If a fishing float trip by Al Agnew and Bob Todd on Big River, from Washington State Park to Merrell Horse Access, is an indicator, then the war on spotted bass is being won. Spots are not native to the Big River and the Conservation Department has doubled the creel limit and eliminated the length limit on this species in this and other Meramec River Basin streams. Al and Bob caught few spots, but a lot of smallmouth, the species the regulations are designed to favor.

There was a story about aquatic vegetation in ponds. It is repeated below. Jim Featherston begins a series about Audubon. With his keen observations and artistic talent, he gave us a record of things we might not know about from the early years of settlement here. There's a report on the concealed carry course, and Bill Cooper reports on a fishing and camping trip to the Eleven Point River. Howard Helgenberg reports on a float on the Bourbeuse River and Byran Dent tells of a float fishing adventure on Gasconade River. Along this line, there's a story about a rainy day float on Big Piney River, and a story by Gary Benton about survival in the event a party was to be stranded overnight by weather while on a float trip. Along a similar line, David Potashnick writes about a lake shore campout on Stockton Lake with his daughter and one of her friends. The photo of the sunset below is from that story.

Charlie Slovensky writes about the necessity of making firm decisions when it comes to hunting. And there's news about the state's managed deer hunt programs, youth seasons, and clarification of some of the new deer regulations.

Jo Schaper tells us about backpacking for the rest of us - those not young and fit and trim - with an account of a trek in Meramec State Park. Russ Doughty reveals his latest money-making idea - buying body parts from surgeons to sell as catfish bait.

Pat Todd's Iron Kettle Recipes has a number of good ones this time. Al Cox talks about scouting for deer and turkey this time of year and one of the more recent things that can confuse hunters - the trails left in the woods by armadillos. And a woman from Alaska stops while traveling through Missouri so she and her son can go horseback riding. There's also news, sunrise/moonrise tables, coming events, travel maps and more. the situation with Clearwater Dam and the possibility that at last the lake might be operated at a higher level. And a tour of Lost Valley Hatchery.There's a story on pond management by Chris Kennedy. You have to decide what you want from your pond before you can manage it well, Chris says.There's a short hiking trail to Welch Spring on Current River. A description of the trail is repeated below.Ever hear of tomato preserves? There's a recipe for them in the July issue.

Some pond vegetation desirable
By Chris Kennedy
MO Department of Conservation
If having good fishing is the main intention for your pond, then having aquatic vegetation is very important. Aquatic plants are an essential component in any quality pond.
They makeup the base of the food chain and produce oxygen needed by fish and other aquatic life. They provide food for insects, fish, mammals, and waterfowl, while creating shelter and reproductive habitat for countless aquatic animals. They also help improve water quality and control erosion.
A good majority of phone calls that I receive are in reference to vegetation. Most pond owners are complaining about different vegetations inhabiting their pond.
At first sight of any vegetation, most panic and before identification of the plant, assume it is going to take over their pond. Then they begin attempting to eradicate the vegetation when it is unnecessary.
In all reality, only a third of these callers actually have a vegetation problem. In most cases, the vegetation is actually helping the fish population. In any good fishing pond, I like to see 10 to 20 percent of the pond covered with some type of vegetation.
There are several factors that can influence plant growth. Shallow clear water is more susceptible to plant growth than deep darker water.
Use this to your advantage when building your pond. Create shallow water areas with the intention of plants inhabiting those areas and create deep water areas where you don't want any vegetation to grow.
Pond fertility also plays a major role in plant growth. Fertility is good; however, too much fertility can cause vegetations to grow excessively.
Pond fertility can be affected by several different factors. The area you live in will directly affect your pond fertility.
Soils in the Bootheel will be more fertile than soils in the Ozarks. How the land is used around the pond will affect pond fertility. Livestock, waterfowl, runoff from crop fields and leaky septic tanks can cause ponds to become excessively fertile.
Some people mistakenly lump all aquatic plants together, referring to them as "seaweed" or "moss". While some species do cause problems, many do not, so it's important to know what you've got.
Aquatic plants fall into five categories: algae, free floating, submersed, rooted with floating leaves, and emergent.
Algae are primitive aquatic plants common to virtually all Missouri waters. These simple plants differ from other plants because they lack leaves or roots. Algae occur in three basic forms: planktonic, filamentous and macrophytic.
Planktonic algae are single-celled, microscopic plants that float freely in the water. For the most part they can only be detected by the color of the water; they can turn the water green, yellow, gray, brown or red.
Filamentous algae is sometimes referred to as "pond moss" or "pond scum". It forms floating mats, which are moved around the pond by wind. It almost looks like floating mats of green cotton.
Macrophytic algae is not as common as the other two. It resembles submersed plants in that they appear to have stems and leaves, and are attached to the bottom.
Free-floating vegetation floats on the surface and is not attached to the bottom of the pond. Duckweed and watermeal are examples of free floating types of plants that are commonly found in Missouri. They are often found in the same body of water.
Each duckweed plant is a green floating disc less than an inch across; several plants fit easily on a fingertip. Watermeal is the smallest duckweed; each plant is about the size of a pin head.
They both are fast growing plants that can reach nuisance levels in less than a month. They are also an indication of very fertile ponds.
Submersed plants grow under water, are rooted in the bottom and have stems and leaves that grow toward the surface. Several types of submerged plants are commonly found in Missouri waters: coontail, elodea, naiad, pondweed and milfoil are common examples.
Floating-leaf plants are rooted in the bottom of the pond and have leaves that float on the waters surface. Several types of floating leaf plants are commonly found: water shield, water lily, and American lotus are a few good examples.
Emergent plants are rooted in the bottom with stems and leaves standing above the water surface. These plants mainly grow around the water's edge, rarely growing in water that is deeper than four feet.
These plants may become a problem, but they are easy to control, often without the use of chemicals. Water primrose, cattails and water willow are examples of emergent type plants.
If you believe that you need to control an aquatic plant, then the first thing that you need to do is properly identify the plant. Each different type of plant has a different control method.
The Missouri Department of Conservation can help you identify your plant and assist you in choosing a control method. Basically there are three different vegetation control methods: physical, biological, and chemical.
The physical methods mainly include black plastic, winter draw down, or pulling the vegetation out of the pond by hand or rake.
Black plastic can be placed over a small portion of the pond. This will shade out all of the sunlight, causing the plants to die. The plastic has to remain on the pond for a two week period. Anchoring the plastic so the wind doesn't blow it away is the hardest part of this type of treatment.
If you have a way to drain the pond, it can be drawn down from November to March. This will expose the vegetation to freezing and drying to kill it. The drawdown is very effective, but during construction most pond owners neglect to place a drawdown pipe with valve in the dam. When drawing the pond down, make sure you leave at least eight feet of water in the basin to prevent a fish kill.
Grass carp is the biological control. Most people believe that grass carp eat all types of vegetations; however, they only effectively control submersed types of vegetation. They can eat 2-3 times their weight each day and may gain 5-10 pounds in a single year.
Keep in mind that if you use grass carp allow them up to two years to gain control of the vegetation problem. Stocking rates will vary depending on the type of vegetation and the amount present. On average two to five grass carp per acre will due the job.
In most cases the grass carp eliminate all the vegetation in the pond, if that happens adding hard structure (trees) to the pond will be important. It is a huge mistake to stock grass carp in a new pond or in a pond that doesn't have a problem with vegetation. That's like putting a bandage on a wound that you don't have yet. When this is done in most cases the pond never has any vegetation until the grass carp die.
Using chemicals is probably the most common way pond owners control vegetation, although in some cases it can be very expensive. There are several herbicides on the market that are safe to use in ponds and lakes.
After identifying the plant, a proper chemical can be chosen. For each different type of plant there may be a different chemical. If you use the wrong chemical you waste money and it could cause your plants to grow more.
Remember to follow the directions on the label, only treat plants that are actively growing, and to treat your pond in thirds, two weeks apart.
Some pond owners despise vegetation simply because they don't understand its place in the food chain and don't know how to fish it. Learning how to fish vegetation will improve your fishing success and through that success you will become more appreciative of the vital role of vegetation in an aquatic setting.
So, when you begin to see some type of vegetation growing in your pond don't panic; it could be a good thing. Take a few minutes, identify it, and find out whether it is going to be a problem or not. It may just be your ticket to an awesome fish population.
Remember if you need any assistance with aquatic plant control give us (MDC) a call at (573) 290-5730.
The Past - August, 1980
The summer of 1980 was a very hot one. And staying inside gives you cabin fever as bad as in the winter. There was a story about a hot weather camping trip to Current River that turned out very well.
Food was planned knowing ice would only last a day or two. A camp was selected which would have morning shade and be shaded by a bluff across the way fairly early in the evening. And the far side of the river would be a good, shady place to put out lawn chairs in the afternoon. We’d sit and read and watch the river go by. A few fish were caught early and late, but mostly we just sat in the river and let the cabin fever dissipate.
The Midwest’s volcanic past shows in Missouri’s St. Francois Mountains. A two part story on volcanos in Missouri begin.
There was a photo feature on Sam A. Baker State Park.
Bears were in the news and while many still scoffed about Missouri having bears, a South American man shot one in Reynolds County and took it to Ellington to show it off. There was also a report of a possible Bigfoot terrorizing a Carter County family.
Al Agnew wrote about a float fishing trip on Meramec River. The river was dingy from a heavy rain, but fishing picked up after a slow start.
Squirrel numbers were very high in some areas and with the August 1 opener, there was urging from some quarters for the Department of Conservation to boost the bag limit above six.
Serious consideration was being given the idea of using electric during low demand periods to pump air into old mines. The pressured air would be released to generate electric when demand was high. Downside would be the disruption of underground water systems caused by the pressures.
Forest fires can start as early as August in Missouri, and with the hot, dry conditions, warnings were being issued to make people aware of the risks.
A 5 cents deposit on cans was ended in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The system had been tried as a way to fight litter and encourage recycling. But it was mostly just a headache. The National Park Service decided to drop the deposit and simply place receptacles for empties in more locations.
After a couple of closed seasons, it was announced bobcat and red fox would be legal game for hunters and trappers in the fall. A two-week fall turkey season was announced. And surveys indicated a whopping 70 per cent increase in the mourning dove population in the bootheel area. .
Click here for back issues

Click here for a FREE TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION