Missouri Trout Parks - Part IV of the Missouri Trout Fishing Series

I have fished for trout in quite a few places and must say that I really do not know anyplace that quite equates to a Missouri Trout Park.  Now I am not asserting that similar places do not exist- heck, I am not even asserting that Missouri Trout Parks are going to be everyone's cup of tea.  In fact, I have encountered quite a few people who find them down right reprehensible.  I get that sentiment, but I surely do not share it.

Missouri Trout Parks are something akin to going to one of those game farms where they put out some pheasants or whatever you are hunting and then you "hunt" them.  There are some major differences, and I am going to make a case that they serve a valuable purpose in Missouri and for fishermen from anywhere.  Let me tell you just a bit about the parks that Missouri plays host to, all south of I-70 and all but one south of I-44.

Maramec Springs

The Missouri Trout Parks include Maramec Springs, Montauk, Bennett Spring, and Roaring River.  They are spread out in such a way that fishermen from just about anywhere in Missouri, western Illinois, eastern Kansas, northern Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma are within reasonable driving range of at least one of them.  All of them are fed by the cold water springs that make some Ozark Missouri streams suitable as trout habitat.  They are stocked mainly with rainbows, but also to a lesser e3xtent with brown trout.  They have opportunities for bait fishermen, spin fishermen, and to fly fishermen.  These parks are for many regional trout fishermen their introduction to the sport of trout fishing.  They often serve as a launching pad for a lifetime of trout fishing not just in the parks, but across the Ozark region and beyond.  For other trout fishermen, the parks fulfill their trout fishing desires for a lifetime.  For a few fishermen, they cut their teeth at these parks, then later experience more traditional waters perhaps in the Rocky Mountain West which brings them around to a snobbish attitude towards the waters where they began.  My trout fishing life kind of worked in reverse of this phenomenon.

Yampa River in NW Colorado

I was born in Colorado and raised in Alaska.  I really learned the art of trout fishing on waters of Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska, followed by a stint fishing for salmon trout and grayling in the Copper River Valley of Alaska.  Later, we moved back to Colorado, where we fished the Yampa, Green, and White Rivers of northwest Colorado.  These were trout fishing paradises, and I took them for granted.  I never even contemplated living somewhere that these kinds of fisheries did not exist.  Somewhere along the way, life happened, and I ended up in central Missouri for reasons not of interest to anyone reading this.  I never even knew that trout fishing existed in Missouri for perhaps six months or a year after I arrived.

As a matter of fact, I was really feeling sorry for myself.  I had lost all the hunting, fishing, and outdoor opportunities to which I was accustomed.  One day, I made a resolution that I would stop complaining about the opportunities that did not exist and try to find the ones that did.  That simple resolution changed my life.

The way this fits into this discussion of Missouri Trout Parks is that the discovery of these places got me, as well as my two boys (at the time elementary age kids), starting to get out and experience what the Ozark region of Missouri had to offer.  Given the fact that I had thought there were no trout fishing options in Missouri, the last thing I was going to do was turn my nose up at these places.  Plus, with younger kids, they were a pretty nice place to be able to set a kid in the bait fishing area and have them enjoy a great opportunity to catch their four fish limit and pretty much always have some action going.

During the "catch-and-keep" seasons at the trout parks, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) essentially stocks fish based on the number of fishermen that visit the parks.  These are all hatchery fish, some from hatcheries on the premises and some from other hatcheries, primarily Shepherd of the Hills on Lake Taneycomo.  This is where I equate the trout parks to a game farm.  Of course they are not setting out specific trout with the idea that these trout are for you and those over their are for me.  The streams of the trout parks teem with fish and it's really kind of fun if you have the right attitude to do some site fishing and go after them.

Truthfully, the trout park fish are kind of naive.  They have been raised on hatchery food and are not exactly wise to the ways of the trout world.  Having said that, they do still retain a bit of their instincts to go after traditional trout offerings.  Fly fishermen probably use egg patterns ( a more common name for them in the trout parks is glow bugs or glow balls) more than anything else.  Other "flies" will work however - woollies, Adams, the locally known crackleback, Dave's hoppers, and many more.  One offering that bridges the gap between fly and spin fishermen is "mini-jigs" in white, reg, orange, black, pink, or some combination of these.  For bait fishermen in the parks, what you see used successfully most often is the prepared baits like Powerbait, or dough recipes made at home or purchased at one of the trout park stores.

Woolies are a great option
for fly fishermen in Missouri
Trout Parks

If you are fishing these parks in the summertime, you can get what you need to fish very cheaply.  The least expensive way to go is to get an ultralight with 4 lb test line, some tiny split shot sinkers and small treble hooks, and an assortment of colors of Powerbait pastes.  You will also need one of those nylon stringers that cost about a buck.  Throw in some tiny floats (bobbers) and an old pair of tennis shoes if you plan to "wet wade" and you are set.  Stop by the park store with your fishing license and you'll be set once you get your park tag for a just a few bucks (it's been $4 for as long as I can remember).  If you plan to bring home trout, bring a cooler too, but I recommend frying them or baking them the night you catch them at your campsite if you are making a camping trip out of it.

You can fish the parks in the winter too.  They are open limited days and hours for catch-and-release fishing. If you find the hustle and bustle of the parks a little to much during the regular trout park seasons, the winter season might be for you.  There are some additional regulations you must know during this time of the year, so make sure you visit the MDC site before you go.  Often, at this time of year, the park stores are not open to answer questions - but the parks are still patrolled by conservation areas and regulations enforced.

By: Larry R. Beckett

If you are a real adventurous soul, consider visiting a park on opening weekend.  The MDC stocks some real lunkers then and you will have the great honor to compete for them with thousands of other fishermen all around you.  It is not for everyone, myself included, but for some Missouri outdoorsmen, it is an annual tradition.

After getting familiar with the Missouri Trout Parks, we branched out to places like the Meramec River below Maramec Springs, the Current River below Montauk, and the Niangua below Bennett.  From there we have fished and learned the locations of dozens of other awesome streams across the Ozarks - some with their own unique strains of wild trout. These parks can be a lot of fun if approached with the right attitude.  They have served a great purpose in our outdoor lives and perhaps they can do the same for you.

Related articles

• Missouri Trout Fishing has a lot to Offer (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Trout Fishing on Missouri's Current River (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Trout Fishing Taneycomo - Part III of the Missouri Trout Fishing Series (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

More than 1,300 students to compete at state archery tournament

Courtesy MDC

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) expect more than 1,300 student archers from around the state to compete at the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP) fourth annual state tournament on Saturday, March 23, at the University of Central Missouri Multipurpose Building, 500 S. Washington Ave., in Warrensburg. The state tournament, which will begin at 8 a.m., is free to watch and open to the public.

Student archers who shoot a qualifying score at the state tournament will earn a spot at the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) World Championship in St. Louis June 28-30 at the America Center and Edward Jones Dome.

MoNASP is coordinated through MDC and CFM in partnership with participating schools and numerous supporting organizations throughout the state. MoNASP is an affiliate of NASP and promotes education, self-esteem and physical activity for students in grades 4-12 through participation in the sport of archery.

More than 58,000 Missouri students from 266 schools participate in MoNASP. Since NASP's beginnings in 2002, more than 10 million students have participated in the program through more than 10,000 schools in 47 states and six countries.

For more information, including participating schools and communities, visit mdc.mo.gov and search “MoNASP.”

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Mark Twain National Forest Welcomes New Forest Supervisor

ROLLA, Missouri-- Bill Nightingale is Mark Twain National Forest’s new forest supervisor.

Before moving to Missouri, Nightingale worked in USDA Forest Service’s Eastern Regional Office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he was a program manager for the region.

In 1978 he graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Forestry.  He worked for several years as a seasonal employee before starting his career as a Forest Technician on the White River National Forest.  He then worked on the Black Hills, Bighorn, Tongass and Superior National Forests in a variety of positions focusing on silviculture, sale prep, sale administration, and planning. He served as a District Ranger on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia before joining the Forest Management staff in Milwaukee.  He has also served as the Acting Forest Supervisor for the Chippewa and the Allegheny National Forests, along with being the Acting Regional Director for Public and Government Relations for the Eastern Region.

“I’m enjoying working with Mark Twain employees and the communities that surround the forest” said Nightingale. He is married with two children attending college.  He enjoys hunting, fishing, golfing and spending time with his family.

Nightingale’s reporting date was November 5, 2012. He followed Dave Whittekiend, who accepted a position as the Forest Supervisor for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah.

Mark Twain National Forest is the largest public land manager in Missouri with 1.5 million acres in 29 counties in southern and central Missouri. Mark Twain National Forest’s mission is to continue to restore Missouri’s great outdoors and maintain a healthy, working forest.

Mark Twain National Forest Plans Spring 2013 Prescribed Fires

ROLLA, Mo. – Mark Twain National Forest’s spring 2013 prescribed fire season will begin early February 2013, weather permitting.

Prescribed fires are used primarily to reduce hazardous fuel accumulations, which helps reduce the threat of unplanned wildfires on and around National Forest lands. 

“Prescribed fires are also used to improve wildlife habitat in the Forest,” according to Mark Twain National Forest Fire Manager Jody Eberly. “Native species are adapted to fire, and in many cases actually depend on fire in order to thrive.  Managed fires help restore native habitats such as glades and woodlands, which can suffer from the encroachment of woody species.   Deer, turkeys, quail and other species benefit from the use of fire to maintain or improve the habitat they depend on. “

Eberly said prescribed burns will be carefully planned and monitored by the Forest’s Fire Management staff and will take place between early February and late April.  The ignition and timing of these prescribed burns depends on weather and vegetation meeting pre-determined conditions. 

A prescribed fire is one that is ignited by highly trained fire personnel under very specific fuel and weather conditions.   “We monitor weather and fuel conditions up to the very moment the match is lit, and if all conditions are not right, we will cancel or reschedule some of these prescribed fires to make sure we are achieving our objectives,” Eberly said.

For a schedule of upcoming Mark Twain National Forest scheduled prescribed fires, go to Fire Info

For a map showing upcoming Mark Twain National Forest scheduled prescribed fires, go to Google Maps

Mark Twain National Forest is the largest public land manager in Missouri with 1.5 million acres in 29 counties in southern and central Missouri. Mark Twain National Forest’s mission is to continue to restore Missouri’s great outdoors and maintain a healthy, working forest. For more information about the Mark Twain National Forest, go to www.fs.usda.gov/mtnf or contact your local Mark Twain National Forest office.

State agencies urge skunk, rabies awareness

These little carnivores can carry more than a bad smell.

JEFFERSON CITY–Skunks soon will emerge from their winter naps, and state officials urge Missourians to exercise caution in encounters with these formidable little creatures.

Missouri’s only common skunk is the striped species, Mephitis mephitis. Skunks spend the winter holed up in sheltered spots, such as rock piles, barns, and out buildings. Occasionally one finds its way under a front porch.

Mating season begins in late February and continues through March. Males can cover 5 miles in a night of searching for food and mates, so it isn’t surprising that human encounters with skunks increase at this time of year. 

Striped skunks aren’t big, measuring only about 12 inches not counting their fluffy tails. A 10-pounder is a jumbo skunk. They normally are not aggressive, and leave when they encounter people. However, skunks can lose their natural fear of humans if they learn to associate people with easy meals, as sometimes happens around campgrounds. In such situations, they may become alarmingly fearless.

What skunks lack in heft, they make up in aroma. One well-placed spray from a skunk’s musk glands can leave a human or a would-be predator gagging and gasping for breath. But as obnoxious as skunks’ scent can be, it is not the most dangerous thing about them.

Rabies can occur at any time of year. Skunks are one of two primary carriers of the rabies virus in Missouri. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) found 12 rabid skunks and 16 rabid bats in 2012. The confirmed rabies cases came from 14 counties scattered from extreme northwestern Missouri to the Ozarks. All the rabid animals were tested because of abnormal behavior.

In skunks, rabies symptoms include abnormal behavior, such as being active in the daytime, aggressiveness, seizures, stumbling, and vocalizing. However, skunks and other infected animals can transmit rabies before they show symptoms of the disease.

The rabies virus is transmitted through infected animals’ saliva. Exposure normally occurs as a result of a bite. Less commonly, the virus can enter the body through an open wound or mucous membranes. It takes three to six weeks from the time of exposure for symptoms to appear, but the incubation period can be much longer.

There is no treatment for rabies once symptoms appear. Treatment must begin within days of exposure if the biting animal is known to be rabid or cannot be tested. In the past, rabies treatment consisted of multiple, painful injections in the abdomen, but this has been replaced by simple injections into the arm muscle.

Fortunately, human cases of rabies are rare. The last recorded case in Missouri occurred in 2008. The victim did not seek medical advice or treatment after being bitten by a bat. The last case of human rabies in Missouri before that was in 1959.

Several things should be done immediately if a person is bitten by a wild animal or a domestic animal that has not been vaccinated against rabies. First, wash the wound with soap and water and continue flushing the wound with water for five minutes. Then get medical attention immediately.

The biting animal should be trapped or killed if this can be accomplished safely. If possible, contact a law-enforcement agency so they can dispatch a conservation agent or animal-control officer to do the job.

The undamaged brain is needed for rabies testing, so if the animal is shot, it should be shot in the body, not the head. A skunk will spray when shot, so stay upwind and shoot from a distance if possible.

Use rubber gloves when handling dead animals and avoid any contact with the body. Place the carcass in a garbage bag and then double bag it. Live animals should be confined in a manner that prevents contact with other animals or people. Call a conservation agent, law-enforcement agency, or state or local health department for help with testing.

A rabies vaccination provides excellent protection for dogs, cats, and ferrets. It may protect other species, such as pet rabbits, but it is not licensed for these other animals, so there is no guarantee of protection.

If a vaccinated pet is bitten by a suspect skunk or other animal, the biting animal should be tested for rabies. In the meantime, the bitten pet must be revaccinated and kept out of contact with people or other animals. If the biting animal tests negative for rabies, the pet is safe. If rabies is confirmed, the vaccinated and revaccinated pet must be confined for 45 days to be sure rabies does not develop.

An unvaccinated pet that is bitten by a rabid animal is almost certain to die. Unvaccinated dogs, cats, and ferrets exposed to a rabid animal should be euthanized immediately. If the owner refuses to euthanize, vaccination and a six-month quarantine are required by law. However, there is evidence that the administration of vaccine after exposure to the virus will not prevent the disease.  Missouri State Wildlife Veterinarian Kelly Straka, with the Missouri Department of Conservation, says euthanizing is the wisest and kindest course of action.

“The law does not require you to euthanize a pet in a case like that,” says Straka, “but keeping an unvaccinated pet that has been exposed to rabies is a huge liability and risk to children and other pets. You have to keep the animal in strict quarantine from any contact with people or other animals for six months. In the meantime, you and all the people and animals in your neighborhood are at risk, and the pet is almost certainly going to suffer terribly.  Keeping your pet’s vaccinations current is the best tool we have to prevent rabies.”

More information about rabies prevention is available at batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/bats-and-rabies.html.

Some other states have strains of the rabies virus that infect foxes and raccoons. Those strains have not been found in Missouri to date, and Missouri law prohibits importation of foxes and raccoons as a preventive measure.

Trout Fishing Taneycomo - Part III of the Missouri Trout Fishing Series

Trout Fishing Lake Taneycomo

In Part I of this series we first made the case that Missouri has some pretty great fishing trout fishing options and outlined the categories and briefly introduced a few of them.  In Part II, we went to the Current River for some trout fishing in the heart of Missouri’s Ozarks.  Now we will take a peak at the pre-eminent option for lake trout fishing in Missouri – Taneycomo.

The fishing at Lake Taneycomo has become world famous for one primary reason, enormous brown trout.  But that should not be the only reason the trout angler should be interested in Taneycomo.  This lake is absolutely loaded with rainbow trout too.  So, this is one of those places where you can catch fish in big numbers and a few big fish as well.  It really is the best of both worlds.

At Taneycomo, there are also a couple of different basic approaches which we will delve into as we go. But first, a basic understanding of the structure and history of Taneycomo is in order. A basic understanding of some of its features will help you better understand how to catch fish using the method of you’re choosing.

First of all, Taneycomo has been around a relatively long time – but for much of that time was not amenable to hosting a trout population.  You see, trout need cold water and Missouri only naturally produces that when streams are spring-fed in a few locations.  The original Taneycomo did not have these features.  The lake was completed in 1913, and until 1958 was just a “regular” Missouri reservoir in most respects.  Taneycomo is a confinement of the White River which has several bottom-fed dams.

The effect of a bottom-fed dam is that the water released is from the depths of the impounded reservoir, and the water that comes out is cold.  Some of the cold water fisheries below these bottom fed dams along the White are riverine fisheries – case-in-point, the great stretch right below Bull Shoals in Arkansas.  Before 1958, there was no bottom-fed dam emptying water into Taneycomo, but that all changed with the completion of Table Rock Reservoir.  Suddenly, millions of gallons of pure fresh water were pouring into Taneycomo, changing radically the fishery.  The Missouri Department of Conservation saw an opportunity, and constructed the Shepherd of the Hills hatchery, and trout fishing changed in Missouri.

Wade-Fishing Taneycomo

Fishing Taneycomo in the tailwater of Table Rock does in fact share some similarities with basic trout park fishing in the fly areas.  In the portion of Taneycomo just below Table Rock, artificials are the only methods permitted.  There is one other extremely important aspect of fishing this portion that should be known.  When the sirens indicate a release from the dam extreme caution should be taken.  Namely, when you hear the siren, it is time to quit fishing and get out of the water. 

For fly fishermen interested in hatches that occur on Taneycomo, there is one word to know – midges.  That’s about it, but they are present just about every day of the year.  Long leaders are a must, and you are presenting right to rising fish.  Sizes 14-18 are about right and a variety of colors are effective.  Try red, yellow, gray, orange, olive, or black.  You might have to try a variety of presentations to find what is working in a particular stretch at a particular time.  Other favorites are woolies in black and olive as well as egg patterns.  One tactic that should not be overlooked is night fishing.  This is when many of the larger browns are caught. 

Boat Fishing for Trout

For boat fishermen on the lower stretches of the lake, a variety of baits and lures are effective.  These include Power Bait, corn, air-injected night crawlers, Rapala Floating F07 in gold/black and silver/black, Little Cleos, and micro-jigs in pink and/or white fished under an indicator.

A couple of other good resources for more in-depth information on trout fishing Taneycomo are at the Family-Outdoor Taneycomo page and landingbigfish.com.  Finally, don’t shoot down the idea of taking a trip or two with a guide from the area.  There are a lot of subtleties that a trip or two with a guide can help you figure out a lot quicker…things that reading about them on a webpage just cannot convey.  There are a bunch of good guides in the area. Check with one of the area tackle shops or fly shops.

Yes, Missouri does have some great places for trout fishermen, and Taneycomo is one of them.  It is certainly a different experience – near Branson and certainly a place filled with much more activity than other Missouri trout fisheries.  It is also a place where it is not out of the realm of possibility that the next world record brown could be caught.  

Related articles

• Trout Fishing on Missouri's Current River (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Missouri Trout Fishing has a lot to Offer (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

Managed turkey hunt application deadline is Feb. 28

MDC’s spring 2013 managed turkey hunts include ones for youth and people with disabilities.

JEFFERSON CITY Mo. – Turkey hunters have until Feb. 28 to apply for managed hunts during Missouri’s 2013 spring turkey season. A list of all 19 managed turkey hunts and application instructions are available atmdc.mo.gov/node/11252.

In addition to 10 hunts open to all firearms turkey hunters, this year’s offerings include a managed hunt for archers, seven hunts for youths ages 11 through 15, and one hunt for people with disabilities. Managed hunts will take place during the youth turkey season, April 6 and 7, or the regular turkey season, April 15 through May 5.

Hunters may apply individually or in groups of up to three for most hunts. Youth hunts accept applications only for single hunters or pairs. An individual applying as a member of a party has the same chance of being drawn as someone who applies alone. Successful applicants will receive notice of their hunt dates and other information by mail. Drawing results will be posted March 15 through May 5 at mdc.mo.gov/node/11788

Participation in managed turkey hunts is free. Hunters may apply for only one hunt.

Participants in some hunts must complete a pre-hunt orientation. Hunters should not apply for these hunts if they cannot attend the orientation.

The bag limit for managed hunts is one male turkey or turkey with visible beard. Turkeys taken during a managed hunt count toward the season limit of two. Hunters who shoot a turkey during a managed hunt before April 23 may not take another turkey during the first week of the regular turkey season. All-terrain vehicles are prohibited on areas with managed turkey hunts.

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