. The rugged terrain, bold bluffs, clear water and abundant wildlife are blessings. And the smallmouth bass — the underdog with attitude — are a special gift for sport fishermen.

Much attention has been given lately to the quality of smallmouth fishing in the Ozarks. The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance, a club of bronzeback devotees, created a “blue-ribbon” panel to propose a plan for the Missouri Department of Conservation to create a “world-class” smallmouth fishery. Debate has been passionate among those who have differing ideas of how the state should manage Ozark waterways for the fierce fighter.

Beautiful smallmouth bass like this one, caught in Huzzah Creek, are what makes fishing in the Ozarks world class.

MDCs fisheries biologists are charged with the difficult task of managing the states fisheries for a variety of interests. While our methods and motivations vary, we are all anglers and we all have a reason to want quality fishing. As far as I can tell, the folks at the MDC are doing a fine job.

Since I moved to Missouri 12 years ago, I have always been impressed by the simplicity of fishing here. The regulations, free of influence from elected politicians looking to cozy up to lobbyists and special-interest groups, are easy to understand. A resident annual fishing permit, a mere $12, is among the lowest of any state within a day’s drive. Access to quality streams is generally easy, unlike some states that continue to experience legal battles for stream access.

Ultimately, the MDCs responsibility is not to cater to the fleeting desire of humans to practice the type of fishing they prefer. It’s role is to manage the fisheries for the fish — to ensure that they have adequate structure, food and water to sustain healthy populations for our generation and those that will follow.

In 10 years of pursuing smallmouth bass in Missouri waters — on the basin rivers and the little creeks that meander through private land — I can’t recall any trip when I was disappointed. The greatness of fishing for smallmouth bass in the Ozarks lies not in the size of the fish but in the beauty of the places in which they live.

We already have a world-class smallmouth fishery.

You can read the MDCs  2009 smallmouth bass white paper summary here.

The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance’s Power Point presentation with smallmouth bass management proposals can be downloaded here.

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

In the August 2010 issue of

River Hills Traveler

Remember the favorite outdoor places, businesses and people readers voted for last September and October? The winners in Traveler’s second annual Readers Choice Awards are profiled in this issue. Make this section your guide to outdoor enjoyment in Traveler Country.

Other Page 1 stories:

Cool rivers pull crowds on hot weekends — Bill Cooper
His Meramec River fishing trip went awry, so Bill went people-watching and came up with some surprising observations.

Clearwater project may finish in 2013 — Jo Schaper
Jo casts a trained geologist’s eye on the $93 million cutoff wall project at Clearwater Dam. Find out exactly what your money is being spent on and why.

The rest of the paper
Letters to the editor have been flying thick and fast. Al Agnew, Norm Leppo and Ken Elfrink all weigh in on the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance proposals to grow bigger bronzebacks in the state. Other letters address cave closings for WNS, conditions at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park campground, a trip to Dillard Mill and e-coli levels at north Missouri lakes.

Water fowl prospects remain ducky — Bill Cooper
Wetland conditions are well above the long-term average, boding well for waterfowl hunters. Wappapello Lake duck blind registration is slated for Aug. 21.

MDC eyes elk restoration at Peck Ranch Conservation Area — MDC news release
The Missouri Conservation Commission has asked biologist Lonnie Hansen to address certain considerations for restoring this Missouri native species in one particular area. The Commission also awarded a $1.395 million bridge and structures contract for Duck Creek CA and handled a number of other items of business.

Sudden service on catfish dinner request — Charlie Slovensky
Charlie’s brother John requested a channel catfish for supper from his pond. Find out how long it took Charlie to fill the order.

It’s tough work, but somebody’s gotta do it — Bob Todd
We think Bob is rubbing it in a little here as he tells about a spur of the moment float from Watercress to Big Spring on the Current.

Companions adds new dimension to hike — Melissa Gilliam
The Small Town Girls Guide blogger continues her Ozark Trail hiking adventures. This time, she leads eight companions on Miles 22-33 of the Courtois Section. Learn the pluses and minuses of hiking with friends.

Don’t forfeit your right to carry — a camera, that is — Howard Helgenberg
Howard recalls the greatest photo he never took and offers camera suggestions.

Whee! Zipline mania spreads over Missouri — Barbara Gibbs Ostmann
Barb criss-crossed Missouri riding every zipline she could find and brings you the lowdown on what each has to offer.

Bluff collapse on upper Meramec startles neighbors — Rock Talk, Jo Schaper
Sometime during the night of July 10, about 250 linear feet of rock, 80 to 90 feet tall, sheared off Black Bluff south of Bourbon and crashed into the Meramec River. Jo talks to geology experts and neighbors to find out what caused the landscape-changing event.

August is get-ready time for fall hunting — Seasons, Bob Todd
A hunter’s blood begin to stir this month. It’s not to early to prepare.

Southeast Missouri’s swampy beauty showcased in pictures
Winners for the 5th annual Mingo Swamp Fauna & Flora Photography Contest have been chosen, though their names are secret. The first exhibit is coming up.

For eclectic eaters: French toast sticks, waffle iron brownies, more — Iron Kettle, Pat Todd
Pat ran onto a bunch of old recipes stuck back in the files. Learn how to cook spinach swirls, Mexican rice, savory nuts and more.

Mad dogs in the Ozarks were no joke in summer of 1951
In our “Through the Years in Traveler” column, we review a Jim Featherston story about a rabies epidemic when he was sheriff of Ripley County.

Year-round outdoor education came naturally for Indian children — Our Indian Heritage, Kathleen Brotherton
Native Americans learned outdoor survival skills from an early age

Hen turkeys in straw are like women in mall — Jim and Donna Featherston
Jim draws a dangerous human parallel after observing female turkeys churning straw mulch in a feeding frenzy. Donna has her own insights.

Life is short, so bees must stay busy — Nature’s Corner, Aaron Horrell
Aaron photographs a honeycomb up close and shares fascinating bee lore.

Maps in this issue: Clearwater Lake • Lower Current & Eleven Point Rivers • Lower Meramec River • Niangua River & Bennett Spring • Parkland/Arcadia Valley/Black River • Upper Current & Jacks Fork Rivers • Upper Meramec River, Huzzah & Courtois Creeks • Wappapello Lake

Click here for a FREE TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION

Here’s a complete summary of articles in the July 2010 print issue of Traveler:

Belly boats — Bill Cooper
The coolest, wettest, most relaxed way to fish in summer

A piece of river history — Rick Mansfield
Vintage jon boat, 24 feet long, 32 inches abeam, has plied the Current for 50 years.

Past shadows reservoir dedication — Jo Schaper

As much as Ameren UE touted the opening of its rebuilt Upper Taum Sauk Reservoir as a new beginning and the structure as an engineering marvel, the past was on the minds of Ameren UE officials.

Have we learned from disasters?— Traveler editorial
Disasters occur naturally, but they are often caused or made worse by humans, who tend to ignore nature’s forces or mistakenly think we have tamed them.

Get in your outings now, before school starts — Makin’ Tracks, Emery Styron
If you’re going to get the kids on the water this summer, do it before school bells ring in August.

Catching channel cats by lantern light — Howard Helgenberg
Howard tell you how he likes to relax on a summer evening.

Traveler Mailbag: Pros, cons on new smallmouth regs, Traveler story reunites old school chums after 62 year separation Dan Kreher of the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance takes polite exception to Bob Todd’s views on creating “world class” smallmouth fishing in the Ozarks. Another reader is not so polite. Rudi Rudroff stands up for Bob. Earl Hancock of House Springs and Joe Mann of Sullivan connect after six decades thanks to Traveler.

Floating, fishing, feasting best done in one trip — Greg “Rudi” Rudroff
There’s a reason you never find fish in Rudi’s freezer. He’s found they taste much better cooked right after their caught. Learn the equipment he carries and how he cooks them.

Creativity fuels epic jaunt to early Clearwater Lake — Bob Brennecke
Dad and Cal started for the new Clearwater Lake one day in the early 50’s with young Brennecke in the back seat. They almost never got there. It’s amazing what an old Dodge will run on.

Mean brats born on the Fourth of July — Jim and Donna Featherston
Ol’ Jim is no fan of (expletive deleted) harvest mites, a.k.a. chiggers, but he tells how the tiny creatures work their torture and how to fight back.

Niangua-Bennett Spring area has a lot to offer — Barbara Gibbs Ostmann
From trout fishing in the gorgeous state park to leisurely floating and fishing on the Niangua to exploring nearby Lebanon’s many events and attractions, a trip to this mid-Missouri outdoor mecca is worth your time.

No reason needed for father-daughter float — Bob Todd
Bob Todd and daughter Kim float from Baptist Camp to Cedar Grove on the upper Current, and have time to talk without interruption.

Rock Talk: Proffit Mountain scour reveals 900 million year history in rocks — Jo Schaper
The upper Taum Sauk Reservoir collapse washed a strip of of Proffit Mountain clear to the bedrock creating an Ozark geology textbook showing rock layers in a long sequence.

Nature’s Corner: Hummingbirds compete with bees for nectar — Aaron Horrell
Just as smaller birds harrass larger ones such as crows, bumblebees sometimes chase off hummingbirds in competition for nectar. See Aaron’s photo of a bee-hummingbird encounter.

Indians knew plants uses; do we? — Kathleen Brotherton
Native Americans have long appreciated wildflowers and “weeds” not only for their beauty but for their usefulness in their everyday lives. Learn how they used such common plants as the lotus, yucca and jack-in-the-pulpit.

In praise of the old swimmin’ hole — Charlie Slovensky
There was a time when skinny-dippin’ was not only feasible but preferable in Ozarks creeks and rivers. Do you know about the “code of honor” among boys that protected their duds from disappearing but didn’t always apply to girls?

The Seasons: July fishing reliable on poles, jugs, limb and trotlines— Bob Todd
Can fish tell the difference as the days get longer? Bob thinks so and theorizes that is why fishing seems to get more predictable in mid-summer. See if you agree.

Young fishing buddy tests dad’s capability — Fred Ohrazda
This particular outing with his young son, John, stretched the writer’s character to the limits as a human and a father. Was that deep, burning pain in his chest a heart attack — or something else?

The Iron Kettle: Fresh, home-grown produce one of season’s joys — Pat Todd
Juicy cantaloupes, meaty strawberries, terrific blueberries, fresh corn make mouthwatering ingredients for summer eating

Through the Years in Traveler — From our files
25 years ago, a federal agency in Missouri held a public meetng to assess access to public water and develop a plan to improve certain roads and close others. Controversy and concern raged. This time it wasn’t the National Park Service and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

Other stories:

• USGS offers real time water alerts from 9,500 sites
•Fishing rebounds in lower Taum Sauk Reservoir
• Conservation Commission pulls privileges for 28 Wildlife Code violators
•Lack of bidders stops Alley Spring Campground resurfacing project
•NWTF taking donations to remediate Gulf habitat
•Aug. 15 deadline to apply for 25th annual muzzle-loader and other managed hunts
• Polystyrene cooler ban dies in 2010 session committees

Travel maps in this issue: Big Piney & Gasconade, Clearwater Lake, Lower Current and Eleven Point, Lower Meramec, Niangua & Bennett Spring, Parkland Region, Upper Current and Jack’s Fork, Upper Meramac, Huzzah and Courtois and Wappapello Lake.

I appreciate the amount of attention that River Hills Traveler has given to the management issues surrounding smallmouth bass in Missouri’s streams and the responsible manner in which you have covered this topic.  As you well know, Bob Todd is a very experienced angler with well developed opinions about fisheries management and angler interests.  As a member of our Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel over the past two years, his input has been quite valuable in particular providing some keen insight into what consumptive SMB anglers might be looking for in terms of fisheries management changes.  And, we believe that the Panel’s proposals recently put forth to the MDC, despite Bob’s seeming disdain for the expansion of Special Management Areas, are both sensitive to the interests of catch-and-release anglers such as members of the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance as well as to those anglers who prefer to take home their legal limit of stream SMB.

In fact, in developing our proposal for a statewide length and creel limit change, the interests of consumptive anglers are well represented as 3 SMB exceeding 15” in length would be able to be kept to eat, plus a total of up to an additional 3 other black bass (largemouths and spots) exceeding the 12” MLL (unrestricted on spots in Meramec basin) for a total daily black bass creel limit of 6 fish.  Again, in the Meramec basin, anglers can currently and still would be able to keep up to  12 spotted bass daily (in addition to their largemouth and smallmouth take).  So, it seems to me that even with a reduction in the daily SMB limit, anglers would still have plenty of bass they could take home or clean for a shore lunch. The proposed updated statewide regulations for stream SMB — the current regs have been in place for 35+ years — in addition to supporting sustainable fisheries would provide better fishing for everyone while not unduly infringing on anyone’s past times.

The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance’s proposals involving the expansion of the well-established Special Management Areas were based upon maximizing the quality (defined as both increased numbers of SMB and larger average sizes) of our better smallmouth streams through the use of regulations that have been proven to work to significantly improve angler catch rates, average sizes and proportional stock densities of larger SMB in the areas where they’ve been enacted by the MDC.  True as documented in the  White Paper, many of these existing Special Regs Areas did not meet the MDC’s stated goals of doubling the number of SMB between 12-15 inches and those over 15 inches, but it is hard to determine whether those doubling goals were realistic during the time of the study given the slow growth rates of Ozark stream SMB and their naturally low densities as  predator species.  Regardless, fishing was generally much improved in these areas compared to both the recent past and the control areas outside the Special Regs waters.  Folks can certainly argue whether the Special Management Areas have improved angling enough to warrant their expansion, but MSA believes, as does the MDC, that the regs were effective and anglers generally supported them and would not oppose to their being more of them.

Bob’s contention that these areas “ran folks off” needs to be put into context as well.  Obviously if an angler’s goal is to take six SMB home to eat, he is going to avoid a stream section where you can only keep one SMB.  However, the statistics cited by Mr. Todd are based upon the limited angler survey data obtained during the first few years of the Special Areas and are heavily skewed by the initial results on the Meramec stretch.  But if you look as these figures more closely you’ll find that angler effort also fell off greatly in the control areas of the Meramec outside of the Special Regs Area during those early years and in nearly the same magnitude.  If anglers were being run off from the more restrictive regs areas, were they going to an entirely other stream when less than 10% of the Meramec’s main stem was affected by these regs?  It’s hard to say.  Over time, however, as word spread that the quality of the Special Areas was indeed improving under the new regs, more and more anglers (likely C&R guys) began to frequent these reaches in search of better fishing.  Angler surveys conducted in the later years of the study would bear this out and just about every article you read in outdoor publications about Missouri’s SMB stream resources notes one or more of the Special Management Areas as being bronzeback hotspots.  MSA does not believe it productive to debate the angling pressure issue still further as the MDC appears to be convinced that the regs areas have been successful and popular with anglers.  But, if one has a beef with the MDC’s numbers, I suggest they take it up with them.

MSA’s proposed expansion of the SMB Special Regs Areas may appear to some as an aggressive campaign as we suggest essentially doubling the number of stream sections included in the program and increasing total stream mileage from about 350 miles up to 760 miles in total.  Even so, this would still represent but a small minority  of the available SMB stream resources in the state and would effectively provide a greater number of avid SMB anglers with increased opportunity to catch more and larger fish.  Undoubtedly, there are some serious SMB anglers in the state who somehow don’t want to catch more fish or even larger SMB if it means throwing more back to let them grow up for a few more years, but as a long-time fishermen who is in a fishing organization more than 300 members strong, I cannot say I know many of these folks.

Again, I believe that your publication’s coverage of this issue provides a forum for healthy debate and offers a great opportunity for angler input to help shape the future of stream SMB management in Missouri.  Most who pursue stream bronzebacks are indeed passionate about it and have genuine interest in how these fragile stream fisheries are managed and sustained for current and future generations.  Throughout the Ozarks, we are clearly blessed with some of the most beautiful streams in the country and are well recognized for this; the recent proposals offered by the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance are simply designed to make our stream SMB fishing resources just as noteworthy and appreciated by fishermen.  We will continue to work on behalf of the resource and for the interests of avid SMB anglers across the state.

That seemed to us a timid effort, considering the huge number of stream miles in the state. The Meramec River and tributaries, for example, has 1,733 miles where up to 12 spotted bass per day can be taken with no minimum length limit, and only 15 miles of smallmouth special management area, but no additional regulations were proposed.
The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance Blue Ribbon Panel studying improvement of smallmouth fishing issued an ambitious report this year calling for raising statewide minimum length from current 12 inches to 15 inches, reducing the statewide creel limit from current 6 fish to 3 fish, adding 9 special management areas with a 15-inch minimum, 1 creel limit and adding four trophy special management areas with an 18-inch minimum, 1 creel limit. The Conservation Federation of Missouri has endorsed the MSA Blue Ribbon Panel’s proposal.
Many members of the Smallmouth Alliance are enthusiastic catch-and-release anglers. What they’re after are far bigger bronzebacks to catch and let go. Their panel’s report calls for creating “world class” smallmouth fishing in Missouri.
We’ve talked with more than one angler who doesn’t see it that way. Not to stereotype anyone, but it seems many folks who live in the Ozarks prefer to catch a mess of fish to eat instead of going home with just one fish.
Former Traveler publisher Bob Todd, a member of the SMA’s Blue Ribbon Panel, also offers a dissenting voice. In a piece on Page 10, he opines that Missouri has world class streams that he wouldn’t trade for world class fishing, such as that at Wilson’s Dam in Alabama. Size isn’t everything and existing special management areas are decreasingly less popular places to fish, writes Bob. “I am opposed to taking our best waters to extend the special areas and imposing a 15-inch, one-fish limit that has driven away anglers,” he says.

Mr. Todd, as usual, makes sense. The right amount of protection for Missouri’s smallmouth probably lies somewhere in between the MDC’s White Paper and the MSA panel’s recommendations.

What’s your opinion? Do special management areas work? Do you want to keep more of what you catch or release more in hopes of bigger smallmouth?

This editorial opinion represents the views of River Hills Traveler magazine and was published in our June 2010 print edition. Signed responses are welcome. Send to estyron@rhtrav.com or P.O. Box 220, Valley Park, MO 63088. Responses will appear in this column and a representative selection will be published in our July print edition.

With the size of our streams in Missouri an 18- to 20-inch smallmouth caught on a regular basis would be considered “World Class.”  I already know people who travel to our state to fish our streams because Missouri smallmouth stream fishing has a reputation of being some of the best in the country because of the efforts of the MDC and the MSA. And for Mr. Todd to try to belittle their efforts because he isn’t able to keep and eat a 14-inch fish is a little rude in my opinion. There are plenty of goggle-eye, sunfish, and spotted bass in our rivers to feed people.

Our streams cannot produce the type of fish they catch in “Alabama and Ontario” because you are talking about completely different environments. But if we can continue to grow the population of 18- to 20-inch smallmouth in our beautiful Ozark streams then I consider that a great accomplishment as well as a great draw for Fall and Winter tourism targeting out of state fishermen.

Maybe Mr. Todd should try to compare apples to apples in his next article and quit trying to mislead those readers that may not have knowledge of our smallmouth habitats. How can you compare massive rivers like the Tennessee to the small in comparison streams we have in the Ozarks? How can you compare commercial fishing in large bodies of water to again small streams? Where in any of the management areas have we physically changed the river and where have any dams been recommended by the MDC or the MSA? And how many fishermen have been run off by the length requirements and what were they fishing for?

Thank you,

Kurt Kirchmer
Arnold, MO

I was trying to come to terms with the words, “world class smallmouth.” So went to Wilson Dam in Alabama, which advertises itself as the world capital of smallmouth bass.

Dale Kipp with a 4 lb. 14-inch Alabama smallmouth. Bob Todd photo.

Indeed, the claim may be well-founded. I photographed a 5-1 and a 4-14 in a 24 hour period. The 4-14 was taken by my fishing partner, Dale Kipp of Van Buren. The 5-1 was taken by Joey Crafton, another fellow from Van Buren. My best was a 17-incher, which probably weighed 2-8 or so. We also caught largemouths, spotted bass, some hybrids. Also a bushel of white bass, some huge goggle-eye and a seven-pound drum.

Alabama has a 14-inch limit on smallmouth. No length limit on largemouths or spots. Creel limit is 10, all black bass combined. I’m sure a lot of catch-and-release is practiced, but truth is, of the 40 or so bass we handled in two days, only one showed any sign of being caught before. We caught very few small bass.

Talked to an old guy at the boat ramp. Said since he retired he’s taken up fishing. Caught a seven-pound smallmouth from the bank near the ramp. it was big enough for him to brag about.

We never got more than perhaps a mile below the dam. Never had it to ourselves. As many as 20 boats in sight on Thursday afternoon. Never fewer than six. It gets downright crowded on weekends, they say, but we didn’t stay that long.

So what does it take to produce that kind of fishery? The fertile waters of the Tennessee River, for one thing. And a dam to concentrate bait fish.

We had a fish fry for lunch the first day and one of the Van Buren fishermen said the bass there eat crawfish, same as ours. Apparently a good crop of crawfish are necessary. That’s one thing we do have.

Bass are apparently not crowded — we caught very few small fish. My guess is the 14-inch minimum on smallmouth has some influence, but largemouth and spots averaged nice sizes too. A creel of 10 seems obscene, but obviously it isn’t detrimental to growing big smallmouth.

Meanwhile, back in Missouri
And here we are in Missouri, the Smallmouth Alliance talking about creating “world class smallmouth fishing.” But we don’t have a Tennessee River or dams that are managed primarily for both hydropower and navigation, so I doubt we have the necessary flow charactoristics below any of our dams.

Nor do we have deep northern lakes in which the local fishermen regard smallmouth as trash, unworthy of space in the livewell with walleye.

We have a “put all the little ones back” mentality. In commercial fishing, doing so is a great way to grow a lot more small fish, according to the latest research. Are smallmouth so different?

We have experience with restrictive length limits — special managment areas — and results are not overly impressive to me.

There is a push on by the Alliance to do more of the same. The Alliance has proposed to the Conservation Department major expansion of the special areas.

Having fished the Alabama world class smallmouth waters and our Ozark streams, I think the better thing to do is to let Alabama or Canada or whoever lay claim to the “world class” trophy titles for size.

And just accept what we have here. Manage it in a reasonable way that includes a component of keeping and eating fish. There’s more to fishing than size of the fish.
I live where I do because I love our Ozark streams. I give up a lot to live here. Economically and more. We have world class streams here. I can’t imagine anyone would say fishing at Wilson Dam in Alabama is a world class experience that compares with fishing an Ozark stream.

I guess what I’m saying is I wouldn’t give up our world class streams to obtain world class smallmouth if it takes fishing below a Wilson Dam.

Growing smallmouth here like those in Alabama — or Ontario — is about as likely as the founding of a 10,000 employee space industry factory at Eminence. Something we can’t imagine would have to happen first.

Taking our best smallmouth water and making it all “special management area” with 15-inch minimum and creel of but one calls for giving up a lot to gain very little.

The Conservation Department’s studies of the existing special areas found a lot to be desired, chiefly the finding that fishing pressure actually declined in these areas that are supposed to be better fishing. There were 63 per cent fewer trips and 54 per cent fewer fishing hours! You’d think fishermen would flock to those waters, but they don’t.

Average size of smallmouth did go up, but missed the goal of doubling bass in the 12 plus and 15-plus size catagories. How much of the gain is simply the result of less fishing? Is that how we want to get bigger smallmouth? Run off half the fishermen?

What makes fishing in the Ozarks so special is not the size of the smallmouth, but the beauty of the streams themselves. Size isn’t everything. Sportsmen dream of huge bass, monster crappie and bucks with antlers that reach the treetops. But we need reality too.
I am opposed to taking our best waters to extend the special areas and imposing a 15-inch, one-fish limit that has driven away anglers.

Our Ozark streams are pretty special. World class, I’d say. They don’t have to grow the biggest smallmouth in the world.

Bob Todd is the retired publisher of River Hills Traveler and a member of the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance’s Blue Ribbon Panel which recently came out with recommendations for improving smallmouth fishing in the state. Opinions within the panel were not unanimous.

• Eleven Point Crazy: Two men vs. elements — Hank Franklin
Smallmouthin’, river runnin’, campfires. What more could a guy want?
• Remember the silence — Don Rathert
Older outdoorsman surveys today’s tumult and recalls the quiet of yesterdays on the Current.
• Rewards for those who stop to look — Greg “Rudi” Rudroff
When you put down your fishing rod and concentrate on all that makes a stream a true wonder, you get amazing photographs like Rudi Rudroff’s.
• After hours floating yields moonlight memories — Rick Mansfield
The beauty and serenity of a night time float cannot be overstated.
•Floating, fishing from canoe takes thought, skill — Bill Cooper
Fishing and floating are both fun, but to safely and successfully combine the two requires practice, skill and a good partner.
•Rock Talk: The float trip that changed my life — Jo Schaper
Jo Schaper floated the Current and Jacks Fork in 1996 looking at rocks. She found a cave-like rock formation on Tufa Creek but no cave. Her study of Tufa Creek led her to a geology degree and a new path in life.
•So what did we learn — Howard Helgenberg
Life experiences, if you learn from them, make you a better floater.
•Kayak fishing best of two worlds for Brett Boschert — Jo Schaper
Springfield accountant Brett Boschert grew up around St. Charles, fishing at Busch Wildlife and Montauk State Park. He uses kayak fishing as a way to get exercise and pursue his favorite outdoor activity.

Special Coverage: It’s not your grandparents’ Johnson’s Shut-Ins anymore
Four and a half years after the worst disaster ever in a Missouri state park, Johnson Shut-Ins State Park is officially open and operating under a new sort of normal.
Our special package of coverage includes:
• Gov. Jay Nixon snips the ribbon to officially reopen the park — Jo Schaper
•Rebuilt Taum Sauk pumped storage reservoir back in business — Jo Schaper
•Maps and photos inside the refurbished park — Emery Styron
•Scenic beauty, outdoor fun, history found here — Ron Kruger photos
•Arcadia Valley long a scenic haven for residents, visitors — Kathleen Brotherton

Do we really need world class bass? — Bob Todd
If having world class smallmouth, such as a group from southeast Missouri recently caught near Wilson Dam in Alabama, means giving up Missouri’s world class Ozark streams, Bob Todd’s not a taker. He opines that major expansion of special management areas discourages fishing and doesn’t necessarily boost the size of fish caught.

Bluegill: A fish for all ages — Tim Huffman
The small but scrappy bluegill and readear provide some of the best family fishing. Huffman gives the basics for catching them and a survey of some of the best spots for fishing them in Traveler Country.

Traveler Editorial — What kind of ‘world class’ do we want?
The Missouri Department of Conservation didn’t aim very high with its white paper on improving smallmouth fishing in the state, but is the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance asking for too much? Letters to the editor: Readers sound off on closing access in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and deer season changes.

The Seasons: nature’s seasons change in June, though MDC’s don’t — Bob Todd
On the calendar, not much is different in June except that you can take frogs. Unofficially, however, some fish are finished spawning, others are starting up and it’s easy to pick the wrong day to fish.

Huge oak shelters thriving natural community — Jim and Donna Featherston
Squirrels, possums, bats, owls, birds, snakes, mice and thousands of tiny critters that feed on dead wood or fungi all find a home in ancient oaks. One of the most interesting creatures is the periodical cicada that lives for years in its larval stage and but a few weeks as an adult.

Nature’s Corner: Many baby cottontails go out on own in June — Aaron Horrell
Cottontail rabbits grow quickly from four-inch hairless infants to animals ready to go their separate ways and five weeks.

The Iron Kettle: Sure hit dishes for summer picnics — Pat Todd
Recipes for Picnic Peanut Rolls, Fresh Zucchini and Veggie Salad, Broccoli Salad, Baked Beans and Corn and Skillet Fruit Salad. Don’t let store-bought convenience foods spoil you. Cook up something easy and delicious for a good old-fashioned summer picnic, Pat says.

Through the Years in Traveler — From our files
25 years ago, 13-year cicadas were ruining sleeping and fishing in the Ozarks

Other stories:
• State, federal caves closed in Missouri, show caves still giving tours
• Carbon monoxide can kill
• Conservation Commission sets fall deer, turkey season dates, tweaks regs
• Conservation Commission pulls privileges for 28 Wildlife Code violators
• Squirrel season open; bag limit upped to 10, possession limit to 20
• Lake Wappapello Outdoor Theatre season underway

Travel maps in this issue: Big Piney & Gasconade, Clearwater Lake, Lower Current and Eleven Point, Lower Meramec, Niangua & Bennett Spring, Parkland Region, Upper Current and Jack’s Fork, Upper Meramac, Huzzah and Courtois and Wappapello Lake.

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