People Are Going To Get Hurt On Tablerock........

[Chris King]

Spot on. You want to have cringeworthy moments, just fish on either side of Point 7 for a while and watch folks show zero respect for all that wood. Same happens way back in Schooner and Whites. Told my kids this week that I did not really mind the ski/pleasure folks, but would hate to see anyone break a back or get impaled by a big cedar top.

I wonder if they ever look over the side at point 7 and see those tree tops they're running through? That would pucker them up (maybe). It's just a matter of time, unfortunately. I was out quite a bit the week after Memorial Day, rained every day and never saw a wake boat! Pray for rain!

[REDSOXWSCHAMP]

Jason, it might be as simple as the fact that it's a lot less hassle for the water patrol to write a nitpicky ticket to a mostly law-abiding fisherman than have to deal with a boatload of drunken partyheads. Just a thought.

I think your right on the money there champ!

[WettinLine]

I keep hearing this term "Money Talks" and I totally agree but does anyone get down to Cape Fair very often? I've never seen a WakeBoat fill up at the only gas station in Cape Fair. Oh and the hotel and spending money you guys keep talking about, there is only two hotels, and I've never seen a WakeBoat parked at either. My question is what money are they bring to the area?

[REDSOXWSCHAMP]

I haven't seen very many wake boats around cape fair, but i have seen a few, not at the gas pump but i have seen them around virgin bluff and the marina

[Wayne SW/MO]

Enforcement is the job of the state and the Coast guard. As a rule the CG doesn't do driving infractions. The real solution is probably, I hate to say it but, taxing businesses that derive most of their income from the lake and paying the cost of patrolman, boats, maintenance and fuel. One unit can't be cheap, but passing the cost down to users is probably the only realistic way to go. Another way would be for resorts, home owner associations, and docks to sponsor a unit for a specific area. They would obviously have to make long term guarantees.

[Feathers and Fins]

I really do not think they generate near the money to the community the fishermen do. Most of the Wakers and others I see have tags from MO, AR, KS and OK. I would bet they fill up before coming to Beaver or Tablerock. I see many of them on the road at night heading away from the lakes and seldom do I see them staying at local motels/hotels at least around beaver lake. The ones who do stay for the weekend I see staying more in the campgrounds and they bring their supplies with them from home. I would also wager they fill back up when they get home or at some random gas station on the way home when they need to fill the truck pulling the boat.

Now on the flip side when a tournament of any size is in town I see the motels and hotels filled up and more vehicles at night with out of state tags or fishing bumper/widow decals at the local restaurants. Gas stations are full of them in the early morning and again after the tourney.

I would argue that Fishermen actually bring in far more revenue to the local economy than the seasonal pleasure boaters because when the season is over the fishermen are still here year round. If I would take a guess I would say I spend at minimum 3500.00 bucks a year at Beaver lake and I would bet most fishermen are close to that or exceed it on the area lakes year round. The “pleasure season is really from June to the end of September so 16 weeks even if they dropped 400.00 each every weekend they still would only spend 2400.00 in lake time spending. Now if I tacked on tackle (which I wont because my wife might see this ) I would probably be much higher in my cost.

Now I have seen a better presence on Beaver this year as far as patrol goes but it needs to be much more and not just near marinas and the 12 bridge. I also believe No Ski / No wake Boarding and No tubing in the narrow areas of creek arms would go a long way to safety. Those of you who have seen them low know its only a matter of time before someone gets impaled.

[WettinLine]

Finally someone who makes sense! I should know, I was that guy 15 years ago.

[Feathers and Fins]

Something even more telling is that the US Census Bureau estimates Arkansas population at nearly 3,000,000 people of those numbers from the latest data I could find 730,000 residents hunt or fish roughly 24% of the population. Of that number 430,000 were fishermen making up 14.5% of the population. The survey was from http://voices.yahoo.com/economic-impact-fishing-hunting-arkansas-2857428.html in 2006 and stated “Those sportsmen who are both hunters and anglers are only counted once for total participation.” For a total of 551,000 resident sportsmen. Now if I understand the article correctly that mean in Arkansas there are a total 1,281,000 total hunters and fishermen combined. That if im reading it correctly is 44% of the states population hunting and fishing or both!

If we use those numbers and just base it off Northwest Arkansas population recently reported at 500,000 people then 72,500 people fish. I also looked at numerous articles to try and figure out what the average number of days for an angler is per year and it looks like 15 days a year, averaging the cost spent articles it came to 57.00 a day. If those numbers are remotely close to accurate then fishermen in NWA would be contributing roughly 62 million dollars to the economy of the estimated 545 million Arkansas generates.

It hypothetical as there is no statistics I could find specifically for Beaver Lakes income generation but as the largest attraction for NWA for fishing I could easily guess it to be generating at least 50% and probably more of that 62million. I could not find what pleasure boating revenue was but knowing the season is really only 4 months a year 16 weeks total I would be willing to give them a ¼ of that 62 million in generation or 16 million. I just don’t see how Water Pleasure Sports generate near what fishermen do.

We all use the water it just seems some respect it more but then again as sportsmen we understand conservation and respect I feel more than most do. I feel sportsmen have that with them at all times on the water or in the fields especially those who grew up in a sporting family. I see these pleasure sports participants as ones who may well be respected at work and may well be good people until they get out on the lakes and feel they are the place to unleash the animal in the name of relaxation and some of it is they take their ego’s of the “BOSS” on the water with them. Those people I believe will only get respect for others when the sign their name to the citation.

Now there are definitely some fishermen as a recent thread showed who loose respect for others as well but I believe the tournament directors could quickly get that in control and remind them of boating laws and respecting other anglers or face disqualifications.

Ok back to yard work before I get in trouble lol.

[GNSfishing]

I keep hearing this term "Money Talks" and I totally agree but does anyone get down to Cape Fair very often? I've never seen a WakeBoat fill up at the only gas station in Cape Fair. Oh and the hotel and spending money you guys keep talking about, there is only two hotels, and I've never seen a WakeBoat parked at either. My question is what money are they bring to the area?

I live here in Cape Fair and fish here and believe me they are here. Have you looked at what is parked in the marina stalls?? On the weekends try to fish Piney Creek after 10 or 11 o'clock you'll see them. Just the other evening (Monday) there was a wake boat just before the mouth of Wooly Creek which was running with a guy on a surf board riding the swells behind the wake boat and I had to slow down to a crawl to get over the giant wake to get around him and thought I was going to stab the wake with my 20 Ft Z8. A small boat would of had real problems. As far as the money, how do you think the marina has got as big as it is now days and most of the stalls are filled....... and look at the boats, house boats and large cruisers parked there.... The old marina docks were broken down wooden docks and now they are the newest ones around....

[GNSfishing]

There's no shortage of them on LO it seems, until you want/need one. LOL

I'd like to have one observe (for a day) this seaplane that takes off and lands 70+ times per week out of Coconut's. Not sure how this guy aquired his immunity but if that sucker doesn't crash this season I'll be amazed.

For as much airtime as that craft is getting there is no way that it is getting the maintainance it needs.

That must be why we are seeing more of the big boats, cruisers (belongs on the gulf) here at Table Rock. We have very little water patrol presents on the lake......