I have been fishing for over 40 years and have noticed a decline in the catching of fish on a down hill ride. It seems like the past 10 years have been the worse. I myself use to fish 3 or 4 tourneys a week but no longer. I still fish a few open tourneys. However, I do beleive the decline is from the pressure of to many tournaments resulting in to much pressure.

As far as sight fishing bedding bass, not good. 1 person saying catching a bedding bass and releasing it at the weigh in and he or she makes their way back to the nest, NOT. Ya catch a spawning fish 20 miles from release point I dont think it will make it back.

Years ago Herrington was closed to fishin during the month of May. Before my time though.

I can remember goin to Herrington and catching Largemouth all night long in huge numbers of keepers. Dont happen any more, and I blame that on pressure. Up to about 10 years ago I use to catch largemouth out of the jumps every year, catching fish up to 6 lbs this way. And I tell ya I miss it alot. 2 people in the boat battling a 5 lb plus fish at the same time, it was a blast.

I live close to the Ky river near High Bridge, so I use to fish both pools aove and below Lock 7. Use to get off work hook up the boat drive to the river and have a good evening of fishing. Not no more. Fish all day for 4 or 5 fish. Back then all ya needed was a Spinner bait and Jig and Pig, catch numbers of fish in 1 evening. Lots and Lots of the largemouth spawning on the river is done in the creeks and what happens, April and May tourneys, Hey it's a race to the creeks. There goes all that fished worked for, finding his way up that creek to spawn to have an angler catch the easy prey and haul his butt 20 miles down river to get weighed for some money and prestige.

I am not saying do away with tournament fishing but lets cut back on the numbers. Monday and Wednsday is the only days or nights Herrington does not have at least 1 tournament. I look for that to change this year.

Way too much pressure.

Dont want to offend anyone but that's my opinion. Becuse I have witnessed the decline in catching fish as the the tournament fishing grew. Anglers my age surely have witnessed it as well. By the way I am 52 and I help start the first tournaments on Herrington Lake and if I knew then what I know today, I would have declined. It seems like everything else, wait until the worse happens before we change anything.

Dennis (Radar) Horton
[email protected]
(859)858-0909