Crowded Lake On Labor Day?

[Smallmouth Hunter]

I am thinking about going to the lake tomorrow for some bassin, but i am afraid it will be unbelievably crowded like memorial day and 4th of july. Are lakes usually crowded on labor day?

[The Guy]

Around here they are it's one of the big 3 boating days, but not too bad first thing in the morning

 

[Smallmouth Hunter]

Would it be a good idea to go to some smaller reservoir? I would think that less people would go to one..

[ChrisAW]

I didn't even bother hooking up the boat. I tried to go last weekend, and just because it was warm, the launch was backed up about an hour wait.

 

I may have launched pretty quickly if I went early, but I just don't want to deal with all the morons around here that have ZERO dock etiquette. They don't know how to read the signs that say "Have your boat ready to launch before pulling forward." And decide not to undo the straps and everything until they are backing up to the water. They don't know how to launch a boat, so it takes them 20 minutes to get it on or off the trailer. Just tie their boat to the dock while they wait for their truck to pull around, while the idiot in the truck waits at the back of the line instead of just coming to get their boat out.

 

Not only that, but last time I went fishing on the weekend, I watched a kid walking away from my boat on my way up to the ramp to pull out. When I looked in it, nothing was missing, but he had undone one of my rod straps. I told the park ranger on my way out, but not much else could be done without actually taking anything.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

I didn't even bother hooking up the boat. I tried to go last weekend, and just because it was warm, the launch was backed up about an hour wait.

 

I may have launched pretty quickly if I went early, but I just don't want to deal with all the morons around here that have ZERO dock etiquette. They don't know how to read the signs that say "Have your boat ready to launch before pulling forward." And decide not to undo the straps and everything until they are backing up to the water. They don't know how to launch a boat, so it takes them 20 minutes to get it on or off the trailer. Just tie their boat to the dock while they wait for their truck to pull around, while the idiot in the truck waits at the back of the line instead of just coming to get their boat out.

 

Not only that, but last time I went fishing on the weekend, I watched a kid walking away from my boat on my way up to the ramp to pull out. When I looked in it, nothing was missing, but he had undone one of my rod straps. I told the park ranger on my way out, but not much else could be done without actually taking anything.

I know how you feel. It took me an hour for us to get the boat out cause several idiots didn't know how to get the boat off their trailer. It was pretty funny to watch. A guy and his family had this big probably 25+ foot long, 15+ foot tall cruiser type boat and forgot to undo the strap holding the bow of the boat to the trailer so when he put the backed the boat in and tried to put it in reverse he was just pulling on his car. His car started to rock back when he put it in a higher gear reverse his family on the dock next to the boat was yelling at him to stop. It was funny. It took him an additional minute to find what was holding the boat on.

[Sam]

If you pack a picnic lunch, some favorite drinks, a lawn chair and an umbrella you can sit back and enjoy the sights at your favorite launch ramp.

 

Free entertainment.

 

And it is a comedy show.

[bigbill]

I stay away from fishing from shore at the bigger lakes on weekends and holidays. The wakes from the boats with the skiers can be tough with little shore flat spots to fish from below the land dropoffs that run down to the shore behind us. We're kind of trapped there. I fish later so family members can go.

At 5am of course no one is around. But leave by 8:30am.

[Cgrinder]

I went out last night. Big, popular public park. Shore wasn't too crowded but there was good comedy to be had out on the lake. Four adults in a ten-ish foot john boat with just a trolling motor was a show. The show got better when they went into the lily pads. Of course, you couldn't pay me to go out there tonight. 

[Smallmouth Hunter]

I ended up going. It wasn't very crowded at all. We ended up catching 4-5 bass and it was tough, slow finesse fishing. The major downfall of the trip was the darn motor wouldn't start and we were 2 miles from the launch so we had to use the trolling motor a half mile, then we were fortunate enough to run into a generous man who towed us back.

 

By the way, if anyone could help figure out whats wrong w/ motor that would be great. It is a two stroke 70 horsepower old johnson motor from around the late 80's. When i turn the key (with choke & w/out choke as well) it does not start. Some days we can get it to start after 6 tries. We have to turn the key and hold it for 5-10 seconds at a time, and that takes a few tries... We are thinking it is a spark plug.

[Montanaro]

I went to a small local lake this morning.  3 guys camped the night fishing for catfish (and left a lot of line in the water) that were still sleeping when I got there.  A few others showed up around 8 or 9.  One guy with a canoe who I noticed was positioning it in the best cover and fishing outwards to structureless water.  He thought about going into the cove I was bank fishing until I winged my frog about 70 yards to the opposite bank.

[rangerboy]

took a buddy out this weekend, first one out no problem. but took an hour and a half to get out. 6 fish including a 4lb smallie on a rc freak in 18ft of water. I think it is every weekend skiers dream to take 45 minutes to launch their boat then tie it to the only two docks at the ramp only to forget some thing back in the car.  im with sam. next holiday weekend im bringing the cooler and chairs

[jignfule]

I have a hard time going on weekend let along a holiday. I stay clear of the public.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

While we were using the trolling motor to try to get back to the launch (before we got towed there), a couple of jerks showed that they have no compassion and want to watch the world burn. There was this one guy in a huge ski boat going probably 30 mph and he did his best to go as close to our boat as possible just to hit us with a huge wake. We watched him turn to get closer to us. What a jerk and a bad example for his kids! I also found it ironic that he said "hey" to us and waved as he passed. Right when he said that i turned to my dad and we were just looking at eachother like "is this guy serious"...

 

Our boat is pretty small at 15ft, and its old too.. A big wake like that could capsize us! It almost happened another time out..

[Bankbeater]

I heard that some of the public lakes around me were packed with people yesterday.  I fished a local sub division lake that was pretty well cleared out by noon.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

If in going to on the lake its night with a kayack.... no boat and don't have to worry about people. Any time!