(Unofficial) Opening-day of fishing season just around the corner

This is what it looks like at Bennett Spring on opening day of the trout season, no matter what the March 1 weather is like. (Photo by Ken White/Daily Mail)

The countdown has started, the unofficial start of fishing is almost here. Of course, fishing never stops in Missouri, but there is something special about the annual trout parks on March 1.

Brian Canaday, Missouri Department Conservation, Fisheries Division Chief, said, "We have plenty of fish for the season. We will stock approximately two fish per trout tag sold at each park; Bennett Spring near Lebanon, Montauk near Licking, Meramec near St. James and Roaring River near Cassville. Normally we would stock 2.25 fish per tag sold."

With a Tuesday opening day, the crowd may not be as large as it would be on a weekend. Kicking off the season, you can sure the banks will be lined up with anxious anglers waiting to make that first cast as the siren sounds . Opening day isn't just all about fishing, it's also reunion time for many anglers who see each other for the first time in a year.

At Bennett Spring, for many years I have seen some of the same faces on many openings at the park no matter what the weather might be. There have been opening days when the temperature was hovering near 70 degrees and other days when snow covered the ground and the temperature was close to zero.

Most veteran anglers at the park have their favorite spots where they start the day and usually can be found standing in the cold water hours before the daily siren sounds. A lot of rainbows are hooked immediately as the siren sound fades away in the early opening morning.

Tradition as well as the trout keeps many anglers coming back to the park for opening day including Carl Ross and David Jackson, Sedalia. These two anglers started off the trout park season for more than 30 years. Jackson said, "We don't even think about not being there. It's tradition and the fish that brings us back for opening day. We often see people we haven't seen in years. One opening day we ran into a high school friend we hadn't seen since we graduated years ago. We have made friends with a lot of other anglers over the years and its always nice to catch up with what has happened during the past year."

Also there are many people at the parks on opening day that never fish, they just show up to watch the show. Linda Hogan, Lebanon, drops by Bennett Spring on opening days just to watch some of her friends and family fish. One year she watched her grandson catch his first trout and that alone made the day special. Logan said, " I don't fish, but I enjoy watching all those other people over the years. You never know what you might see. One opening day I saw a fisherman fall into the cold water, then pick himself up and keep on fishing. I guess its an addiction and the lure of maybe hooking a big trout keeps them coming back for more."

Bennett Spring has a new hatchery manager this opening day, Ben Havens. Havens said, "I am looking forward to opening day. We have had good fishing for the winter anglers in the catch and release program. We will stock around 7,500 trout for opening day anglers. Depending on the weather, I expect between 2,200 and 2,500 trout anglers. An old-timer at Bennett, Vic Cekamann,will start the siren to kick off the 2016 catch and keep season."

Besides the trout parks regular season, there is the catch and relaese winter fishing program as well as the trout fishing at lake Taneycomo where the season continues year round.

Some of the trout anglers ties their own flies year round. A Kansas City angler, Tom Nelson, who fishes Roaring River, Bennett as well as Taneycomo, said, " It gives me a thrill when I hook a trout on a fly I made. Back when I first started trout fishing, a flyrod was the only thing that most anglers used, but today you see more ultra light spinning rods being used. For me, I enjoy fishing with a flyrod using the flies I have made, always making it special."

No matter what the weather, there will be bumper-to-bumper traffic early on March 1 at the trout parks and the banks of the flowing streams will once again be lined with anglers hoping to hook a lunker of a lifetime as opening day traditions continues.