Saf Highschool tournamnrt

[BloodRiverBandit]

Did anyone fish the highschool SAF qualifier today? The launch was an absolute cluster. Saw multiple rigs playing bumper boats and bounce their lowers off the bank to get their boat numbers. Inexcusable to me. We all want to introduce the younger generation to this sport but I’m not willing to risk a prop, lower unit, or gel coat damage to do so. They were calling 180 boat numbers while I was in the 150s before I got my float causing everyone to crowd into the courtesy dock at halcombs and the wind was blowing us all into the the ramp.

[nightbasser]

I wish they would take all the high school and college tournaments back to kentucky lake!!!!!

[JR19]

Is this another example of growing the sport but not the playing field.

[BloodRiverBandit]

Is this another example of growing the sport but not the playing field.

What do you mean

[JR19]

For the last few years all you hear is grow the sport but you don't hear about making the playing field bigger. When was the last time there was a good size reservoir or lake impounded in KY. In the last 20 years I can only recall one lake being impounded in KY that was decent size and its only 800 acers. How about growing the playing field. My comments are not directed to you personally or the SAF. Its excellent that youth or anyone that is not familiar with fishing are getting introduced to a great sport. The frustrating byproduct of growth is the crowds. Take a look at this list...you'll see lakes impounded in the 1950's, 60' and 70's but very little if any in the 2000's. Hence why I say the sport has grown but not the playing field.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lakes_of_Kentucky

[jetdude]

I agree with Gene. I have said this for the last few years with the crowding of lakes. Why can't there be more impoundments created?

[BloodRiverBandit]

I was just thinking about that this weekend. I guess it would be extremely dragged out taking the land from private owners not to mention land costs. Kentucky probably doesn’t care to spend the money to build a dam either. I would think there’d be multiple spots in eastern Kentucky in those hills and hollers to make a big lake. New lakes with new fertile water usually are awesome fishing. I would love for it to happen but I don’t know if we will ever have a new impoundment in Kentucky again.

I mean kdfwr doesn’t carry about our fisheries as it is. If they did we have Floridas and better bass conservation efforts. We could be a bass fishing destination state like Alabama and Tennessee if they cared. But they don’t. Same with our deer herd we have no lottery’s, our tags are cheap compared to everyone else. Out of staters are pushing out residents off land and leases.

[JR19]

I was just thinking about that this weekend. I guess it would be extremely dragged out taking the land from private owners not to mention land costs. Kentucky probably doesn’t care to spend the money to build a dam either. I would think there’d be multiple spots in eastern Kentucky in those hills and hollers to make a big lake. New lakes with new fertile water usually are awesome fishing. I would love for it to happen but I don’t know if we will ever have a new impoundment in Kentucky again.

I mean kdfwr doesn’t carry about our fisheries as it is. If they did we have Floridas and better bass conservation efforts. We could be a bass fishing destination state like Alabama and Tennessee if they cared. But they don’t. Same with our deer herd we have no lottery’s, our tags are cheap compared to everyone else. Out of staters are pushing out residents off land and leases.

KDFW had rather spend $ on Elk. There is absolutely zero chance they dam up land and take away ground from the eastern KY elk herd.

[Rude520]

My daughter fishes for her High School. Fortunately she allows me to be her boat captain. We skipped the SAF this past weekend. This is her second full year and in my opinion the tournaments have way too many boats in them. This isn't just a KY problem either. I would love to see a cap in the boat numbers. But that won't happen because a lot of times the host school uses the entry fees to help fund the teams. Also the more boats registered the more boats they can qualify to the regionals/championships.

Add on top of this a lot of the captains are inexperienced. Dad, mom, cousin, uncle, family friend ran out and bought a boat because little Johnny wanted to fish these things.


We fished the Battle on the Border a couple of weekends ago. 230 boats I think. 100 from KY, 100 from TN and some JR boats. They did an awesome thing and gave us boat numbers on a cardboard cut out and they were to be displayed which should have made blast off much easier. NOPE. Clogging up the travel lane and livewell check on the dock was boats with 180 to 200 displayed on their boats. Just an all around cluster. My kids probably hate me for it but we get up super early and get on the water before the madness begins. If you look cluster f*** in the dictionary a picture of a high school tournament blast off should be right beside it.

With all that said I will go to every one she wants to fish with a smile on my face.

[BloodRiverBandit]

KDFW had rather spend $ on Elk. There is absolutely zero chance they dam up land and take away ground from the eastern KY elk herd.

They could care less about the elk! Our elk herd is pitiful! We’ve given away too many of them, what hasn’t been given away have been poached. Many people who draw tags don’t even hunt because how low numbers the herd has gotten to. The only thing they care about is stocking trout in urban silted in trash filled neighborhood ponds. Not sure what else they do! And lining the pockets of our commissioners

[BloodRiverBandit]

My daughter fishes for her High School. Fortunately she allows me to be her boat captain. We skipped the SAF this past weekend. This is her second full year and in my opinion the tournaments have way too many boats in them. This isn't just a KY problem either. I would love to see a cap in the boat numbers. But that won't happen because a lot of times the host school uses the entry fees to help fund the teams. Also the more boats registered the more boats they can qualify to the regionals/championships.

Add on top of this a lot of the captains are inexperienced. Dad, mom, cousin, uncle, family friend ran out and bought a boat because little Johnny wanted to fish these things.


We fished the Battle on the Border a couple of weekends ago. 230 boats I think. 100 from KY, 100 from TN and some JR boats. They did an awesome thing and gave us boat numbers on a cardboard cut out and they were to be displayed which should have made blast off much easier. NOPE. Clogging up the travel lane and livewell check on the dock was boats with 180 to 200 displayed on their boats. Just an all around cluster. My kids probably hate me for it but we get up super early and get on the water before the madness begins. If you look cluster f*** in the dictionary a picture of a high school tournament blast off should be right beside it.

With all that said I will go to every one she wants to fish with a smile on my face.

Well said

[Ryan]

KDFW had rather spend $ on Elk. There is absolutely zero chance they dam up land and take away ground from the eastern KY elk herd.

100% correct.

[Stoner]

Many years ago there was a plan to impound a large section of the Blue Licks region in Robertson County, it would've rivaled Cumberland had it ever came to fruition. I do remember seeing a map of the area to be impounded. Like Gene said, there needs to be additional water bodies to accommodate the growth seen just over the last 5-6 years.

[Les Young]

A lot of parents that never fished bought boats to take their kids fishing which is a good thing, but lots of them had never boated or fished & really don't have a clue either. I can't believe how many high school fishing boats that will cut you off fishing a bank & don't even realize there's anything wrong with it. Somebody needs to teach courtesy & they need to figure out a way to limit the amount of boats in their tournaments.