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  1. #1
    Member sk2000's Avatar
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    Summit Lake Cluster.....

    Went to Summit Lake yesterday and took the grandkids fishing and could hardly find a place to park do to a Bass Tournament going on. There must have been 75/80 Bass Boats on the SMALL Lake. I'm not complaining so much about the tournaments but the lake isn't big enough for that size of tournament. A lot of people only get a day on the weekend to go fishing and there's a boat every 50 yards or so. Needless to say we ended up leaving early and didn't get to fish much at all. Its hard to teach the young kids how to fish for Bass when there's a boat every 50 yards and the whole lake is lip burnt. These tournaments are getting out of hand and should take in consideration the size of the lake and the guy who only gets to get out with the grand kids one weekend a month, Frustrating.
    Veteran 82nd Airborne Division " ALL THE WAY "

  2. Go Cubs Go cubswin's Avatar
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    #2
    Takes a permit for a tournament that large, which means it was approved by the dnr/park. Should have been able to find it on their events schedule.
    "It's even, but it ain't settled. Let's settle it." Fast Eddie
    I still can't believe they actually won...Cubs Fans Everywhere

  3. Indiana Bass Club Moderator billius's Avatar
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    #3
    You're right, Summit isn't big enough to support a tournament that size. I'm not certain there are 75 places to fish on the lake.
    Bill Gard
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  4. Member jc1234's Avatar
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    #4
    I just went to the DNR website and Summit wasn't listed as needing a permit. On top of that Summit or Dogwood didn't show on the calendar. I thought permits were needed for both of these lakes.
    The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer up someone else.

  5. Member sk2000's Avatar
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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by jc1234 View Post
    I just went to the DNR website and Summit wasn't listed as needing a permit. On top of that Summit or Dogwood didn't show on the calendar. I thought permits were needed for both of these lakes.
    If that's the case both lakes should be added. I was at Summit last summer, there was 2 league Bass tournaments and a Walleye tournament going on the same weekend, plus at least 1 if not 2 local tournaments going on during the weekdays. Talked to one Bass fisher he said there were 78 boats in the bass tournaments and I'm not sure about the Walleye tournament but they were trolling everywhere on the lake and the banks were covered by the other boats. I got to the lake at 4am and was able to get a parking spot and when I left at 11am there were trucks and trailers parked in the grass due to not having enough parking in the lot and that was at the north ramp. the south ramp was covered up also. Not sure what the answer is but this lake is getting way to much pressure and its ruining it for the people that like to just go fishing and enjoy a day on the lake with the kids and family without having to check a schedule to see if its okay to go fishing on any given weekend.
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    #6
    Indiana just doesn’t have enough water for everyone.
    Lakes or reservoirs.

  7. Go Cubs Go cubswin's Avatar
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    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by rude150 View Post
    Indiana just doesn’t have enough water for everyone.
    Lakes or reservoirs.
    That is true. I hit a small lake now and then that is down a gravel road with a dirt ramp, and still it is hard to find a parking spot.
    "It's even, but it ain't settled. Let's settle it." Fast Eddie
    I still can't believe they actually won...Cubs Fans Everywhere

  8. idbefishing
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    #8
    Wow, that's crazy # for that lake. 25 boats is crowded let alone 70-80. I'd bet they were from Ohio.

  9. Member sk2000's Avatar
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by idbefishing View Post
    Wow, that's crazy # for that lake. 25 boats is crowded let alone 70-80. I'd bet they were from Ohio.
    Yes , these club tournaments are ruining these smaller lakes when there are 2 and 3 going on at the same time and by the time the lake somewhat recovers from all the fishing pressure there's more tournaments going on. Whatever happened to just going out and enjoying a day of fishing?
    Veteran 82nd Airborne Division " ALL THE WAY "

  10. idbefishing
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    #10
    Well, tournament fishing has been around for a long time and not going away anytime soon. If you want to place blame, it should be the on the park management for allowing all the activities to take place. The guys that want to fish competitively have just as much right to fish as the fun fishing guys.
    Are you local to Summit? how long have you been fishing it? Do you remember when it was an unknown, pristine little lake with hardly any pressure? before they stock walleyes, before that pan fishing magazine calling it the best pan fish lake in the state?
    We have very small lakes and not enough bodies of water in Indiana and secrets could be kept before everyone started posting shits on the internet. Just the facts of life now and you just have to learn how to deal with it, unfortunately.

  11. Member sk2000's Avatar
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    #11
    Yes I'm local to summit and been fishing it for at least 28 years now. I also enjoyed fishing the local tournaments for 25 years when there was 12 to 15 boats entered. It was the same guys every week on Tuesdays almost like a bowling league, great group of guys. I'm not knocking the tournaments so much, it's the size of them on the weekends. It's pretty bad when you have to park in the grass after launching the boat on the weekends and yes your right, we just have to learn how to deal with it unfortunately. Tight Lines to all.
    Veteran 82nd Airborne Division " ALL THE WAY "

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    #12
    I was there yesterday 4-17 and there was another tournament going on, i had to park next to the last row on the big ramp because the parking lot was almost full, there must have been 60+ bass boats on the water in the morning. I went up at the creek and there was at least 10 to 12 boats in there fishing that small 200 yard stretch.
    I just don't understand how this is fun for anybody, the weekend fisherman and the tournament guys, when there is a boat or 2 every 100 yard stretch of bank in the lake.

  13. Indiana Bass Club Moderator billius's Avatar
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    #13
    I fish during week days. Even then at Summit, its sometimes too crowded. I live maybe 30 minutes away from there. I've not driven over there for at least 3 years. Just not worth the hassle to me.
    Bill Gard
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    Of course I talk to myself...sometimes I need expert advice.

  14. Member sk2000's Avatar
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    #14
    Quote Originally Posted by billius View Post
    I fish during week days. Even then at Summit, its sometimes too crowded. I live maybe 30 minutes away from there. I've not driven over there for at least 3 years. Just not worth the hassle to me.
    Yeah Bill, I'm only 10 minutes from the lake and its a shame the weekends are packed with tournaments with 60+ boats entered. I'm getting like you and trying to fish it on the weekdays, but even then there's at least 1 to 2 evening tournaments going on but on a much smaller scale like it used to be and wasn't a big deal. By June the Bass and Walleye tournaments will be in full force and at least 75 to a 100 kayakers on the lake on the weekends and Summit will be the place to avoid.
    Veteran 82nd Airborne Division " ALL THE WAY "

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    #15
    I would love to see an acreage to required parking spaces implemented on all public Indiana waters. It’s ridiculous that the state takes all of our $$ for registration and tax and isn’t providing ample parking. This is a state issue that needs resolved quickly

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    #16
    I experienced something similar this past weekend at another lake where, I was told, 2 tournaments were taking place. One youth and another adult. Every cove was like a McDonald's drive-up window. Boats in line one after another going in one side and out the other. The lake was too small for the number of boats that were there. Another case where the entire lake was lip burnt. I'm also seeing another effect that concerns me which is the weigh-in process for a number of these smaller organizations. The fish aren't returning back to their home range areas. I'm finding that often, locations on the lake that produce consistently, no longer do so after heavy tournament fishing and don't ever fully recover.

    https://habitat.fisheries.org/bass-d...g-tournaments/
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    #17
    Quote Originally Posted by BackLash625 View Post
    I experienced something similar this past weekend at another lake where, I was told, 2 tournaments were taking place. One youth and another adult. Every cove was like a McDonald's drive-up window. Boats in line one after another going in one side and out the other. The lake was too small for the number of boats that were there. Another case where the entire lake was lip burnt. I'm also seeing another effect that concerns me which is the weigh-in process for a number of these smaller organizations. The fish aren't returning back to their home range areas. I'm finding that often, locations on the lake that produce consistently, no longer do so after heavy tournament fishing and don't ever fully recover.

    https://habitat.fisheries.org/bass-d...g-tournaments/
    you must have been at Boggs

  18. Member yetti462's Avatar
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    #18
    Quote Originally Posted by dbharkness View Post
    you must have been at Boggs
    no kidding. place gets hammered, but produces a ton of limits. It's fun.

  19. Go Cubs Go cubswin's Avatar
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    #19
    Lot of the same north part of state.