- Joined
- Dec 10, 2009
- Location
- Guntersville
Like everybody else with a bad case of cabin fever I took off for some time on the lake last Saturday between storms just to run the boat & clear my head. I usually fishing during the work week to avoid crowds.
I purposely moved back to the Guntersville area after being away for 25 years while living in Florida. I had it in my head that this is where I want to spend my golden years simply because I grew up here & fished this great fishery since I could hold a rod & reel.
Like everything else that's good ... I guess it has to come to an end sooner or later ... but WHY does it have to be this way ?
I know it's not just Lake Guntersville either, I have kin folks all over the south & they are seeing the same things where they fish.
I mean is the economy so bad that people are flocking to areas like Guntersville just to fill up their freezers? Maybe the word has gotten out that it's easy pickens with little chance of abusers getting caught
I can remember just a few years ago when this lake was very well staffed with Fish & Game Officers who did a great job of showing their presence, checking live wells, fishing license, boat safety, etc. & it truly made the difference.
My guess is that the state of Alabama is so broke that they had to cut back on law enforcement. I see forest rangers but not water patrol officers anymore.
Matter of fact it's been several months since I've even seen a Fish & Game Officer in a boat on the lake.
But what I do see is what bothers me the most, piles of fish carcasses along the waters edge with the sides filet's removed, easily a 100 plus bodies in each stack is not unusual & most of these are simply meat takers (poachers) from out of town, but oh yes we do have some local poachers too. I've had it out with more than one on the water, turned them in, filed complaints etc. but it never seems to end.
I'm not against anybody taking a legal limit on bass or whatever they're fishing for & eating them but the poaching & the gazillion TX pressure on this lake has got to stop.
It's more than that, we have some real talented guides on this lake that could compete with the best Pro's & they pretty much stay booked up with clients. Most of the guides know we have a problem & preach catch & release ... but not all of them & again I don't have a problem with somebody eating legal fish.
My biggest concern with the Guntersville guides is they constantly post fishing reports of catching 70 - 100 or so bass per day with their clients, what baits they caught them on, what color, how deep, etc. & all in the name of filling any empty calendar dates with more clients.
This lake on any given week will have 8 or more TX going on at the same time. Just thinking about even the smallest percentage of fish that die from being caught & released is a tremendous amount of dead fish !
It's a common occurrence to see fresh dead bass floating in Guntersville everytime you put the boat in, around the ramps, boat houses, bridges, you name it. I observed the last TVA electric shock fish study 2 moths ago & their count was down 35% .... NOT GOOD !!!
I hate to say it but some of these so called Pro's are the worst of the bunch, you can't let them see you catch a fish without being swarmed by 4 or 5 boats. Their driving manners leave a lot to be desired too, on the water & how they park their sponsored rides at the ramps (or at least some of them). They will park long ways instead of pulling into a spot so EVERYBODY has to read their logo's. 2 of these bozo's take up 10 parking spots.
Call me an A-hole but the last time I couldn't find a place to park at the launch because of this very thing I called a Deputy Sheriff & insisted he ticketed & had them towed out of the parking lot. It cost me 2 hours of my time waiting to see it happen but I bet somebody learned a damn lesson. Just so you know, I'm not prejudiced either, one had a Alabama tag & the other was from Kentucky.... both were inconsiderate peckerheads in my opinion.
I think the BIGGEST PROBLEM with our fisheries is pure GREED, man perfected the art of making MONEY & everybody wants their piece of the pie in some form or fashion & the lakes are taking the beating.
Anyway... just venting, more bad weather here tonight & tomorrow, when & if this weather clears I will be out on the big G taking it all in again
I purposely moved back to the Guntersville area after being away for 25 years while living in Florida. I had it in my head that this is where I want to spend my golden years simply because I grew up here & fished this great fishery since I could hold a rod & reel.
Like everything else that's good ... I guess it has to come to an end sooner or later ... but WHY does it have to be this way ?
I know it's not just Lake Guntersville either, I have kin folks all over the south & they are seeing the same things where they fish.
I mean is the economy so bad that people are flocking to areas like Guntersville just to fill up their freezers? Maybe the word has gotten out that it's easy pickens with little chance of abusers getting caught
I can remember just a few years ago when this lake was very well staffed with Fish & Game Officers who did a great job of showing their presence, checking live wells, fishing license, boat safety, etc. & it truly made the difference.
My guess is that the state of Alabama is so broke that they had to cut back on law enforcement. I see forest rangers but not water patrol officers anymore.
Matter of fact it's been several months since I've even seen a Fish & Game Officer in a boat on the lake.
But what I do see is what bothers me the most, piles of fish carcasses along the waters edge with the sides filet's removed, easily a 100 plus bodies in each stack is not unusual & most of these are simply meat takers (poachers) from out of town, but oh yes we do have some local poachers too. I've had it out with more than one on the water, turned them in, filed complaints etc. but it never seems to end.
I'm not against anybody taking a legal limit on bass or whatever they're fishing for & eating them but the poaching & the gazillion TX pressure on this lake has got to stop.
It's more than that, we have some real talented guides on this lake that could compete with the best Pro's & they pretty much stay booked up with clients. Most of the guides know we have a problem & preach catch & release ... but not all of them & again I don't have a problem with somebody eating legal fish.
My biggest concern with the Guntersville guides is they constantly post fishing reports of catching 70 - 100 or so bass per day with their clients, what baits they caught them on, what color, how deep, etc. & all in the name of filling any empty calendar dates with more clients.
This lake on any given week will have 8 or more TX going on at the same time. Just thinking about even the smallest percentage of fish that die from being caught & released is a tremendous amount of dead fish !
It's a common occurrence to see fresh dead bass floating in Guntersville everytime you put the boat in, around the ramps, boat houses, bridges, you name it. I observed the last TVA electric shock fish study 2 moths ago & their count was down 35% .... NOT GOOD !!!
I hate to say it but some of these so called Pro's are the worst of the bunch, you can't let them see you catch a fish without being swarmed by 4 or 5 boats. Their driving manners leave a lot to be desired too, on the water & how they park their sponsored rides at the ramps (or at least some of them). They will park long ways instead of pulling into a spot so EVERYBODY has to read their logo's. 2 of these bozo's take up 10 parking spots.
Call me an A-hole but the last time I couldn't find a place to park at the launch because of this very thing I called a Deputy Sheriff & insisted he ticketed & had them towed out of the parking lot. It cost me 2 hours of my time waiting to see it happen but I bet somebody learned a damn lesson. Just so you know, I'm not prejudiced either, one had a Alabama tag & the other was from Kentucky.... both were inconsiderate peckerheads in my opinion.
I think the BIGGEST PROBLEM with our fisheries is pure GREED, man perfected the art of making MONEY & everybody wants their piece of the pie in some form or fashion & the lakes are taking the beating.
Anyway... just venting, more bad weather here tonight & tomorrow, when & if this weather clears I will be out on the big G taking it all in again