Thread: Sardis Slowdown

Shoulda stayed at 12" but everyone griped in 11' when they were all 11-3/4". 15 is good but I'd like 5 of those any length. I like to eat some whole every once in a while can't cook a 12" fish whole

This was my 14th year on Sardis and each year it gets more pressure. You gotta join it can't fight it. Just learn from it. You don't want long lines at ramp go early or go late that's the key. You see folks double dipping limits bust that butt. Take a picture of the boat send it to the wardens cell phone trust me it works. I give full info on tackle and technique. Where the fish are being caught general areas of the lake. I don't want folks in my back pocket and neither does anybody else. It has happen to me before and it wasn't fun. That's why few give details. There are a few new folks that get on here that tell. There is a group within a group that needs your nose brown to tell you info that ain't my cup of tea. So best advice go fishing. Don't make it a competition if you do it's over for you. It's business not pleasure.

Sad news to hear. You dont have to give specifics as far as location. But it is our responsibility as outdoorsmen to PROMOTE the outdoors. There are a ton of people out there that have to work 24-7-360 out of 365 days a year.(Im fortunate to not be one of those). On the 5 off days that they get, all they want to do is take their daughter or son fishing. Well if the fishing is not decent, it wont keep the kids attention. Then the kid grows up not an outdoorsman, and then they dont pass that on to their kids. Before you know it, after our generation is dead and gone, there are fewer and fewer outdoorsmen til there are none. Now there will be gun control laws rampent crime rates and failure of the USA to thrive as a nation. All because us current outdoorsmen want to keep the outdoors to ourselves. We dont live forever, but our geneology could. So promote the outdoors. To anyone that has enough interest to ask. I am fortunate to get to fish 3 days a week. So I dont necessarily mind finding fish myself. But still like a heads up on new waters. Some one (grandfather, dad, friend, family friend) passed on the outdoors to us. Very few, if any, of us started out 100% on our own, without asking one question from anyone, and with no information, no books, ANYTHING. Someone passed on the tradition to us and its our responsibilty to continue to pass it on.

Just my two cents but if you are an outdoor enthusiast it's your responsibility to promote the sport(s) we love every chance you get. Hunting and fishing license sales are at all time lows and the percentage of kids that would rather play video games and than fish and hunt goes up every year. These same kids will be the ones voting for or against the hunting and fishing rights of our children and grandchildren in another 10-15 years.

Ask me where I caught 'em, I'll tell you "in the mouth" and then I'll tell ya what I know, which an't much.

Paying it forward may be what we need to grow and protect the future of the sport.