The bad parts of where you fish

[BucksBasser]

16 hours ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Same with the Fish and Boat Commission/DCNR in PA, they would rather the bass population to cease to exist if it meant they could stock another 10 thousand trout more than what they already put in 1 lake in just 1 year.

We had people snagging bass on beds right off the bank to eat and they wouldnt care, just checked to make sure the guys fishing for trout had their licenses for it.

 

PAFBC largely views PA as a trout state.

I will say the only times I've had my licensed checked is on Nockamixon.

And I spend 50 days a year on trout streams.

 

If you want fishing pressure you should come east to the Nock.

On a summer Sunday there may be 100 boats out and maybe another 50 kayaks.

On 1400 acres.

Now that I'm retired I mainly fish there on weekdays.

Then the issue is wind.  Lake is largely east/west so it can really rip.

 

My second favorite lake in PA is Sayer.

There power boaters are an issue but lots of bass.

 

 

[roadwarrior]

19 hours ago, OkobojiEagle said:

WIND!!!

Wind has never been a friend of mine.

[Susky River Rat]

@BucksBasser I think marsh creek has the nock beat boats/kayakers per acre. And it’s only 535 acres. That place looks like a recycling center with all the kayaks. One of many reasons I gave up fishing lakes in PA. 

[BucksBasser]

3 minutes ago, Susky River Rat said:

@BucksBasser I think marsh creek has the nock beat boats/kayakers per acre. And it’s only 535 acres. That place looks like a recycling center with all the kayaks. One of many reasons I gave up fishing lakes in PA. 

 

Your right.

At times you could almost cross the lake jumping from kayak to kayak.

 

[Susky River Rat]

@BucksBasser you ain’t kidding. Leaser isn’t far behind it either. I never fished nock a whole bunch but, it seemed as though everyone got spread out pretty good though. The river does get people on it. It can feel crammed. It’s nothing like literally rubbing elbows with other people  seriously feeling like you’re going to hook someone else just casting cause they are right behind you like marsh and leaser get. 

[throttleplate]

When willow trees drop there willows into the water and it gets tangled in your line every retrieve.

[GRiver]

I really don’t have much to complain about. The heat and humidity are killer here at times. Then I start think about all the people who get closed out because of the ice. 
 

[Zcoker]

Low water levels and chemical spraying. When the water gets real low out in the glades, big rocks start protrude, which can be very tricky to navigate at night. They stick out like ominous thorns. Many areas that were once easily accessible almost dry up. On the other hand, the fishing can be outstanding. Not uncommon to have 100 fish days. The big girls can corral up in the deeper holes. The landscape is more predictable as to where to fish. So I guess one thing can lead to another, something that I don't really like can become something that I can like, if that makes sense. 

 

As far as spraying goes, that I don't like period. We call it nuking down this way and it really does lay waste to areas that were once thriving and green. They use chemicals like glyphosate, diquat and 2-4,D to kill off water hyacinths and water lettuce on the surface, and hydrilla beneath it. Once sprayed, everything turns brown and dies and eventually turns to dark dust. The fishing in those areas turns to zero. Takes a long time for recovery, if at all. 

 

Recently sprayed area that was once green and thriving, now dead and decaying. 

 

[Functional]

#1 is INCONSIDERATE boaters/jetskiers/kayakers. There are a lot of good people on the water but there are also plenty of clueless people. I enjoy cruising around the lake and having fun when I'm not fishing as much as them, but there is a way to do it without ruining other peoples time. Thats what irritates me.

 

#2 NO wind on a July/August/Sept day in the south with no cloud cover. Its near unbearable to fish in that stale heat and honestly dangerous if you aren't pumped up on water/electrolytes. 

 

#3 Tournaments nearly every other weekend it seems like. My home lake has 2-3 every week. Best fishing is typically Thursday/Friday since tournaments are Sunday/Tuesday and once in a while one thrown in on Saturday. Hardly ever fish another lake without a tournament on a weekend or run into a bunch of guys pre fishing. 

 

[TnRiver46]

Ocean liners 

[IcatchDinks]

42 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Ocean liners 

The final boss of pleasure boaters. 

[btoups]

South Louisiana here and our biggest issue is saltwater intrusion and coastal erosion.  It gets worse every year.  We are losing marshlands at an alarming rate which causes saltwater to move further inshore, which ruins freshwater fishing areas.  Not to mention this also increases the tidal surges from hurricanes since we no longer have the marsh buffers to reduce the storm surges.

 

 

 

 

[PhishLI]

Don't mind the cold.

 

Don't mind the stifling humidity.

 

Don't even mind the tough fishing due to relentless pressure.

 

I do mind:

 

Poachers

 

Crackheads

 

MS13

 

The blue tarp shanty town that's taken over the best lake closest to my house where the "new arrivals" have turned the place into a disgusting garbage dump and have made it clear that we're unwelcome.

 

Hung in the middle of a pathway in.

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,

Very interesting reading. Thank You all for sharing your perspectives. I'll toss in my $0.02 on the matter.

 

Yes, there are significant issues with inconsiderate people. Some are ignorant, all are irritating. It is a challenge to maintain an "even keel". After all I am out to there to have fun. I do what I can to simply let it pass or I'll go find a better location away from them.

 

Yes, that is additional effort on my part. It is adds to the frustration when it happens as I figure out the fish catching solution. So it goes, I'm there to untie knots, metaphorically, rather than add to my knots.

 

@ol'crickety and others that use smaller watercraft. When the conditions allow, I'm typically using a simple 10 foot sit in kayak with a few bits of gear. It is under 50 lbs so it travels well and is not a big fuss in and out of the truck bed. A few minutes with the ratchet straps and all is well. There are those moments to muse about a bigger boat? Naawh, the simple elegance with ease is very nice. It keeps with the theme of simply enjoying catching fish.

Here in Southern AZ the weekend forecast shows some areas possibly seeing 100F, so the outdoor recreation drive will be kicking in. As a recreational angler that means time to seek those coves and weedy areas to avoid the crowds and possibly taunt some fish.

 

I do what I can to keep a healthy perspective with a focus on that precious quality time. The rest of it is "noise", for me it is better to tune it out, even better if I don't have to listen to it either.

 

Wishing each of you well and wonderful angling adventures. Cheers!

[geo g]

In south Florida the biggest PITA are snakes.  I am surrounded by water ways with canals, ponds, and lakes., most are just miles from the Everglades.   I see snakes almost every bank fishing trip I take.  Few are poisonous, but many are big and often tough to see until they move.  I have had one go between my legs from behind me while watching my line for any movement.  I almost dropped a log!  Many have been right in the weeds along the edge of the bank.  I have walked up on a cottonmouth in ankle deep grass along the waters edge.  I usually spot them when I see weed stems move in a direction different then the wind.  I never walk fast, and concentrate on where I put my feet. I bank fish about 5 days a week, when fishing in the boat I have no problem with them, but a few problems with big gators during breeding season.  Some get territorial, and they are like cockroaches in the Everglades.!

[BrianMDTX]

For me, it’s the incessant slimy algae. 
 

“Weedless” is not “algaeless”. Weeds are fine. But it’s difficult to fish Texas rigs and especially jigs when every cast ends up with a softball-sized blob of algae. It’s why I fish weightless soft plastics and topwaters so often. 

[Motoboss]

For me it’s rain! Not because I don’t want to get wet but because it blows the river out very quickly. Really messes with a consistent bite.

Access would be the next biggest issue. Most lakes are now surrounded by houses and fenced off with the “ramp access” fees skyrocketing, $35/$40 to launch a kayak is absolutely absurd!

It's forced me to find the hidden gems out in the country and now takes a bit of traveling but the small lakes, ponds and rivers are there if I look hard enough. And well worth the pursuit.

We’re fortunate to have a great DNR and many accessible fishing locations in our State that requires only a $10 yearly access sticker. Just stay off the costly big waters.

[whitwolf]

Boat traffic. In addition to the pleasure boaters, kayaks, jet skis, and paddle boards, there are Tuesday night, Wednesday, and Saturday tournaments year around. A lot of boats  and a lot of pressure. From now until early October I either night fish or fish from 4 AM to 9AM.  

 

Occasionally my wife will take a day off work and we go during the week. It's  nice. 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

On 5/16/2024 at 9:07 PM, BrianMDTX said:

For me, it’s the incessant slimy algae. 
 

“Weedless” is not “algaeless”. Weeds are fine. But it’s difficult to fish Texas rigs and especially jigs when every cast ends up with a softball-sized blob of algae. It’s why I fish weightless soft plastics and topwaters so often. 

 

23 hours ago, Motoboss said:

Most lakes are now surrounded by houses

 

These two are related. The houses produce the algae blooms: "Algae blooms are caused by an excess of nutrients in an aquatic system, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which can lead to rapid algae growth. These nutrients can come from fertilizers, wastewater, stormwater runoff, pet waste, leaves, grass clippings, and improperly functioning septic tanks."

 

The same thing is happening in Maine. @jbmaine reports a drop in his fishing success in southern Maine and Maine Game and Wildlife says that shoreline developer is the number one determinant of water quality. Thus, I chose to not build on my waterfront property. 

[Will Ketchum]

The nearby state park lake I fish gets algae blooms in the summer and weekend warriors, so it's early season and weekday fishing for me.

[Bluebasser86]

Wind.

The lakes themselves, most of them suck and the fish are small.

The trash, people and actual trash, they tend to go hand in hand I figure.

The amount of carp, drum, and gar in the lakes.

How our state is next to Missouri and Oklahoma, 2 lakes with great bass fishing and tons of nice, free ramps, but our fishing sucks and I have to pay to use every ramp with giant craters all over them. 

How the state will stock millions of catfish, walleye, and hybrids every year, but bass are left to fend for themselves. 

[Swamp Girl]

7 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Wind.

The lakes themselves, most of them suck and the fish are small.

The trash, people and actual trash, they tend to go hand in hand I figure.

The amount of carp, drum, and gar in the lakes.

How our state is next to Missouri and Oklahoma, 2 lakes with great bass fishing and tons of nice, free ramps, but our fishing sucks and I have to pay to use every ramp with giant craters all over them. 

How the state will stock millions of catfish, walleye, and hybrids every year, but bass are left to fend for themselves. 

 

All ^this^ makes your catches even more impressive.

[Bankc]

Big city water reservoirs.

 

So they spray for weeds to keep the filters clean and they're over crowded.  Recreation and fishing isn't a priority. 

[WRB]

High wind keeps the local public lakes closed, no boat launching.

Summer lake lice with boom boxes, wake boats and jet ski can turn a pleasant day on the water into a nightmare.

Tom

[Neil McCauley]

Other boaters. Especially those who aren't on the water to fish. 

 

This is why I fish mainly spring/fall and weekdays.