has anyone heard that they are taking the slot off of Sardis this year?

[TennesseeBandit]

i've heard it from two different people. man i hope they do.

[JRBjr]

It is my understanding that it will be recommended to the Commission and they will decide at their meeting later this month. We should know something soon. It would be nice to have that slot lifted.

[TennesseeBandit]

[JRBjr]

I just read on the MDWFP webpage where they have lifted the slots on these lakes to go into effect Feb. 19. It is going to take some serious weight to win a tournament now.

[gjudkins]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JRBjr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just read on the MDWFP webpage where they have lifted the slots on these lakes to go into effect Feb. 19. It is going to take some serious weight to win a tournament now. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Do you think the slot was a success?

[Joey Watts]

Yes, without a doubt and wish they would leave it alone !!

[gjudkins]

maybe the seven fish limit will help somewhat.

[dirtmonkey]

They are supposed to put a 16" minimum on Columbus... Why?

There's already too many 10-12" fish in there...

And the way it is now at weigh ins, theres usually a bunch of onsey -twosey bags now... from here out, there will be a lot more "0"'s

[TIGER64]

If they move Columbus to 16", how will that efect the lakes above and below?

[JRBjr]

I've been fishing Sardis lake most of my life and the fishing today is not nearly what it was back in the 70's and early 80's. After almost 20 years turning back slots, there should be limits of overs weighted in at every tournament but this rarely happens. I believe that for the slot to work, there must be an ample amount of small fish taken out. I will admit that I don't do it. I am strictly catch and release. Back in the 70's I kept everything I caught and so did everyone else. Maybe we all need to take some small ones out every trip. I was interviewed by some of the biologist this year who were surveying anglers on the water with regard to the slot limit. He asked me how many we had in the live well and I told him we had a limit of small ones and he said, "Please don't put them back in the lake. I don't think the slot worked like it was intended to work, though it may have gotten us through some tough times. It didn't do for Sardis and Enid what it did for Lake Fork in Texas.

[dirtmonkey]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JRBjr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I believe that for the slot to work, there must be an ample amount of small fish taken out. </TD></TR></TABLE>

That's what happened on Columbus before...

Sam, I assume that if you launch or weigh in on Columbus, it will apply... So, with that said... it could result in relief of the extreme pressure put on Columbus from tournaments, because nobody will have them there if you can't weigh anything in..

[TIGER64]

TOOK THE SLOT OFF BARNETT AND LOOK AT THE LARGE BAGS WEIGHED IN NOW!!

[willfish4food]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TIGER64 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">TOOK THE SLOT OFF BARNETT AND LOOK AT THE LARGE BAGS WEIGHED IN NOW!!</TD></TR></TABLE>
Look at all the tourneys there now.

Thats what I like about Sardis. Only one big tx a yr on the lake.

[Jay Carroll]

I say open the spill way and drain the place. Just my opinion. Then we could cut all those damn trees down and fill it back up.

[Jay Carroll]

Oh yeah if they change any it should be Pickwick. Move that to a 15" min and AL will follow suit and the whole place will be 15"min. That will put TN back in the BFLs and such.

[Joey Watts]

The problem with Sardis is not the slot. The problem is the core of engineers and how they manage the lake. They manage the lake as a flood control lake and not as a fishery. No reason what so ever to draw that lake down as low as they do most years.

I am also with Johnny on this one and no tournaments on the lake is one thing I also do enjoy about it. Was awful nice this past Fall fishing down there and smoking the fish like I did and for the most part. Not a damn boat any where else on the lake. Take the slot off and will be tournaments all over that lake again.

Onebadcat, just have to know the lake and how to run all that timber !!!

[TennesseeBandit]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by basscat247 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> The problem with Sardis is not the slot. The problem is the core of engineers and how they manage the lake. They manage the lake as a flood control lake and not as a fishery. No reason what so ever to draw that lake down as low as they do most years. </TD></TR></TABLE>

i agree 100%. It's like they despise fisherman. That or either they are the ones riding 4-wheelers where i used to catch fish.

[mercboy175]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JRBjr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I've been fishing Sardis lake most of my life and the fishing today is not nearly what it was back in the 70's and early 80's. After almost 20 years turning back slots, there should be limits of overs weighted in at every tournament but this rarely happens. I believe that for the slot to work, there must be an ample amount of small fish taken out. I will admit that I don't do it. I am strictly catch and release. Back in the 70's I kept everything I caught and so did everyone else. Maybe we all need to take some small ones out every trip. I was interviewed by some of the biologist this year who were surveying anglers on the water with regard to the slot limit. He asked me how many we had in the live well and I told him we had a limit of small ones and he said, "Please don't put them back in the lake. I don't think the slot worked like it was intended to work, though it may have gotten us through some tough times. It didn't do for Sardis and Enid what it did for Lake Fork in Texas. </TD></TR></TABLE>You nailed it!!! Especially the last sentence.

Sardis was built for flood control and that is what they do with it. I hate it, but it does what it was designed to do.

[Joey Watts]

To try and compare Sardis and Enid to Lake Fork is not even a comparison.

[mercboy175]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by basscat247 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">To try and compare Sardis and Enid to Lake Fork is not even a comparison. </TD></TR></TABLE>You're right. But the slot on Fork has worked and worked well. Its just an example of what a slot is supposed to do. The rest of it goes back to my flood control comment. Thats why it will never work to its potential with a dang 30ft swing in the water level twice a year and with unpredictable weather patterns these days, one spring the lake is flooded during the spawn and one year its bone dry in the spring for the spawn, no wonder the lake aint worth a crap anymore. I wish it would just get half as good as it once was. It'd be a dang good lake if it would.