What's up with East Fork Lake?

Ouch! I hate to see this also. I get the idea behind the site, but as small as any of our local lakes are, this cannot be a good thing. In this day of connectiveness and instant info, this will, no doubt, hurt the lake. Can you just see a Saturday on EFL after one of the members posts a good report? You will be lucky to be able to get a parking spot and will likely be have a hard time finding a good spot. Maybe the state will lower the limit further or increase the legal keeper size. That would help. I have always been in favor of a 10" minimum and a 15 fish limit.

Tommy is just posting how to get em at East Fork to keep everyone away from where he is fishing, ha ha.
Can't say I blame him. East Fork is a chip fest boys.....go somewhere else.

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Originally Posted by CrappieCrazed

For the most part ive never thought this site did much to add much pressure to the lake. With that said, there is a storm brewing that i can assure will hurt EF a hell of a lot worse. I will post a picture of it. My phone went off the other day and it was a fb notification i had been added to a new "group". It was this. Its first day it had 40 members. I made it very clear that this particular page was a terrible idea. Can u imagine when this has 1000 members? Every time someone posts a report every member will get Notified

I was quickly deleted from the group after explaining how bad of an idea this is.

The very first post was the fella that started the group saying he caught 100 and some crappie, which then sent a notification to every member. Its a closed group but they accept any and everyone. It was just started last week.

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It's so funny to see people complain about the pressure on East Fork and blame it on these internet forums when many of you, or maybe I should say US, are as much to blame for it as anybody. For years, every post from November through the time the lake froze read "EAST FORK IS ON FIRE" or "ANOTHER 100 FISH DAY", etc, etc. Then the cycle started again in the spring with the same posts. Now that you have figured out how to fish it, the same guys are griping about the pressure. Can't have it both ways fellas. I'm not saying the pressure is 100% to blame for the small fish this year. East Fork has always gone through cycles and it's down right now. But if that's what ya wanna blame it on....Look in the mirror boys!

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Originally Posted by SpeckWick

It's so funny to see people complain about the pressure on East Fork and blame it on these internet forums when many of you, or maybe I should say US, are as much to blame for it as anybody. For years, every post from November through the time the lake froze read "EAST FORK IS ON FIRE" or "ANOTHER 100 FISH DAY", etc, etc. Then the cycle started again in the spring with the same posts. Now that you have figured out how to fish it, the same guys are griping about the pressure. Can't have it both ways fellas. I'm not saying the pressure is 100% to blame for the small fish this year. East Fork has always gone through cycles and it's down right now. But if that's what ya wanna blame it on....Look in the mirror boys!

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No complaints from pressure coming from my way. A facebook page dedicated to EF is a totally different animal. Thats all im getting at. If good fish are hard to come by at EF recently, it is news to me. Im not having problems. tons of little whites will grow up...........

Speckwick, where you been hiding? good to see you posting again after 3 years.

Y-SLABS

Been longer than that I think. I got tired of seeing the same posts over and over to be honest. Doesn't seem to have changed much. Still only 1 lake in Ohio.

I hurt my shoulder in June and had surgery in October. Still rehabbing and can't do much till doc clears me (workman's comp crap). Couldn't tell ya how the bite is except what Jeepguy tells me. But there is already a forum dedicated to East Fork right here. You'd think it's the only lake in the state. How much more could a Facebook page hurt?

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Originally Posted by SpeckWick

I hurt my shoulder in June and had surgery in October. Still rehabbing and can't do much till doc clears me (workman's comp crap). Couldn't tell ya how the bite is except what Jeepguy tells me. But there is already a forum dedicated to East Fork right here. You'd think it's the only lake in the state. How much more could a Facebook page hurt?

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Definitely do what the doctors say, take your time and let it heal and do the rehab. My daughter had her shoulder operated on twice last year partly because she was trying to rush the rehab.
Once it warms a little if you need or want to get out before you're able to go on you own, let me know.

Those of us from what is left of the CJ thread on OGF, can speak to what can happen to a lake that gets too much publicity.
For those new to crappie.com, we were granted permission to put cover into CJ for 13 years. The original plan was to provide protection for the dwindling perch population, which was the Main Walleye forage at that time. The cover benefited the entire fishery even growing the shad base to where it is today. We had up to 50 fishermen for each drop, up to 2 drops a yr, helping with the projects....we dropped several thousand pieces of cover....and the fishery exploded.
About the 8th yr the State had the STUPID idea to publish the GPS coordinates of the cover we dropped that year....the whole cover program was to grow the lake so it was healthy, and so it didn't suffer the "bulldozed barren bowl" reservoirs, cycle of good and bad years....it was not meant for fishermen to poach off of.
So the State published the coordinates....soon, we had license plates in the Main Boat Ramp, from Surrounding States....lots full all the time...fishing boats everywhere...and this was just a 2500 acre lake.
Boats sat on the cover 24/7....We had fights over the cover....we had fistfights...we had people pulling guns...we had people running off handicapped and children in special areas set up for them....we had people lining up all around the Marina day and night....trash everywhere!
Soon, the cover was all pulled up (from people getting hung up, etc.)...fished completely out....pulled out on purpose, so others couldn't fish it...it was a nightmare.
We never put cover back in those areas, and never gave out coordinates again.
The reason we legally stopped 3 years ago was because the State tried to make us publish coordinates again....so we just quit the legal projects.
Greedy fishermen can ruin a lake quickly.

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Originally Posted by SpeckWick

I hurt my shoulder in June and had surgery in October. Still rehabbing and can't do much till doc clears me (workman's comp crap). Couldn't tell ya how the bite is except what Jeepguy tells me. But there is already a forum dedicated to East Fork right here. You'd think it's the only lake in the state. How much more could a Facebook page hurt?

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Its just two different animals i think. Lets face it, most ppl that joined the ohio c.com site dont even visit anymore. The facebook page you can join, and NEVER go back and visit but your phone gets a notification every time someone posts a report. Last i saw there was 120 something members already and growing. Just wait until someone posts a 100+ fish day on a saturday and the notification dings on 120 phones. Lets just say id hate to be there sunday morning..... lol so yeah thats a YUGE difference. With that said, i hate to see it, but its no sweat off my back because as you say "there are more lakes in Ohio". Its nice having the rotation of lakes and river tribs to fish. Normally in the fall i fish 4-5 days a week and never the same lake or creek. Its gonna hurt those that only fish EF most. With that said, let me know when your shoulder gets better and you can get out with me and John Sometime. Me n crappiemax had some fun days last year away from east fork.... you should come join. These places arent to far away. 👍