My spots get pounded by casuals, but they often fizzle out quickly and leave. These fish are lure resistant after seeing their billionth lizard and 2 billionth senko. More than that the poaching pressure coming out from NYC by our "friends" from the east is relentless and merciless, so that's the real story in 25-40 acre mill ponds. They've made it tough to catch numbers for those who have a head for bass fishing, and nearly impossible for anyone else lacking that level of commitment or creativity.
My wading clique cuts the poacher's live lines tied to tree branches whenever we see them at night, but we can't be there 24/7. They're persistent, sneaky, and have zero regard for our county's C&R policy, or anyone or anything else. The restaurants in the city who buy the fish must pay them well. Last year some casting-net DB showed up and wiped out a shoreline of bedding gills and left huge piles of milfoil on the shoreline to rot, fester, and create a slip-down-the-slope hazard.
The silver lining is that my favorite spots have a few deeper offshore holes that nobody can reach, so there's sanctuary. Also, most of the shoreline doesn't suit shore-casters, and most people aren't wise to wading, or unwilling to do it. So, I wade into otherwise inaccessible areas that are loaded with growth, then grind it out. Like anyplace else, figuring out when to be there is key. The gene pool here is solid for size, so if one has learned to read these places, is patient, and is willing work, they're there. I'll never have a "Katie Day" numbers-wise locally, but I'll hook a freight train every now and then, so that anticipation drives me. At the very least, I'm never bored playing the game here because these places force me to think moment by moment. I don't get frustrated easily, so I'm built for this.
