Such a Shame

[TOXIC]

Back from my 2 weeks in Wisconsin on a chain of 28 lakes that we have been going to for 24 years and this is the second year I didn’t bother to pull my boat up there.  Really disappointing to watch these lakes that used to be fishing jewels get turned into something not far off of a natural water park.  A lot of the old cottages from the 40’s and 50’s are being torn down and McMansions put in their place.  Lakes are over run with pontoons, wakeboard and ski boats, kayaks, paddleboards  and they have become really, really crowded.  Even though there are some “no wake” lakes, the homeowners have all gotten together and the lake association has sprayed all of the aquatic vegetation.  Fishing as an activity had been severely impacted and to enjoy anywhere near the success I used to have, I would have to fish at night.  The mosquitoes pretty much rule the nighttime hours and I don’t feel like being the main course. I’m just saying that lake communities choose how to manage their lakes and to satisfy their residents and in this case, the weekend cottage owners from Chicago and surrounding areas have determined that these historic pristine lakes are now water parks and while I’m sure stimulating the local economy, they have abandoned the fishing aspect of the lakes.  Is it wrong? I don’t know because I am a little jaded on what my idea of a perfect lake environment would be.  

[A-Jay]

AJay

 

[gim]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

they have abandoned the fishing aspect of the lakes.  Is it wrong? I don’t know because I am a little jaded on what my idea of a perfect lake environment would be.  

 

It's happening here in MN too.  The pandemic transplanted a lot of people from more suburban environments to more rural locations and the option to work remotely added to that.

 

It's not just in "cabin" country either.  A lot of lakes I fish are lined with enormous homes and there's not as much fishing anymore.  Its pretty much all recreational watercraft in the summer time.  Can't say its really anything new though.  Many smaller lakes get sprayed at least once a year for weeds.  I target week days or weekends with clouds/rain.  That keeps a lot of riff riff of the lake.

 

The one crowd that really seems to be affecting the lake itself is the wakeboats.  They send massive swells right into the banks and it erodes everything except large boulders.  Luckily there are new rules coming down the pipe for these things, but its going to be an uphill battle.  These people have deep pockets and money talks.

[DitchPanda]

 Is it wrong? Wrong is so subjective. From a legal stand point obviously not or the cops would shut them down. From a moral stand point...like not wrecking a natural ecosystem and its resources? Absolutely. Here's the issue: people either want money or if they have alot of it they want to spend it. Sad that people are ruining it for future generations for some semblance of "fun" and monetary social posturing in the now. But as I stated above money is the only thing people seem to give a s#$% about.

 I live about 90 miles away from what's referred to as the Iowa great lakes. Out of that group of lakes Spirit is the one to me that retains much of its fishing forward angler driven premise in summer...the other ones are stuffed full of jetskis, pleasure boats, uneducated watercraft operators and other types of annoying jackassery. Because of this I avoid those bodies of water from late May thru mid September outside of occasionally shore fishing at night.

 Funny story: a few years back I had an older gentleman curse at me for where I parked. Btw I was in a legal spot in a public parking area...but he took issue with it. When I bit back he told me I was a punk kid ( was 35 at the time)and needed to be taught a lesson. I said well we are already outside so come teach me a lesson if you want a ride to the hospital. He got back in his truck and left...only smart thing he did all day.

[fin]

It’s just going to get worse too. Real estate investment (by groups instead of individuals) is out of control. You can buy shares in houses for as little as $100 now. There’s a lot of money in the fishing industry as a whole, but it’s nothing compared to real estate. The bigger money always wins.

 

https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/17/backed-by-forerunner-and-bezos-back-arrived-a-startup-that-lets-you-buy-into-single-family-rentals-for-as-little-as-100/

[N Florida Mike]

1 hour ago, DitchPanda said:

stuffed full of jetskis, pleasure boats, uneducated watercraft operators and other types of annoying jackassery.

Sure you aren’t in Florida? 

[throttleplate]

Thats why i like going to the smaller dams here in north dakota and minnesota to fish where i have caught smb, lmb, walleye, gills, crappie, pike, muskie.....  no boats or kayaks allowed, no boat wakes to swamp me while wearing waders, no loud fouled language rap music carrying over the water.

All i hear is rushing water, wide open banks to walk and fish from and very few people are there fishing due to the steep rocky banks to get to the waters edge.

[TnRiver46]

They’ve been killing all the weeds here for decades. TVA even allows you to hire companies to kill it for you. Friggin stupid. And yes we have wake boards and ocean yachts all the time. You can drive to the ocean by water from Knoxville, people even do the great loop. Winter can’t arrive fast enough. Californians  are buying lake houses for 1-3 million dollars without even getting an inspection or seeing it in person, but they can’t have mine 

[TOXIC]

I guess it’s because my wife’s father (RIP) was raised on the lake.  His parents owned the hardware store in town and while he was alive we all met there on the lakes for a history tour every year.  He showed me a place on one of the lakes that a boat sunk 100 years ago and I was actually able to go back with my bass boat electronics and find it.  We have watched as historic structures like the “ice house” that held ice blocks originally, was torn down and replaced with a lake house that just looks out of place.  I’ll never say it’s my place to control how the lakes are managed but I wish more were concerned about the history and less about the entertainment value.  Let’s face it, the only loser in this situation are the fishermen and women and those few who wish the lakes remained frozen in time.  Cottage owners make big bucks selling off family cottages, the towns and county profit from the tourist dollars, taxes and the local businesses like marinas, restaurants, bars, construction companies and all other public services get big $$ from weekend dwellers and tourists.  I guess maybe I’m getting to that age where the past has more importance.  My Facebook memories pop up about this time every year and I can watch the slow decline of the fishing over the last 10 years. 

Quote

Is it wrong? Wrong is so subjective. From a legal stand point obviously not or the cops would shut them down. From a moral stand point...like not wrecking a natural ecosystem and its resources? Absolutely

 

[TnRiver46]

17 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I guess it’s because my wife’s father (RIP) was raised on the lake.  His parents owned the hardware store in town and while he was alive we all met there on the lakes for a history tour every year.  He showed me a place on one of the lakes that a boat sunk 100 years ago and I was actually able to go back with my bass boat electronics and find it.  We have watched as historic structures like the “ice house” that held ice blocks originally, was torn down and replaced with a lake house that just looks out of place.  I’ll never say it’s my place to control how the lakes are managed but I wish more were concerned about the history and less about the entertainment value.  Let’s face it, the only loser in this situation are the fishermen and women and those few who wish the lakes remained frozen in time.  Cottage owners make big bucks selling off family cottages, the towns and county profit from the tourist dollars, taxes and the local businesses like marinas, restaurants, bars, construction companies and all other public services get big $$ from weekend dwellers and tourists.  I guess maybe I’m getting to that age where the past has more importance.  My Facebook memories pop up about this time every year and I can watch the slow decline of the fishing over the last 10 years. 

 

The fish will adapt , ain’t their first rodeo. We’ve still got good fishing, and what you described has been going on here for many years. It could be better if they wouldn’t spray the doggone grass tho!! 
 

Plenty of new folks buying property are respectful of the history, and plenty of locals aren’t. The problem is just with larger numbers of people , the odds for silliness goes up

 

the one saving grace I try to focus on is water quality has only gotten better and better over the last 50 years. My dad and grandpa thought it was wild to see a blue heron, now there’s one on every point and rookeries all over the place. Osprey are hunting every cove, bald eagles are common. All because the water is much healthier than it used to be and the fish, especially shad, have exploded 

[DitchPanda]

3 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

Sure you aren’t in Florida? 

Pretty sure its everywhere anymore my friend.

[TOXIC]

6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

the one saving grace I try to focus on is water quality has only gotten better and better over the last 50 years

Just the opposite on the lakes I’m talking about.  They used to be the most beautiful blue because of the marl bottom and crystal clear water.  By killing all of the aquatic vegetation the water has clouded and the bottom is cover in dying vegetation.  Add in all of the boating and the water is constantly stirred up and close to muddy.  With the vegetation the survival rate for fry is gone.  Night time fishing is the only option and I’m a good enough fisherman that if they could be caught during the day I would be able to at least boat a few but it has become very difficult.  There’s no positive to the transformation of these lakes that for the longest time flew totally under the radar.

[TnRiver46]

4 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Just the opposite on the lakes I’m talking about.  They used to be the most beautiful blue because of the marl bottom and crystal clear water.  By killing all of the aquatic vegetation the water has clouded and the bottom is cover in dying vegetation.  Add in all of the boating and the water is constantly stirred up and close to muddy.  With the vegetation the survival rate for fry is gone.  Night time fishing is the only option and I’m a good enough fisherman that if they could be caught during the day I would be able to at least boat a few but it has become very difficult.  There’s no positive to the transformation of these lakes that for the longest time flew totally under the radar.

Well that just plain sucks! 
 

Factories used to dump anything they wanted into the TN river, they can’t get away with it so easily nowadays. The recreational boaters always want aquatic veg eradicated, selfish scum 

[N Florida Mike]

The St Johns river is like that . At least the Northern part near where I live. When I was growing up there were weeds everywhere so you could easily pattern fish. Now it seems ALL the weeds are gone, except pads in the creeks. Not sure why, but I assume it’s from spraying.
You can still find some really wild   Florida lakes, but most of them are in the Ocala Nat. Forest. 

I think one thing that keeps it from being a complete zoo ( although it is on many  water bodies ) is the gators. Most people from other areas are scared to death of them…

[The Baron]

All those people likely proudly saving the planet with paper straws in their Starbucks, have no clue they’ve killed a lake.

[SC53]

37 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

The St Johns river is like that . At least the Northern part near where I live. When I was growing up there were weeds everywhere so you could easily pattern fish. Now it seems ALL the weeds are gone, except pads in the creeks. Not sure why, but I assume it’s from spraying.
You can still find some really wild   Florida lakes, but most of them are in the Ocala Nat. Forest. 

I think one thing that keeps it from being a complete zoo ( although it is on many  water bodies ) is the gators. Most people from other areas are scared to death of them…

Same down here in Debary Mike.
St. John’s river void of anything but pads. 
Lake Monroe the same, nothing. 
It looks like interstate 4 on any weekend with all the boats.
From jet skies to 40’ center consoles on a river that’s not 100 yards across in most places. 

[gim]

11 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

the one saving grace I try to focus on is water quality has only gotten better and better over the last 50 years. My dad and grandpa thought it was wild to see a blue heron, now there’s one on every point and rookeries all over the place. Osprey are hunting every cove, bald eagles are common. All because the water is much healthier than it used to be and the fish, especially shad, have exploded 

Many lakes here have improved water quality too.  Septic systems have improved and runoff cache systems have improved.  The downside is that many of our lakes now have zebra mussels and the water is MUCH clearer than it used to be.  It makes for significantly tougher fishing during the daytime.  Additionally, since walleye is king here, they do not do so well in clear water.  They do much better in murkier, darker water.  So the lakes that have cleared up have seen a drop in walleye production, and many people here don't like that.  Smallmouth bass populations, have improved for the very same reason.  They often do better in clear water.  Additionally, since the water is clearer, it warms up easier, allowing sunlight to penetrate deeper.  Also not a good thing if you are a walleye (or a trout species).  Uneducated folk love to blame the decline in walleye fishing on other species like smallmouth or muskies, but in reality its us who have caused it with over harvest and ecosystem alterations.

[TnRiver46]

14 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Many lakes here have improved water quality too.  Septic systems have improved and runoff cache systems have improved.  The downside is that many of our lakes now have zebra mussels and the water is MUCH clearer than it used to be.  It makes for significantly tougher fishing during the daytime.  Additionally, since walleye is king here, they do not do so well in clear water.  They do much better in murkier, darker water.  So the lakes that have cleared up have seen a drop in walleye production, and many people here don't like that.  Smallmouth bass populations, have improved for the very same reason.  They often do better in clear water.  Additionally, since the water is clearer, it warms up easier, allowing sunlight to penetrate deeper.  Also not a good thing if you are a walleye (or a trout species).  Uneducated folk love to blame the decline in walleye fishing on other species like smallmouth or muskies, but in reality its us who have caused it with over harvest and ecosystem alterations.

We also have several areas lousy with zebra mussels . My buddy calls them razor clams haha

[gim]

3 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

We also have several areas lousy with zebra mussels . My buddy calls them razor clams haha

 

They are nasty sharp.  The one positive about them is that they do seem to reach a "peak" and then the population declines.  I believe the term is carrying capacity.

[Cgolf]

18 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Back from my 2 weeks in Wisconsin on a chain of 28 lakes that we have been going to for 24 years and this is the second year I didn’t bother to pull my boat up there.  Really disappointing to watch these lakes that used to be fishing jewels get turned into something not far off of a natural water park.  A lot of the old cottages from the 40’s and 50’s are being torn down and McMansions put in their place.  Lakes are over run with pontoons, wakeboard and ski boats, kayaks, paddleboards  and they have become really, really crowded.  Even though there are some “no wake” lakes, the homeowners have all gotten together and the lake association has sprayed all of the aquatic vegetation.  Fishing as an activity had been severely impacted and to enjoy anywhere near the success I used to have, I would have to fish at night.  The mosquitoes pretty much rule the nighttime hours and I don’t feel like being the main course. I’m just saying that lake communities choose how to manage their lakes and to satisfy their residents and in this case, the weekend cottage owners from Chicago and surrounding areas have determined that these historic pristine lakes are now water parks and while I’m sure stimulating the local economy, they have abandoned the fishing aspect of the lakes.  Is it wrong? I don’t know because I am a little jaded on what my idea of a perfect lake environment would be.  

 

What is crazy though is I believe we vacation on a lake not very far from there with trophy Musky, Smallmouth, and maybe even walleye and have a very healthy largemouth fishery. Even over or near the 4th, there is very little recreational or fishing traffic and I can generally fish where I want when I want at any time of the day. I am still trying to get my wife to get land or a house on this lake to retire there. Only issue is the long winters.

[Darth-Baiter]

15 hours ago, throttleplate said:

Thats why i like going to the smaller dams here in north dakota and minnesota to fish where i have caught smb, lmb, walleye, gills, crappie, pike, muskie.....  no boats or kayaks allowed, no boat wakes to swamp me while wearing waders, no loud fouled language rap music carrying over the water.

All i hear is rushing water, wide open banks to walk and fish from and very few people are there fishing due to the steep rocky banks to get to the waters edge.

that place looks like an area frequented by a big youtuber of that region!!

[the reel ess]

I grew up fishing a lake that was developing. When I was a kid you could go on a weekday and be alone. That was the late 70s-80s. We sold the place after my dad died. It was simply not enjoyable anymore.

[TnRiver46]

Believe me it could be a lot worse, just ask @bulldog1935. His favorite fishing holes in his own backyard have no water due to population growth 

[Will Ketchum]

It's the same here in PA. The Pocono Mountain lakes became summertime escapes for NY and NJ residents who built summer homes on lakes acquired by developers. One in particular was a back up reservoir for the water company that allowed fishing and where I got my PB LM. It was bought and developed with summer homes standing where I used to fish. We would still go and find try to find a quiet corner but my last was where we got blasted out by loud music when before it was just crickets and croaking frogs. Never went back.

[bulldog1935]

Borrowed photo from my buddy Josh. 

The Medina River has never before stopped in history. 

While the drought is only in its 2nd year, they're normal every 15 years here. 

This is caused by population growth, corporate farming, and excessive use of groundwater. 

I'm tinkering reels and bikes and planning for fall bull tides.