What I feel is an alarming trend

[mhall]

Now I never said anything about closed seasons now, lets don't get carried away here, LOL....

[dabassking]

I think that managing a lake for tournaments and managing a lake for quality fish can be one and the same. We live in KY. A 15" bass IS a quality fish in this state. It's not like 5 pounders are as much common place in lakes here as compared to Guntersville, Chick, or lakes in Florida and Texas. Dale Hollow is regulated to be a Trophy Smallmouth lake. Cumberland has an 18" size limit on SM and that is, without a doubt, a quality fish. I think a lot of you guys that want a slot limit on Cumberland only want it to run off the tournament guys. It won't! Look at Dale. It gets heavy tournament pressure and it has a slot limit.

Also, if you look at the tournament pressure that the previously mentioned lakes like Guntersville and Chickamauga get, you would see that the pressure put on Cumberland is not even close to theirs.

[MJ]

Guntersville is miserable on the weekends. We go once a year during the week and leave on Saturday. We used to try and fish a few hours on Saturday morning when we leave but there are so many boats it's terrible. Plus, they fish a lot different down there. They have no problem pulling up right beside you and fishing. Sometimes I put bouys out to mark channels and it draws them in like a magnet. Fishing during the week is the only way to go there.

I have found fishing cumberland at night is a lot more relaxing. It's hard to do it the older I get but at least there are not a bunch of tournaments and people just driving up and down the lake. I never have figured out why people enjoy just driving all over the lake with no real purpose!

[dabassking]

I realized that I didn't really state my final point about Guntersville in my previous post. What I was getting at is that that lake gets absolutely pounded on day after day and year after year and it still produces huge bags. I don't think the tournament pressure that Cumberland is getting is impacting the fish as much as it is impacting the fishermen.

Some guys just don't like tournaments and will try to find an excuse to bash them, be it "too much pressure is hurting the fish" or "these tourny guys are all A-Holes". It is what it is. I think most guys, tournament fishermen or not, don't really mind the other. There are, however, two extremes and both sides of the extremes have an "Us vs Them" mentality. It's sad because there are several other bigger concerns that both "sides" could be arguing together. It's the general consensus that tournament fishing has brought out the A-Hole in some tournament fishermen, but I think this thread is proof that tournament fishing has even brought out the A-Hole in some guys that don't even fish tournaments.

[MJ]

I hope the other poster is correct that it's a fad and will pass sooner than later.

[Fishin is life]

You can make 300 tournament boats disappear on cumberland. You can make another 300 pleasure fishing boats disappear. That lake is massive and a vast majority of the fish roam in deep water and likely wont see a bait. I fish Green 2-4 times a week most of the year. The tourny fisherman population has exploded the past 5 years and so has the fishing. The number of fisherman has probably increased 10 fold and the average winning weights have probably doubled. If we have a couple bad spawns and the bass fishing drops a deuce most people will swear its due to the tourny pressure. Fishing pressure might make the fish a little harder to catch, but its not gonna kill the population. People go to the ramp after a tourny and see 3-4 dead fish floating and throw a fit but never say a word to the guys out meat hunting thatll keep the 10 biggest bass they catch all day everyday

[kc]

You can make 300 tournament boats disappear on cumberland. You can make another 300 pleasure fishing boats disappear. That lake is massive and a vast majority of the fish roam in deep water and likely wont see a bait. I fish Green 2-4 times a week most of the year. The tourny fisherman population has exploded the past 5 years and so has the fishing. The number of fisherman has probably increased 10 fold and the average winning weights have probably doubled. If we have a couple bad spawns and the bass fishing drops a deuce most people will swear its due to the tourny pressure. Fishing pressure might make the fish a little harder to catch, but its not gonna kill the population. People go to the ramp after a tourny and see 3-4 dead fish floating and throw a fit but never say a word to the guys out meat hunting thatll keep the 10 biggest bass they catch all day everyday

In days past I used to argue quite vigorously on tournaments impact on the fisheries and although IMO there is no way it is a positive I agree that mother nature plays a stronger hand than fisherman. But I disagree with your comment on meat hunting. I think along with tournament fishing increasing so has the catch and release mindset. I have found most bass fisherman that are "meat hunters" are typically not that great of fishermen and often struggle to put them in the boat in the first place. And whenever there is this tournament vs pleasure discussion it is always where the tourney guys go to counter - blame the meat hunters...

kc

[Z8NITRO]

In days past I used to argue quite vigorously on tournaments impact on the fisheries and although IMO there is no way it is a positive I agree that mother nature plays a stronger hand than fisherman. But I disagree with your comment on meat hunting. I think along with tournament fishing increasing so has the catch and release mindset. I have found most bass fisherman that are "meat hunters" are typically not that great of fishermen and often struggle to put them in the boat in the first place. And whenever there is this tournament vs pleasure discussion it is always where the tourney guys go to counter - blame the meat hunters...

kc

KC,

I could not disagree more with your statement that most "meat hunters" are not great fishermen. I personally know several very good anglers, very talented anglers, that can and do take home a limit of their biggest catch (bass) every time they go out, and they go out several times per week, especially in the spring when many are shallow. I am not speaking of one angler, or two anglers...I am speaking of several. While it is not a practice I support, that is their right. My point is, you cannot tell me their impact on the fishery, by each angler removing 20 - 40 of the largest bass in the lake every week, is any less than that of tournaments.

[Fishin is life]

In days past I used to argue quite vigorously on tournaments impact on the fisheries and although IMO there is no way it is a positive I agree that mother nature plays a stronger hand than fisherman. But I disagree with your comment on meat hunting. I think along with tournament fishing increasing so has the catch and release mindset. I have found most bass fisherman that are "meat hunters" are typically not that great of fishermen and often struggle to put them in the boat in the first place. And whenever there is this tournament vs pleasure discussion it is always where the tourney guys go to counter - blame the meat hunters...

kc

Im not saying tournies are a positive influence on fisheries, im just saying theyre no more negative than meat hunters. If i had a nickel for everytime ive sat there and watched a boat full of amish keep everything they catch (thats a different argument), then id probably be able to go eat at mcd's. They fish live bait on the same spots bass fisherman fish and catch many large bass and put a knife to every single one of them. I know guys that go out 3-5 times a week and keep their 5 best bass for the knife, and thats their legal right. Its also my legal right to keep my 5 best in the livewell, do my absolute best to keep them healthy, and release them at the end of the day. Tournies dont kill fisheries. Mother nature will always balance herself out. As Bassmaster said, i like my fishes chances of surviving better than the guy who puts the knife in em. I go to the ramp after our tournies with my fizzing needle and attempt to save every fish on its side that i can, just wish more people cared enough for me to not have to do that

[bassmaster]

I realized that I didn't really state my final point about Guntersville in my previous post. What I was getting at is that that lake gets absolutely pounded on day after day and year after year and it still produces huge bags. I don't think the tournament pressure that Cumberland is getting is impacting the fish as much as it is impacting the fishermen.

This is so correct. Tournament fishing has been like this for several years at Cumberland and other lakes in most states. I agree the attitude of SOME tournament fisherman unfairly sheds a bad light on ALL tournament fisherman. I tournament fish and "Just" fish. BOTH are recreational hobbies for me. I win and lose my fair share. I take it serious as I do "Just" fishing. Fishing is fun for me either way and I deal with the public and take it in stride as there are rude folks everywhere not just on the lake. Now as far as the 300 boats or so on Cumberland Saturday, almost 200 of them were Kentucky High School Fishing Teams with teenagers from all over the state (There were two of these regionals with only one being originally scheduled for Cumberland, the other was scheduled for Herrington but it was unfishable at flood stage so it was moved). I know some of these kids and some that go as a sponsor and provide boats and gas in some cases. This "Sport" is good for our young people, some even go on to get into the fishing industry as a result. I hope that most if not all are taught respect (for others and the fish), teamwork, and a love for fishing as other kids that are taught in other sports such as football, basketball, golf, tennis, baseball, etc......In these cases, I know of some fine fishermen and fisherwomen who will be the future of our sport (hobby).......Oh, and on a side note, BEFORE the lake came up this last time, most everyone including myself were catching some nice fish, GREAT fishing on Cumberland despite the pressure.........from ALL fisherman. Oh FishinisLife, how much pressure does Green get and how has the fishing been over the last 5-7 years as far as quality?! Good discussion guys!
Thanks,
Tim

[mhall]

I think that managing a lake for tournaments and managing a lake for quality fish can be one and the same. We live in KY. A 15" bass IS a quality fish in this state. It's not like 5 pounders are as much common place in lakes here as compared to Guntersville, Chick, or lakes in Florida and Texas. Dale Hollow is regulated to be a Trophy Smallmouth lake. Cumberland has an 18" size limit on SM and that is, without a doubt, a quality fish. I think a lot of you guys that want a slot limit on Cumberland only want it to run off the tournament guys. It won't! Look at Dale. It gets heavy tournament pressure and it has a slot limit.

Also, if you look at the tournament pressure that the previously mentioned lakes like Guntersville and Chickamauga get, you would see that the pressure put on Cumberland is not even close to theirs.

Your wrong about me I want the slot for several reasons.

1. To increase the average size and increase the number of quality fish. I love catching 18 smallmouth I have caught more than you can haul in a truck but 21 inch plus fish make me MUCH happier.
2. It will stop the 400 million Striper guides clients from taking every 18 inch fish home to a skillet they catch. Believe me that is huge on that lake. BTW I am not slamming the guides they are doing what is legal and most encourage their clients to release these fish but most do not.
3. And this is dead last to decrease some of the tournaments and yes it will slow them down just like it did at Dale and still is to a degree.

[mhall]

Has been a very nice discussion fellas and that never hurts as it makes us ''ALL'' think. There are two to three of you on here that think I hate tourney's...you are wrong. My original post and one I stand by states or at least I hope implied accumulative yes I know all about making 300 boats disappear on Cumberland I was boating there when a few of you that are reminding me that was in grade school dreaming of getting your first bass boat.

When is to much of anything....''to much''.....it has to be thought about and it has to be anwsered at some point. Yes there are A holes in all walks of life and this is not a good ole boy versus the Saturday KVD contest it is bigger than that in my opinion. I catch all kinds of fish and I am not worrying about that or blaming anybody I am trying to look at the big picture.

Stripernut and I talk about this often and he lives there and sees the madness every week. Trust me he has no problem catching fish either, LOL......