The Demise Of Table Rock Lake?
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- Randy shares his concerns about the future of Table rock lake and some of the negative issues surrounding what has been going on in recent years with the famous Missouri impoundment…#fishing #tablerock #tablerocklake #bass #bassfishing
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I visited Table Rock for the first time in 2016 during a Ranger dealer meeting. It’s such a beautiful place, stayed at big cedar lodge and visited top of the rock what a place man! What you’re saying is very sad indeed. Here in France we have very strict laws about development in scenic area. I can’t think of single lake that has houses on the shore with docks and stuff like that. The flip side is we have no boating industry, no or very few ramps without any parking area. I live in Normandy one hour away from Paris on the shore of the river Seine and on a beautiful Saturday afternoon there were 3 trailers at the ramp and none were fishermen. By looking at the trailer the total value of the 3 boats must have been $20 000. You guys are lucky to have bass pro shops, lake houses, boat ramps with parking everywhere, great accommodations and infrastructure, massive marinas, serveral boat manufacturer and a whole boating and fishing industry providing you with great products and convenience. And you can make a living of fishing. So it comes at a price too.
This is happening everywhere, I live in a small town on the gulf. People are coming from big cities because of how beautiful it was here. They are turning into the places they are coming from. Such a shame.
I admit. I want to move to the area. I live outside Denver...BUT I don't want it to be ANYTHING like where I am now. Of course I'm one of only a handful of people who own a bass boat in Colorado.
No joke i grew up at Fort Myers beach back in the 60s when fishing was great and all mom and pop beach cottages Now its a concrete jungle and over run with people I moved to Branson 20 years ago and now see the same thing happening
Perhaps Johnny Morris could play a more active role in conservation and environmental issues.There needs to be leadership that values Table Rock.Thanks Randy.
I can't believe there are any fish in the lake. 10k tournaments every weekend. Cherokee and Douglas is the same way. Tournaments are worse for the lake than the 3 hillbillies eating bass. I hate tournaments as bad as urban sprawl.
They should ban gamefish tournaments.
Howdy sir, really sad that they would rather destroy everything rather than keep it safe. They should make it a law or something to not destroy the surrounding vegetation anywhere near the lakes. Canyon Lake out here is plagued with people throwing trash from there ski boats and weekend warrior beer cans everywhere. Not to mention raw septic from all the houses leaching into the lake. It could be alot worse and now all the city people are moving out here and trashing it up further. Great content keep em coming sir.
Liked that you mentioned Rod And Reel resort, my family fished there in the early 70’s. Yes it was very nice. We were able to fish out of a 14 foot Jon boat with a 9.5 motor. Every trip out we caught numerous 4 and 5 lb. bass with a occasional 7 or 8 lb. Have not fished it since 1973.
Don't forget, either, that we are the septic tank for Springfield. I will always believe that degrades Table Rock, regardless of all the 'treatment' in the world.
Parents bought a fishin cabin on Needle's Eye Point in Shell Knob when I was 1 yr old. (I'm 47 now) Grew up loving every moment I had there. Have always revered that area on TR as the most beautiful place on the planet. We still spend 5 or 8 weekends there every year, and often take a week long summer vacation. You are spot on with your analysis here Randy. It saddens me that my young children won't be able to enjoy the great fishing and overall beauty I experienced as a child. It's an ugly truth to say the least. Thank you for all you do on this platform...
So your complaining about ppl building and buying property “destroying the lake” but your kinfolk did it 47 years ago?? Kinda hypocritical. “We can do it but it’s sickening if others do it”
@@ajwenzel6276 Wow AJ...A lot has changed in the TR area over my lifetime. Frankly speaking... Population growth just sucks for all of us, everywhere, unless you're a Communist. Too bad the idiotic Green New Deal won't save our lake. If you can find waterfront property on Table Rock go ahead and buy it. There's a difference between "complaining" and agreeing with Randy. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
Thanks Randy. I’m 62 and grew up on Aunt’s Creek arm of Table Rock. Parents had 14 acres right on the like and it was a beautiful wilderness area. Needed a 4x4 to pull a boat up the steep gravel roads. Looking at google earth I can still see our old home and the 14 acres looks untouched but there is development all around. 76 thru Branson was just a two lane road and had only local entertainment like Foggy River Boys and Baldnobbers. Could run down to boat dock and catch 3lb’ers with a road runner. At 13 I got my first aluminum boat with 15 HP and ran all over that end of the like venturing out past point 10. As the years went on it became more popular and crowded. It’s where I learned my love for fishing. Fished tournaments there in 80’s and 90’s but haven’t been back in 20 years. Now living in west central Florida and there are tons of wilderness lakes to enjoy. These shallow weed filled natural lakes are so different than TR and I have had to teach myself to fish all over again. Gives me respect for you guys that can travel all over the country and catch fish. Thanks for bringing up some great memories of my childhood!
Retired back to MO in the early 90's. I usually drive over the dam New Years, back then the water was a beautiful clear blue color, now it's green. Way to much pollution from leaking septic tanks, lawn run off and general industrial pollution.
Our first trip to Table Rock Lake was in 1984. Unhappy with the lakes around the Memphis area, we started making the trek to Table Rock Lake, and were frequent guests at the Rod N Reel Resort mentioned by Randy. We also stayed at the adjacent mom and pop resort, Hardman Hollow. At night, from our vantage point on the water, there were very few shoreline lights and minimal boat traffic - a paradise compared to the chaos of Lake of the Ozarks. The water was clear at that part of the lake, even with its proximity to the Kings River, which flows into the lake from Arkansas. The water clarity at the dam area was stunning. Roll forward 37 years. The water is generally stained. Algae is more prevalent than before. The shoreline erosion the past two years is catastrophic, exacerbated by last year's high water levels during the summer, and tremendous boat traffic, including the particularly shoreline-destructive wake boats. I also concur with the hard water issue mentioned by Randy (something we didn't have to contend with just a few years ago). Without a doubt, the fishing has changed dramatically over those 37 years. On the plus side, we have seen a significant increase in the quantity and quality of smallmouth (20 inch smallies are not uncommon). However, the quantity and quality of almost every other species of sport fish has declined (spots, largemouths, and crappie in particular). Walleye fishing has been fairly consistent from our experience, although we tend to catch those as a by-product of our black bass fishing activities. Also, we have seen a proliferation of gar over the past 5 years. Some believe the gar are responsible for the decline in both crappie fishing and also large bluegill. Having built a vacation property in the mid-lake area in the early 90s, I can't and won't point fingers at the level of development on the lake. And with the US Army Corps of Engineers revised Shoreline Management Plan, and the prospects of an additional 10,000 private dock slips, marina dock slips or boat ramp parking spots permitted by the Corps under the revised Plan, the lake is only going to get busier. I think we all have to get used to this new normal, but try to do our best, individually and collectively, at being stewards of this precious body of water. I do think it is also time to push for changes in those areas which can have a positive impact, such as prohibiting bass tournaments from retaining fish, relegating wake boats when ballast tanks are in use, to sections of the lake where the damage to the shoreline and docks can be minimized, being diligent in identifying polluters, promoting common-sense solutions to preventing as much commercial, municipal and agricultural run-off into the various tributaries as possible, etc., etc. Randy, thanks for your thoughtful, timely observations. My wife and I have learned a lot from your channel (and yes, we now pull off one of the pinchers on our soft plastic crawfish baits - I think we're getting more bites as a result). Thank you.
Randy, I tournament fish, and many conservationists say tournament anglers are the DIRECT cause of the commercialization of lakes, nature, etc. See Randy you cannot have it both ways. Your opinions are important but as they say, we all have one & some stink. What do you suggest to resolve all the issues? I have watched you, and my impression is that you want to revert back to the old days..no electronics, no docks on the lake, no million dollar homes, no 250hp boats. The only thing constant is CHANGE, and if you refuse to change, you WILL be a dinosaur. I am Nephrologist, and when Medicare mandated we HAD to get electronic health records, some of my colleagues retired!! I am on my 3nd electronic health records platform, and I refuse to be an 'old foagie' when it comes to change. God & Change are the ONLY things predictable and reliable, so however painful it may be, change is coming. Everything changes, and that includes fishing!!
I understand what you are saying Randy but we fishermen that use these lakes have to remember that what we are complaining about is people doing the same thing we are, using the lake. There are just too many of us doing it now. Not sure how we fix that. I guess a good starting point might be limiting HP on the lake.
Sad to hear. I was at FLW ‘79-‘82. Fished Table Rock and Lake of The Ozarks as well as a few smaller lakes. I’m a Canadian from Northwest Ontario and I felt right at home on Table. Some lakes here are even terribly developed -haven’t seen the algae blooms yet, but I’m sure that’s coming.
Get rid of the wake boats, they Destroy the shores of the lake and muddy the water up
For the past 15-20 years we have spent the first week of June on Table Rock. The fishing has changed tremendously in that time. I do know in the past 3-4 years, I have to spend a day getting the scale off my prop and lower unit. I think the biggest issues are the size and types of boats you now see, plus the population demand for water has increased the amount of chemical runoff getting into the lake.
Don
Let’s start a group to bring awareness. I live on the lake and want to be a positive influence in preserving and improving it..
Similar to Lake Ozark. Carnival-like atmosphere has replaced the natural beauty.
I fished Lake Ozarks for the fist time this year, I was surprised to see how many boat docks there were.
Boy I sure understand where you are coming from and I partially agree with you. The boat traffic is insane! But, I see things like kids fishing tourneys with 200 coaches taking 2 kids fishing. I see kids tubing, spending time with family not phones! I see opportunities for local businesses to flourish. Overall, I like what I see. But seeing the trees stripped off the hills is disgusting to me. Fish quality is improving since MO conservation placed brushpiles, which I hope will become an every other year project. Glad to hear the opinions and I’m glad everyone is talking about it too!
Hurts to hear this but unfortunately it’s happening everywhere. I live in Texas and it’s happening here too. People are flocking here from California, New York, and everywhere else in between, to get away from this exact thing, taxes, and other things. Scary thing is, they’re slowly turning the state I grew up in for forty years into the exact same thing they’re trying to escape. It’s getting harder and harder to find places to fish where I don’t see anyone all day long. 20 years ago that was the norm. I don’t like it.
It's just beginning to happen CA. Sometime after 2000, we started getting new people in town. Seems like the population just exploded or something and the people are worse than ever when it comes to trash at the lake.
Not in Amarillo luckily. Have had family’s move in from California, mainly conservative, hard workers and respect what we have. Austin, Houston, Dallas, areas not so much at all.
I just returned from Table Rock earlier today and I totally agree with your concerns and comments.
I think this is why Edwin Evers is building his own lake too , sorry to hear your Lake problems are going through too though , mr Randy
Randy, I have a question. I've seen plenty of commentary about how Table Rock used to be this largemouth oasis until some fish kill in the late 90s. That it always had spots and smallies too, but not in much numbers. Now it's better known for smallmouth than largemouth. What have you seen in that regard?
That's what I loved about Texas lakes! Do you think a slot limit would help Randy, and if so how do we come together as Bass Anglers to see that it gets done? I agree about the pollution, it's really sad!
What good is a slot when no one keeps bass except crappie fishermen when they catch one?
You hit the nail on the head there . People just don’t care. I moved off the lake and went to Ozark.I to remember back in the day I would fish at night drive by very few pole lights night now you have so many would never get back to boat ramp without gps.Enjoy your channel you speak the truth grateful for that.
I lived on this lake since 2003 and I have noticed similar changes. These greedy developers just finished building these 10 bedroom vacation homes right next to our neighborhood. I have noticed the fishing doesn't seem to be the same as 10 years ago.In 2019 it seemed like there was some type of tournaments every week for the entire spring. It seems more like lake of the Ozarks every day.
This is why I love Stockton so much. No houses or boat docks, very few marinas even. Plenty of boat traffic but that’s too be expected. Ppl live near the lake but not on it.
Is there good bass fishing on Stockton?
Thanks for the message Randy. Keep preaching it brother!!
Humans will be the ruination of our fishery , it’s sad mr Randy , I’m with you on all of these subjects
Randy that makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. I can't imagine how I would feel if this was my home body of water or the lake I cut my teeth on. I've often thought about and often asked how much lakes can take with all of the things you mentioned that is going on from development to erosion to weekend traffic. Not to mention the tournament pressure lakes like that feel annually. It literally bothers me but I feel helpless on what to do or what action can or needs to take place. There are so many variables that impact a body of water that it's almost impossible or seems like it to police certain issues although I wish they would all get dealt with so better the lake and the future of it. Randy I heard you talking about law's that need to get passed and I think that's the only way that anything would get done to preserve a body of water. I guess you take baby steps and try to prioritize the issues and try to determine what you think should get changed first. Everything that you mentioned is detrimental to a body of water in my opinion and even if you got one of those issues changed or stopped I think it would help the lake or any given body of water. Thanks for the videos buddy. Like I said I can't imagine what you're going through and it makes me feel even worse because it seems like there's nothing you can do about it that's the shame of it.
Same on my home lake Norris Lake, Tennessee. Development and boat traffic is insane.
I have fished table rock for about 10 years and have noticed beauty of lake slowly being destroyed by development. I have also noticed quality of water changing.
Hi Randy, these are certainly considerable issues you have laid out. What do you propose we do about them? It’s hard for bass fisherman to complain about boat traffic and fishing pressure when we contribute to it. Lake Lanier is the same way and is nearly un-fishable on the weekends, but I can’t complain about traffic on the lake while sitting in my boat. And I can’t really complain about all the fishing pressure while I’m fishing. We can certainly donate to environmental organizations, but I’d be curious how much of that $ would actually go to lake conservation. What other ideas do you have?
Just got back today and had a wonderful day of fishing yesterday
My family has a lake house on table rock, we've had it for about 12 years now, but we've had a lake house on it for my whole life.
You shouldn't preach about fishing pressure when you're a tournament angler lol. Pot, meet kettle. Nothing hurts fishing more than tournaments. They need to be heavily regulated. How do you think people feel when tournament anglers come screw up their home lake every weekend? Bout the same as you do about Table Rock. Tournaments encourage more development too I hope you know.
100%!!!
100 why I stopped tournament fishing. If you can’t see how badly it screws up the fishing and don’t pay attention to the kill offs then you should educate yourself.
I’m a big proponent of regulating tournament numbers. Problem with that is the same problem you have with the over development. The local Chamber of Commerce for the entities the control that are reluctant to put those in place because they want the dollars
All in the name of the all-mighty $$$$ - such a shame.
I understand what you are saying, but just think about this. What was said by many that lived there before the lake was built? How many complained about the great hunting land that was going to be covered by water and new people moving into the area? It's sad to see the new development, but unless someone buys it up and holds onto it, it's going to happen.
It's going to happen any time the government buys and controls land
Its not the government raping the mountain tops at Table Rock...it's private property owners/ developers.
I moved to Branson Mo. in the early 90s and the water quality was allot better and very clear back then. Just a few years later the visibility was horrible. I moved to Shell Knob in 1998 were I kayaked and fished every chance I got. I can remember large amounts of dead fish floating with boils under their scales. Its to bad they didn't put laws in place early on to prevent this from happening. This lack of foresight surprises me. Our Ozark streams suffered the same fate from over burning the under brush year after year. I guess the pursuit of money has won out once again. I miss seeing the beauty of the Ozarks I remember as a kid back in the seventies.
Sounds like almost everyone that responds have in some way added or helped start the problems with our lakes. Are you listening to yourself, "when I was a kid my parents/grandparents had a place on the lake". Well, that was the start of the problem, development. Money and greed are the root to all evil and the destruction of beauty. I moved to Virginia in in 1989, started tournament fishing in 1992. Each year we would fish two tournaments at Lake Gaston. Used to be a beautiful place but over development has made it a bad place to visit. The water used to be crystal clear down by the damn, grass beds were great and the fishing very good. Over development brought the people who wanted the grass controlled, grass carp and chemicals now have wiped most of the grass out. The lake is like choclate milk in the late winter and spring. The place is now a shit hole.
Amen! Hundreds of homes on the lake. Thousands of boats zooming around fishing, skiing, wake boarding, every weekend. Bass tournaments by the dozens. Duh!
I’m building a very large subdivision and will be clearing roughly 200 acres of land. What can be done to prevent the erosion from affecting the lake.
Thanks!
At least a quarter of every large lake shoreline should be reserved as a state park and the number of the houses should be limited and spaced out on at least half the lake. Maybe the last quarter could have a little less restriction. My lake has a state park on part of it with no housing.
I’m not a fisherman but I had imagined it was conserved similar to deer hunting.
Some of my best memories come from table rock in the 90s fishing. The water was amazing and the fishing was unreal. My love for fishing came from table rock also. I caught a 5lb bass off of a nightcrawler under a willow tree on my last cast when I was 7 yrs old. I was hooked that day.
You want to see destruction of the hillsides around a lake and total development, come to Beaver Lake. Sickening.
First time at the Tablerock Lake area this week. I see your point, but if it wasn't for affordable rental properties (airBB), i wouldn't be able to vist this place anc bring revenue to this area.
Without these extra places to stay, Branson (in town)would be more congested than it already is.
I get it! But whats the affordable solution for all parties to come and enjoy West Branson?
Smith Lake in Alabama is similar. Still pretty clear water but development is crazy. When I was a young man in my twenties, we would bring a tent and fish till dark, set up a tent somewhere on the bank, get up fish the next day. Now it’s million dollar homes even in the Narrows on Ryan creek!
Same thing happened to the Smoky mountains around Gatlinburg Tennessee.
Randy, you are describing the shoreline growth of all lakes near population centers. Lake Norman in my area of North Carolina has followed the same pattern of change during the same time pattern as Table Rock. Also, don't forget that eutrophication occurs in all lakes over the lifespan of the lake. My home lake, Lake Hickory, N.C., is actually cleaner now than it was 50 years ago due to enforcement of environmental regulations and the resulting increase in the freshwater mussel population.
Could the increased hardness be caused by the fact so much more limestone is in direct contact with water since impoundment? Maybe it’s caused more minerals to dissolve
Good point!
Got hate mail on a prior comment, so I'll hold back some. I had an old farm house on a natural lake upstate, watched become a suburb play ground. Great fishing!! I now find myself thinking back on it, and wonder what it's like today. Sad I know....
Randy- I'm a dedicated bass angler and another passion of mine is fly fishing the Rocky Mountain West for trout. In the 30 years I've been visiting there, I've seen a terrible change. Houses (and not little cabins, its of course the garish, out-of-place McMansions) springing up all along the riverbanks, the rivers just jammed chock full of fisherman (both wading and in drift boats), tackle stores and lodges springing up like weeds. Naturally the quality of the fisheries has declined as it always does. The state wildlife agencies are trying to begin dialogue to discuss how to manage things but their hands are tied-- short of limiting the anglers, what can you do? I've started avoiding the 'glamour water' and fishing smaller, more remote rivers and creeks that honestly have just as good--and many times better--fishing, with a fraction of the crowds (if any at all) and you see the elk, the moose, the bald eagles, the occasional bear--like it should be. Something has to change to get us back to the natural state, once a big fishery like Table Rock goes down that road of development, it is seemingly impossible to stop and undo. Thanks for the video.
The dollar and mankind that live, breath and some even die for, has destroyed so much of this beautiful land across this country in general. I watched the rich and their dollars rip out tress from the part of country i was in order to build warehouses that were sold before they were finished. It;s so sad to see it happening without any remorse or regret. Great video my man.
A few of my home lakes are losing the thick weed beds. As soon as the new house is done and the dock goes in . They start killing weeds around their docks. Every year it seems like they kill weeds little deeper. Weed beds that use to spike in 5 feet of water 15 years ago stop in 12 feet. There is very few lakes around me in Minnesota that have weeds in the 15 and deeper range.
Preach, brother! Are we gonna have to become Scooby Doo monsters to protect these waterways?? Lol
I remember fishing Indian point in the 70s filled with cedar trees and a few resorts only now it’s like a little city also moonshine beach as well but I still go every spring for vacation as I still love the rock 👍🏻
When I moved here in 2002, I caught several (7-10 or more) 5 pounders every year. Now, maybe 1 or 2. Water is more stained. Top Water fishing has declined a lot. Significantly fewer fish caught every year. Haven't caught a legit 5 pounder since January this year. Yes sir, we are losing our lake.
So sad. Same in Bama.
It sucks that us Americans have to destroy something to realize we destroyed it. Ever since this live imaging has come out, the huge spike in anglers, extreme pressure going on and everything else going on will kill this sport. There are so many variables that we have to pay attention too. I don't know why this isn't talked about more. Why do we have to literally beat these fish to hell and be ok with it?? The passion is gone in bass fishing. It's all money grabbing and ignorant anglers and now the construction. When does it stop. I don't think it will, the sport is on its way to a dooms day.
Agreed, way too much going up around Table Rock and Beaver.
Same here in Wisconsin... I grew up on Kelly Lake.. Use to go to the north side and fish the lilly pads... we even pulled our small boat up onto shore through the woods to another lake just on the other side... ... It is all gone now.. The north side is all developed and lilly pads are gone.. People were out at night with tools pulling out the pads to improve their investment.. REALLY SAD... The Frye Guy..
It shouldn’t be able to be bought by people and destroyed. I can’t help but be negative. I hate that everybody fishes now since COVID. I also think tournaments should slow way down.
I am very fortunate to live in Deep East Texas and fish Sam Rayburn. There is very little development going on around the lake. I am sure it will eventually be development but it’s just far enough from any big city hopefully making it less attractive for the developers.
your folks took you to rod n reel, i stayed there once as a young man, my fam used to take me to aunts creek resort every year sometimes twice a year, my dad loved point 13, I caught my first DD on point 13 when i was like 10ish. It is sad to see the change happening to one of my favorite places on the planet, i live on the west coast now, but i took a trip last spring out to table rock and spent a month on the lake and saw alot of what your talking about personally, shes starting to look like lake of the ozarks more n more, which kinda sucks... it is what it is but i dont likey... i fished up river by viola and found some magic over there but it was nuts to see how developed it had become since i was a kid, there used to be nothing up that way now its full in every cove and like you said not that clear either anymore. sad to see it going that way
Sad but true. It is happening everywhere. Developers will destroy and area. Once people find a nice place to live, they start moving there in droves. The developers buy the politicians and area officials, then start building anywhere they can without any regard of the environment or the natural beauty of the area.
Grand Lake in Oklahoma is the same situation
Maybe turn the undeveloped parts of the lake into conservation areas. Limit the size and amount of boats on the lake and keep the speed down. That would minimized erosion.
Water stains on the boat are probably minerals from the rocks on the shore, that take a pounding frome waves.
Southern Missouri and northern Arkansas are a gem. That everyone is flocking too, only problem is it’s not a secret anymore.
The wife and I love to visit my brother in berryville Arkansas every summer. We are from Amarillo tx so we don’t have vegetation,water, or peace.
I told my wife this area is the next Deliverance.
City slickers don’t realize there bad doing to these places.
I started fishing Table Rock as soon as I was old enough to hold a rod and reel my dad and grandpa had me out with them . I always tell my wife and kids if you could have seen this lake the way it was when I was a boy you would not believe the difference. I remember I was fishing a point at the end of White Rock Bluff in about 1967 and this guy came past us and my Dad said what kind of a boat is that I said I think that's a Bass Boat. I miss the lake the way it was every time I go out I come back with a bag of trash. A fellow on the dock said did you clean out your boat I said no I want my grandkids to see this lake at it's best so if I see trash in the water or on the bank I pick it up. My family were Lazy Lee's resort People I wish you and family well. Thanks for you time,
The same thing is happening here in Tennessee. Cherokee, Douglas, and Watts Bar are being developed like crazy. Private land owners are paying to have the grass poisoned in Watts Bar. Doesn’t seem legal for a private company to spray chemicals into public water that serves as drinking water.
"They call it paradise
I don't know why
You call someplace paradise
Kiss it goodbye"
The Eagles - The Last Resort
Same thing happened at Grand years ago! Let’s hope that doesn’t happen at Bull Shoals!
Is the Bull still holding up in your opinion? It appears that there are not many houses right on the water. Makes it a pain to put in and out every day, but if the lake fishes great, it is worth it
@@MarkAegerter Loaded with fish. Hope it stays that way.
Blame the state for not acquiring more of the lakefrontage years ago. People want to Live on Lakes. Private property owners want to make a profit it not going to stop. Every lake is having this problem. If the state would have acquired say 70 % of the lake frontage there would not be all the development that we now have and it would increase the price of the 30% left that it may not be affordable for development .
Randy, I’ve fished Stockton for the last 30 years and I can see some of the same things going on here. The fishing has declined dramatically in the last few years. I have those hard water stains on my boat as well.
I see it first hand too at the river I kayak fish. The tubers are the absolute worst, and this year the parking lot at the dam was expanded by 100 spaces. The trash they leave is UN. REAL. I have watched them dump ice in their cooler and throw the ice bag on the ground. Then, they pop their tubes in the river and leave them right there in the river. I also do what I can. Hate to hear it about Table Rock. Oh and they just clear cut all the woods by the dam for a park. Deer were running around everywhere for a few days. 😔
Randy while development on the lake will have some effect on the lake, like most people you are focusing on the most visible items which may contribute but are probably not the cause. Permitted point source discharges are rarely the cause of water quality declines in this country as long as they meet their permit requirements. The real culprit is development along and destruction of headwater streams and buffer zones which leads to gradual degradation of water quality. Until people wake up to this reality, that cumulative impacts in headwater streams can eventually have adverse impacts miles downstream, water quality will continue to decline all over the country. Most states are unwilling to "hinder progress" by enforcing regulations to protect and preserve these streams. I spent 35 years working in environmental regulation on the state level, most states have stream monitoring data which will show these declines are happening. Biologists in your state water quality agency can verify that declines occur as development expands destroying habitat in these watersheds. You can also look at your states 305B and 303D reports which will outline the stream water quality in your state.
My home Lake Gaston NC a little different situation. Construction of million dollar homes have recently increased. But, prior to moving here my PB was a 9.5 and a 8.4 back to back days in the mid 80's. We had hydrilla then. Fifteen years ago purchased an off lake home and a hydrilla control program started with grass Carp and chemicals. Basically turned the bottom into a moonscape. Then a bass Virus hit and it seemed like the snot grass Lymbia showed up. Somehow the lake is coming back though with increasing water willow and other native grasses occurring naturally and with plantings. Our local club has a 4,000. Dollar big fish pot frozen at that amount for five years now. A bass over 7lbs get the prize. We've had several 6.5 but no one can crack 7 yet.
Ive fished tablerock myself since the mid 70's as i to live in the area something you missed in your rant which isn't necessarily a bad thing but is a consideration when thinking of bass population or rather how they may be affected can you remember the first walleye you caught bass fishing it use to never happen but with recent stocking of these fish from about early 2000's on its nothing to throw a shad colored crankbait on a gravel point and catch one of these toothy critters nothing against them i actually fish for them and have found they prefer a baby bass colored crankbait over 5 million stocked in james river arm in 05 now i can remember years ago you didn't hear of alot walleye in our lake
I have a house on the 42 of LOZ and we just came in from fishing because the rain stopped and all the a- holes are out.
An example of pressure fishing on a rather small lake . I’ve caught some nice pike on it. With Covid pandemic people out of work , lots of beginners fishing and keeping everything they catch. I saw many big pike caught that spring and this year the DNR did a creel on the lake and found barley any large fish at all. I used to catch big 40” plus pike on it. They found one fish over 36” . Normally they find 6 or 8 fish over 40” . I fished it and didn’t catch a single pike over 24”. I’m really bummed. I love releasing those big fish to reproduce.
Consider ranking the threats to the lake by their permanence. Top of the list are soil erosion and nutrient addition due to agriculture, lawn fertilizers and leaking septic systems. These ruin the water quality of the lake for a long time. On the other hand, fish populations can rebound in a few years if changes are made to fishing regulations, especially if water quality is good.
Unfortunately it’s everywhere, Randy!
This is happening everywhere between the development, pollution, tournaments and just people not caring. My kids and there kids are in trouble this world is doomed, if we admired and lived the way God would want there wouldn't be any issues. Its the devils world and its a shame. God Bless and thanks Randy
@John Nopey all i know is its not going to be in my lifetime but it's going to be like in the movies where there's no trees and just building on top of each other all I know is I can't live without nature
Hey,,, I hear your heart, but it is everywhere. Every lake, town, backyard,,,,, they don’t make any more uninhabited land anymore,,,,
This hits home. Our lake here in Michigan has been through it. It's a vacation destination for wealthy Chicago folks, and they come out to the Michigan countryside to destroy it. Saturdays in July the lake is like a blender. These wakeboard dudes churn up everything well until after the wake time expires at night. I was fishing out off this point I like and I thought these dudes were gonna hit me. I docatch good fish still, but stuff like the woods I used to play in around the corner are bulldozed, etc. People build Hollywood hill vacation homes on top of one another and eliminate every tree they can get their hands on. It's unreal to watch. We still have a relatively modest and ancient cottage, which is now quite rare out here
Seems like we need to build some more lakes .
It’s the same here in Indiana and rivers and creeks are also in trouble. If you contemplate all the why’s wealth and leisure and our sense of entitlement bring resorts condos water and snow skiers. It’s endless. It’s also destroying the natural resources for fishing and hunting. It’s not only irreversible it’s accelerating.
Same this on guntersville! All the Yankees move here with, buy a mansion on the lake; or have lake fleas (seadoos) and think the grass is ugly. So they petition and get it sprayed. Now all that's left is eel grass and you can't cast without fouling. Plus size has gone waaaay down.
Imagine being in Co & your old Trout streams have to have paths on them.
They blow up the Beaver dams so the river will run strait & have no ponds &
then the Cutthroats go away. Plus there are to many people up there with dogs
& kids not taught respect for the special place. I & my son lived it at 8,000 feet for 30 years.
I will never go back.
might be a hot take but i think a huge problem is the wakeboarding boats. my grandparents lived on the lake (james river section) and now that house is owned by my parents and the increase in wakeboarding boats over just the last few years is insane. ive definitely noticed the shoreline changing dramatically.
When moved to Branson 5 years ago I was stunned how many people are on the lake and how they affect it. From eating bass, to recreational boating, to the very development. TRL doesn't hold a candle to it's down stream brother on Bull Shoals. Bull shoals has been left alone by development. Nearly zero recreational activity on it and has preserves it's asthetic beauty. It also produces much better weights for tournament results and for overall size and number of unpressured fish from one end of the lake to the other. TRL gets all the hype for no reason when Bull Shoals 10 miles away is totally amazing in so many ways. I tell all my buddies from up north that want to call me down and fish to skip TRL and spend your time in the beauty of Bull shoals for bigger and better bass.
Its turning into Lake of the Ozarks. When there are wake board boats all day long up Cricket Creek you know its gotten bad. Also, lets not forget Johnny Morris bought a public ramp (Long Creek) and closed it to the public. This made access to that part of the lake much more difficult.
It’s turn out to be like grand lake, all shallow fishing is dock fishing. I feel like I’m interrupting someone’s vacation to go fishing cause there’s literally houses next to each other around the whole south end of the lake.
When I moved there in the early 90's It was an incredible fishery. Several times per week a mom and pop tin boat would weigh in a 9 lbr at campbell point dock where I worked. I could write a book on all the incredible big bass events I experienced on that lake. But by the early 2000's, development started to saturate the area. Everytime you went fishing all you could hear was rock hammers and heavy machinery.
the dock business exploded, Tyson continues to this day, raw animal waste dumping into Kings River causing phosphorous contamination. James River pollution from old failed septic systems. and by 2010 when I moved out, the fishing became so poor, you could get a check with 3 average fish. Randy, it's ruined.Maybe there's some way to maintain it to where it won't get any worse but, I don't see any human cooperation helping the cause. imo
Good points Randy
The money addicts will consume everything to get their fix. Money is their God. They are the stewards of greed and the purveyors of suffering. Theirs is the destructive force, we must be the creative force. This is an eternal balancing act. Our ancestors wrestled with this dilemma and our children will do so as well.
All our Kentucky impoundments are the same way. My home lake (Lake Cumberland) has gone way downhill.
Where do you put in at, at T R? Also, I was down there this summer, it's beautiful..but busier than the Chicago Loop! Where does all the $ come from? Who can afford those houses?? Thanks!
Bull shoals is in the same shape also minus the development. The weights have drastically dropped and quality of fish have went down. And this summer the water clarity was the lowest I have personally ever seen there now it's still pretty clear but not like it was last summer.
Randy, I watched your video about the demise of Table Rock lake. Consider these steps you may take to voice your concerns stated in the video. Use video to document what you observe about boat docks, shoreline erosion and point and non-point pollution. Contact the Corps of Engineers (COE), Table Rock lake, to ask when the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) is open for public comment. Usually, the review is every five (5) years. Attend the session about the review and proposed changes in the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) sponsored by the COE. Share your information with the lake manger. The above recommendations could be used for lakes managed by the COE.
Lake Norman in NC is the same way. It's overdeveloped, there's too many boats out there, it's just been ruined. I was there in the middle of the lake a month ago, and I was truly scared in my 16 foot boat because it was so churned up I had wakes coming over the side. I will never fish there on the weekend again. I shouldn't have to turn on my bilge pump just to fish. It was horrible. If you're not in the river section of the lake there's nothing but boat docks. It's almost impossible to find a laydown. I rarely fish Norman now. I usually go to Lookout Shoals, the next lake up on the Catawba chain. It can be a tough lake but at least it's not the mess that Norman has become.