By noon, the crowd on the banks of the Roaring River had thinned as a cold wind swept the area.

Josh Greer led the men's division wire to wire with this 8 pound, 6 ounce trout.

Amy White awards the trophy for biggest fish in the men's division to Josh Greer of Joplin.

Shane Cook, Sarcoxie, prepares a batch of trout for the batter while making lunch on opening day.

Jeff Holt and a group of five friends were ready to enjoy the fruits of a not-so-hard day's work.
The men were deep-frying trout and potatoes at a Roaring River State Park campsite - a tradition they've upheld for eight years.
"Usually we cook and we eat till we're full," Holt said. "If there's any left, we get to take it home."
The group was all smiles after driving through a storm from Springfield in the early-morning hours so they're hooks could be in the water at the start of trout season.
Upbeat and and ready to eat, Holt gave one friend who only reeled in one small fish a hard time.
"Dave will only get potatoes," he said.

Most of the earliest-arriving anglers met their catch limit long ago, leaving those left on the banks of the Roaring River a little more room to operate.
But some fishermen, thought they hit their limit, aren't ready to leave quite yet.
Trenton Garvey, 11, of Rogers, Ark., lazily cast his line around 10:30 a.m. sitting on three catches. He seemed in no hurry to snag his fourth trout despite dropping his first hook in the water at the sound of the opening gun.
"I got here at like 4 this morning," he said. "My dad says he wants to go home."
Trenton said some of his teachers knew why he wasn't class today, but the sixth-grader hasn't run into trouble in past years when's he's skipped for the chance to catch a fresh dinner.
"I've been coming ever since, I don't know, the last five," he said.