Grass (Conspiracy)??

[Hook1]

About a month or more ago there was discussion of why the grass wasn't progressing like people thought it should've been. At that time, I bought into the idea of high water, current and poor clarity. I don't buy into that anymore. Wednesday I went out after work. Put in at HBSP at 4 and headed up river. I idled BOTH sides of the river on channel flats and sloughs looking for more and better grass to fish. I went nearly up to Ware Branch and found virtually none!!!! I only saw scattered duck weed and even some places that always had lily pads were bare. You can't tell me that all this is due to the above factors. Places that had great grass in March and April have receded to nothing. The river had to have been treated with chemicals of some sort. I even heard of one neighborhood on the lower end where someone went door to door giving out handfuls of pellets to throw out off of the dock. So; any thoughts arguments or if you just want to call me out as a conspiracy theorist jump on in. Surely tons of others have seen what I'm seeing and it's extremely frustrating. People have been harping on tournaments being the downfall of our fishery but the carpet may have been pulled out from under us already.

 

[DinkDink]

I completely agree

 

[SlabDog]

I was driving towards the dam on Amnicola Hwy Wednesday about 11:30 and passed one of those Everglade air boats all rigged out for spraying on a trailer behind a big truck. The truck had 2 - 500 gallon plastic tanks filled with a very dark purple or violet colored liquid. Traffic was a bit heavy and I couldn't get a picture of it or get a good look at the company name. I did see aquatic vegetation control and herbacide included on the writing own the truck. Somebody is killing the grass and they are killing it everywhere except maybe some of the shallow sloughs with no houses in them. It's obviously very hush - hush as to who is paying for it. Better enjoy it while you can if this stuff kills roots and all like it did back in the late 80's.

 

[turkey killer]

i agree I fished last Monday on chick and I was thinking the same way you was reguardless of higher water and stained or whatever there still should be a lot of grass in the backs of creeks and sloughs and what I did find looked dead and was not healthy at all. I believe the lake is fixing to be on a down hill spiral

 

[JEEPnFISH]

Last week I heard an airboat and saw it in the distance. I didn't pay much attention . This was at Soddy.

 

[SlabDog]

turkey killer - 7/22/2017 7:04 PM i agree I fished last Monday on chick and I was thinking the same way you was reguardless of higher water and stained or whatever there still should be a lot of grass in the backs of creeks and sloughs and what I did find looked dead and was not healthy at all. I believe the lake is fixing to be on a down hill spiral

</p>

There is high water and stained water just about every spring to some extent. We have also had wet spring weather in the past. But, the grass was always there by now. I think it's being killed everywhere....again. That's what I think.</p>

 

[turkey killer]

totally agree slabdog

 

[kingcab]

I started a post dated 6-22-17 stating ( Only spraying docks and swimming areas would be affected on Lake Chickamauga by TVA as stated ), folks we now see the results. Very sad to Poison a major river we depend on for not only recreation but livelyhood.
My original post had over 4000 hits, this shows we are not happy with what we TVA and others are doing o our waterways. This is my personal opinion...

 

[JEEPnFISH]

I want some of what they're using for my yard. I mowed all day long! Just now getting to sit down.??

 

[flipper]

Nickajack and Guntersville had the same high water and color we have had and the grass is fine there.I have also seen and fished some thick good grass in deeper water away from any ramp or dock not even close and it is gone! One small patch was turning black and then disappeared.

 

[on fish]

Agree,spraying at its finest.. it's bare

 

[REELWORLD42]

A guy told me last week he seen a plane flying low over sale creek area that was drooping something into the water he said it looked like pellets. The grass was coming up good in the back of sale creek now it is disappearing fast.

 

[Longt70]

Something is definitely going on!!!! There is such little grass now that I don't even waste my time trying to fish it with the other boats sitting around it! There just is not enough of it to give anyone enough room so I have just been fishing other areas the last 3 weeks! Don't tell me your not spraying it!!! Prove it to me and I will admit I was wrong!!! OUR lake will be dead in a year if the grass is gone! Those fish that they spent the time and effort to stock will NOT SURVIVE without the grass! No Grass, no longer a great fishery!!!! End of story!

 

[SHane]

Nickajack is not much better. There is some grass but several areas that are usually mats by now have very little grass. Everything on the lower end is dying and rotting grass. Only green grass is up river from Bennett's lake, and does anyone know why Nickajack has been down almost 4 ft for last two weeks?

 

[SlabDog]

TVA and most lakefront property owners don't give a crap about the fishing quality here folks. We all know that. If they are dropping pellets from planes, it's most likely the stuff they used in the late 80's. They used helicopters back then and I saw them. They even sprayed the pellets into my boat one day up by the nuke plant one day, or the wind blew them into it one. I got a handful out of my boat that day. If so, then you can bet the grass and the huge bass we have are doomed. So are all the big name tournaments I'd say. Dayton better make hay while the sun shines.

 

[churly]

Nickajack and Guntersville are way behind on grass as well. Little to No mats compared to a normal year. These treatments are costly and TVA does not have the money allocated to treat the whole lake. Also, the sonar and several other chemicals used years ago are illegal. I'm gonna call BS on a plane dropping anything. If you see something like that, you need to video or take pics and I'll go raise hell with you.

 

[on fish]

Boys it's bad stuff Sonar that was used years ago was a direct dirivited of agent orange and also can stay in the soil for up to 25 years. Also look at the explosion of autism in the last 20 to 25 years?????!!! The little saying goes ,," it's something in the water",,,kinda makes sense. It contains this late that are directly linked to autism also. ......I have a son with autism...

 

[SlabDog]

churly - 7/23/2017 9:12 AM Nickajack and Guntersville are way behind on grass as well. Little to No mats compared to a normal year.

</p>

First I've heard of that. I'm not disputing you by the way, since I haven't fished either one in several years. I guess maybe we'll have to wait until next year and see I suppose. I know most of the areas I've been scanning and always seen grass, they're about as smooth as a baby's butt.</p>

 

[churly]

Yes. There's no grass in areas I expect to see some. But if there is a Mat on Nick, I'm not aware of it. And on Gunny there are few all in back water areas, but no expansive main lake mats on top yet. Some years acorns drop, some years there are none....if we go 2 years in a row with no grass, I will get worried, but for now, I think Mother Nature plays the biggest role in the lack of vegitation

 

[Hook1]

I'll just have to agree to disagree Justin lol. One thing is for sure though; we'll have to see if any comes back next year.