Longtime Radio Personality Marv Luten interviews guests, shares community updates, National and Local sports and more.
The Marv in the Morning Podcast is a production of O’Quinn Media. For information on being a guest or sponsor, email tracy@oquinnmarketing.com or marvinthemorning53@gmail.com
— Automated Transcript —
### Intro
Welcome to the Marv in the Morning Podcast. Now, here’s Marv.
The Bank of Crocker and Paul’s Furniture Outlet.
As I look back on when I started these podcast episodes, I continue to realize how fortunate I am to get this chance to continue, at least somewhat, what I used to do as a morning mouth on a radio station for 46 years. Tell some stories, interview some interesting people.
And I’ve learned a lot more doing these interviews and podcasts than I did sitting behind that radio station microphone, playing music I really had not much love for. Now I’m not knocking the music I was playing for the last several years at the station, it just wasn’t my favorite.
I can’t tell you how many times listeners would call when they heard a new song and ask what the singer was singing about. At this point, I knew I was not doing my job to the best of my ability because I could not answer their question because the music was going in one of my ears and out the other.
I was busy doing sports commercials and other jobs we had to get done, besides just playing the latest Taylor Swift, Katie Perry, and other popular artists. Then when I had time, I would find the lyrics, read them, and if they called again, I would have an answer.
If I could figure out what they were actually singing about, which some of the artists of the 60s and 70s, I still am miffed about what they were singing about.
Several songs on the Beatles’ White Album are like that. The Beatles’ Come Together is another, and one of my favorite songs growing up, was America’s Horse with No Name. Great song, but listen to it and scratch your head.
Something they were smoking probably had something to do with it. I’ve digressed a bit from when I started, but getting back, looking forward to hitting 100 episodes on the podcast. And thanks to you, the sponsors, that would not have been possible.
And also thank my producer Tracy for the opportunity. Springtime in the Missouri Ozarks. Is it here a bit earlier than the Pennsylvania rodent predicted, or will we get hit with some more nasty winter weather? Well, it’s anybody’s guess.
Old-timers, and I’ve talked to a few over the years, and now as I look at the calendar year, do the math when I was born, I guess I’m one of them. Word was, spring is here when the Robins are spotted on the ground looking for worms, or when the Buzzards return overhead.
These days, the Buzzards have been staying around all year. I don’t see many Robins at the farm. We have all the other birds because we buy and feed sunflower seeds to our fine feathered friends, and they’re always looking for an easy meal.
One thing I always look to as far as springtime might be coming soon, is above our heads and honking their way north. Yes, I’m talking about the gaggles of geese and ducks flying back north from their winter vacation down south.
As I sat on my chair at the barbecue grill last week, taking a break from unloading some firewood from my truck, I heard the familiar sound of those geese. The cloud cover was so low, I didn’t really get a chance to see them, but I heard them.
Then the next day, while I was on the porch and the skies had cleared a bit, I got the view and saw three or four gaggles heading north, and two of those had some pretty big numbers, so that tells me spring is coming soon.
And I could not be happier. When we look back at this past winter, and it’s not over yet, the early days around Christmas were very mild, as was the start of 2026. Then came the big snow, the frigid temps.
Some feeling temps as low as 26 below zero. And after that polar vortex, we had a slow warm up. And this past week, after a wet weekend, we were back in the 60s and 70s for a while. Let’s hope it continues because I’m almost out of hay for the cattle.
And they need some green grass, and my tractor and me, we need a break.
### Interview with Ben Havens and Jared Milligan
Today on the podcast, we’re headed to Bennett Spring State Park, outside of Lebanon. One of the most popular trout parks in the state, with the opening of trout season coming up on March 1st. We visit with one of the Laclide County Conservation agents and Pulaski County native. And the Bennett Spring Hatchery Manager, both coming up next.
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Today on the podcast, we are joined by not only one, but two guests. We have one of the Laclide County Conservation Agents, Pulaski County native, Jared Milligan with us, along with Ben Havens, who is the Hatchery Manager of Bennett Spring State Park, down in Lebanon, because Trout Season is just around the corner. Thanks, guys, for taking some time and I know you’re probably really busy this time of the year.
Ben: You’re welcome, no problem. No problem.
Marv: Ben, I’m going to start things off with you. I know because we have four trout parks, basically in southern Missouri. I’m sure there’s probably maybe one or two up north. Uh, but we have four in within 45 minutes, well, at least three of them within 45 minutes, of Pulaski County, where this podcast generates from. Um, and Bennett Spring, I don’t know, acreage, acreage-wise, probably not the biggest, but popularity, no doubt.
Ben: For sure. For sure. Bennett Spring is by far the most visited of the four Missouri Trout Parks. Um, we just in fishermen alone, we get somewhere around in the neighborhood of 140,000 fishermen that come and buy a daily tag and fish for the trout there every year. And we have upwards of over a million, uh, visitors that camp, hike, and and do other activities while they’re visiting the park.
Marv: That many?
Ben: That many. It’s it’s a very, very busy place and, uh, it’s about to come alive come March 1st.
Marv: You have been in the news, as of lately. And we’re not going to talk too much about that because I know there’s litigation, and when you have litigation, you can’t come out and spout everything, but basically, it’s been some shotty work, uh, by apparently, uh, one of the construction companies, uh, that was doing. Are they refurbishing all the trout parks?
Ben: Uh, over the years, uh, I’ve been with, uh, the in the hatchery system for over 24 years, so I’ve seen a lot of things over the years. And um, over my career, we’ve, we’ve made improvements to each of the parks, uh, here and there, um, for different reasons. Um, mainly just to bring them, uh, up to the current age. Um, a lot of our park started in the 1920s and 1930s. Uh, the hatcheries did, and um, you know, they’re they’re aged, and with that infrastructure, it it it definitely doesn’t, uh, hold itself, uh, as valid as it did when it was younger. So we want to bring it and rejuvenate it and make it, um, you know, much better, uh, with the technology that we have today. So that’s that’s what a lot of the renovations come from.
Marv: And it’s you’re going to make it bigger, so there’s more fish that are able to be released in the Niangua River?
Ben: Well, what’s interesting about making it bigger is, uh, with the technology that’s out there today, um, we can take the seven acres that the hatchery sits on at Bennett Spring, and instead of expanding our footprint and making it, you know, 14 acres, we can take that seven acres and increase our production just by the technology that’s out there. Adding oxygen to the water, uh, filtration to the water and and other, uh, different technologies that are out there. So,
Marv: Take us through the start of how these fish grow from eggs to eventually, uh, hopefully some lunkers.
Ben: You bet. Um, everybody’s always concerned about the lunkers, but it it starts, uh, with the with brood stock. We, we spawn our rainbow trout in our hatcheries and, uh, each female gives us about a thousand pounds per per, uh, thousand eggs per pound of body weight. Um, so each of our females is about 3,000 eggs per per, uh, individual, and um, we spawn enough, uh, just at Bennett alone, uh, in a normal season, we will spawn enough fish to take about a million and a half eggs, uh, on site. Um, and you got to keep in mind that that’s happening not only at at Bennett Spring at our hatchery, but also at one of the other or at four of the other, uh, cold water hatcheries throughout the the the state. So there’s a lot going on, but we, we raise those fish, uh, we start with with an egg, and we fertilize those eggs and we nurture them, and over the course of about a year, uh, 14 months to a year and a half, um, we take that egg to a stockable 12 and a half inch size rainbow trout that we put out for the fishermen to catch.
Marv: So that’s how long it takes pretty much for a little yearling, if you will, or a baby to grow to the size where you can actually make them, um, catchable and legal to catch.
Ben: It does. You bet. From the time we take the egg to the time it goes on feed, it’s about a about two weeks, uh, or about a month, uh, it hatches. It takes about two weeks for it to go on feed, and from that point on, till the time we, we kick it out the door and stock it off of our stocking truck, it’s about another, uh, 14 to 15 months. So, about a year and a half total, um, given good conditions. And what’s great about the the Missouri and the Trout Parks is we have the perfect conditions for raising these rainbow trout. We have crystal clear waters, cool waters coming out of the the springs. And um, you couple that with the the labor that we put into it and the care we take, uh, to raise these fish and it’s the perfect setup to to provide an an amazing opportunity for people to come and fish.
Marv: I was doing a little research, uh, prior to this, the amount of water that comes out of Bennett Spring alone. 100 million gallons a day.
Ben: On average. Yes. And a lot of times it’s double that. Um, we, we get quite a bit of water, um, coming out of the, out of the spring. Um, we have a pretty immense drainage area or recharge area that that water, uh, comes from. It all travels underground and it comes out there at Bennett Spring inside the park and, um, right now, as you can imagine, we’re a little dry, even though we’ve had some rain over the last few weeks, but, uh, we’re pretty dry and so we’re probably about 50% of that, uh, that level, about 50 to 60 million gallons a day. But still plenty of of water to raise fish and, and for people to come and and enjoy, uh, fishing activities.
Marv: You would think with that kind of water coming out of that spring that the Niangua River would always be flooded.
Ben: Uh, it it definitely, uh, more than doubles the size of the Niangua River, uh, where the water dumps in, for sure. And, uh, provides a lot of opportunity for people to, people to enjoy it.
Marv: During the trout season, which is going to start March 1st, how many trout do you put in the water on a daily basis during the season?
Ben: So, uh, it’s all based on tag sales. So we generally at Bennett have somewhere in the neighborhood of 140,000 tags that will, uh, sell between March 1st and October 31st that regular trout fishing season. And we stock a a percentage of those, uh, fish based off those tag sales. So we normally, in a normal season, we would stock two and a quarter fish for for every tag we sell. And we can go back, we have records that go back well into the 50s, 40s and 50s and 60s of how many tags we’ve sold over the years to kind of get an average. But we take a five year average and we take that number and we times it, do the arithmetic, and we come up with the number we’re going to stock every day. Some days are rainy, some days are are cloudy, sunny, you name it, but, uh, on average, if you take a five year average, you’ll get a a good number and that number is pretty well spot on with what we expect to have, um, uh, show up fishermen-wise and and and recreate in park.
Marv: Now, there’s other amenities, uh, down at Bennett Spring, besides just the trout fishing, you have camping down there?
Ben: Correct.
Marv: And do they I know they do not have camping up at Meramec Spring. But I
Ben: They do.
Marv: They do have camping now?
Ben: Yes. So what’s what’s very interesting about the Trout Parks is, um, at at, um, Bennett Spring, Roaring River, and Montauk, which are all state parks, um, we have a cooperative, uh, relationship with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. And so the Conservation Department takes care of everything. I like to say we take care of everything that’s wet. We take care of the stream, we stock the fish and take care of the that that aspect of the park. And the Department of Natural Resources runs the parks. They do the camping, the cabins, the lodging, if there’s a restaurant, a concession, uh, park stores, that kind of thing. So we have a really good working relationship and and it works out really well. An interesting park is Meramec Spring up in Saint James, which is a beautiful park, um, has a beautiful spring and they are actually a private park. And um, they have camping, um, along the river there. They have a park store, they have a restaurant. Um, but it’s just not a state park. Um, but you still can go there, buy your daily tag and fish, uh, very similarly to the other parks. So.
Marv: Now, I have been to Meramec and they have a little trail that goes all around by the spring, where you could actually walk back there, and they used to let you you put like a dime or a nickel or whatever it was in a little feeder, and you could feed these lunkers and see these seven to 10 pound trout come up. Do they have that at Bennett?
Ben: When we’re in normal operation, we have a lunker pool where we keep our brood stock that we, I just said we, you know, we spawn those fish. And um, by all means, you can walk all the raceways and you can feed those fish, um, throughout the season. And so you can kind of, you know, help your help your fish along and and kind of see it grow and then of course, we stock them. But, um, we we don’t have a like a a lunker pool, if you will, similar to Meramec. Um, they do at Roaring River, has a great one. Um, but, uh, we’re we just have our raceways and we keep our our fish nice and safe and and secure and and ready for ready for the people.
Marv: Well, the horn blows at 6:30 on March the 1st to start the trout season. And is that when fishing starts on a daily basis during the season, is it 6:30?
Ben: Yeah, it kind of runs with, uh, sunrise and sunset, and, um, so it’ll start at 6:30, uh, on March 1st and go till 6:00 p.m. And then we’ll spring forward with the time change, uh, not shortly, too too long after that in March.
Jared: Like, like this year it’s the 8th.
Ben: Yeah.
Jared: Second weekend.
Ben: And, um, but the but the the, uh, fishing hours are are generally with what’s the that sunrise and sunset and, uh, try to maximize the amount of time that we can allow people to the stream.
Marv: So, how long does it take for somebody to take a bath in the, um, in the water on the opening day? I was down at Bennett Spring one time, I haven’t been, uh, in the on a tour of Bennett Spring, but I was down there watching some friends of mine fishing. One of my friends, I think, made 30 seconds and he was in the water.
Ben: Yeah, it it, uh, there’s a lot of excitement. Um, I like to liken, um, opening day to like the Daytona 500 of NASCAR. It’s the it’s the unofficial first day of spring in Missouri. Um, it and it’s the trout opener and people get really excited. They’re knocking off the the winter, uh, jitters, you know, and they’re getting out getting their cabin fever out and, um, there’s a lot of excitement and, uh, a lot of anticipation and and people can get a little crazy.
Jared: And there’s some faithful. So, you know, depending, you know, if you have nice days, bluebird days, you probably get more people, but there’s some out there that it’s it’s just a family tradition and, you know, rain, sleet, or snow or cold temperatures, they’re going to be there regardless.
Marv: Yeah, they don’t they don’t care.
Jared: It does not matter.
Marv: It’s kind of like the opening day of deer season.
Jared: Yeah.
Marv: You know, yeah. But of course this past year deer season, you weren’t too busy the first opening weekend, were you?
Jared: It was pretty pretty warm.
Marv: Yeah, I’d say.
Jared: It was pretty warm, uh, compared to a couple weeks ago.
Marv: So, uh, Ben, is there anything else you’d like to add about the the trout fishing that maybe people need to know about when they come down to Bennett Spring?
Ben: Well, you know, I I just want to make sure that everybody knows that the park is wide open for fishing. Um, we we welcome everybody to come out. It whether it’s March 1st or any other time throughout the trout season. There’s plenty of fish. Um, we’re stocking multiple times per week, um, and making sure that, uh, when folks come, they buy their tag and they’re they’re headed to the stream that there are fish waiting for them and they’re hopefully going to have a good experience. And, um, we’re we’re really excited to get the park woke back up from winter and and get on with the 2026 season.
Marv: So, in other words, despite the construction work still going on, you guys are ready to go.
Ben: We are absolutely 100% ready to go. Uh, we’re going to start stocking for opening day next week in anticipation of of, uh, opener and and the fish will be there waiting and and ready.
Marv: What’s the biggest fish you’ve ever seen taken, uh, out of some of your, uh, your waterways down there before it gets to the, they before they get to the Niangua River?
Jared: Well, you want to talk about, uh, rainbow trout or brown trout?
Ben: That’s a good question, yeah.
Marv: That’s right, you have both of them.
Ben: We do have, we do have both. Um, so I’ve been at Bennett, uh, since 2015, um, and the biggest, uh, brown trout that I have seen come out of the park was 13 and a half pounds. Um, and that is a pretty large fish.
Jared: That’s a big one.
Ben: Uh, and, um, the biggest rainbow that I saw come out of the park was just shy of 11 pounds. So, we’ve had some really, really nice fish, um, and, um, they’re there, you know. If you’re if you’re the Anglin type and you know what you’re doing and and or if you just get lucky sometimes, um, there’s there’s fish in there and they’re they’re ready.
Marv: All right, we’re going to take a break and we’re going to come back with Jared Milligan, who’s going to talk about the law part of it right after this.
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### Interview with Ben Havens and Jared Milligan
Marv: We’re back with Ben Havens, Hatchery Manager of Bennett Spring State Park and one of the Conservation Agents in Laclide County, Jared Milligan, who is a Pulaski County native. I remember watching Jared over at Dixon, playing sports, calling your ball games and stuff like that. And what got you into conservation?
Jared: Well, you know, being Pulaski County native, uh, the resources that we have in the county and beyond, um, are extensive and I grew up, um, hunting and fishing, um, being outdoors. Of course, you know, I’m not that old. I’ll be 43 actually this coming weekend. Um, but we didn’t have the video games or phones or anything like we have now. So, um, in my spare time, I was outside doing something. Um, whether it be hunting or fishing or or just walking around. Um, my my parents and my grandparents, um, and my aunt and uncle that, uh, Train Steve, uh, Helton and the NAPA part store here, owned some property south of Pulaski County and and, uh, I just grew up being outdoors and and enjoying, um, our resources, um, and hunting and fishing. And so when I went to college, uh, I went to Central Methodist and played baseball up there for four years. I, uh, I thought, well, I want to do something that makes a lot of money. So, I actually thought I wanted to be a dentist. So, I started my pre-med classes and, uh, and about, uh, through the first semester, we had an agent up there in Howard County where, uh, Central Methodist is at, he came and talked to, we called it Science Seminar, and it was kind of a lunch in, but it was the agent in that respective county. He came and talked about his job and ever ever since then, um, you know, my freshman year, I was like, yep, that’s what I want to do. So, after I graduated in ’05, I worked for the department for three years until I got in an agent’s training class in in ’09 and and here I am 17 years later.
Marv: So, um, Laclide County, of course, is your home right now.
Jared: It is. Yeah.
Marv: Yeah. And as an agent, do you get, do you guys get to stay in one place? I know we’ve had conservation agents here. We just had one retired, Aaron Pondrum.
Jared: We do. We had a good one leave. We had an excellent one.
Marv: He certainly was. And before that we had Terry Robertson, who was here, uh, for a long time. So, you normally get to stay in one place?
Jared: Yes. So, um, just depending on, you know, used to that, you know, everybody says, well, they frowned on the agent going back to their home home county. And when I picked Laclide County, it was open. Of course, it was only an hour from home, 45 minutes. So, um, my wife was pregnant at the time with our with our daughter and, uh, you know, it was open and and didn’t know a whole lot about the area. I knew about Lebanon. Um, but it being close to home is why I picked it and ever since then, it was a it was a great decision and it’s and it’s like home now. Um, it is home. So, uh, yes, I will be there unless they unless I die or get fired. Um, I plan on being there throughout my career.
Marv: Oh, well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon because you are still pretty young. Now, as far as the law goes, as far as trout fishing, Yeah. Uh, you are allowed what, four trout? Now, before it was five, when did that that changed several years ago?
Jared: So, I’ve been, like I said, I’ve been in Laclide County since ’09 and ever since I’ve been in Laclide County with Bennett Spring State Park under my purview, it’s been four. Um, I don’t remember when it was five.
Ben: We had a short stint where Meramec Spring tried to Right. five fish limit over there in Saint James, um, and then, um, we’ve all gone back to four fish limit.
Jared: Yep. So it’s it’s been four in in Laclide County and Bennett for ever since I’ve been there. So it’s been a long time. So, people should know and know the limit. So,
Marv: Now these fish when when they float down the, um, Niangua before they get into the actual river itself, um, they’re pretty much, um, legal to keep as long as they’re the right size. When they get into the actual Niangua River, Um, is it still the same law that, um, applies?
Jared: So, there’s no length limit on on rainbow trout. Um, there is on brown trout. Um, the limit for brown trout is four in aggregate, um, 15 inches, um, or more or over 15. 15 inches or over can be kept. Um, under 15 has to be released. But rainbow trout, there’s no length limit, um, either in Bennett or the Niangua River. So that that keeps it pretty easy. Um, so, you know, if you, uh, if you go to Bennett Spring State Park, um, what you’re required is is a fishing permit, unless you’re exempt. What I mean by exempt, if you’re 65 or older, Missouri resident, you don’t have to have one. If you’re 15 years or younger, uh, youth in Missouri or a non-resident youth, you don’t have to have a fishing permit. In the trout, it’s in the trout park itself, you need your you’re required permit and you need a daily permit. So, um, which is the tag that you see on the back of people’s hats usually is where they put them. You have to have that to fish in there. If you go out to the river, the Niangua River, you don’t have to have a daily tag. That’s just for Bennett. But you do have to have, if you keep trout in your possession, um, you have to have a trout stamp or what they call a trout stamp in the river.
Marv: Clear as mud.
Jared: Yeah. Clear as mud. So, that caveats to this. So, if you don’t know, most people that fish the area know the regulations. If you’re a novice or not around, um, my phone number is public. All the agents, there’s, uh, Bennett Spring State Park flows through two counties. Flows through Laclide County and Dallas County. Uh, the Niangua River goes through two counties, uh, around our area. The the Laclide County and Dallas County. Uh, there’s four agents. There’s two in Dallas, two in Laclide. Our number is public. You can get on, uh, Department’s website, type in your county, it’ll show the number for the agents. I please, uh, don’t take people’s word for it on regulations. Um, give us a call. If we don’t answer, you can text us or leave us a voicemail. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Um, and this is part of your pre pre-planning fishing trip. If you don’t know the reg, call us. Or, better yet, if you go to the tra or the park store inside Bennett Spring State Park, um, for the park regulations, they have a trifold pamphlet. It’s usually blue or green and it has all the rules laid out for you for the park, okay? Um, take some time to read that before you come. And then if you have questions, you can also call the local game warden. Um, you can get a hold of Ben and his staff there. They have our numbers. We have a good working relationship. And just know the regs before you go because you don’t want to be there fishing. Somebody call in on you, we go down and then we’ve got to take enforcement, you know, action there.
Marv: You can probably also find this on the, uh, MDC website, can’t you?
Jared: Absolutely. Yep, you can find it on on, uh, MDC’s website. We have a pretty pretty well, um, website that you can navigate pretty easily. Um, we also have pamphlets that we put out, uh, fishing regulations, um, that have, um, at your local permit vendors, like Walmart or if there’s a gas station that sells permits. Uh, we have a fishing guide that has all them regulations in it as well. And, you know, I will say that at some at sometimes if you’re not used to the area, um, that it may be a little bit confusing on some things. Um, but that’s why we’re here to help. You need to know the regulations. They don’t have all the all the traffic, uh, regulations that when you drive, they don’t have them on a list along the interstate or along the road out here on Missouri Boulevard. You have to know them before you start driving, right? It’s the same way when you go hunting or fishing or trapping in the state of Missouri.
Marv: How cold does the water have to be, Ben, uh, for a trout to survive? I mean, I know if they get down in the Niangua River, eventually that river’s going to warm up and they’re going to come back up toward toward the spring.
Ben: Correct.
Marv: So, how cold does the water have to be before the trout are actually getting out of the Niangua and going back up into the spring?
Ben: So, uh, well, are you saying how cold does it have to be because they want the warmer water or is are you saying how warm does the water have to get for them to go into the spring?
Marv: How warm does the water have to be before they bail out?
Ben: So, yeah, ideally, rainbow trout like 55 degree, uh, Fahrenheit water. And brown trout like even a little bit cooler than that. Um, the good thing about our area is our spring water is 57, uh, to 59 degrees coming out of out of the ground. And it flows down and into the Niangua River. The Niangua River is a lot of surface water. It’s a normal stream. There are some springs along it, but most time in the in the summertime, it’s going to warm up well into the 70s, if not the low 80 degrees. Um, and so you’ll find, like you’re asking about, at certain times of the year, those fish, um, you know, come come about late June, July, August, maybe early September. They’re going to work their way up out of the the river and try to seek that cooler water of the spring. And so that’s when, you know, that 13 and a half pounder I was talking about, that was it was caught in August. So, I mean, it was it was a fish that was in the river and it came up and sought sanctuary in the park and it got caught. But, um, definitely plenty of habitat, plenty of cool water there, most of the year. And, uh, those fish, they they’re not getting big by being dumb. They they know where to go and where to hide out and and where to seek refuge.
Marv: And these fish will swim upstream. I remember talking to, and I can’t remember whether it was Nathan Angle, Casey Simmons, or Aaron Pondrum, um, of course, they stock the Ruby Du.
Ben: Sure.
Marv: You know, uh, and they somebody caught a fish and it might have been a brown trout somewhere near Plato. You know, this thing was, you know, probably, you know, maybe around the Highway 17 bridge going toward, uh, Roby, but this thing was so far up the, uh, river, it was unbelievable, but it had to be had to be cold water. Or maybe maybe it was trapped up there because that water kind of gets a little low.
Ben: And we see this similar, uh, things happen on the Niangua over there. Um, you know, certain times of year, like right now while the water’s cool, the brown trout, and some rainbows, will migrate up even above the park. Um, and we’ve I I’ve personally known of fish that have been caught over 20 miles above, you know, upstream of the park. Um, but when it gets warm, those fish are going to have to find refuge of of spring, a seep spring, or or make their way back down and into the the cooler waters.
Marv: They’ll try to survive. So, in in June and July, if you really want to catch a good trout, you go to where the
Ben: Zone three.
Jared: Zone three.
Marv: Zone three where the Niangua meets the, uh, Bennett Spring, uh, right there at the, uh, the confluence of it. And, uh,
Ben: It’s a good place to fish, for sure. But, you know, to that, to that point, um, we stock the Niangua year round.
Jared: We do.
Ben: So, we, we put over 7,500 rainbow trout into the Niangua River. That first 12 miles between, uh, the park confluence and generally, um, you know, down around in our O access, down to Ledmine Conservation Area and and upstream of that. So that first 10 to 12 miles, we, we stock with 7,500 rainbow trout every year, as well as over 5,000 brown trout. So, there’s a lot of ample, uh, fishing opportunity that we put out there and and
Marv: So, that water stays that cold.
Ben: It it does. And we, we strategically put our, uh, our stockings to where we’re not putting them out in 75 degree water where they’re just going to go belly up.
Jared: They’ll go. They’ll go deep in the summer. They’ll get in the deep holes where the water is colder on the bottom. So.
Marv: Well, guys, it’s been fun. Um, anything else, uh, we need to you want to mention?
Jared: I’ll I will on the enforcement side. So, we get a lot of calls, um, during during the trout season from March 1st to October 31st. So, I just would encourage people to call, um, you can put, uh, the Operation Game Thief hotline in your phone, 1-800-392-1111. And what that does is, you know, uh, we’re not down there 24/7, but if you call the OGT hotline, that is like, um, you know, everybody’s watched Batman. It’s the Batman sign that comes up. And when they call that, that gives an alert out to all the local agents and beyond, um, to respond to the area. So, call the OGT hotline first, what I encourage them to do if they have a violation they need to report. Um, and that that’ll get one of the agents assigned to that. Um, when giving information, please give us good information. Uh, don’t give us, hey, there’s a guy down here catching an over limit that has a trout vest on and waders. That doesn’t narrow it down. Um, you know, look at the
Marv: Yeah, that could be anybody.
Jared: That could be anybody. Give us a good description. Hey, you know, between ages of this and this, they wear glasses, have beard, long hair, um, you know, and then get a vehicle description if you know that and get a license plate if you would. That is key to get us a license plate to help us investigate that kind of stuff. So, other than that, that’s all I’ve got.
Marv: All right, buddy, thanks. Jared Milligan, Conservation Agent for Laclide County, along with Ben Havens, the Hatchery Manager of Bennett Spring State Park. Again, 6:30, March 1st, trout season opens, spring is here, and that’s what this whole podcast is all about. It’s springtime because I am sick and tired of the cold weather. We’ll be right back.
### Sponsor Break
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When you’ve been in business since 1939, and when you do the math that’s 85 years, you’re doing something right. Bales Construction in Waynesville has been doing things right for a long time, and that continues today. Bales Construction has rapidly grown from being Pulaski and neighboring county’s top residential builder to one of Missouri’s largest commercial general contractors. Today, they specialize in construction of educational and healthcare facilities, but their excellence in building does not stop there, completing an extensive number of projects such as banking, retail, industrial, civil, multi-family, food service, hospitality, transportation, and municipal projects. Their offices in Waynesville and Springfield, Missouri, allows Bales Construction to cover a large portion of central and southwest Missouri. Explore their website and see what Bales can build for you.
Step back in time and support a great cause at the Fort Wood Community Spouse’s Club 2026 Roaring Hearts Speakeasy and Basket Auction. On Saturday, February 28th at 6:00 p.m., the doors swing open at the Nutterfield House on Fort Leonard Wood for a night of glamour, giving, and excitement. Enjoy live and silent auctions, thrilling games of opportunity, a wine and whiskey pool, and so much more, all wrapped in a roaring twenties speakeasy atmosphere. Tickets are on sale now and they start at $40 or $50 at the door. And every dollar raised goes directly toward community grants and scholarships through the Fort Wood Community Spouse’s Club. Dress to impress. Bring your friends and be a part of an unforgettable night that gives back. Get your tickets now. Email BasketAuctionFWSCSC@gmail.com. That’s BasketAuctionF as in Frank, W as in Wood, C as in Cat, S as in Sam, C as in Cat at gmail.com.
In sporting news, the second consecutive Super Sunday is in the books with the running of the Daytona 500. Following the 60th edition of the NFL’s biggest game of the year, the previous week with Seattle taking the Super Bowl with their win over the New England Patriots, NASCAR’s Super Bowl was this past Sunday. The weather in Florida started off good, but the possibility of thunderstorms was in the forecast for later in the race, and NASCAR officials bumped the race up a little bit trying to beat Mother Nature, and they did.
There was someone going for a three-peat, which in sports is a tough thing to do, just ask the Kansas City Chiefs. William Byron’s attempt for a three-peat ended early in the race when his car suffered major damage in a wreck. Tyler Reddick, who drives for the Michael Jordan Denny Hamlin team 23XI, hoisted the trophy at the end of the race as he was in front of a multi-car pileup and survived. It was Jordan’s first Daytona win as an owner, and the former NBA great was all smiles.
Pitchers and catchers and the rest of the infielders and outfielders have all made it to their spring training headquarters in Florida and Arizona, getting ready for preseason games with the season to start at the end of March. That tells me spring has to be here. Baseball is starting. And finally, in Sports District basketball starts up next week as teams try to make their way to March Mayhem and the high school state championships at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia next month. To get there, you have to climb the ladder with the district, sectional, and quarterfinal title before the final four.
It will be the 101st boys championships and the 54th girls championships when they convene. Classes 1, 2, and 3 will get the first shot, March 11th through the 14th. And that’s where we find all the Frisco League teams. The Crocker Lady Lions are the top seed at the Class 2 District 9 Tournament in Richland. Both Dixon teams are one seeds in their respective district tournaments. The boys play at the Class 3 District 8 Tournament at Lake Way, the Lady Bulldogs at the Class 3 District 8 Tournament at Steelville. All number one seeds have first-round byes.
Stoutland is in the Class 1 tournaments at Wablow, and their bracket as we record this has not been posted. I’ll be at the Class 3 tournament at Lake Way doing the BPA work on the floor, at the scorers table, a job that keeps me in the loop for high school hoops and one I totally enjoy and can’t thank the Lake Way administration enough for the opportunity. By the way, the brackets for the tournaments are available on the MSHSAA website at mshsaa.org. That would be M-S-H-S-A-A.org, should you like to try your hand at surfing through that. And both the Class 2 District 9 boys and girls basketball tournaments at Richland will be airing on 97.9 FM from what I’m told.
### Outro
We’ll be right back with a wrap after this. Leak you at the V is a popular saying in our neck of the woods, and for good reason. The VFW Post 3168 at Exit 150 off I-44 is a popular place, especially on Friday and Saturday night because it’s Steak Night. From 4 to 9 where folks come from miles around to get some of the best steaks at a price that makes even the most thrifty smile with several cuts of juicy steaks cooked the way you like, complimented by salad, baked potato, and a veggie. Their canteen is open Monday through Thursday from 3:00 to midnight, Friday from 3:00 to 1:00, and they open at noon on the weekends. The kitchen is open from 5:00 to 9:00 Mondays through Thursdays with daily specials. And did I mention Steak Nights, Friday and Saturdays?
There’s karaoke Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 p.m. to close, plenty of TVs to catch up on all the big games and a huge meeting room to rent for your special occasions. Queen of Hearts runs every Tuesday, and check out their website for Bingo Nights. See why more are heading to the V every day. Lakeway VFW Post 3168, Exit 150 off I-44. See you at the V. In these days of texting and emails, words, phrases, and names are shortened to letters. It doesn’t change anything, it just makes things easier. That’s the case of STR Glass, a Saint Robert establishment since the 60s. Still the same great service when it comes to auto glass, windows, shower doors, and anything to do with glass. And when it comes to fixing chips in your windshield to prevent cracking, there’s none better. They’re still in the same location on VFW Memorial Drive and still have the same phone number, 336-4122. They’ve just shortened their name from Saint Robert Glass to STR Glass, but will never shorten their services to you, the customer.
Thanks to my sponsors, Shelter Insurance Agent Dave Holliday in Richland, Saint Robert Auto Supply, Segur Toyota, the Pulaski County Health Center, STR Glass of Saint Robert, VFW Post 3168, TK’s Pizza, Bales Construction, the Bank of Crocker, and Paul’s Furniture. Thanks again to my producer Tracy for gluing this together and thanks to you, my podcast listeners, for letting me come into your life for a short period of time each week. If you’re enjoying the Marv in the Morning podcast, we invite you to leave a review on whatever app you’re listening on. We would also love for you to share the episode with family and friends on your social media accounts. Be sure to follow our podcasts on Facebook, on the Marv in the Morning podcast page, and you’re also invited to join us on Facebook on the Fort Not Lost in the Woods podcast group. This podcast is a production of O’Quinn Media.
Until next time, enjoy the springish weather. Let’s hope to see more geese flying north and by next week, March will only be a few days away. Later.{“promptTokenCount”:81639,”candidatesTokenCount”:11339,”totalTokenCount”:92978,”promptTokensDetails”:[{“modality”:”TEXT”,”tokenCount”:104},{“modality”:”AUDIO”,”tokenCount”:81535}]}