Daddy Carp Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 I hear what your saying J.E. and if your club were to hold a tournament on Pomme, we probably would not even know one was going on unless we were told. Problem comes forth when 6 or 10 other clubs come, from all over the state or mid-west, to converge on the lake at the same time in order to "exercise their rights" at the same time. I blame the promoters & Agency who issues the permits much more than the club fishermen. If you go out to play golf at your local course, that you help to support and maintain, and find 3-6 Canadian geese on the fairways, you'll not mind too much & think they are just playing & eating......fun to watch and a natural happening. Now, when the rest of the flocks come in from all over the county to converge & eat & crap & do the natural thing "excercising their rights", on your maintained & supported golf course, every weekend......then your attitude changes. Hope you can see the problem and my point. There is plenty of water to be shared & enjoyed by all fishermen. The problems arise when an "organized convergence" causing over-crowding & over fishing of an area, by out of the area groups-in-mass. This also makes bad times for tourists & vacationers on those lakes. Why the tournaments don't stick to the larger lakes more & keep the preasure off the small ones is beyond me! Again, I like to see people enjoy fishing and the use of the waters. I don't like to see the convergence of the mutlitudes on the same area; or, fishing promoted as; "a ruthless competition" played on public facilities. If this is how some want the sport, then they should build their own private facilities, as do the other Pro Sports build stadiums and gyms. Have a good one, and may you always catch a bigger fish than your biggest! D.C.
J.E. Posted October 2, 2007 Posted October 2, 2007 Okay, let's discuss. Geese do not belong on a golf course. Fishermen, all fishermen do belong on the water. I for one as a tournament/fun fisherman have witnessed both good and bad behavior. An example is last Friday I was at Pomme fishing a bluff point when a pontoon boat came flying past me on plane and then stopped right in front of me not two/three boats away. I have never had a tournament fisherman do that to me. I guess you could call that "crap & do the natural thing". "Now, when the rest of the flocks come in from all over the county to converge & eat & crap & do the natural thing "excercising their rights", on your maintained & supported golf course, every weekend......then your attitude changes." Who maintains and supports the waterways we have in Missouri? Fisherman, all fishermen. The old fight between tournament fishermen and fun fishermen is an old battle that will probably never end. Mostly due to the reasoning of some that it's "their water" or "their spot" when in fact it's all of ours. We all have a choice to be a good neighbor or not. To be cosiderate on the water or not. I've been on Pomme when there were so many ski boats, pontoon boats, and pleasure boaters that it was so rough I took a beating in my 20' bass boat, so it's not tournament fishermen only, it's just boaters. I've also been on Pomme when there were three good sized tournaments going on. Where there a lot of boats on the water? Yes. Where there boats on every spot? Just about. Did it do any good to complain? No, so I just went fishing. When people try to take possession of public property and tell others how to use it when they are acting within the laws and regulations, there will always be conflict. So how about it, let's go fishing. Be there tomorrow.
Daddy Carp Posted October 3, 2007 Author Posted October 3, 2007 Well J.E., I think we are getting closer to agreeing on the lake usage. I do believe the golf courses belonged to the birds and animals far longer than to you and I(unless it's an indoor course). Just because it was mowed, seeded, and reshaped, it was still their's.......we are the borrowers and maintainers. You are so right about the waverunners, skiboats & other inconsiderately operated craft. Some is "not knowing" most is "demanding their right to go wherever they want on public water" I agree I have had a very friendly & courtious time with the tournament fishermen. The problem, again, is a lack of regulating the number of organized activitieson the lakes at the same time. Even though it is public domain, would you like to have your tournaments for the next 5 years scheduled at the same time there are 4 or 5 boat races & regattas scheduled in the same area? Even though both have equal rights, it has to be regulated or it will not work for either party. Again, it is not the individual fishermen creating the problem but it will be up to us (you & me) to insist on a workable solution that will benifit all.
J.E. Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 DC, The Corp of Engineers has a web page where they post the regatta permits on all of their lakes. They do limit, as I understand, the number of boats based on ramp facilities however I do not know if they take into consideration the size of the lake in ratio to the number of boats in a tournament. That may be very difficult to do as they would have no idea of how many non-tournament boats may be on the water. The Corp would not permit a tournament during a race, and have in fact closed portions of lakes i.e. Lake of the Ozarks and Taneycomo, during races. The issue is boat traffic and tournaments contribute however I would bet on a weekend you'll find as many pleasure boaters or non-tournament fishermen on the water at the same time. Offer still stands! Let's go fishing!!
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