March 1 Trout Opener Will Include Some Changes
 |
| Below-average
crowds are expected at Missouri's four trout parks March 1, because the
season opener falls on a Tuesday. However, anglers will find plenty of
rainbow and brown trout. The Missouri Department of Conservation will
stock three fish for every angler expected to attend the event. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
A higher stocking ratio and reduced creel limits will boost angler
success.
JEFFERSON CITY--Plenty of trout and less competition will greet anglers on
the 2005 season opener. Those who brave the weather to wet a line on opening
day at Missouri's four trout parks also will find some regulation changes.
The March 1 event is a tradition for thousands of Missourians and more than
a few out-of-state anglers. They rise before dawn, sometimes in beastly
weather, and line the banks of spring-fed streams at Bennett Spring State
Park (SP) near Lebanon, Montauk SP near Licking, Roaring River SP near
Cassville and Maramec Spring Trout Park near St. James. Catching rainbow and
brown trout is the immediate objective, but equally important is the
camaraderie of a seasonal ritual.
Attendance at the trout opener varies from approximately 8,000 to more than
14,000. Attendance soars in years when March 1 falls on a weekend. This
year's Tuesday opener may mean below-average attendance, but fair weather
could bolster the number of opening-day anglers. By the same token, cold,
rainy or snowy weather could further reduce the number of anglers on hand.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources owns Bennett Spring, Montauk
and Roaring River state parks. Maramec is owned and operated by the James
Foundation. However, the Missouri Department of Conservation operates
hatcheries at all four parks and provides trout to stock their waters.
To ensure a good start to the season, the Conservation Department stocks
three fish for each angler expected to visit trout parks on opening day. The
return of normal rainfall after several years of drought has replenished
springs that supply water to trout hatcheries. As a result, production of
trout in hatcheries is recovering to pre-drought levels.
Bennett Spring SP, where Missouri's trout park legacy began more than 75
years ago, expects 2,400 anglers March 1 and will stock 7,200 fish. Anglers
will be asked to help evaluate an experimental brown trout stocking program
in Zone 1 by filling out survey cards. They will receive the cards when
buying daily fishing tags. Drop boxes at locations throughout the park will
make it easy to drop off completed survey cards.
At Maramec Spring Trout Park an expected crowd of 1,600 anglers will find
5,000 newly stocked trout swimming in the park's waters. Another section of
wheelchair-accessible sidewalk has been finished at Maramec, increasing
access for anglers with mobility impairments. The St. James Chamber of
Commerce will sponsor fishing contests and other opening-day activities and
provide free coffee and donuts for anglers, adding to the party atmosphere
on opening day.
Montauk SP could see a crowd of 2,300 anglers if the weather is good. The
Conservation Department hatchery there will stock 6,900 trout. Fisheries
Division Administrator Steve Eder will be on hand to celebrate the season
opener and visit with anglers.
Roaring River SP is expecting 2,300 anglers and the hatchery will stock
7,000 trout to greet them. The first two tags issued this year will go to
Les and Suzie Jacobs in recognition of their support of youth fishing
programs there.
New this year at Roaring River is the prohibition of fishing from the south
bank (the bluff side) of the stream in Zone 2. This is to reduce bank
erosion.
Missouri fishing permits expire the last day of February. Permit-buying
lines are long at trout parks on opening morning, so savvy anglers buy their
permits before arriving.
Higher flows from springs also have helped boost the number of fish
Conservation Department hatcheries can produce. That will enable the agency
to return to its normal stocking rate of 2.25 trout per angler at trout
parks. For the past three years, the rate has been two trout per angler.
The Conservation Department also is trying to spread trout-catching
opportunities more evenly among anglers by lowering creel limits this year.
Effective March 1, the daily limit on trout will be four.
Under the old creel limits, some anglers took home five fish while others
caught only one trout or none at all. Lowering the limit to four daily will
give less successful anglers a better chance of getting in on the fun. The
change will reduce the harvest for some anglers, but it will spread the
harvest among more anglers and create more successful fishing trips.
The four-trout limit applies to most waters statewide, not just trout parks.
Some areas have more restrictive rules. Those are outlined in the 2005
Summary of Fishing Regulations, available wherever fishing permits are sold.
Also new to all four trout parks is a 15-inch minimum length limit on brown
trout. This is aimed at taking advantage of the fish's growth potential.
Brown trout can grow larger than rainbow trout. Missouri's state record is
26 pounds, 13 ounces, compared to 18 pounds, 1 ounce for rainbow trout.
"With all the anglers after them, brown trout just haven't been able to grow
as large as they could," said George Kromrey, who oversees the Conservation
Department's trout hatcheries. "This minimum length limit will allow them to
grow larger before they can be kept. We hope this will lead to anglers
seeing more big browns at the parks and other trout areas."
Kromrey noted that the 15-inch minimum will actually be more liberal than
the previous regulation at Bennett Spring SP, where an 18-inch minimum has
been in effect.
The Conservation Department's trout hatcheries are among the state's oldest
fish hatcheries. None has undergone significant renovation since 1978. To
make sure they can keep up with future demand for trout, the agency plans a
major overhaul. Plans call for 44 projects over the next five years. These
range from water supply improvements already underway at Roaring River
Hatchery to installing liquid oxygen aeration systems at Montauk, Roaring
River and Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery near Branson.
"Trout are among Missouri's most popular game fish," said Kromrey. "Keeping
hatcheries operating at peak efficiency and keeping up with demand is an
important use of the money we receive from taxpayers. Besides providing
recreation for Missourians, our investment in trout attracts thousands of
out-of-state anglers who support Missouri's thriving tourism industry.
"
- Jim Low -
Click Here To Return To The Previous Page
