Thread: Lake Talquin "Are the good times really over?"

GCD, I am thinking that it means that if a tournament is held there, the Chamber of Commerce is not going to give any money to the organizations putting on the tournament to help sponsor the tournament. This puts more of a financial burden on those organizations......But there are still some good times and good fishing at Talquin just around the corner!!

Originally Posted by Outlaw1&2

Apparently the tourism dept in that area is no longer interested in or able to support crappie tournaments or crappie fishing tourism as a whole. Don't know the whole scoop but that's what it appears.

They used to, but can't now?... even when it means more money in their pockets?... or the loss of annual income?

Originally Posted by TnT

GCD, I am thinking that it means that if a tournament is held there, the Chamber of Commerce is not going to give any money to the organizations putting on the tournament to help sponsor the tournament. This puts more of a financial burden on those organizations......But there are still some good times and good fishing at Talquin just around the corner!!

HOMC only spoke of the larger/bigger tournaments that should have plenty of sponsors and shouldn't need moneies from the CoC.

It sounds to me like the CoC wants Lake Talquin to be more oriented to the individual fisherman and families, rather than the large tournaments for some reason.

What would that reason be?... especially if it means the loss of $$$ to the area!

The only ones that can answer those questions as to why would be the folks on this link: Gadsden County Chamber of Commerce

There has been some type of change internally to change the focus of tourism. Most likely a consulting group or individual is in charge of deciding from outside the area.

The large tournaments can not operate on just the anglers and a few ads. Chambers are to improve the local economy on a multi-level platform covering all aspects of income for their respective areas. Tourism is one of the larger portions.

Bottom line is if anyone is interested in keeping tournaments at any lake and improving the economy surrounding those lakes, they need to contact their chambers and voice their opinion.

I meant no offense to anyone just wanted to say the good times aren`t over and maybe there are better times to come. I have enjoyed many tournaments around the southeast and respect those who still look forward to them. I also was one of many who pushed Darrell and Paul to start tournaments back on Talquin. Once a year is not bad but 3 to 4 a year. Anyone who has fished them has seen the fish floating around the point at the Whip during weigh ins. Not to mention the out of town tournament anglers with the coolers previously mentioned. These anglers using Talquin as a base camp are keeping 400 + fish a week.. I have seen it and you admit you have seen it.

Shine Runner I totally agree with you. Tournaments are not the reason Talquin is suffering. It is my guess that tournament anglers keep very few fish on pre-fishing days and only keep just a few over the the weigh in limit on tournament day. Its very easy to understand. On a prefish trip why would you keep a fish that you could possibly weighin on tournament day. And on tournament day why would you risk filling the livewell up with a bunch of fish depriving the seven that you plan on weighing in of oxygen. I agree with Dan that people who go out in the morning and catch a limit and then return in the afternoon to catch another, and do this for days or for some weeks at a time - this is a contributing factor of the downfall that we see. I am sure that during the tournaments after the weighin some fish die after they are released. But I am 100 percent sure of one thing - if the fished isn't released he will never be caught again. It's sad that the chamber has chosen to deprive not only the tournament anglers but also Lake Talquin Lodge, Whooperwill, and Ingrams for the loss in revenue these places lose on things like jig heads, minnows, ice, drinks, and lodging. Hopefully, the chamber will reverse their opinion.

I don't think that the tournaments are putting any fishing pressure as far as taking fish out of the lake. And I am not referring to only crappie tournaments, but bass tournaments as well. Lake Talquin is a great fishing lake and can also be a dangerous lake to run a boat on. We have all seen the dangers on tournament days of those that don't know the lake that well...For example: Running a boat up on Goat Island at a speed too dangerous for pre-daylight hours, or hearing a boat running wide open on a foggy morning. There are many very courteous tournament anglers out there, but there are those who are only thinking of themselves and the money and have no respect for anyone. But Talquin is not suffering by any stretch of the imagination. There is no doubt in my mind that there are some people keeping 400+ fish a week and there is no sense in that. But for alot of us that use Lake Talquin Lodge as a base camp, we abide by the limit laws and many of us only keep those fish that are 12" or better despite the 10" legal limit. As for the first post of this thread, it all boils down to organizations not wanting to choose Talquin because the CoC does not want to give any monetary support. (Please correct me if I am wrong) Yes, these tournaments can bring in extra revenue to the community, but the economy is hitting everyone, even government agencies, wallets hard. Can anyone give a dollar figure to how much the CoC has given in the past to support these tournaments? For these organizations to not want to fish at Talquin anymore, it must have been a substantial amount.

I agree that tournament anglers dont put pressure on the lake, but the attention it draws from the publications of tournament results and all the positive comments about the fishery from the tourney anglers draws HUGH crowds to the lake that ordinarily wouldnt travel and fish your lakes had they not heard or read about it from the publications of the tournament. And like already stated, when those crowds do flock to the lake most everything that bites a hook gets tossed in a cooler. Already seen it here on my home lake after two B.A.S.S. tournaments many years ago...and the crowds are STILL COMING!

Gabowman, i agree but so do websites such as crapie.com and others. I go to lakes in florida and alabama that i would have never even heard of until i joined crappie.com anytime pictues and weights are posted it gets all of our attentions. Just my two cents that aint worth squat. Good fishing to all.