Too may tournaments on Kentucky Lake

[hunt1187]

Kentucky Lake has to be one of the most tournament fished lakes in the country. It seems almost every weekend since spring there has been one or more tournaments consisting of several hundred boats on this lake. I know it’s a big lake, but it takes its toll on the fish and those who work all week just to fish on the weekend. Most of those who fish these tournaments seem like considerate people who respect those sharing the lake. However, there are others who think nothing of cutting you off as you fish a spot. They seem to think because they are fishing for money that this gives them special rights. They do it to each other too. It’s kind of funny to watch guys crowding each other to fish a particular ledge on a 280,000 acre lake. There is so much more satisfaction in finding your own spots. I don’t understand what they get out this. So very few actually make a living, the remainder are lucky to break even. So why are you marking another man’s buoy with your GPS? Will the fish you catch off this spot prove anything?
Anyway, I believe Ky/Tenn should only allow an organization to host a tournament every other year. The lake doesn’t belong to BASS, FLW or any other for profit organization.

[zx150]

I get cut off all over the place. It does not matter if it is a tournament or not. Some people are just rude. They are the same ones who cut you off on the highway or talk on their cell phone in the fast lane and drive 20 mph below the speed limit. What do you do? I try not to let people get to me on the water, because I'm there to forget about the people who drive too slow in the fast lane or cut you off.

[jdw174]

Try fishing out of Paris Landing on any weekend from April through October. There are tx's both Sat and Sun (not majors, but money tx's nontheless), plus any number of clubs that show up for a weekend. Add in the pleasure boaters/jet skis/etc. and you see why I make it a point to try and fish during the week. Read this morning about Van Damm and others saying how people came in on them the last couple of days, GPS'd their spots and left. Whether or not these same people will try to move in on their spots today/tomorrow remains to be seen. While I might GPS a spot I wouldn't be so low as to try and jump in on those people during a tournament.

[stickbait]

It gets worse every year. It never fails every spring I'll be ANCHORED on a lone stakebed and have someone from ILL or ohio come fish it with me., to the point where our lines get tangled. It would be nice if everyone used some etiquette and common courtesy but I'm not counting on it.

[MarkW]

I have to agree with ZX150----it has nothing at all to do with tournaments----it's just rude people.

[Danny]

I don't disagree with you at all. But, it is almost over... oh no, wait, the BASS northern or southern tour one will be there in a couple of weeks. LOL

As for the rudeness of bass fishermen and especially tournament fishermen, last year, the most people who cut me off were tightliners... crappie fishermen.... or folks who readily admitted they were just fishing for fun (I have a bad habit of going up and talking to people who move in on me.... not in a threatening way mind you), or just those folks who own a pleasure boat and would run right over the top of my line!! One of them I was fishing a ledge in less than three feet of water.... I was sure hoping that guys boat had at least a three foot draft!!!

But, before we run these guys and organizations off the lake, let's take a minute to consider the business people in the lakes area that have to make their living in the few warm months of the year, and depend on these type of events to give them the peak in their sales to carry them through the off months.

I agree, it inconveinences us weekenders, but sometimes we need to consider the overall good as opposed to the negatives. I guess because I live an hour from that lake, an hour from Nolin, Rough, and an hour and a half from Barren, and a couple of hours from Green... not to mention rivers that are available, like the Smithland Pool on the ohio river, if you want to stay in the KY Lakes region, or say the green river itself. I just feel that on the weekends when the big tournaments are going on, I can surely find somewhere to fish that is not crowded.

As for the GPSing other's spots... don't forget that pros do it too. Remember a couple of years ago? The everstart was down there at KY Lake, and there were all kinds of complaints about the FLW tour pros following the everstart guys and marking their spots because they would be fishing there in a week or two. Or think of the pros that hire guides to take them fishing before the off limits occur to help them find spots.

As for KY Lake, most of the pros in the BASS tournament really haven't fished there enough to know the lake well. They have to find ways to get the competitive edge.

Further, what about the guys who follow the pros and learn their styles, their tricks, their specialities? This is the same as marking a spot. That is one of the reasons why when a new fisherman comes on this board and asks for advice, most people say fish with as many different people as possible to learn as many different styles and techniques as possible.

A lot of the above is really playing devil's advocate in response to your post. Please understand, I too have some ethical problems with some aspects of tournaments in general. However, they will not go away, and I too love to fish tournaments. I'll never make my living doing that, so maybe I am just jealous.

Hopefully I have presented some things to think about.

Danny

[BassBest]

The fish do get a lot of pressure, as far as too much I'm not sure about that. I'm sure other popular lakes get the same amount or more, All I hope for is that when it is evident that the tx's are hurting the fish population that they do something about it immediately. I wouldn't mind having a closed season to the bass for a few years. Give them some of their territory back. Sure it would be frustrating, I can barely wait through the snow sleet and ice as it is. With as many 7lbers and their are in the lake it shouldn't be too distant to have a 10 show up once a year or so. I haven't heard of any this year or last, maybe due to the pressure. Stress kills. As far as too much boat traffic I agree, we had a little tx out of Buckhorn today and on our way back to the ramp we were coming through 2 and 3 ft waves with no wind, almost got too close for comfort twice because some boaters do not look anywhere but straight ahead. Well, maybe its not TOO much boat traffic, most are just people having fun on the water and nothing wrong with that....unless your a bass fisherman and are concentrating and fishing undisturbed water...lol
Elijah Orr
Kentucky Lake Bass Club
Asst. TD
270-354-5285
[email protected]

[croix]

Just stay home and you wont have to whine about it!

[BassBest]

Sounds sort of tacky I think, besides, staying at home won't stop any whining, that's when I do the most...lol I thought the topic to be good conversation starter Hunt

Elijah Orr
Kentucky Lake Bass Club
Asst. TD
270-354-5285
[email protected]

[the_donger]

Nice answer. The whining reply usually would have started a fight and ended up with this thread being locked, you handled that well. Are you a teacher or have lots of kids? And it is an interesting topic, so my 2 cents follow:

I live on the banks of Kntucky lake and on the weekends, I see huge numbers of boats on the water, though how many are fishing tourneys, I cannot say. During the week, howevert, is a different story. Looking out my back door, some days I see fewer than 5 boats an hour cruising back and forth. After thinking about these very UNscientific results, I do not believe that there is too much pressure on these fish as I believe that the pressure they receive is high on the weekends but very low the rest of the time.

[BassBest]

You mentioned something that I had not considered. I mentioned that the lake gets a good bit of pressure but I didn't think it was too much, and now reading your post about the calmer weekdays (why that didn't cross my mind I have no clue), I am lowering my pressure scale from about 7 to a 5. Of course I know someone will chime in about the weekday tourneys, I know about those. Most are night tourneys, and are not that many anyway. Thanks for the report.

Elijah Orr
Kentucky Lake Bass Club
Asst. TD
270-354-5285
[email protected]

[fishinmomma]

We got the same thing over here in eastern,ky but I think worse, because its a smaller lake (laurel lake)and there is one just about every night of the week.
I would like for the state to charge a higher fee for the out of staters, but first they need to start enforcing the rules that are there to start with. On laurel if you look at a map it will have areas marked as no ski zone but the bouy's are gone and the jet ski's have taken over. And then they are wondering why they was missing a year when they checked on the bass condition this year. I think if they would keep all the branches off the main lake no wake zones they would have a record class bass lake. And personaly I would love to see some big lilly pad patches, I miss fishing that stuff