Wet winter bodes well for fishermen

“Since about ‘97 we’ve been suffering from low waters,” said Ozark Regional Fishing Supervisor Bob Legler with the Missouri Department of Conservation. “This last winter, we’ve had four months where the streams were all flowing and all gauge stations were above their normal flows.”

Water levels are the single biggest factor this fishing season, according to Francis Skalicky of the MDC’s Southwest Region.

“The mild winter we had (in 2005–06) was nice in the way of comfort, but it didn’t help our lakes and streams,” Skalicky said. “This year we had more snow and we are having a wet spring. When you are talking about what fishing is going to be like, that is the first thing you have to talk about, what are the water levels going to be, and in this case, they are going to be good.”

According to Legler, trees and brush from this winter’s ice storms will have little effect on area lakes and streams, though Skalicky noted that it has created fish habitat and helped some fish species.

That’s a sign of good business to come for professional fishing guide Rick LaPoint. LaPoint is the 2006 Central Pro-Am champion and owner of Springfield-based Chauffeured Guide Service Inc.

“We should have a pretty good year fishing-wise,” LaPoint said. “The spawn will be very good and that means good fishing in two or three years.”

The condition of area rivers and lakes is directly tied to earning a living for LaPoint, who left his job with PepsiCo Inc. 11 years ago to become a professional fishing guide. LaPoint focuses on Table Rock Lake near Branson as well as Taneycomo and upper Bull Shoals. Branson Landing has been a boon to his business as an advertisement for Missouri’s waterways.

“Having it there is exciting for me because it is making more people realize there is a lake there,” LaPoint said. “There aren’t enough Coast Guard-licensed guides out there to cover all that we could do.”

From LaPoint’s vantage point, the popularity of fishing Missouri’s waters is growing.

“We get calls from all around the world,” LaPoint said. “We take people from foreign countries and all over the United States.”

When fishing with LaPoint, anglers are only responsible for their food, drink and license. LaPoint supplies the rest. For 2007, he charges $345 for an eight-hour trip for up to two people; half-day trips are $245 for up to two people.

At the top of his list for most improved fishing gear this season are the displays for fish finders.

“The graphs on our boats can virtually see everything,” LaPoint said. “Our Hummingbird graph prints a 3-D image of everything within 200 feet of the boat.”

Finding fish is LaPoint’s specialty, but for anglers relying on their own wits, the MDC offers a publication, “2007 Fishing Prospects at Selected Missouri Lakes and Streams.” Up-to-date tips and resources also are available at www.mdc.mo.gov.

Good Bets Lurk in Nearby Lakes

Here are area spots for finding different species of fish:

• Fellows Lake, Springfield – muskie, largemouth bass, channel catfish

• Table Rock Lake, near Branson – paddlefish, crappie, black bass

• Stockton Lake, Stockton – crappie, largemouth bass, walleye

Compiled from Missouri Department of Conservation data. See weekly reports at: www.mdc.mo.gov/fish/fishrt/

Following the Rules

• A fishing permit is $12 for Missouri residents and $40 for nonresidents. An additional permit or tag is required for trout. Daily limits plus seasonal restrictions are listed on the Missouri Department of Conservation’s fishing site, www.mdc.mo.gov/fish.

• A few fish are listed as endangered and must be released immediately if caught. Some fish, like sturgeon, can be very tricky to tell apart. According to the MDC Web site, if you are unsure of the fish you catch, it is best to release it immediately.

• Some tagged catfish are actually worth money if caught. The flathead and blue catfish are part of a multiyear study, and each tag is worth $25. Details are located under the “Where can I go fishing?” page.

Some Missouri fishing regulations have changed for 2007:

• Shovelnose sturgeon are harder to catch, as demand for their eggs has led to a prohibition on snagging, snaring and grabbing.

• To help maintain a quality smallmouth bass population, Joachim Creek now has a length limit of 15 inches for all black bass and a daily limit of one smallmouth bass from the Highway V bridge to the Highway A bridge in Jefferson County.

• Unless you’ll be keeping a trout, a trout permit is no longer needed to fish in the Stone Mill Spring Branch in Pulaski County. This regulation change allows for more fishing near Fort Leonard Wood.

• To discourage the spread of this exotic nuisance species to other waters, bighead and silver carp may no longer be used as live bait.

Source: www.mdc.mo.gov