Question for you old timers

[Greg Holt]

Everytime me and Dad come back with small catches he`s always telling me their not as much fish around like when he was a boy. He`s 76 now fish all his life. I`m sure theirs more anglers now, more than back then. And new improvements on everything. But do you really think theirs more fish back then than now?

[abarkley]

from the stories i've heard, i do think fish were more plentiful back then too. i think pollution and the way our lakes have been managed have hurt the population somewhat. saying that, i think the crappie population is still very plentiful on most likes i have fished. you may have to adjust your techniques a little bit and try to fish more open water offshore structure. the banks are always going to get beat to death by most anglers.

[flycaster]

I would have to say the the older folks fished to eat, therefore paid a lot of attention to the fishes habits. This is not to say that we don't do that.
True we have more advanced fishing gear, but we have a habit of fishing large open areas of water.
I will bet that the older generation went to secluded areas, creek banks ox bow lakes etc. They were into using natural baits and today we try to imitate the bait.

[Uncle Dave]

My Dad would tell me of the good 'ole days and I wish I could have fished then. I grew up in East Kentucky fishing creeks, rivers, and small lakes. I am 37 and have fished since I can remember, and I can see a difference in the habitat. The management of the sport is 500% better, but the decline in waters is 500% worse. Silt runoff from mining feels up a river in no time. I now live in East Tennessee and even though the waters don't suffer the effects of silt runoff, there are still considerable problems in habitat management. Rising and falling water levels during spawing season on the TVA Lakes is something that I think greatly effects our fisheries. I could go on, but I believe you get my picture. This is my opion: "50 years ago there was less polution and fewer people. Folks didn't hop from spot to spot, because of boat limitations and budget. They focused on what they had to fish and repeated it yearly. You would be hard pressed to find a fish that hasn't seen a bait this days." If each of us does our part we can make a difference for the future anglers. I do believe the stories that our fathers share with us though.

[Slipcork]

Uncle Dave I hear the same thing. I think we have more people fishin now and with the boats and gear, baits that it does make a difference. Plus but then peolpe like my Dad and your could fish places that we would get put in jail now.

You know here in AR there has not been a new lake in years. But boat sale and even jet ski's sales are up. Just more people on the same waters. I can even remember fishin and not havin jet ski's buzzin around me. I am only 40.

[Wiskers]

I am 49 years old and can remember fish'n with my Grandpa when I was barely big enough to hold a fish'n pole. My dad still has pictures of the "good ol'days. Stringers and stringers of heavy fish!

My Grandpa would camp on Ky. Lake from about mid-march thru mid-may. Dad still has old pictures of #2 wash tubs piled up with 2#+ crappie. Heck If Grandpa didn't catch and keep 150 to 200 big crappie in a day he thought the fish'n was SLOW! He wouldn't let you filet' a fish either! Oh No! Wasted too much meat. Scaley'um, gut'um and cut off the head!

I can still remember Grandma fry'n those big crappie 1 or 2 at a time in a big'ol cast iron skillet in lard. She'd have to turn them over to get them done on both sides. I didn't know you could cook fish in anything but lard till I was over 20 years old! :D

I agree that over fish'n and poor management of the resource has deminished the population here on Ky. Lake. Those days are gone for my kids and my grandkids. I'm just glad that I was around to see'um and by knowing how it used to be, maybe I'll be able to do a few in my lifetime to insure that it gets better for generations to come! :D

[NIMROD]

There is only so many fish and more fishermen every year. That and areas being closed off to the public. A lot of our lakes were new and fish grew fast. Those lakes are getting old and silting in ,that means fewer and smaller fish. The lake I fish most is the oldest flood control lake in Arkansas. I have fished it for over 35 years and I have seen the fishing change. We have cycles of fish up and down , but mostly down these days. It can be tough at times and hear people say fishing is bad. But I still catch fish . Some lakes are tough to figure out. I caught over 60 Crappie Friday , mostly small. Where are the big fish? Like most years they pull a Houdni and disappear. Then suddenly they are back. We go through this every year . A lot of fish suspend over deep water and they are the hardest to locate and catch.
Don't ever think the fish are gone just because your not catching. When all the locals are struggling then it's bad. Some lakes have changed and your fishing methods must change to be sucessful.

[frank lawhead]

BEEN AT IT A LONG TIME--LOTS OF PEOPLE NOW--
FISHIN A LOT SMARTER COMPARED TO OLD TIMES --OVER ALL THE NUMBERS OF FISH IS DOWN ,BUT MY YEARLY CATCH IS ABOUT THE SAME--
FISHIN ALL YEAR AS TO JUST THE EASY TIME,S --

[bentpole]

I'm ol' as alot of rocks :D ,I would say they was more fish years ago.I guess us old timer didn't help matters any.I can remember when we would go to Weiss & it wasn't hard to get 100 Crappie aday.LARGE ones,But there sure wasn't as many people fishing back then.You could fish all day & not see a dozen boats. The limit on Crappie back then was 50. So over the years there has been a large increase in fishing presure.It is the same as with Bass fishing.that is why I quit fishing for bass.

[FishnLine]

These may be the "good ol days" for many of us. One day, we may be telling our grandkids how it used to be.