Justin is right about not stressing the fish anymore than necessary. I can understand wanting to get a picture etc but it does put a lot more stress on the fish and it's also ILLEGAL. The game warden or Conservation Officer (CO) would be required to give you a ticket if he sees you keeping fish like that in the live well. The rules are that one has to immediately release any fish caught that are under legal size or limits. If it's 17" long and you catch it you are suppose to immediately release it back into the water. Now I'm not sure how they use the word 'immediately". As many people catch fish and then get the camera out to take a picture of the fish before returning it back to the water where it was caught.Originally Posted by jkelley1487
The main goal is the let the fish live to fight another day. I'm happy to hear that you won't keep anymore fish again as that's probably the wise thing to do. CO's can't be every where so we have to self enforce the rules to make them work. And belive me there is a good reason for the rules.
I'm not sure what to do about the number of fishermen at Bluegrass these days. Word has spread about the fishing out there and how many big fish are caught. And there is not many place with nice concrete launch ramps to go to in this area except for the IDNR Fish and Wildlife Areas and maybe the Ohio River.
Bluegrass Pit is only 190 Acres and the number of good fishing spots on this type of old Strip Pit are limited. I use to go out there after ten am so that all those early risers were leaving the lake as I arrived. Not many people fish in the heat of the day like I did. But I fished by slow trolling crank baits and always had a little breeze to cool me off. But as more and more people starting using the lake I found it way too crowded to slow troll out there. I've not been fishing these lakes for about two years now going on three. One less boat to get in the way. So I'm doing my part. I use to go out there in the evening and fish from the launch ramp but even that's out of the question unless I leave early and get there before the other people camp out at the launch ramp all week long.
I see people backing up their trucks to the launch ramp at some of the smaller pits and parking their lawn chair right in the middle of the old launch ramp area. Anyone wanting to launch their boat is out of luck unless they can get the guy to move his truck and himself from the launch ramp at Bird Dog Pit. At least they built a new concrete launch ramp at this pit further to the South so people can use that launch ramp when the other one is basically closed by one guy. The signs clearly say. Park Clear of the Launch Ramp at almost every ramp in the area with signs. Anyone who's been out at Bluegrass can read the signs, So there is no excuse to park on the launch ramp for hours at a time. I wish that the CO would put a stop to people doing this. If not there are going to be some mad people when they arrive to launch their boat and can't because someone is parked on the ramp.
I've seen groups like the UE Explorer Club park their canoes and canoe trailer across the launch ramp and block the ramp for hours at a time. But they usually don't do this until late Sept or Early Oct when the number of people using Otter Pit is lacking. I've seen them doing this twice in the last five years and didn't say anything to them at the time as I was not using my boat that day. I was just fishing from the bank that day and had just got back home from Patoka Lake where I fished with a friend and used his boat up there. So my boat was not with me at the time. But if I had driven over there to Otter Pit to fish for a few hours in the evening and they were blocking the ramp like that I would have been upset. Too many people in such a small area is not good IMHO.
Does anyone remember what it was like out there before they started letting gasoline motors on the lakes? It was a lot more quiet out there back then. But it was harder to launch and recover the boat.
The best time for me to fish Bluegrass is during the week and during the afternoon when all the early risers are back home taking their naps.
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