Agree. I'm surprised they didn't mention the impact of the continual spraying of the grass on the river. Seems that was either avoided or left out of the article intentionally.

I haven't fished it in 10 years but I have heard folks talking about being down and it wouldn't surprise me with all the pressure it gets.

I fish it 15-20 times throughout the year, and I agree, things there have got tough. The ledges will always hold good fish if you find them, but a guy used to be able to take a frog/spook and wear them out almost year round. Don't get me wrong, you can still catch them, but the numbers on G seem to be on the decline.

I only fished Guntersville once back in the early 90's. But, I fished hundreds of tournaments in Florida over about a twenty year period. I can promise you that weed control was the number one cause of declines in fish population. Sadly, the agencies involved have always blamed everything but weed control. So, that being said, if G is going downhill, I would have to look at how they are controlling the hydrilla and milfoil. Oh by the way, I call BS on fishing pressure. Talked to too many biologists during my career and, to the man, they said that in a large impoundment fishing pressure was not a factor. In fact, nowadays, because of the mantra of catch and release, many bass populations are suffering not because of pressure but because not enough are being kept. A lake is like a deer lease. In both, the amount of food and cover determine the carrying capacity.

They've just about ruined Aliceville lake by killing all the grass. It's just a big shallow mudhole now

It goes in cycles. I remember back when 15-16 pounds to win a tournament was a big deal and 65-70 in a BASS 4-day was a big deal. Then the grass returned better, thicker, the fishing got better and no one said boo.

There was a little spell in the late '90s when for about two years the really big fish were outstanding. If you caught a 7- or 8-pounder it barely got an attaboy. One spring-early summer the double-digit bass were crazy good and included some 12- to 14-pounders.

Then it seemed like the big ones disappeared or got hard to catch or whatever, and there was a year or three of mostly 4- to 7- and 8-pound fish. If you caught a double-digit it was a big deal.

Runs in cycles. But gotta remember, too, the lake is getting old. Eufaula has run through these slumps, too.

I'm hearing grumbles about the spraying but the territory they spray -- they say --is pretty minuscule compared to lake's overall acreage. The spraying only takes place along developed shorelines. I think it's the pressure. I also think maybe mortality involved in tournaments may be part of it. A lot of the wildcat tourneys go to 3 fish limit in heat. Folks trying to do right thing. I really like the 1 fish format of tourneys like Big Bass Splash. But I'm a recreational fisherman not tourney fisherman. I think stocking program would help but it needs to be 200,000 fish stocked over couple years not 20,000.

It's not the spraying that's hurting the fishing folks.....it just isn't. I'm sure the constant pounding has something to do with it, but there are certainly other more important factors that are at play here. Not being a biologist I couldn't tell you what that is, but it's certainly has nothing to do with the grass getting sprayed.

I agree. They only hit shore lines. If there isn't grass in an empty slough or out in the middle, it's because of nature, not tva. There's plenty of grass in Guntersville. If they were eradicating it, different story. I fished a tournament a few weeks ago. I let three decent fish go because they were showing signs of getting weak. Almost didn't get a limit because of it, but all the fish lived. How many tournament people would risk that? I know there are a lot of good ones, but there are also a lot that would kill them dead, rather than come in short.

As hot as it gets in summer, and with little to no current or rain, I almost wish there were no tournaments from about June 15 to the end of August. I know that won't happen, though, and wish tournaments would go to a 3-fish limit during that period. Some do. It's just a tough, tough time.

As much as tourney guys do to keep fish alive, and as good as boat livewells are now, that still has to be a bunch of stress on a lot of fish. Doing a tagging mortality study would be interesting but state agencies don't have money, because it's expensive, and the fishing tours or industry damn sure wouldn't support that.

Summer mortality of tournament caught and weighed in fish is very high.

You would never get any tour to support anything related to summer caught fish mortality. Period

Bring them up from 20ft in 8-10 seconds. Throw them in live well with a couple other fish. A little ice and live well treatment in the water riding around for 3-5 hrs. Then throw in a sack. Then a basket. Then tossed back into 90 degree surface temp water. I could see where it takes a toll on bass. Not to mention the fish that don't make the trip alive. It's the nature of the game....... We do the best to keep the fish alive and healthy but some are not gonna make it

I'm not knocking the tournament fisherman nor the organizations.

He's right, it is the nature of the game. I've babied them all day during the summer. I've vented em, used every chemical known to man, ice, you name it...and they die.