missouri sucks.

[Bill]

Hi all, I unfortuneatly live in Missouri where the conservation department is trying to establish a muskie fishery in about nine different lakes here. The problem is that they don't really know what they're doing... They stock muskies in small lakes (200 acres or less) and almost all the muskies die off because of the VERY hot summers we have here, then they keep trying to stock fish in there thinking they will somehow survive and it's just a big waste of fish, not only that, but they don't know how to manage the lakes... They have been doing research and experiments for almost 30 years but still have no idea what they are doing, it's really pathetic. They don't seem to realize that muskies in Missouri need cool, clear, deep water where they can find refuge from the heat, also need more than 200 arces to survive. I have talked to the conservation department about this many times, but they just don't get it. It's VERY frustrating to me because I LOVE to fish for muskies, but I hate to see all the pure ignorance going on, it drives me crazy the way the conservation does things here in Missouri... I wish I could make them see all the stupid mistakes they are making, but I guess I'll just have to keep going to Illinois and Wisconsin to fish for the mighty muskie... Does anyone have any advice or answers to what I can do????????

Thanks :)
Bill

[Wally&MuskyHunter15 (IL)]

Ever fish Lake Shelbyville? Great for Musky just have to downsize what your using. Huge lake! I fish it quite often more in the Spring and Fall out of my Astro BassBoat. Lake gets rather rough sometimes. If you want some info. on it or have any questions just reply back.

www.lakeshelbyville.com

Hope this Helps Take Care and Good Luck w/. the D.N.R.!

[Musk Rat]

If you know a lake that seems suitibale to you try and contact any fishing clubs on the lake and see if they will support muskies being stocked getting support is the first step. Unfortunately most clubs are against muskie but not allways The knee deep club in N.J. which has much more members and clout than N.J. muskies inc. Helped us get muskies in lake hopatcong. On the other hand Monksville sportsmens club has prevented N.J. fish + game from stocking that body of water ye support is what you need local support not some dudes on this board. Try selling the idea to local buisness owners. There support is most important.

[Mark Boone]

Bill,

I just responded to your email to me in an attempt to explain our muskie program and discuss your many concerns. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss muskie management in Missouri with you. We may agree to disagree, but it will be a chance to discuss your concerns. You may have talked to several folks within our agency, but I don't think we've spoken in person.

I am an avid muskie angler too and I want to help guide our muskie program to provide better fishing. I'm always willing to listen to the opinions of others, such as yourself.

Please call me or send me your phone number and I will call you at your convenience.

Thanks!

Mark Boone
Muskellunge Program Advisor
Missouri Department of Conservation
2302 County Park Dr.
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
573/290-5730, ext. 239
boonem@mail.conservation.state.mo.us

[BJ]

Bill,

What an oppurnity, it looks like Mr. Boone is willing to discuss your concerns about the Muskie program. You have a win--win situation here what ever the outcome may be. Hopefully it will educational for both of you and the Muskie program in Missouri will benifit greately.

Good Luck :)

Bj

[Tom B]

Cool, Mark replied before I could. Since I have been editing Muskie, I have had the pleasure to visit with Mark on the phone and the September issue will have an update that Mark prepared. To me, it sounds like they are heading in the right direction. I also think that Mark needs more Mo. muskie anglers to fill out and return angling diaries.

Take the opportunity to talk to Mark, I am sure that you will enjoy it.

Tom B

[Musky Mike]

Bill:
You asked for suggestions, don't think you can do any better than what Mark Boone suggested. Avid musky angler and Muskellunge Program Advisor for Missouri, it don't get much (any) better than that!!

Good Luck, hope you and Mark can get the ball really rolling...:)

[Kevin Richards]

I was very glad to see the follow-up posts after the initial, very negative one. I'm an avid muskie angler, life member of Muskies, Inc., served on the steering committee for the first International Muskie Symposium, am a long-time friend of former MI President and MUSKIE editor Keith Ogden, and also Fisheries Field Operations Chief for the state of Missouri. It's important to note that our state not only has a muskie plan, we solicited muskie angler input during the writing phase. Our program is also quite successful, but can always use some tweaking. I was happy today to read an article in the late summer addition of the "Outdoor Guide" that was very complimentary of our program. Of course I liked the article especially well as it featured a photo of my wife releasing a 47-inch Missouri muskie! I strongly suggest more fishing and less email time to reduce stress!!

Kevin Richards
MDC Fisheries Field Operations Chief

[Jim McCullough]

This is how it should work guys! Very encouraging to see a states DNR asking for input from it's anglers. Congrats to Missouri. It sounds like they are well on their way to not "sucking". :)

[Tom B]

Jim,

I know that you didn't mean it the way it reads, but Mo doesn't suck right now. They have been having great success stocking advanced fingerlings and according to the report that I read, many of the lakes have exceeded the planned population goals. Annnnnd the lakes that were sampled show some decent average lengths (the captured quite a few 40+ inch fish.)

I have fished Smithville in Mo, have not been to others, but, if the others are like Smithville, acres and acres and more acres of standing timber, it would be a tough nut to crack. I would think that fishing some of those reservoirs would start with a fairly steep learning curve. I also suspect that once you cracked that nut, you would be successful at their other reservoirs.

Try hooking up with a guide for a day, then spend a bunch o time on the water.

And, if you're not already doing it, try throwing black.

Tom B