JEFFERSON CITY–The best things in life are free, sometimes. The weekend of June 9 and 10 is one of those times, as the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is suspending fishing-permit requirements for those two days.

MDC designates the weekend after the first Monday in June as Free Fishing Days in Missouri each year. The idea is to encourage people to explore the state’s fishing opportunities without having to purchase permits, trout stamps or trout park daily tags.

Fishing is a lifetime sport, something equally doable whether you are 9 or 90. Free Fishing Days is designed to encourage lapsed anglers and first-time fishers to wet a line at one of Missouri’s more than 300 MDC-owned or managed fishing lakes, ponds or stream accesses. Carefully managed fisheries at these areas produce an abundance of opportunities to catch fish ranging from crappie and catfish to trout and muskellunge.

Normal fishing regulations, such as limits on size and number of fish, remain in effect during Free Fishing Days. Regulations are outlined in the 2012 Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations, which is available wherever fishing permits are sold, or online.

Special permits may still be required at county, city and private fishing areas. Free Fishing Days exempts anglers from MDC permit and tag fees only, not parking or other park fees.

Public fishing areas are available in every county in Missouri. Many offer disabled-accessible facilities. For more information about places to fish, visit mdc.mo.gov or contact the nearest MDC office.

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The action was fast and furious on the baseball diamonds of the Dexter Parks and Recreation Sports Complex on Thursday night in the first week of the 2012 Little League baseball season.

Players and parents were treated to great weather later in the evening, as temperatures dropped off when the sun started to set.

The DPR Summer leagues are set to run on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday schedule, with Fridays reserved for makeup games. The leagues, divided into six categories based on age, are set to play through June 21.

The youngsters will have Monday off due to the Labor Day holiday, but will be back in action on Tuesday, May 29, with games beginning at 6:00 p.m.

In most streams south of the Missouri River, black bass season will open May 26, 2012, until that date all black bass in those streams must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught. For details see Chapter 6 of the Wildlife Code.

PLEASE CHECK REGULATIONS CAREFULLY: Special regulations may apply to designated portions of water bodies; some baits and lures may not be legal for all portions.

LAKES

Clearwater Lake: 81 degrees, normal, clear; bluegill fair on live worms and crickets; channel catfish fair on nightcrawlers and stinkbaits; largemouth bass fair on topwater baits, plastic baits and spinnerbaits; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Council Bluff Lake: 75 degrees, normal, clear; redear sunfish good on worms and crickets; crappie fair on jigs; channel catfish fair on liver; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Cypress Lake: 78 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish good on stinkbaits, worms and crickets in 2 - 6' depths; bluegill and redear sunfish good on jigs, crickets and worms in 1 - 3' depths; redear have been in shallow waters over the last week; largemouth bass fair on minnows and jigs, plastic worms and crankbaits in 1 - 3' depths; crappie fair on minnows and jigs in 1 - 3' depths. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Duck Creek CA Pool 1: 77 degrees, falling, clear; bluegill and redear sunfish fair on crickets; largemouth bass fair on plastic worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Lake Girardeau: normal, clear; bluegill and redear sunfish good on crickets; largemouth bass and channel catfish good on worms; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Perry County Lake: 74 degrees, clear; redear sunfish good on crickets; black bass fair on plastic worms; channel catfish fair on worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/21/2012)

Robert DeLaney Lake: 79 degrees, normal, bluegill fair on crickets and wax worms; channel catfish fair on stinkbaits; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Wappapello Lake: 77 degrees, low, channel catfish good on trotlines and jug lines using live bait at night; bluegill fair on crickets and worms near the shore; crappie fair on minnows and jigs; black bass fair on spinnerbaits and plastic worms early and late; all other species slow.

Anglers should note the 9" minimum length limit regulation for crappie on Wappapello Lake. Call the Wappapello Lake Recreation Hotline for updates at 573-222-8139. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

RIVERS

Black River (above Clearwater Lake): 74 degrees, low, clear; smallmouth bass (season opens May 26) and goggle-eye fair on plastic baits; channel catfish fair on chicken liver or stinkbaits; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Black River (below Clearwater Lake): 71 degrees, dingy; level is at summer pool; black bass good on minnows and jigs (season opens 5/26, 12" minimum length); channel catfish fair on live bait and worms; crappie fair on jigs and minnows; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Castor River (above Zalma): low, clear; all species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Mississippi River (middle): 71 degrees, falling, muddy; channel catfish and blue catfish good on worms; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Mississippi River (Ohio River to Arkansas): normal, muddy; channel catfish fair on stinkbaits and cut baits; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

St. Francis River (above Wappapello): low, clear; all species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

St. Francis River (below Wappapello): 74 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish good on chicken liver, stinkbait and worms; flathead catfish fair on goldfish and green sunfish; black bass fair on plastic worms and spinnerbaits; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Anglers are invited to send pictures of their catch to the ShowMe Times - simply email a photo to SMT Sports Editor Andrew Cato, including your name, where the fish was caught, the species of the fish, and - if you care to share - what bait you were using!

The Dexter Bearcats were well-represented on the 2012 SEMO All-Conference Baseball team, with three 'Cats making the roster. Junior outfielder Brad Potts (left), along with infielders Chase Young (right) and Jordan Miller (center) all earned first-team honors this season. Kennett's Daniel Lockhert and Notre Dame's Cody Heisserer were the 2012 Co-Conference Players of the Year. Congratulations!

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

STE. GENEVIEVE - The Lady Bearcats sent five athletes to the Class 3, Sectional 1 Track meet on Saturday (May 19) afternoon; a top four finish in their respective events would garner a trip to the State Championship meet.

The 'Cats brought home a pair of sixth and seventh place medals to end their hopes for a trip to state.

Seniors Taylor Martin and Lindsey Hindman, juniors Brooke Baker and Samantha Midgett, and freshman Courtney Potts all competed in the sectional meet in four events.

The 4x100 meter relay team, made up of Baker, Midgett, Martin, and Hindman, finished in seventh place with a 52.43 time.

The 4x200 meter relay team, composed of Baker, Midgett, Martin, and Potts, recently broke the school record with a 1:49.10 time. The team brought home seventh place from sectionals with a 1:50.23.

Martin also competed in the 100 and 200 meter runs; she finished in sixth in both events, with 13.0 and 27.39 times, respectively. Martin also broke the DHS record in the 200 with a 26.01 in an earlier meet.

In the girls division of the team competition, the Lady 'Cats finished in 20th place with 10 points. Notre Dame came in second with 48 points, narrowly edging third-place Sikeston with 47 points.

In the boys division, Festus took first place with 103 points. Sikeston took fourth with 65, while Notre Dame finished in fifth place with 53 points.

Photo Above: Taylor Martin finished sixth in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes at the Class 3, Sectional 1 meet on Saturday. Martin also recently broke the DHS record in the 200 with a 26.01 run. (SMT file photo by Andrew Cato)