Early season Lake Pressure

Am I mistaken or has the pressure on the lakes started unusually early this year?

In the past, I have thought the the TYPICAL SUMMER boating and fishing season didin't start until Memorial Day and after. Although there would be a noticable increase in people fishing in early March and April, it never seemed to be as bad as this year. There have been several posts, concering the last couple of weekends, about full parking lots; having to take a number to fish a bank; unusally heavy boat traffic; and other things that usually don't happen (in my experience) until summer time.

I know that we had an unusually (there is that WORD again) cold and wet winter, but we have had that before and it didn't seem to turn the pressure on like it has this year. If it is this bad already, what is it going to be like when summer gets here? :confused:

Grumnpy

Well when you have temps in the 80's, blue skies and light winds like we had this past weekend, everyone is taking advantage of the nice June weather we are having in March this year. Ky/Barkley looked like Memorial Day weekend this past weekend...basically a zoo out there. I can not remember ever seeing that much boat traffic on these lakes except on the big holiday weekends...but the traffic was different in that it was almost all anglers and not a lot of pleasure boats.
Yesterday (Monday) there was very little traffic out there, probably only about 20 boats out of Ky Dam Marina. I expect the weekend traffic will die down a little when it cools off again.

Grumpy, I totally agree. I couldn't believe the amount of people out this past weekend, in a word, WOW. Cumberland will have to post police officers at the usuable ramps this year to stop ramp rage. There is gonna be fist fights, guns pulled ect., ect. All tournaments should be banned from that lake this year until ramps are fixed so people can get in and out. I don't know what the answer is but our lakes can not continue to endure this kinda pressure year in and year out, something will have to give, it's out of hand. I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but there is going to have to be some limitations set on all these tournaments. I mean it's gone to the ridicoulous stage. I don't even fish Barren anymore it's a joke. I'm not going to wrestle anybody to cast a bank, I'm out there to relax not stress.

Amen! I'm not going to flame you but compliment you on having the guts to speak up. Being mostly a week end fisherman because my job is a normal office type of deal I feel mostly screwed when it comes to fishing week ends on the big lakes from March until November. There has been an increase in all kinds of boating but the tournaments have made for mega-spikes of boating and fishing pressure especially on the week ends. There has got to be a limit to how much our lakes can take.

kc

It would hurt the hotels but try to keep the tournaments from Indiana and Ohio out of KY. Indiana makes it real hard for someone to run a T. You must have $100,000 in insurance, if you have more than ten boats fish (I think it is 10 maybe 20). So a lot of clubs come to KY. I like to fish a T, but when you can walk around on the lake, on boats and not get wet it is nuts. I wish the state would build another lake 10,000 acres or more close to Louisville, to take off the pressure of the other lakes. T-ville is small at 3,000 acres. I just wonder where the Ohio Navy will go now that C-land is drawn down. I hope they don't go to Dale, but it seems that the TN law does not put up with as much partyin as they do here in KY. Just my .02. Ryan.:rolleyes:

Amen to what Mhall said: "I'm not going to wrestle anybody to cast a bank, I'm out there to relax not stress."

Went to Guist yesterday morning. I was the first one there at 7:00am, when I left around noon there were about 30 trailers in the parking lot. Brad at the marina said they've been averaging close to 100 boat launches a day there the past few days, which is a lot for that little place. I've only been fishing there a couple years, but I do agree it's increased. Heck, I guess I'm part of the increase! ;)

BTW he also said he was aware of only one bass caught there the past 2 days. I had high hopes for yesterday morning, but I and everybody I talked to was totally skunked. Had one little crappie follow my shadrap up to the boat and swim away, mocking me. Lots of baitfish jumping, but nothing biting. The water was its usual stained self; sorry but I couldn't tell you the temp, but I'm sure it was on the warm side.

This is kind of why I like taking the kayak to out of the way small lakes, rivers and creeks. Nobody to fight with 'cept the landowners! :)