Trout season opener a special day for anglers

Eden Welch, St. James, Mo., with a 3-pound trout she caught at the west end of Bennett Spring, near the Niangua River, on the opening day of catch and keep in Missouri's four trout parks.

To the trout angler, there is nothing like opening day of fishing in Missouri's four trout parks to remind them that spring is coming soon, despite this winter's cold and snow.

Since opening day fell on a Saturday this year, a larger than usual crowd was expected, but the weather forecast kept some anglers away. At Bennett Spring, park officials said attendance was down nearly a thousand from what they expected.

Nothing keeps many trout anglers from attending the opening day, no matter the weather. James Lewis, a 74-year-old angler from Jefferson City, said he had been at Bennett when it was below zero, as well as when the temperature was near 70 degrees.

Ten-year-old Dalton Campbell, St. Clair, Mo., with some rainbow trout he caught on opening day at Bennett Spring. He started fishing for trout at Bennett Spring when he was just 3 and has opened the season there every year since.

Opening day holds a lot of different kinds of memories for the thousands of trout fishermen. Many opening day anglers make it more of a social event than a serious fishing trip.

Tradition has a lot to do with opening day attendance at the trout parks, as well as the good fishing. After a long and cold winter, people are ready to see some kind of sign that spring is on the way.

For many of the trout anglers, it's not just the fishing that brings them to the trout parks for opening day. There is trout fishing available all year in places like Lake Taneycomo and any of the 120 miles of spring-fed, cold water streams in south Missouri.

Opening day at Missouri's four trout parks always attracts widespread attention and this year was no exception, as thousands of anglers flocked to Parks like Bennett Spring, shown above, for last Saturday's opener.

Seeing old friends and watching new anglers fishing for trout makes March 1 a special day. It is also a reminder that the good spring fishing for bass, crappie and walleye can't be too far behind.

When trout fishing is mentioned to many people, visions of a clear, fast-flowing mountain stream in states like Colorado and other western states appears, but Missouri provides great opportunities for the trout angler.

Trout need cold and fast-moving water to survive. Water that doesn't cool down to 70 degrees for at least a few hours a day during the hottest months of the year is not conducive to trout survival. Cold water holds higher amounts of the oxygen trout need to survive.

Clifton Hill, Jefferson City, with a lunker rainbow trout he caught on opening day, at Bennett Spring. Hill also fishes for trout in the North Fork of the White River , the Meramec River and the winter trout ponds. He fishes for trout at least 30 times a year in Missouri.

The state of Missouri provides great opportunities for trout fishing, with various types of waters that offer different fishing experiences for the angler.

In Missouri, areas that hold trout have a cold- water source. The streams are fed by the numerous springs, which is why the trout parks are built around very large springs.

Lake Taneycomo gets its cold water from the outlet of Table Rock Lake, while the winter trout ponds depend on the cold winter temperatures for stocked trout.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, right, with Jerry Munson, Kansas City, who displays some trout he caught on opening day at Bennett Spring. The Governor also caught two trout early Saturday morning.

The trout program in the state is thriving. Since around 15 percent of all fishing in Missouri is for trout, only a small percentage of the stream habitat in the state is suitable for trout.

From small creeks to large rivers, trout anglers have choices to fish in places less crowded than the trout parks. More than 30,000 trout that average 12 inches are stocked prior to opening day, along with several hundred lunkers, weighing anywhere from 3 to 10 pounds are added.

More than 800,000 trout are stocked in the four trout parks annually, while more than 1.5 million trout stocked annually, statewide.

Some of the popular trout waters in south Missouri include the Niangua River, Hickory Creek, Crane Creek, Capps Creek, Lake Taneycomo, 11 Point River, the North Fork of the White River, Roubidoux Creek, Little Piney Creek, Meramec and the Current Rivers.

Rainbow and brown trout are found in Missouri. Rainbows are in all the trout-fishing waters that are managed by the Conservation Department and are stocked in the trout parks, trout management areas, as well as in the winter trout ponds.

The rainbows reproduce naturally in at least 14 counties. Brown trout grow to large sizes and are stocked in some trout streams. Natural reproduction is rare in Missouri waters.

Anglers fishing in the trout parks need a daily trout tag, as well as a fishing permit, unless they're exempt. Nonresidents age 16 and older also need a fishing permit, in addition to the daily tag.

Anglers fishing in waters containing trout need a $7 trout permit, if they keep trout. The catch and keep portion of the season in the four trout parks runs from March 1 to Oct. 31.

Fishing regulations may differ in trout areas, from the trout parks to the various streams, so an angler needs to be aware of when and where they are fishing.