Has anyone noticed the fishing crowds?

[PressuredFishing]

Maybe it's just me, but it seems the last two years the lakes have had 2 times more people on them than before. It's getting to the point where I can't enjoy my local small lakes because there is a person on the bank every 30 feet and half the places with structure are taken. Then when it comes to boat fishing and your flipping and pitching they give you an evil eye. I hate to say it but I think I'm going to have to either stop fishing my favorite small lakes or go early in the morning on week days. I am not against new fisherman entering the sport by the way, It's just getting really ridiculous here in Socal when you can't even toss a lure out without walking a 1/4 of a mile for an opening, especially when trout fishing kicks on, then it's even more of a zoo. Who knows, maybe I'll just take up saltwater fishing, nobody can bug me when I'm on a surfboard

[jimmyjoe]

   Anything you can think of in the last two years that would make it happen this way? Anything come to mind? Anything in particular?   ? ?                 jj

[PressuredFishing]

3 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

   Anything you can think of in the last two years that would make it happen this way? Anything come to mind? Anything in particular?   ? ?                 jj

Perhaps, didn't want to mention that spesific thing, they (the staff) usually don't like us talking about "that thing" perhaps you are right and "that thing" has caused fishing pressure.

[jimmyjoe]

7 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

Perhaps, didn't want to mention that spesific thing, they (the staff) usually don't like us talking about "that thing" perhaps you are right and "that thing" has caused fishing pressure.

 

   Perhaps you are correct.               jj

[WRB]

If anything in SoCal there are fewer anglers. You should have been on the lakes in the 90’s during the $1,000,000 World Record Bass prize time period. People camped out on the road to the lakes waiting for the gate to open. When the parking lot was full you had to wait until someone left the lake allowing another vehicle in.

Tournaments average over 150 boats on 2 mile long lakes plus weekend boaters.

Tom

[PressuredFishing]

14 minutes ago, WRB said:

If anything in SoCal there are fewer anglers. You should have been on the lakes in the 90’s during the $1,000,000 World Record Bass prize time period. People camped out on the road to the lakes waiting for the gate to open. When the parking lot was full you had to wait until someone left the lake allowing another vehicle in.

Tournaments average over 150 boats on 2 mile long lakes plus weekend boaters.

Tom

Wow, didn't know about all of this, interesting information as always Tom

[throttleplate]

 Food inflation has gone hyper, people are digging their old rods out of the garage rafters to feed their families.

[Glenn]

56 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

Perhaps, didn't want to mention that spesific thing, they (the staff) usually don't like us talking about "that thing" perhaps you are right and "that thing" has caused fishing pressure.

 

You mean Covid?  Yes, you can talk about it - but I draw the line when it gets political, or people start alluding to conspiracy theories, or spreading disinformation, or....you know, all that social media gossip garbage we all come here to avoid.

 

But yes, Covid has had a major impact on everything that has anything to do with enjoying the outdoors.  From hunting and fishing, to recreational boating, camping, RV'ing, hiking, biking, and more.  Everything that has anything to do with getting outside has become immensely popular.

 

I personally saw a definite decrease this year from the  previous year. Too early to tell if it's a trend, but I saw it as a gradual return to normal.

[DitchPanda]

Was gonna say what @Glenn just said..last year was pretty busy but this year it went back to normal around here.

[PressuredFishing]

47 minutes ago, Glenn said:

 

You mean Covid?  Yes, you can talk about it - but I draw the line when it gets political, or people start alluding to conspiracy theories, or spreading disinformation, or....you know, all that social media gossip garbage we all come here to avoid.

 

But yes, Covid has had a major impact on everything that has anything to do with enjoying the outdoors.  From hunting and fishing, to recreational boating, camping, RV'ing, hiking, biking, and more.  Everything that has anything to do with getting outside has become immensely popular.

 

I personally saw a definite decrease this year from the  previous year. Too early to tell if it's a trend, but I saw it as a gradual return to normal.

Ah okay I understand the rules now, makes sense 

[ironbjorn]

This should no longer be a Covid thing, and I haven't seen it since that first summer with Covid. Back then we had the lockdowns and everybody was at home and out of work. By no later than fall things started to open back up and people started going back to work. I didn't notice it one bit this season. I was alone more often than not around here.

[Smalliefan2]

The outdoors was one thing that did not shut down during covid. Our local ramps looked like weekend tourney's during the week. License sales jumped, and marine sales went through the roof. My Ranger dealer told me, 11/12, Mercury has a 62 week backlog for motors not going to the manufacturers.

It is crowded, but the loss of anglers has reversed, and a health industry and participation benefits all of us in the long run.

[TcRoc]

I definitely saw a decease this season compared to last.. unfortunately Including me since August. 

[rtwvumtneer6]

Typically see an increase in mid October in our lakes that have a fall trout stock.  That only lasts a few days before they begin to disappear into the woods.

[BoatSquirrel]

Lets all thank good ole Boyd for working hard to Grow The Sport!  
I think the fish saw so much pressure last year that they are noticeably more difficult to catch in 2021.  

[Bankbeater]

Around here it was about back to normal.  Craziest thing I saw this year was on July 4th when I was one of 3 boats on the water at sunup.  By 10 AM I was the only one on the water.

[Hammer 4]

Here in L.A., the city park lakes/ponds are getting to the point where it's no longer any fun to fish. I've had grown men cast over my line, some will stop within 20 feet of me and start casting. One park lake in particular has let the toolies grow out of control so that the east side of the lake is no longer fishable. 

 

Makes it hard to get motivated just to go fishing.

[Bird]

Less fishing pressure around here compared to last year by quite a margin but the effects from last year may live on for quite some time.

Our smaller lakes have been much less productive due to dwindling fish numbers.

 

[GRiver]

I live on St John’s River, there was definitely a huge increase of boats on the water last year. I guessing around 75% were pleasure boaters versus people fishing. 
I took it as a good sign, families outside having fun. Kids laughing while getting drug around by a pontoon boat on a tube. Boat doing maybe 20 mph but, to those kids they feel like they doing 100 mph. 
Now it was a little aggravating coming around a point and seeing one or two boats fishing one of your favorite spots. But  with that said, it did make me venture out and explore different areas to fish, broke my PB twice this year…..on the same day even. 
Yep the extra boat traffic can get aggravating and even dangerous, seen a lot of near misses.
I am glad to see people getting outside and spending family time together.

[islandbass]

2 hours ago, Hammer 4 said:

Here in L.A., the city park lakes/ponds are getting to the point where it's no longer any fun to fish. I've had grown men cast over my line, some will stop within 20 feet of me and start casting. One park lake in particular has let the toolies grow out of control so that the east side of the lake is no longer fishable. 

 

Makes it hard to get motivated just to go fishing.

20’ too close? Ha, that’s too funny and must definitely be relative. We have something called “combat” fishing in WA state and it is usually on a dock or in a river, but really any body of water. This combat fishing involves being shoulder to shoulder with other anglers. On docks, everyone casts directly straight out to avoid line crossing. If you cross people you might have your line cut.  On a river, people cast up river in order to drift with the current AND not get tangled up. It is somewhat akin to when people do the wave at a stadium game. 
 

So 20’? That’s a generous spacing. When I first heard of the concept of territoriality in a sociology class, I thought it was a ridiculous and stupid, baseless concept. Boy was I wrong, lol. All of us have a sense of this whether we realize it or not. 

[T-Billy]

It slowed down in my parts vs 2020, but still busier than pre covid.

[LrgmouthShad]

Ain’t nobody gonna bother me on my little pond today

[Catt]

Let's take Covid out of the equation & see what might be the problem.

 

For the last 15-20 yrs everyone from tackle manufacturers to Professional anglers to the very reason Bassresource is here. There has been a huge push to get more people interested in fishing.

 

Suddenly we're shocked to see more people interested in fishing!

 

 

[Captain Phil]

Our living room window overlooks Lake Eustis, one of the Harris Chain lakes.  The City boat ramp is a block away.  Twenty years ago, it was rare to see a boat on the lake during the week.  Many times, I was the only person at the ramp.  Last winter, people were parking all down the street at the ramps because the ramp parking lot was full.  I wanted to buy a new boat, so I went to Bass Pro Shop in Orlando.  They had one bass boat on the floor that they wouldn't sell me. I was told there was a three month wait for a new boat and that they couldn't guarantee I would get it in that time.  Bass Pro's bait shelves were empty as well.

 

Right now, things have backed off a bit.  Fall is the slow time for us.  We will see what happens after Christmas.  With all this fishing pressure, I have started to fish places where I have never fished before.  When things get crazy like this, I fish our smaller lakes.   Luckily, here in Central Florida we have many choices.  If all I had was one small lake to fish, I would find something else to occupy my time. 

[The Bassman]

U-Tube has created a lot of youth tournament wannabes. Kind of funny to watch some kid walk a featureless pond bank and trying to flip or pitch with his Dick's combo. But it's certainly better than being parked in front of a phone screen all day.