A few issues back, Traveler raised the question in this space of whether the Missouri Department of Conservation is doing enough to improve smallmouth bass fishing in the state. What prompted the question was an MDC White Paper recommending eight new stream stretches totaling 249.3 miles for new special smallmouth management regulations.

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.