Launch fee at Chester Frost

Chattanooga Fishing Forum

Help Support Chattanooga Fishing Forum:

I'd gladly pay a couple bucks if it would thin out the wave boats and jet skis. Maybe the fee would include a ramp etiquette lesson on the pay envelope that had to be read and checked. People that park an untrailered vehicle in the middle of a parking space should be charged double.
 
I would doubt the money would go where we all know it should go. I would also like to see some up grades at wolftever.
 
Apples to Oranges-Look at the Army Corp Lakes around the country- US tax payers pay to operate the Army Corp of Engineers. They have emaculate facilities but then about 15 yrs ago, they had to start charging the public for day use-- $3/day to launch, swim, tennis courts etc, or an annual pass for $35. Senior discounts, This is the feds tho. No one had a say in any of it. Just a different branch of gov here. The army corp also sells tournament permits to anyone for $5 if there is more than seven boats. They also have a regatta website that publicly lists every tournament on the lake (s) across MO. Also nice if tournament shopping. Anyway, IMO, there should be a parks and rec tax funded by the general public. Way just pick on boaters?
 
BullMerc225 - 5/11/2017 10:37 AM

I'm a fan of charging fee's for tournaments. That would cut out a lot of the pressure on the lake because not all clubs and events would be willing to come up with the money to pay the fee's. It would also cut out the dogfights almost every single night of the week as well.

Unfortunately this has fallen on deaf ears with TWRA. I went up to Nashville for a large tournament committee meeting. Dennis and I were on the same page and pitched the following to TWRA.

$500 annual fee to host a tournament or tournaments on Chickamauga
$2,000/ Year if you are a host site like Dayton

Checklist of weigh-in and release equipment that all tournaments had to abide by.
This would end the bring them up in a weigh-in bag put them in a basket and then back in the weigh-in bag and then dumped back in the lake. Mortality rates are much higher with that type of process.

We also proposed that the "fees" would go to employ an additional TWRA agent for Hamilton county who's sole responsibility was to manage and enforce the tournament rule and then to also enforce proper gill netting by the commercial fisherman.
I know a lot of people want gill netting banned, but the reality of it is lakes that are netted have a better fishery because they are managing the rough fish population. I can promise you that once our lake is invaded with Asian Carp that the netters are going to be our best friends.

Again this all fell on deaf ears and we will never see a fee based situation in Tennessee with an attempt to limit the number of tournaments that are on our lake!
 
Some good points. Problem is, that would effectively eliminate all but your organization. I like the CBA and have enjoyed the tournaments that I've fished, but lots of people would rather not pay $120 for a tournament. I stay busy with an 18 month old, a soccer player, and another that plays baseball and fall ball. I got good at night fishing because theres just not a free saturday morning anymore. Guys like to fish our dogfight on the weekends and we like running them. I assume your ideas are greatly based on fish care? Why do you stuff 5 fish in a livewell especially in a 12 hour night tournament? Bags on this lake are getting bigger and at some point, theres just not enough room and water for the potential limit that someone could bring in. I for one (and I only speak for me) would be greatly disappointed if I was deprived of certain tournaments that I want to fish. Regardless, it's always about money and money talks pretty loud.
 
this is a extreme and I would hate to see it. but with what you are talking with the TWRA, is bad. What if the small tournaments went to catch and eat, then where is your mortality rates then. Where would that tournament fall in the TWRA rules.
 
IMO, TWRA could initiate a 3 fish limit for tournaments on Chick, charge a reasonable fee for a single tx permit and random checks for compliance. Expensive fees are not the answer . It could effect area commerce in a negative way. It wouldn't be right to charge a boat dock a fee to allow tx access. eg; Reah CO pays a hefty fee to the orgs (BASS and FLW), to host these big events. The county is the host. Not the boat dock. The boat dock is doing a favor for the County. Yes they benefit from granting access but thats what makes the wheel go round. If anything, charge the big orgs a hefty fee. Not the county or the docks. IMO. On Sam Rayburn, Skeeter Series went to a 3 fish limit because the fish are so big, they were dying from lack of oxygen. It has worked out well for the lake. If the big orgs would go to 3 or 4 fish and set the example, everyone would follow suit. The big orgs don't give a damn. They come in, rape the lake and leave with their pockets full- grow their biz using college and high school tx's on top of it and never give back!When is the last time BASS or FLW paid to stock Florida bass! IMO, Gotta vent sometimes.
 
Back
Top