Larry's Sporting Goods at Bennett Spring State Trout Park

Bennett Spring Stream Conditions

2012-01-07T15:55:33Z

January 7, 2012 Stream Conditions

We received a couple inches of rain a week or so ago. The stream is in great condition, a few inches above normal and it has a cloudy green cast to it. The niangua river is about the same. Good fishing in the river for those that want to fish through the week. A friend of mine was recently on the river with some friends and they were gigging for suckers. He said they saw a lot of big smallies upstream from the Bennett Spring out flow at the river. Might want to get after a few of those.. Some three to four pound fish are not uncommon.

Overall, fishing has been very good.

Cubic Feet per Second flow 193

Gauge Height = 1.96 This is about three inches over a normal stream height.

Bennett Spring State Park Fishing Report

2012-01-07T15:45:10Z

January 7, 2012 Fishing Report for Bennett Spring

The winter catch and release season has been seen some outstanding weather .. So Far !?! The last two weekends have seen several fisherman come out and enjoy the nice weather.. Bennett had about 200 fisherman last weekend.. This weekend we are seeing about half that number.

We had a nice rain about a week and a half ago that brought the stream up a few inches. The water still has a green milky cast to it.. Fishing has been good with several reports of 30 to 80 fish days for several fisherman.

As far as what’s working ? Several have been fishing cracklebacks on sinking fly lines. Blue, Chartreuse or Gold have been good. Also good reports on Olive or Black woolie buggers. San Juan worms with a small zebra midge or midge dropper have also been effective.

Tan or Gray sowbugs and scuds have also been quite effective.

White thread jigs, brown roaches or john deere has also been very effective

Spin fisherman will do well on dark colored marabou jigs, or a spinner type lure will also do well for you.

Cracklebacks in Red, Chartreuse or Blue have also been very effective. Size 12 to a 14 will work the most consistently.

Griffiths Gnats, Renegades, Black or Tan Caddis are also a good choice for this time of year. Also having good cream midge hatches during the day.

Fisherman have been catching some small fish, but some nice size fish have also been caught.

Remember the Niangua River was stocked with 4500 brown trout in late July.. There are still alot of them still along the edges of the river and also in zone three. Catching some nice smallies and goggle eye also in the river.. Beetle Spins and brown or olive jigs also do well.. Rapalas and crawdads for bigger browns early and late in the day will also produce well in the Niangua River.

Felt Sole Ban – Bennett Spring State Park – Effective March 1st 2012

2012-01-07T15:20:19Z

The Missouri Conservation Commission has approved a regulation change banning the use of porous-soled waders or footwear incorporating or having attached a porous sole of felted, matted, or woven fibrous material when fishing in trout parks and other specific trout waters. Pending public comment through the Secretary of State’s office, the new regulation will go into effect March 1, 2012, the opening day of catch-and-keep fishing at Missouri’s four trout parks.

To help reduce the spread of didymo, MDC encourages anglers to remember: Check, then Clean or Dry.

* Check all gear and equipment and remove any visible algae. Dispose of algae by placing it in the trash, not by putting it down a drain or into bodies of water.

* Then Clean all gear and equipment with a solution of 2-percent bleach, 5-percent saltwater, or dishwashing detergent. Allow all equipment to stay in contact with the solution for at least three minutes. Soak all soft items, such as felt-soled waders and wader boot cuffs, neoprene waders and life jackets, in the solution for at least 20 minutes.

* Or then Dry all gear and equipment for at least 48 hours by exposing it to sunlight.

To help anglers clean their waders before entering Missouri trout streams, MDC has installed wader wash stations at Missouri’s five cold-water trout hatcheries: Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Montauk State Park near Salem, Roaring River State Park near Cassville, Maramec Spring Park near St. James and Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery by the upper portion of Lake Taneycomo near Branson.

All anglers are encouraged to replace their porous-soled waders with ones that have non-porous rubber or synthetic soles.

Anglers can adapt felt-soled and other porous-soled waders to comply with the new regulation by sealing the soles with solutions of contact cement or marine rubber cement. VanPatten notes the cement may need to be reapplied after each use. MDC offers an instructional video for sealing waders at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_udcfZqA_w

“Adapting waders is not a cure,” VanPatten cautions. “It is just one step in prevention. It is still vital to check and clean or dry all waders and all other gear that have had contact with the water.”

MDC held public open-house forums in March and April in communities near Missouri’s trout parks and hatcheries to help educate anglers, outfitters, retailers and boaters about the dangers of didymo, the need to replace porous-soled waders and to get public feedback on the proposed regulation change.

For more information, visit www.mdc.mo.gov<http://www.mdc.mo.gov> and search “didymo.”

Bennett Spring State Park Trout Hatchery Renovation Video

2011-09-20T18:02:12Z

KY3 Video:

Bennett Spring Hatchery Renovations

2011-09-18T11:42:48Z

Trout fishing lures thousands of anglers annually to Bennett Spring State Park in Dallas and Laclede counties and provides a vital economic boost to the area. Thanks to recently completed renovations at the Bennett Spring Hatchery, a good thing is about to get even better.

At 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will hold a dedication ceremony to highlight recent improvements at the facility. MDC operates the hatchery and manages fishing operations at Bennett Spring. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages the state park.

Among the new features to be unveiled is a 4,000-square-foot production building, which will replace the old 1,200-square-foot structure. This new building will house 12 egg jars, 20 troughs and 10 rearing tanks. The former production building had six egg jars, 12 troughs and four tanks.

At present, Bennett Spring Hatchery produces approximately 300,000 trout annually. The renovation is expected to increase that output by about 20 percent, which equates to an additional 60,000 fish per year.

“The new production building, with increased production space, will help increase the production of fingerlings for use by MDC’s cold-water-hatchery system,” said Bennett Spring Hatchery Manager Mike Mitchell. “This increase in fingerling production will help the cold-water-hatchery system meet current production demands.”

Mitchell also said the renovation will help Bennett fulfill its goal to increase the facility’s production by 20 percent, a goal that was outlined in Missouri’s Trout Plan. The Plan, which was approved by the Missouri Conservation Commission in 2003, outlines the regulations and strategies used by MDC to manage this popular sport fish in Missouri.

The cost of the renovation is $2,375,000. MDC is being reimbursed for 75 percent of this cost through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Sport Fish Restoration Program.

Clarence Holland Cancer Fund Derby at Bennett Spring State Park

2011-09-16T01:14:15Z

October 7-8-9 The Clarence Holland American Cancer Society Trout Derby at Bennett Spring State Park

The registration is open to the public, please register at the State Park Store.

Please support the American Cancer Society.

Rose Holland Heart Fund Derby at Montauk State Park

2011-09-16T01:30:46Z

OCTOBER 1 – 2 THE 48th Annual ROSE HOLLAND Heart Fund Trout Derby at Montauk State Park

The stream will be stocked with tagged fish and prizes will be awarded on Sunday just after noon.

Additional events are:

Classic Car show at the Searcy Building on Friday night at 4:00 p.m.
Nature Bingo on Friday night at 6 p.m. at the campground amphitheater.
“Hikes for your Heart” on Saturday.

Please see this Missouri Department of Conservation page for additonal details:

http://mostateparks.com/event/59054/48th-rose-holland-trout-derb

Purchase Missouri Hunting and Fishing Licenses Online

2011-09-16T02:23:08Z

You can purchase your hunting and fishing licenses online from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) from this site: https://www2.mo.wildlifelicense.com/custlkup.php

License Fees Info:

http://mdc.mo.gov/permits

Fishing License Info:

http://mdc.mo.gov/permits/fishing-permit-information

Hunting Permit Info:

http://mdc.mo.gov/permits/hunting-permit-information

We can also issue fishing and hunting licenses upon request.

Please contact:

larrys@bennettspring.com

Canoe / Raft and Kayak Rentals

2011-08-24T17:50:31Z

Just a quick post to let you know we are working with Hidden Valley Outfitters (a new canoe outfitter in the Bennett Spring area) for Niangua river float service. We will be taking reservations effective immediately for canoes, rafts and soon to be kayaks. Please call 417-594-1058 or stop by Larry’s Sporting Goods for more details on what services we offer. We will be offering a shuttle service with short wait times with a very nice float. Look forward to hearing from you.

Missouri Conservationist Magazine – Free Subscription

2011-07-25T20:12:55Z

We want to share the link to the Missouri Conservationist Magazine subscription page with you.

Here is an online previous issue.

You can also subscribe to the Xplor Children’s Magazine.

We should also encourage the MDC to publish all the magazines online to reduce

printing and distribution costs. You can send them a message.

We are also interested to hear your voice concerning the trout bag limit reduction to four.