A plead to the KDFWR

[lured away]

Great thread and some great points. I would not get carried away with who is in the majority. The majority on this forum may happen to be tournament fishermen but I'm not sure that represents the majority of the population.
I, for one, would like to see the size and frequency of tounaments regulated.

I agree, most of the people that have a problem with "fisheaters" are tourny fishermen (probably not the majority of fishermen as a whole). By the same token, I know alot of casual fishermen that have a problem with tourny fishermen. As long as it is within the law, there is nothing wrong with it. I don't bass fish -never have (probably won't start anytime soon) BUT, my family loves to eat fish & I don't care one bit to bring them home and clean them. I don't break the law, but we DO eat alot of fish.

[DJD]

Getting carried away with wanting new laws and regulations is not the answer here. How about enforcing with an iron fist the laws that are in place first? Make examples of people regardless of their excuses for breaking the law. Education is the key, new laws are hardly ever the answer. JMO

[artcarney_agr]

The KDFWR take into account a lot of factors when determining size and creel limits. Catch and Release is taken into account, as well as those who fillet and eat their fish, and tournament releases. Watching people fillet bass may not be seen as a good thing by catch and release advocates, but it is just something you have to accept - it's just part of the equation! The KDFWR does what it can to maximize the enjoyment of EVERY fisherman without compromising the integrity of the fishery. I put my trust in the fact that the KDFWR knows what they are doing because in my 20+ years of bass fishing they have never given me a reason to think otherwise.

[dh]

this is b.s.!!!!! good bye

[ekubassfsher]

I cant stand to see someone keep a bass for food. No matter what the size. Guess the people that grew up doing it dont really care. you pretty much s.u.c.k at fishing if you eat a bass. just think it shows you very seldom catch one and when you do you decide it would be a great idea to eat one...

[Chubminnow]

After calling the number shared with us on this site, I took it upon myself to call David Godby…This is what I found out.

David has no connection to the internet what so ever, he has never heard of fishin.com nor does he have an email address, but he does have a fax. So what I did was print out this thread and faxed it to David so he could read first hand some of the opinions regarding the smallmouth fishing at Lake Cumberland. I thought it would be good for him to read what others are saying about the present regulations set in place at Lake Cumberland.

David told me he was the one responsible for putting the 15” and 18” limits on the LM and SM at Cumberland…the 15” size has been in effect for about ten years and the 18” size limit has been in effect a few years less than that. David said that before the 18” size limit was put into effect on the SM that catching a SM from Cumberland was almost unheard of…(as I say to you, this is what he told me) and that the SM at Cumberland has improved immensely since the present size limit was put into place. Does anyone remember what the SM were like back in the day on Cumberland? David said he would try to get the information I shared with him into the hands of a guy named Benji Kinman. Apparently Benji is David’s boss or something…I don’t know.

David says that Cumberland and Dale can not be compared to each other at all as both lakes are totally different in nature. He also says that urban sprawl and development, along with rain fall shortages and also the reduced amount of farming that takes place now days has all had an effect on ALL of our fisheries. All of this = less nutrients spilling into the lake from run off, etc.

I hope David gives me a call back after he reads the fax I sent him, it will be interesting to hear what he has to say.

FYI – After 20 years of voluntary service to KDFWR David is stepping down from his office as of June of this year…I did not realize those guys were all volunteering their time.

Do not bash me for anything I have said here…I have one heck of a passion for Cumberland and my ties to the lake go back to before I was born 45 years ago. I’m just trying to see if we can’t get our voices heard where it counts. I like some of the suggestions made here though…a slot limit similar to Dale??? A two fish limit on SM??? Some good idea’s in my opinion.

[cumberlandguy1]

Hey eku....just because you keep a fish doesn't make you a poor fisherman. I'll bet $$$ that 99% of the guys that post here are very good fishermen and overall great guys. Hell, this is the only place that I know that people will tell you where to fish, what with, or even take you fishing if you ask. You owe thes e guys an apology or two.

[djh480]

Thank You Cumberlandguy1.

[apb]

Hey eku....just because you keep a fish doesn't make you a poor fisherman. I'll bet $$$ that 99% of the guys that post here are very good fishermen and overall great guys. Hell, this is the only place that I know that people will tell you where to fish, what with, or even take you fishing if you ask. You owe thes e guys an apology or two.

Yep!

Elnut, I have to disagree on the fight. I've caught 5-6 pound smallies, hybrids, and stripers using the same gear/drag settings. Hybrids outfight both, stripers are second. Different fight, sure. Not that I don't like the smallie. If I'm not chasing Hybrids/Stripers, I'm wading the creek for smallies. Good fun! If you want even more fun with any of those fish, catch them out of some fast current areas. Nothing like a big Hybrid screaming your drag in a tailwater area!

Guess with anything else in fishing, its what you enjoy most that counts. If some guys want to bass fish, more power to them. Same for those who like bluegill on a cane pole. The whole idea behind fishing, in my mind, is to get away from it all and have a good time. Looking down on someone else for how they like to do it is rather silly.

Andrew

[fishincreek]

Andrew brings up a point that I have to admit that I have been guilty of myself- kinda looking down at other folks fishing. No doubt those guys sitting all night in their lawn chairs at Jacobsen Park(or any other spot for that matter) look forward to those trips just as much as I do mine. Surely they worked just as hard(probably harder) as I during the week, anticipating that first fish of Friday night/Sat morning. I suspect they have just as much fun and at a fraction of the cost!

[Tim_T]

After calling the number shared with us on this site, I took it upon myself to call David Godby…This is what I found out.

David has no connection to the internet what so ever, he has never heard of fishin.com nor does he have an email address, but he does have a fax. So what I did was print out this thread and faxed it to David so he could read first hand some of the opinions regarding the smallmouth fishing at Lake Cumberland. I thought it would be good for him to read what others are saying about the present regulations set in place at Lake Cumberland.

David told me he was the one responsible for putting the 15” and 18” limits on the LM and SM at Cumberland…the 15” size has been in effect for about ten years and the 18” size limit has been in effect a few years less than that. David said that before the 18” size limit was put into effect on the SM that catching a SM from Cumberland was almost unheard of…(as I say to you, this is what he told me) and that the SM at Cumberland has improved immensely since the present size limit was put into place. Does anyone remember what the SM were like back in the day on Cumberland? David said he would try to get the information I shared with him into the hands of a guy named Benji Kinman. Apparently Benji is David’s boss or something…I don’t know.

David says that Cumberland and Dale can not be compared to each other at all as both lakes are totally different in nature. He also says that urban sprawl and development, along with rain fall shortages and also the reduced amount of farming that takes place now days has all had an effect on ALL of our fisheries. All of this = less nutrients spilling into the lake from run off, etc.

I hope David gives me a call back after he reads the fax I sent him, it will be interesting to hear what he has to say.

FYI – After 20 years of voluntary service to KDFWR David is stepping down from his office as of June of this year…I did not realize those guys were all volunteering their time.

Do not bash me for anything I have said here…I have one heck of a passion for Cumberland and my ties to the lake go back to before I was born 45 years ago. I’m just trying to see if we can’t get our voices heard where it counts. I like some of the suggestions made here though…a slot limit similar to Dale??? A two fish limit on SM??? Some good idea’s in my opinion.

chubminnow, Benji Kinman is the director of fisheries for KDFWR. He will probably tell the commssioner that if they want to change the size limit, that biologically, it won't have an effect either way. That is what the biologist said when they were debating changing the limit on Cumberland and Laurel a few years ago.

[kc]

You must be having a bad hair day. I don't "****" at bass fishing and I occasionally clean a bass. They are great on the grill smoked and I sure don't have any problem catching them. In a year's time I release 99% of the keeper bass that come into my boat and never clean anything over 3 pounds or brown. The key to this thought is in thoughtful management. Most of my fishing happens at Barkley which has plentiful keeper sized bass. To eat a few out of that lake does not have a significant impact on its fishery unlike all of the hundreds and hundreds of bass that get hauled into the weigh ins for tournaments on all of our lakes and many of these fish don't make it. To me it the tournament fishermen living in denial who **** at this topic.

kc