COE putting in some trees courtesy of JM

[Bill Babler]

Personally I’m not a fan. In the early 2000’s we donated over 100 stump piles to the project. JM as was told to me by the lake biologist at the time wrote off 100’s of thousands of tax dollars for his participation and equipment use and labor by BP employees. 

Most of those areas in the point 9 to Long Creek we’re fantastic SM flats. The structure totally ruined them as they filled mostly with flatheads.  To this day there are locations that are not as good as they were prior to the piles.

It has however enhanced other non-traditional areas as the fished moved into them  

The structure made it almost impossible to fish theses locations with techniques of the time.  You were just almost always hung up  

It turned SM flats into junk fields, I believe in an effort to get crappie into traditional bass locations as the cover was not needed for our roving bass populations.  

With current FFS these trash locations will be more accessible to anglers, we’ll see if they inhibit catches like last time or provide angling opportunities  

I hope for the best but am highly skeptical.  

 

 

[fshndoug]

Interesting comment on added structure piles Bill. I could see that they would draw flatheads

[Browning Guy]

On 12/11/2022 at 4:32 AM, Quillback said:

Didn't know those cinder blocks broke down over time.  

May have been a bad batch......not sure. They're easy to use, but seeing the pile of mush laying there changed my approach.

[Champ188]

23 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

JM as was told to me by the lake biologist at the time wrote off 100’s of thousands of tax dollars for his participation and equipment use and labor by BP employees. 

Once again, Ol' Moneybags had an ulterior motive for doing something for which he was credited as being a conservationist of angelic proportion. 

[Bullshoalscat]

So, what your saying is YOU would not want JM to donate 100's of thousands of dollars to conservation projects just pocket the money and pay taxes on  it, DUMBEST thing I've ever heard. So you don't think Gates, Buffet and the likes don't use those same tax breaks for the charities of their choice? Champ 188, JM could through a Gold Brick at you and you'd B&^%$ !

[Ketchup]

4 hours ago, Bullshoalscat said:

So, what your saying is YOU would not want JM to donate 100's of thousands of dollars to conservation projects just pocket the money and pay taxes on  it, DUMBEST thing I've ever heard. So you don't think Gates, Buffet and the likes don't use those same tax breaks for the charities of their choice? Champ 188, JM could through a Gold Brick at you and you'd B&^%$ !

You just gotta give a few guys on this site a wink, maybe a quick thought, and move on. For them there should be no easy way for those more blessed with a fatter wallet. 

[UncleB]

Agree with both of you fellas.  Some folks would complain in hung with a new rope

[Champ188]

12 hours ago, Ketchup said:

You just gotta give a few guys on this site a wink, maybe a quick thought, and move on. For them there should be no easy way for those more blessed with a fatter wallet. 

That's the beauty of an internet forum and freedom of speech --- take what you can use and leave the rest. You guys can defend JM all you want ... you are just as entitled to your opinions as I am to mine. Or you can take the low road with Bullshoalscat and say things like others' opinions are "the DUMBEST thing I've ever heard."

At the end of the day, none of us are likely to change the opinions of others. It's the nature of the beast we call the internet. And it's generally more a good thing than a bad one. 

[Ketchup]

3 hours ago, Champ188 said:

That's the beauty of an internet forum and freedom of speech --- take what you can use and leave the rest. You guys can defend JM all you want ... you are just as entitled to your opinions as I am to mine. Or you can take the low road with Bullshoalscat and say things like others' opinions are "the DUMBEST thing I've ever heard."

At the end of the day, none of us are likely to change the opinions of others. It's the nature of the beast we call the internet. And it's generally more a good thing than a bad one. 

But, it is not about supporting JM as much as it is supporting the business that he owns. With owning that business, he has done more for TR lake and the area than you, me, and 90% of those that live in the region have done collectively. Does his business deserve tax breaks? I would say so. Are those tax breaks equal or greater than the amount that he dumps into our region? I highly doubt it. The lake would not be better off without his money, we can all agree to that. Just think for a few minutes what the lake, fishery, and tourism would be like without. The lake would still get pounded with tournaments, pounded with big wake boats, pounded with rec. fishermen. Without his tax breaks, and money going back in to the area, this lake would be 1/2 of what it currently is. 

[MOPanfisher]

Of course they get a tax write off for contributions.  So does every business that make charitable contributions.  How many businesses would drop their contributions with that tax write off?  Even individuals can get a write off for contributions.  I have no problem with that, could we still sit in the same boat or around the same campfire and disagree I would certainly hope so.