Opening Day of Catch-and-Keep Trout Season...A Rite of Spring in Missouri

There are a few different days on the calendars of many Missouri outdoors women, men, and families. I guess you'd have to put opening day of the firearms deer season at the very top, but the start of "catch-and-keep" trout season at the Missouri Trout Parks isn't far behind. It's a day that marks the very early beginnings of Spring, and is a yearly ritual for many Missouri families.

Today could not have been more perfect. It started off with a bite in the air - kind of like it should be. But as the sun rose over the horizon the Trout Park sirens blared (along with ceremonial first day canon blasts) and the trout fishermen of all stripes tossed out every form of offering you might imagine trout devouring...and some that had me scratching my head. I even saw some minnow buckets - I'd heard of minnows being used at the parks, but had never actually seen it. But what I loved was seeing all the kids with parents and grandparents. In fact, by a sizable margin, as of mid-morning the biggest fish landed and weighed at Montauk was caught by a young man under 12 (I just missed him at the lodge weigh in area so I didn't get his actual age). That fish weighed in at 8 lbs., 2 ox.

I had the pleasure of visiting with a couple of families that had their kids down at Montauk, and both said that it was a family tradition. The parents said they had were brought down to Opening Day by their parents, and one of the families said the grandparents were over at what's known as the "Social Hole." The kids listened to the parents with pride and I envisioned them in turn, carrying on the tradition with their kids. Every family member seemed to have a stringer with fish. For both of these families the fish were all stocker size (12'' or so), but they could not have been more pleased.

As crazy as it is when that horn sounds on March 1st, if you decide to adopt the Opening Day tradition in your family, there's plenty of room to be had. Many of the pictures you see exaggerate how crowded it is by showing the spots that are crowded and not the ones with plenty of elbow room. So, even though you may have missed it this year, the season will now be open for quite awhile and some great fishing awaits you at any of the parks. And next year, maybe put March 1st on your calendar for opening day for you and your family. Find more info to help you get started at Missouri Trout Parks