News-Leader Article About Fellows Lake

[motexan]

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20120503/LIFE06/305030055/fellows-lake-new-marina-outdoors?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_check=1

If you haven't seen it, follow this link to read a nice article on the good things that Pam and Paul Price are doing at Fellows Lake.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Many great memories fishing that lake growing up. First time I saw it, was like the first time I saw the ocean. Wonder if they still have that old hand-drawn map of the lake tacked up to the ceiling in the marina. Showed all the crappie beds/brush-piles. Me and Paul Dallas used to catch some slab crappies outta there.

[WakenLake]

Y'all musta caught em all.

[Bill Y.]

Don't be fooled... All those people really want is to make more money. That's their main goal.... Fellows Lake already gets way too much fishing pressure and they want to make it even more popular and bring in more crowds?? That means more fishermen, recreational boats, boat traffic, more pollution and less places to fish... That also means less fish. Fellows used to have a fairly decent crappie and bass population, but as it got more popular and more fishermen kept over harvesting, keeping undersized fish, etc. the population got worse and worse. The MDC does not stock crappie, bass or walleye, they rely solely on

reproduction... Fellows Lake used to have smallmouth bass a long time ago, but thanks to these greedy, dim witted fishermen they are all gone. Some of these crappie and bass fishermen don't give a darn about over harvesting or keeping undersized fish, they somehow think the population is unlimited. Then when the fishing starts to get worse they blame other people or muskies, but keep right on doing what they've always done.

I can't even tell you how many times I've been to Fellows and wanted to fish the north arm and there all these crappie boats lined up just sitting there for hours, and then no one else can fish the area... So, you either gotta go around them or just avoid the whole area. I've also been pushed out of an area by rude fishermen... It's even going to be more of a headache if Fellows gets more fishing pressure!! One of the main reasons I go fishing is to get some peace and quite, but it's almost impossible to do any more.

They should get rid of the whole marina if they want to go back to the good old days!!! Why do they even need a marnia at Fellows Lake?? It's not that big of a lake...It's because They want to exploit the lake so they can make MONEY.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I would have to disagree with your assesment Bill. As long as the HP satys at 40 and there is no sking or swimming it will remain about what it is.

[Bill Y.]

...

[usmcgrunt]

Bill, from your previous posts, you make it sound like they're horrible people for wanting to attract more people to Fellows Lake. More people coming to the lake means more money for them; that much is certain. But so what? It takes money to keep the marina in business, and they can't live with no money, so it seems natural for them to do this. If you don't like the marina, you don't have to do any business there. And you keep mentioning crappie fishermen hogging certain spots. Well it's a public lake, so either get there first or deal with it. I've dealt with too many people accusing me of stealing their spots to have any patience for that kind of talk so that's the nicest way I can put it. So you can continue to dislike the fact that they're bringing new people out to Fellows all you want, but I bet they're here to stay.

[Bill Y.]

Perhaps you enjoy fishing crowded lakes with recreational boats (eyesores), polluted shoreline, a marina and other fishermen all over hogging areas like they own the lake, but I don't and it shouldn't have to be like that... Why must Fellows be like all the rest of the reservoirs in Missouri?? There's hardly any lakes where you can get any peace and quite unless you go out of State... I remember many, many years ago when Fellows was a nice little gem with hardly any boat traffic and fishing was great, not uncommon to catch a bass in the 20 inch range and slab crappie. Those days are now long gone thanks to the lake becoming more popular.

I know they're gonna stay, just like Jim and Jan Carter did, I never said that they weren't so don't go putting words in my mouth and I already stated that they're not going to get a penny from me (except a darn boat tag) and hopefully other people won't fall into their money trap. To me, those people are no better than used car salesmen.

I'm going to continue fishing Fellows until it becomes too much to bare, then I'm going to fish out of State, like Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canada where the fishing is awesome.

PS. Last year I had a Kayaker come right up to my boat and ask if I had a lighter so he could lite up his cigarette, only I don't think it was a cigarette.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Bill Y - wow, sounds like you think its just YOUR lake. Fellows is what, 5 minutes from Springfield? What do you expect?

And I don't see the marina owners getting rich any time soon. I see long, long hours, sunburnt and aching backs, and dealing with the general Greene County public on a dawn to dark daily basis, so they better bring some special love for their job each day because I don't think many of us could hack it.

By the way, you gotta a light?

[Bill Y.]

~WOW- I never said that it was just my lake, you're missing the whole point and trying to turn it into something else, and trying to start a fight... You are obviously not reading or understanding my posts.... A small lake like Fellows does not need a marina or all those recreational boats, or crowds of people... And now, they want to make it even more popular??? This is not about whose lake it is. This is about greed and people who want to exploit the lake over and over to make money, while the fishing pressure increases and so does crowds, etc.. I don't care how nice these people are, (used car salesmen are nice too) what they are doing is not helping the fishing and just increasing boat traffic, etc. Fellows is not a big reservoir like Pomme or Stockton. I don't care about them or money, I want a decent, peaceful fishing lake that is not crammed with people, polluted, boat traffic and lousy fishing, etc.

What they should do is get rid of the marina, only allow trolling motors and try to make it into a more natural area, instead of turning the lake into just another crowded, polluted recreational reservoir that is over fished and a circus.

Like I said before, I'm going to fish Fellows for a while longer until the fishing pressure really starts to increase and the fishing gets even worse, then I'm going out of State to fish for bass, crappie, muskie up in the northern states...

PS. I don't even fish for crappie at Fellows anymore because too many people fish for them already and I don't want to add to the demise... Plus, I don't want to be one of those jerks that sits in one area for hours on end while other people are trying to fish there. It' called being rude, selfish and dumb. Fellows is too small of a lake for that kind of behavior.