We don't want MORE FISHERMAN

[BassNJake]

On 12/14/2021 at 7:38 PM, toni63 said:

I'm not selfish, I am happy for everyone to pursue whatever activities they enjoy. But I just don't think that fishing or the places where we go to enjoy it in any way are dependent on, or improved on, by having ever more people there doing it.

My kids used to play this game called never have I ever

 

Never have I ever seen a paved parking lot, a concrete boat ramp or park facilities before

Never have I ever seen structure laid out in a lake by the dept of Natural resources

Never have I ever been to a kid's day

Never have I ever saw someone benefit from handicap access at the lake

 

It would seem like for any of these things to happen it would be dependant on the number of people that fish there.

 

 

[Darth-Baiter]

I did a quick thread scan.  Awesome inputs. 
 

only a few mentions of funding.  Pittman Robertson act (sales tax stuff)  and state level funding from the license fees;  the money makes things happen.  If the hunting and fishing fees dried up… we would lose. 
 

I see lots of fishing pressure. Just forces me to try harder.  I play the cards I am given and I’m having do much d**n fun. 

[Columbia Craw]

I don’t want anymore drivers, tennis players, dog walkers, bowlers, mountain bikers, sports fans or anything else that takes away from my time, personal convenience, need to wait or take turns or share a resource with anyone else.  Well maybe not bowling.

[WRB]

4 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I did a quick thread scan.  Awesome inputs. 
 

only a few mentions of funding.  Pittman Robertson act (sales tax stuff)  and state level funding from the license fees;  the money makes things happen.  If the hunting and fishing fees dried up… we would lose. 
 

I see lots of fishing pressure. Just forces me to try harder.  I play the cards I am given and I’m having do much d**n fun. 

I believe around 2014 California moved Hunting & Fishing licenses fee’s into the General State Fund, no longer dedicated to fish and game or DFW. 

Tom

[Darth-Baiter]

10 minutes ago, WRB said:

I believe around 2014 California moved Hunting & Fishing licenses fee’s into the General State Fund, no longer dedicated to fish and game or DFW. 

Tom

I looked it up.  first few articles confirm 100% fees still go to wildlife.  I just watched a show about it a few weeks ago.  

[WRB]

Keep in mind California license fees is not Federal money, it’s State money.

Tom 

[Darth-Baiter]

I know this.  The Pittman Robertson stuff is the Feds contribution. 

[thediscochef]

Nonsense. I've had 10 bass mornings at a local 2 acre pond while 8 other guys are also fishing.

It's not about the amount of pressure in my opinion, but the types of pressure. For instance: I've noticed that if everyone around me is using crankbait, I need to go finesse instead etc. If I see large lures, I go small. It works most of the time. Living in D/FW means most public water has pressure, and fishing private water requires money and/or knowing someone. Less people may mean that fish associate lures with danger at a slower rate, but gatekeeping a sport ain't the thing man 

 

Edit: I'm not out here recruiting people for bass fishing by any means, if someone asks for help or a friend wants to go I'm happy to oblige but I see no reason to promote or discourage one thing or another. I will say that less people means less pollution...but unless I'm willing to be one of the less people, I will temper my expectations.

[soflabasser]

Lots of good responses. The more people buy fishing licenses the more money is invested into improving fishing opportunities which is a good thing. Some fishermen can be annoying, such as boaters who get within 100 feet of someone bank fishing, someone who fishes right next to you since they see you catching fish, etc in these instances I prefer to go to another one of my many spots I do well in. Consider it a compliment if people come up to you to see how you are fishing, it means you know something they do not. If they are kind people help them out, if they are not kind be nice to them anyways and go to another spot. Most important thing about fishing is to have fun and relax, catching fish is a bonus, and everything else is less important.

[JustJames]

On 12/13/2021 at 12:39 PM, Cdn Angler said:

I was recently in Southern California. Fishing report after fishing report is people getting skunked, catching one fish a day, barely accomplishing anything on the water, fishing cheek to jowl with others. And these same people want MORE FISHERMAN.  It makes zero sense to me. 

 

As a bass fisherman you should want as few other people on the water as possible, for solitude, catching and overall enjoyment. 

 

May be because you are in the worst location for fishing sport. There are not many lakes and not a lot of fish in the lake but a ton of fisherman. There are quite a number of cultures that fish to eat not for sport in SoCal.  And since not many places for them to fish and worst of all not many fish, these people willing to catch and keep as many as they can doesn’t matter size, limit  law or what kind of fish, to worth their licensing fee and time spent.

[Cdn Angler]

On 12/17/2021 at 12:13 PM, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

May be because you are in the worst location for fishing sport. There are not many lakes and not a lot of fish in the lake but a ton of fisherman. There are quite a number of cultures that fish to eat not for sport in SoCal.  And since not many places for them to fish and worst of all not many fish, these people willing to catch and keep as many as they can doesn’t matter size, limit  law or what kind of fish, to worth their licensing fee and time spent.

 

I'm actually from rural Canada, but was in SoCal on vacation so the contrast is so stark. I can usually find a decent sized lake within an hour or two and I'm the only person on the lake fishing half the time.  What's better than that? Absolutely nothing. So for everyone else fishing somewhere other than SoCal, why would you want to end up like SoCal? You add enough people to the mix and that's the final destination.  As you said, it's the crappiest place to fish. I'd like to keep my local waterways pristine and fishing pressure low. 

 

Even here during Covid there were many waterbodies where you could go in the city previously and catch a 4lb SMB or a 40 inch muskie, with some regularity. They are now effectively dead water as there's literally dozens of people fishing these spots all summer, all the time and the fish are all dead or have been caught multiple times. 

[Yuddzy]

On 12/30/2021 at 12:12 PM, Cdn Angler said:

 

I'm actually from rural Canada, but was in SoCal on vacation so the contrast is so stark. I can usually find a decent sized lake within an hour or two and I'm the only person on the lake fishing half the time.  What's better than that? Absolutely nothing. So for everyone else fishing somewhere other than SoCal, why would you want to end up like SoCal? You add enough people to the mix and that's the final destination.  As you said, it's the crappiest place to fish. I'd like to keep my local waterways pristine and fishing pressure low. 

 

Even here during Covid there were many waterbodies where you could go in the city previously and catch a 4lb SMB or a 40 inch muskie, with some regularity. They are now effectively dead water as there's literally dozens of people fishing these spots all summer, all the time and the fish are all dead or have been caught multiple times. 

This echoes how I feel about it all. I live in Rural Minnesota, and I'm almost positive there's more untouched/low pressure lakes than there are of any other type. I like it that way, it's nice to make a small drive to find a place that's been left to it's own "natural progression," so to speak. There is a lot of these bodies of water, out of the way in low population density areas. 

 

Vermilion isn't fun to fish on because there is way too many people and excessive stocking. It feels more like a game than an interaction with nature because of it. If someone put that musky in there for me to catch, it feels like less of an accomplishment. If it is the result of a natural population sustaining itself, much more interesting for me. 

[gim]

7 minutes ago, Yuddzy said:

Vermilion isn't fun to fish on because there is way too many people and excessive stocking. It feels more like a game than an interaction with nature because of it. If someone put that musky in there for me to catch, it feels like less of an accomplishment. If it is the result of a natural population sustaining itself, much more interesting for me. 

 

Many lakes, even the larger ones in northern MN, have relied on stocking at some point.  Natural reproduction simply isn't enough to sustain it anymore because walleye anglers KEEP too many of them.

 

As for muskies, luckily people do not keep them except for trophy purposes.  Who cares if it was a stocked or naturally produced fish.  They're freaking hard to catch as it is.

[Yuddzy]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

 

Many lakes, even the larger ones in northern MN, have relied on stocking at some point.  Natural reproduction simply isn't enough to sustain it anymore because walleye anglers KEEP too many of them.

 

As for muskies, luckily people do not keep them except for trophy purposes.  Who cares if it was a stocked or naturally produced fish.  They're freaking hard to catch as it is.

Musky were just an example in this case. I don't care as much if a lake has been stocked at some point, as most have in the first place, but I care when the status of the fishery is relying heavily on stocking like you see in incredibly popular lakes. 

 

For example, when was the last time some random lake in the middle of rural nowhere was stocked vs the last time Lake Minnetonka was stocked? I'm not saying my feelings are logically  justified, but I innately find unpressured areas that are mostly managed by nature itself to be more interesting.

 

I fish medium to small lakes that see very few people for this reason. (which usually means no walleye)

[EWREX]

On 12/13/2021 at 5:27 PM, leinad said:

10% of the bass fisherman catch 90% of the fish is most likely true thanks to those sonar units but without them those numbers would be way off.15-25# in florida is  only 3 or 4 fish right? tournaments have most certainly affected the fishing in my area ( candlewood and lk lillinonah in ct.) you can ask ANY local and they will tell you how it use to be. still  big fish in these bodies of water , of course there is but nowhere near the fisheries they once were!

 

uhhhh candlewood is just shy of 5400 acres and the most heavily pressured lake in the state with 4-5 tournaments a week from early April to October... and it still takes over 20 pounds minimum to win a tournament 99% of the time. not sure what you're talking about when it comes to the quality of fishing

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

If we don’t attract new people and younger generations to fishing, the resource will lose importance to the powers that be and we will all suffer those consequences. Sad but true. 

[schplurg]

And if too many people fish we will lose the resources to them instead. It's a fine balance between good fishing and capitalism, er I mean saving the resource.

[Sphynx]

You could argue that short term a reduction in participation is great for us, but looking at the big picture, if the folks who you see that hate us outdoorsman end up being in the majority it becomes a serious question whether or not we will continue to be allowed legally to pursue our outdoor hobbies. Outside of that, I do not own the waters I fish, and I have no right to tell others to not participate, if they want to fish, they have every bit as much right as I do.

[Choporoz]

I will gladly trade each wake boat and jet ski for two boats of (responsible) fishermen.

[Eric 26]

On 4/26/2022 at 10:08 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

If we don’t attract new people and younger generations to fishing, the resource will lose importance to the powers that be and we will all suffer those consequences. Sad but true. 

Personally I’d like to see less “powers that be” who’s only interest is making money no matter how they do it. I would be willing to bet most politicians could care less about fishing or hunting and would love to reallocate those funds being spoken about.

[Basswhippa]

Same finite resources  and people pouring into the South fleeing their horrible states.   We definitely need to shrink the sport not grow it.   Some Yankee guide on Guntersville was complaining he got a gun pulled on him Saturday when he called someone out for pulling in on him (rightful to call the encroacher out) .  It was a charitable tournament.    Sheesh.  Way to many people on the TVA systems..  I cringed watching idiot high school coaches flying across dangerous stump and  ridden flats back in February.   Finally I saw a boat getting towed in without a motor.  All fun and games until some idiot coach gets a kid maimed or killed.  Keep your kids safe, get them into real sports and video games, which lead to computer careers.  The only people that want the sport to grow have a financial interest, like guides, who exploit the waters financially.   I watched a video of a legendary Guntersville guide discard the back half of a senko right into the water the other day.  Plastics everywhere.   We need less of him and his customers, not more. Definitely need less fishermen in the Tennessee Valley.  Assuming you want to wait in lines at ramps for hours, like California,  idiots will then run back and forth over shallows and through bass beds with trolling motors on high and mess the big fish bite up except on the high wind and pour down rain days.  Tournaments are overrun with professional wannabes who don't want to work for a living.  Check out the economics of BASS opens and MLF series.   Tons of people trying to be pros. Problem is there's no money in it.  Pretty bad to hope for even higher gas prices to thin the heard, but I'll pull the donkey ticket if it will continue to get higher fuel prices and thin the herd. ? 

 

You asked.   

[fishwizzard]

More fishing pressure doesn’t bother me, but more parking spot pressure absolutely does.   The proliferation of yak fishing and more importantly yak trailering is making things a little rough at some spots with more “casual” parking.  

[Serpent Mound]

Ultimately it comes down to quality vs. quantity. If every new person joining the sport was a conservation-minded outdoorsman with a genuine interest and care in fishing then I'd 100% be for it. Unfortunately, that is on the high end of the bell curve and the average bum going out to leave a basketball sized backlash of 20# big game is always going to be the majority. I agree with the points stated earlier in the thread. If someone organically wants to get into it and figure it out, more power to them. But stop evangelizing to people who will ultimately be dead weight on the hobby. 

[PressuredFishing]

Seems kind of funny that the people who don't want anymore fisherman fishing are not the ones volunteering to sit out, the same selfish mindset of tournament anglers and pros saying there are too many tournaments and recreational anglers.... the hypocrisy is  insane

[Sphynx]

18 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

Seems kind of funny that the people who don't want anymore fisherman fishing are not the ones volunteering to sit out, the same selfish mindset of tournament anglers and pros saying there are too many tournaments and recreational anglers.... the hypocrisy is  insane

We're all the hero's of our own story hmm?