Fishing Report

[Chunk n' Grind]

I'm originally from the Southern California, East San Diego County area. For many years us fishermen had most all the So Cal lakes to ourselves. Then they opened the door to both water and jet skiers. Fortunately that all happened the same year I moved to Colorado. Most of my friends who still live there tell me you have to get off the water by 9:00 or 10:00 in the morning on weekends. So most of them try to fish on the weekdays if possible. It took a few nasty incidents and a couple of deaths for the San Diego City lakes people to finally wise up. Now they limit the skiers to only certain parts of the lakes. Here in Colorado we have a few lakes that are pretty much ruined on summer weekends by the crazies out there. As the population here grows so do the problems. Maybe if enough fishing tackle manufacturers and fishermen banded together they could pursuade the powers that be at TRL to create bouyed skiing, speed boat and PWC lanes in the center of the lake like they did in SD. Just a thought.

[rps]

I've said it before, but I will repeat.

When it comes to the bad manners crowd - 28' cruisers running at near plane to make a wake for the grandchildren on jet skis, water skiers that think it is cool to spray boats they pass, people who park on the ramp, tournament boaters who fly blind on GPS in the fog, and others - we have only one solution. We need to spray where they breed.

[skeeter]

Doesn't someone have to give a regada permit or something to have a tournament? Could these folks have a rule like this without passing amother law?

I wonder why folks can't just go ahead and do the right thing.

Techo,

Certainly agree with you about not having to pass another law.

However, it's obvious that since an association the size of FLW doesn't provide a boat that there is no choice.

Folks don't, and most won't "do the right thing" especially when the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR is involved as it has to come out of someone's pocket or someone's budget reducing their profit and THAT is what it is all about !!!

You may have read mine and another member's postings and outrage about "bed-jerkers" and what that is doing to the future of our sport.. You think these big tournament organizations care about that I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.

[Whack'emGood]

OK. I will put my 2 cents in... All Jet Skiers and people with "ride around and do nothing but make waves" boats (what a thrill-- let's go out and ride around like idiots...) should be shot on sight. Seriously though-- I don't have a problem with people being out on the lake (although I don't get it) doing things other than fishing... But they need to treat fisherman and everyone else around them with respect. The problem with these half-wits is that 90% of them have no respect for anybody or anything. S&M... you have more patience than I do. I probably would have ran that guy down the first time he went between me and the bank. The Water Patrol should have given that guy a huge ticket... You shouldn't have had to explain yourself. These people need to learn some manners.

[97procraft]

Getting back to the release boat posts, who is going to pay for this? I fish a small club that the entry fee is only $50/boat. We would not be able to afford a release boat. Due to gas prices we have not hit 30 boats yet this year, but we have had over 40 boats in a tournament in the past.

I am going to fish a company tournament this weekend where the entry fee is $25 (just guys throwing in money). There are over 600 people that work for this company, so the possibility of 30 boats is there. We would not be able to afford a release boat.

I hope that you are not targeting the tournaments that I fish and are targeting the larger tournaments, but don't forget about us little guys when contacting your congressmen.

[Bill P]

I try to avoid being on the water with those I call 'idiots'. I have,in the past,followed a few and 'introduced' myself. We know they have no brains,and I haven't met one with any balls,either.

Is there a stupidity test you need to take before getting on a jet ski,or behind the wheel of a ski-boat?

[focused fishing]

Procraft,

IF, we are able to get something done it would need to target the larger tournaments like BFL, BASS W/E and others not using release boats. Most of our Pro-Ams and regional circuits already use release boats but the concern is when a tournament comes to town with the potential for 50+ limits and does nothing to care or the fishery. Club and company tournaments would be exempt if they don't break that 50+ limit market, if they do they should be treated as any other tournament. If you think about it at 50 limits you are talking about handling and care of 100 fish and dropping them into the lake or down a tube is unacceptable. I don't have the answers but I know that the way fish are being handled by BFL and others will not work. I can only imaginge the delayed mortality from these events, especially in the summer months, is stagering.

EP

[Whack'emGood]

If there was a stupidity test, they would all get an A+.

[denjac]

I dont know the answer to all these questions, but I do believe if we regulate too much that some left wing nuts will jump on the band wagon. Yes there ae groups that would love to ban fishing alltogether. I would hate to impose more regulations that would add fuel to their fires. Just have to be careful what we ask for, it might come back and bite us in the butt.

[97procraft]

Eric, thanks for explaining yourself a little more to me. Instead of asking the water patrol or DNR to take care of it, maybe you should start putting pressure on BFL and BASS to take care if it themselves. Maybe you could ask the members of the chamber of commerce of Kimberling City to send BFL/BASS a letter telling them to get a release boat or get out. That way BFL/BASS would get the hint that the people of the area do not like the way they are conducting their tournaments.