I personaly blame Dave Genz for ruining my fishing spot(‘s). As the first man to decide he wanted to earn a living ice fishing, he’s the guilty one.
That was 30 years ago. Just think this was all ruined before a good portion of you were born. Its all relative you know. If my smiley icons worked I’d put one in here.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about this one. How about the “sportsmens club” that went and dropped a crib exactly on the spot where I used to put my fish house every year by the tracks on Lake Ona and pull out a half dozen slab (I mean slab) crappies in the evenings. Now there is a waiting line and reservations only to fish there. Not to mention only tiny crappies. What hurt even worse was a friend of mine bragging about what they had done. Oh well. He’s still my friend.
The internet isn’t the only source for fishing reports, if there is a bait shop near there they will tell people where the good fish are biting so people will use more bait. It only takes one person to come in and do a little bragging at a bait shop to get word around about a hot spot!! And that’s been going on before the internet. 
Ed
Hey Johnny,hope things are good,about the light hearted jab,no offense. Being your first post you really fired up some people 
You will find everyone here will listen and try to give good advice if approached in a friendly way. Good luck with new spots and Welcome to IDA 
Sorry to here about your spot but I truely hope you find a new one… Welcom to IDA. 
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I have opened this back up for Johny to get his point across. He has a concern. If this stays civil, I will let it go so he can get resolution to his concern.
Let Johny have his say…
Good job. Communication at times is difficult and sometimes you inadvertently hit a trigger that opens up a flood of attacks. (If you don’t believe me, I’ll introduce you to my Ex-Wife)
It’s only right that people are given a chance to clear up the waters.
Your members have impressed me.
I have been a visitor at this forum for some time and finally had to jump in as many of our small backwater areas have been compromised by this website. Our ice fishing on miss rvr are limited because of suitable winter habitat,leaving us vunerable to over harvest. I heard about this website from other very concerned fisherman in LaCrosse/Stoddard area. I HAVE seen IDA members also keep limits of small crappies/bluegills. Johnny Utah shoud be commended for standing up for his fishing hole. When I grew up “slab crappies” were 12″ and up – not 9″to 10″. If you are wondering how I knew they were IDA members, they were so close I could hear them talking about their next post. Shortly after posting on IDA this fishing area was overcome with fisherman so I moved on to another small backwater in LaCrosse area. Guess who showed up? The same thing happened – another post was made on IDA – so I moved on up to the north side of La Crosse. Guess what? – an area that had only 4 or 5 fishermen turned into shanty town with multiple vehicles parked there with IDA stickers. IDA is a great site if fishing information is discreet however in our small backwater areas any information shared on this site is like putting a flag pole out in the middle of the ice saying “come here, the fish are biting”. I have noticed a lot of IDA members live up north or in big lake areas where if you gave the name of the lake it is just a lake name, not a specific spot. As this website manager stated “The Staff here is very critical and aware of identifying spots exact locations”. As for bait shop hot spots, any experienced fisherman knows at best their information is two weeks old. Because of recent posts on this website about the LaCrosse area many local fisherman have been disappointed by crowds that are drawn to these areas due to the internet postings. We have learned that many people follow this website exclusively to get there information on latest “hot spots”. Our fishery has taken a beating because in the river environment fish school in backwater areas and we now are experiencing over fishing. It’s too bad we can’t go find fish — without being followed.
Just curious. How can you be so sure it is over harvest or over fishing causing this? Or that IDA is the culprit? How can you not be sure it is due to lower than normal water levels creating stresses? Stresses due to baitfish not having good spawns due to low or warm waters? Or little or no flow? I have seen sizes of crappies change quite often over the years on Pools 3 and 4. North and Goose lakes, as well as the Vermillion. I have seen sizes go up and down with little regard to fishing pressure. I think you are being a little critical on the folks here at IDA causing the conditions you are seeing. You yourself are an IDA’er. There are some prevalent theories out there that in times like this, taking some of the smaller fish is wiser to aleviate the overpopulation of them.
My point is that there is a lot more than meets the eye going on. I am not saying your opinion is wrong, just that there may be a little more to it.
I would blame Al Gore. He created the internet.
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I h Guess who showed up? The same thing happened – another post was made on IDA – so I moved on up to the north side of La Crosse. Guess what? – an area that had only 4 or 5 fishermen turned into shanty town with multiple vehicles parked there with IDA stickers.
or did you think that perhaps IDA members are people just like you that perhaps move with the fish and know just as many spots as you do?
Also I agree with Chris. Things change. get over it and move on…The area I have been fishing was loaded right away, Then the shad moved in and you couldn’t get squat for a few weeks, then it was Really good for a few weeks, and back down again. all the while I haven’t seen an increase, nor decrease in the number of people out fishing…Most people are pretty respectful to the area. Most likely you are fishing community holes and you aren’t going to avoid crowds doing that, and chances are you will meet some IDA’ers along the way, there are a lot of us out there. Try some exploring….Take a look at google maps, find a nice bay and take a walk! Thats what I did this weekend and found a great group of fish all to myself. Just be more optimistic. You aren’t going to avoid crowds when they can see you from the freakin’ road man…
I would suggest that if you guys see a report with what you think is to much info in it send that person a PM with your concerns. Some just dont understand how many are watching this site and what it can do for fishing pressure. A simple PM may bring this to there attention. I have had this done to me and have gone back and changed reports. Most of the time it may be only a few words changed or a sentence deleted. The edit feature on this site works great and you can even check the box that deletes the this post has been edited feature so no one will know it has been changed.
As you can seeing one reason you may not want to bring these issues up in a main forum is that it can draw a lot of attention to what your trying to keep toned down. Just look at this post. Lots of info in it.
Lastly. Welcome to the site Johny and Popper. Always good to have new faces on the site.
As far as I am concerned… unless the body of water is a small pond… I am sure that a little post on the internet is not going to ruin an entire lake in one weekend. I am sorry, but that is just not realistic. The posts I have made regarding the lake I have frequented has included some very specific information as far as where I have been fishing. First of all… this is a lake that can “take” the pressure. It produces a lot of quality fish as well as quantity of average fish. So I have no problems explaining my hot spots. I know the lake will survive. Second, if the lake you are fishing is so delicate that it would be destroyed if a couple new people fish it… maybe it might be a good idea for you to avoid it. Personally, if there is a specific body of water that is on the verge of collapse, I will not fish it and I will also go out of my way to urge others to avoid it in hopes of a comeback. These posts seem more like anger that a spot has been “made” rather than concern for the fishery. Please explain further if I have it wrong. Your comments truly are appreciated.
Deja vu!
I killed pool 4 back in the late 90’s. Word on the street was that the fishery was going to heck in a hand basket and some new fangled website was to blame.
That same website grew a little bit and a couple years later there was an uproar over Chris Tuckner leading to the complete demise of pool 3.
Mille lacs should be all out of big walleyes any minute now. Set your watch to it.
The truth is that the fisheries on these bodies of water are BETTER now than they’ve ever been. Fisheries surveys show more fish. More bigger fish. Enjoyed by more people. But people will see things as they want to see them.
On one hand I completely understand where the poster is coming from as his post is an example of human nature reacting to change. Any time change takes place people want answers and if the change is perceived as negative… they want someone or some “thing” to blame.
The truth of the matter is two things happened in conjuction with each other.
1) – this website went and got itself popular in the LaCrosse area. 
People are talking about this site. Both good and bad.
2) – the poster had his fish dry up. Is this attributable to increased fishing pressure? Maybe. Who’s to know. More likely the fish moved in response to changing environmental factors… a lack of food, changes in oxygen / light levels, or seasonal patterns.
The popularity of this website makes for an easy target… a nice scapegoat of sorts to help explain why the fishing in his spot, which wasn’t a secret to begin with, changed.
Q: Where’s the old guy he used to fish with?
A: My guess is he moved on to another spot in search of the next good bite like most experienced anglers know they need to do repeatedly if they want to be consistently successful. This guy’s been around the block a couple of times and has seen a hot bite go cold… and he knew what to do to get back on fish.
Before website’s got blamed by the “locals” for being a negative impact on their fisheries it was magazines, TV and local papers that got the finger pointed in their direction.
Once people get accustomed to websites being a part of fishing we’ll be blaming podcasts or interactive media pulled to high end fish finders giving anglers an edge.
The only consistent thing is change.
First off I would like to say that I am a long time reader, and first time “poster” on IDA. This issue peaked my interest because I have had similar experiences to that of Utah and popper. I have been reading posts on this website for a couple of years now and while many of the posts are educational, one of the reasons that I check out this website is to find out where I should avoid due to the crowds associated with these postings. I too have had several experiences where I was fishing an area with IDA members in close proximity and they gave out information about the location and the fish caught. Before you knew it the place was crawling with people. It really left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
I, too, am perturbed by the glorification of catching a bunch of 8.5-10″ “slabs”, but I guess it is really up to each fisherman to decide what a “slab” is.
The reason that this is such a problem in the river system is that the fish are schooled up in very small areas in the winter not only making them vulnerable just by sheer numbers but also through the fact that they are all crammed into bodies of water that are often times no bigger than ponds/small lakes. This obviously makes the fish populations here more easily exploited than those in a lake situation. I believe that increased information access via IDA has exacerbated the problem.
I have read the replies where people compare the information here to that of the info found at a baitshop. This is incorrect. People can log on and find out all they need to know in less that five minutes, and as often as they want to. Many times this information includes pictures of exactly where to fish (pictures with the horizon in the background are an easy give away, even if it is supposedly a secret location), what lures to use, how deep to fish, how deep that water is, structure present, vegetation present, etc. I challenge you to find a bait shop with that kind of info.
I am sorry that my first post here is a negative one, but I think that it is important for the members to know that there are a lot more people out there “viewing” than you realize.
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I have read the replies where people compare the information here to that of the info found at a baitshop. This is incorrect. People can log on and find out all they need to know in less that five minutes, and as often as they want to. Many times this information includes pictures of exactly where to fish (pictures with the horizon in the background are an easy give away, even if it is supposedly a secret location), what lures to use, how deep to fish, how deep that water is, structure present, vegetation present, etc. I challenge you to find a bait shop with that kind of info.
Just curious but what would be more appropriate topics to talk about?
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The reason that this is such a problem in the river system is that the fish are schooled up in very small areas in the winter not only making them vulnerable just by sheer numbers but also through the fact that they are all crammed into bodies of water that are often times no bigger than ponds/small lakes. This obviously makes the fish populations here more easily exploited than those in a lake situation. I believe that increased information access via IDA has exacerbated the problem.
Problem? Please describe this “problem” you claim. Are you claiming that the panfish populations on pool 8 have been damaged by over-fishing? Please lay out your claims in details so I can follow up with your local DNR office in the AM to compare perception to facts.
Please… let us know what you think and feel is going on with the populations on pool 8 and I PROMISE I will post what I find out from the DNR in regards to the actual health of the fishery.
Pool 8 is by no means small with limited backwaters with fish in them. Crowds are going to come to easy to get to places, even the places that are somewhat hard to get to. Which is what I percieve most of you are talking about. These places are not the only places with fish. There are not limited areas of winter habitat for these fish. Your fishing options are virtually limitless. Yes you will need to work harder to get to some areas than others. Even if a place is moderatly hard to get to people will come if they can see you.
Heres an example of a past hot spot. Shadey Maple that area 20 years ago was awsome year after year after year. Huge crowds would show up. Now I can’t remember the last time I seen more than 3 cars parked there at one time. Was this because fishing pressure killed it. No it was because our river is always moving. Fact is the area lost alot of islands, wind, and current breaks. Areas started to fill in, these islands eroded away. Along with all of that the fish moved on also. The only thing that stays the same is change.
IDA and its members did not and are not destroying any fisheree. I don’t know if your frustrated with the results of your fishing or just complaining that you can not have a place to your self. I will not refrain from having conversations with other fishermen on the ice because someone might be listening that is paranoia.
Pool 8 is alive and well. With some of the best fishing I have seen in my short 26 years.
May we take ethics into account here? Let’s face it, there are givers in this world and there are takers. By all rules and regulations, everything is really left to what an individual is made of.
A report is typically given by someone who only wants to share his/her experience with other fishing enthusiasts. Do we honestly believe that they’re trying to kill their own spot or discovery? Somebody would have to really hate fish, and themselves, if that’s the case.
Once the report is posted, it’s up to the rest of us to decide what to do with it. Do we hoard in? Or do we leave it alone?
Personally, I don’t ice fish much because of this very issue. Why is it that you can crowd 100 boats into the same fishery and everyone tends to find their own space, but add ice………. hello company!???? I don’t get this “clingyness”. I know there’s a lot of factors here so give me a little credit but why do we congregate so intensely during the ice season?
So far, it’s been my experience that the guys who “know” a fishery, aren’t checking in to IDA, or any other website, to find “today’s game”. And it’s those same guys who end up getting followed…….. a lot! They’re not worried or discouraged because they’ve got more game to pull from. The traveler, the inexperienced, or in some cases….. the lazy are going to be the ones looking for borrowed info.
No one is wrong in this.
The best thing you can do is hold to your convictions. Either be secretive and guard all the knowledge you can, or share what you can and promote catch and release fishing.
Everyone knows fish are vulnerable in winter because of the schooling…… or maybe everyone doesn’t. The only thing we can do is educate and hope conservative ethics are adopted. Why? So more people can experience good fishing.
The biggest deterrent in finding numbers of slabs is a hard call to make but in the world of muskie, pike, walleye, and bass………. catch and release has shown tremendous benefits to an overall better fishing experience. Crappies and sunnies and perch deserve a break too.
I have seen 3 lakes reduced to poor fishing largely in part of too many bucket fillers over pressuring the fishery. If I’m on those lakes, more of the “locals” are starting to see the light. By limiting the number of “feasts” accrued in the freezer, and others doing the same, these waters can rebound. The biggest factor in accomplishing this is DNR regs continuously being tightened. But if you put the two together, slabs will be back in no time.
We no longer live in a world that we HAVE to harvest fish to have some form of nutrition or sustainance in our day. Economically, it’s WAY cheaper to buy fish than to fish the snot out of them. The price of gas alone is nearly enough to defeat any economic argument. So then, if fishing is a sport, why don’t we start being “sporting”? Protect our fisheries with good conservative ethics and help our fellow anglers to a great experience. The more we put back, the less it matters who steps in our honey hole. There will be plenty more to choose from and many more days in which to pursue them.
Just one more thought: I think some of you would benefit stoping in to you local DNR office, USFWS, or even the fish hatchery in Genoa. I am sure they would be happy to educate you on the health of our area fisherees be it pool 8 our any other system in the area. I think you will be surprised.
I think as a fisherman I have evolved into a better fisherman because of this site. When I moved to Eau Claire almost 8 years ago I left about 20 years of hotspots behind me in the lower SE corner of this great state. I started by making friends with the local fisherman but what really has evolved my skills and knowledge of not just fishing spots but technique was IDA and to a much lesser extent the web in general. I share my spots (to some extent) and techniques here because its my way of saying “Thank You” for all the people I have met and all the information I have soaked up here over those years that have lead me to all the good fishing that would of taken me alot more years to find without IDA 
Thanks Again to James and everyone here. It is truelly a great tool. I think from 30 some years of fishing the Mississippi river (the first body of water I fell in love with) is it constantly changes, if I fished the same spots I fished 20 years ago with the same technique I wont catch to many fish in that area, floods, sediment and time keep a river constantly changing. That is the beauty and challenge of fishing the river- for me it makes it fun. In the summer you should try finding new area’s to fish and when you find them try to try to envision if these same spots will work in winter then go give it a try. This ice fishing season for me started out pretty fair to downright no good. So I stopped fishing the same holes that every other guy has been pounding and struck out on my own. Risk and reward has paid off, I currently have a honey hole within two miles of my house that I know I can catch 1 pound crappies today and nobody will be there except me and a few choice friends if they coose to fish it. This spot will also spit up a few nice walleyes and pike. A few years ago I would have never had the knowledge or skill to find such a place. Thanks to IDA and my own sniffing around (talking to locals about “old” fishing hotspots) I now have a spot that all the guys pounding lake Alottona for a couple dinks in the mid-winter bite would die for. Take it as a challenge that your holes are getting pressure, “steal” the knowledge here and go make your own, take some pictures and bring them back here and show your fish and your technique but dont even share one bit of info about your spot. I hope this helps you..
I’m still looking for the list of hot spots 
If Pool 8 is mentioned, for how large it is how does that give away a location? 
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It’s too bad we can’t go find fish — without being followed.
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Slabs? Seeing this ticks me off more then anything. When you get guys that go out and catch there limit of “Slab” crappies then come back on here and brag about the day that they had about catching 7-9 inch chip crappies granted there are a few 12″ers in this mess but the majority of those fish are under 10″es. This may look like i am singling cade out and i am sure i will catch hell about it but i am not trying to, this is a prime example of what goes on. I don’t believe that there is a lot of spot sharing in public on this site except for watson’s sharing of the spot in the disgusted thread i know that there is a lot of sharing behind the scenes which is where you get your crowds. there is a huge network of people and once someone finds a spot then it doesn’t take long for that spot to spread. I hope that i haven’t ticked of to many people in this post i think that it has some very valid information, and i can see why johny would think that the site has ruined his spot and i am hoping that he responds to my PM. If you have a problem with this post either get over it or send me a pm.
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This may look like i am singling cade out and i am sure i will catch hell about it but i am not trying to,
…but you are. If you didn’t want to single him out…why did you post it?
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Slabs? Seeing this ticks me off more then anything. When you get guys that go out and catch there limit of “Slab” crappies then come back on here and brag about the day that they had about catching 7-9 inch chip crappies granted there are a few 12″ers in this mess but the majority of those fish are under 10″es.
What is your point? He’s not over limit. The majority of the fish he kept are mid-sized in the 9″ – 10″ range so he can’t be accused of over harvesting trophy sized fish. I myself prefer mid-sized pannies and will release all of the bigger fish I catch. So in your opinion am I doing some thing wrong? Oh… wait…. I could care less if you think I should be keeping 12″ crappies instead of 10″ crappies.
I don’t know what you have against Cade but for those of us that have been here for awhile its hard not to notice that you’ve got some high schooler fued going on here.
Give it up or take it some place else. This website isn’t going to change. We’re going to keep talking and sharing and having fun doing it.
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This may look like i am singling cade out and i am sure i will catch hell about it but i am not trying to,
…but you are. If you didn’t want to single him out…why did you post it?
Because of jealousy, not to single anyone out Nick!
PM Sent
I just don’t get it. Are you the same people that complain about teen crime and disrespect, the kid is out showing people what he loves to do and obviously having fun doing it. Are you jealous this kid loves to show people his fish. I wish we had alot more teenagers like Cade, the world would be a whole lot better. If people want to [censored] about a kid catching fish than maybe you better start looking inward not outward. PEACE-OUT
Guys… this thread was started under false pretenses and nothing we add from here on really gets us anywhere. I’m going to lock these up and we can get back to talking fishing.
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