I know with the weed problem they banned all fishing unless you had a boat docked on the lake. I heard 4 3 years. Next year will be the third year. But you know what happens when they kill off all the weeds. Might be really hard to catch them now. imo
Its not the 1950's here. Lil The chemical companies spends millions of dollars researching there products. And believe me the EPA would not allow anything to be put in the water that was not safe. The dosage rates being used are less than 6 parts per billion. Just for an example, FDA allows about 5 times that concentration of rodent feces in food production. Besides, floridone, the active ingredient of Sonar, is a chlorophyll inhibitor not a contact killer. Humans don't produce chlorophyll or we would all be green. Lil
the DNR could care less about what happens to Indiana lakesis simply not true. Ed Braun of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources works closely with lake associations, licensed aquatic applicators, and yes fisherman to ensure that our native aquatic plants are protected. He is known as the "Coontail King" for his efforts in preserving the good plants that grow naturally in our waters.
we should have a sayYou do have a say. Get involved. Go to a freaking meeting. Ed and others frequently attends fishing club meeting to help educate and listen to the opinions of people like you. If you want to stand up and fight the power you'd better educate yourselves on what you really want. Eurasian water milfoil and curly leaf pondweed are plants that were introduced in America through the aquarium plant trade. These plants out compete native species and harm water quality. Be water quality I am speaking of ph levels, nutrient loading, dissolved oxygen levels, and predator prey relationships. Large scale "weed kills" are designed to target these invasive species and cause minimal damage to natives. The goal is to eradicate the weeds that out compete the good plants in order for the good plants to bounce back to there natural state. If you see a "total" lack of weeds it is likely because it can take up to a year for native species to regain there populations in suitable substrate that was over run by invasives. It is not likely due to people are illegally killing weeds. Yes anyone can purchase aquatic herbicides, but not every one can make them work. I guarantee no one is paying the $1,400 for a gallon of sonar and dumping it in on top of a weed bed. It simply wouldn't work. There are contact herbicides that are less expensive and require less exposure time, but even if used properly on Eurasian water milfoil the plant would only be burnt back and would regrow likely within a couple weeks. I don't like selfish property owner,jet skiers, and pleasure boaters any more than you do, but I do know that they're money doesn't control the DNR's lake management plans. i don't always agree with the DNR's decisions on lake management, but they do a great job a trying and despite popular opinion they,re main driving force is the opinions of those that purchase licenses along with their educations of biological matters.
I agree the next time the council has their meeting to eliminate weedgrowth-we the fishermen need to be there so our voice can be heard. If no one is there to say NO they will be given whetever they want. Good article.
Not defending the lake association, but to hold that lady accountable for all the weed loss on Maxi is crazy. Sounds like the lake association went thru the proper channels to get the permits. The dnr is granting them because no one organizes an opposition. Instead they b***h about it here on blog that does no good.
Sorry, but you don't have a clue. I spent allot of time back in 2002. I argued and explained the fishermans case with the DNR and got no where....Below I will post some of the emails I got from the DNR investigator and Biologist. To post all of them would be a long list, so i will not post all of them....I also contacted the bait shop on HWY10 west of Bass lake I believe in Jan 2002, made up a petition and put it on their door. At least I tried!
LMAO!! Sending a few emails and posting a petition on the door of a lone bait shop is not organizing an opposition. ..........
I can see why you get no where. Reading your emails, you provide few, if any, facts; only your observations (which are not fact) and then you follow that up with bad mouthing the lake residents because some are politicians, have expensive boats, can afford to live on the lake, and hate fishermen. ..........
They are not killing the native weeds. The invasive weeds are killing and overrunning the native weeds.This is not what happened to all the cabbage beds(native weeds) at Max.. Invasive weeds did not overtake the cabbage beds. The chemical treatments killed all the cabbage beds at Max. I fished there back in the 70's and there used to be a big one just left of the ramp, its not there anymore....If you talk to Mrs Hissong, she'll tell you they started treating Max because of to much nutrients in the water. She states that very clearly in her email.
Good report. It is good to know someone like yourself has addressed the issue. Someone out there must know someone who lives on these lakes. We as fishermen need to campain to these few land owners on the lake and sway them to come to our side. WE ALL MEED TO FIGHT THIS THING TO HAVE ANY RESULTS.
waxworm....I sent more than a few emails, at least 30-40 or more. To allot of DNR officials, and got only two replies which was a DNR investigator and Biologist. The bait shop owner had information about a week kill in either 1999 or 2000. I sent to the DNR investigator. Who said that the DNR did not give out any permits for weed kill at Bass lake that yr.I appluad your effort of reporting an unpermitted weed kill to the DNR investigator. I have to assume there was not enough or no evidence they could act on if nothing was done.
I did way more than I posted here. What I posted is only a small percent of what I tried. Reporting illegal activity is part of it, not just contacting fishing groups. What I did was report. No I never contacted any fishing groups, I didn't know any. So please get off my back, you have no idea how much energy and time I spent. All Hissong and the DNR did was run me in circles. Wonder why??????Too bad you feel you wasted your time. I am not 'on your back' for your efforts, but your generalizations that all lake property owners are a$$holes, the DNR will do whatever pads their pockets with money instead of what is legal and good for our lakes, and that you are right and those with degrees in water managment, natural resources, and licensed in weed erradication and management are wrong!!
And to reply to your 2nd paragraph. All but one of the emails I posted on this thread, are emails I received, not emails I sent. They are emails I received from the DNR Investigator, DNR Biologist, and Mrs. Hissong. So I don't see how you can say "Reading your emails, you provide few, if any, facts. I only posted one of my emails here, the rest are emails sent to me from so called experts!My comment was to the only email you posted on here. Why would the lake association respond to an antogonistic email with no facts to support your points?
This is not what happened to all the cabbage beds(native weeds) at Max.. Invasive weeds did not overtake the cabbage beds. The chemical treatments killed all the cabbage beds at Max.That is odd, Muskyman who is licensed and contracts and kills weeds for a living, says there is no chemical designed to kill real cabbage, yet you are sure that is what killed them!
I fished there back in the 70's and there used to be a big one just left of the ramp, its not there anymore....If you talk to Mrs Hissong, she'll tell you they started treating Max because of to much nutrients in the water. She states that very clearly in her email.It is 2008, you are talking about 30-40 years since the 70's. Lakes change with time. You don't treat a lake for nutrients in the water by dumping chemicals in it. You prevent field runoff, septic tank runoff, farm manure, yard fertilizer, etc from entering the lake, by putting in wetlands, hooking resdients up to a municipal sewer, educating lake residents to use yard fertilizer sparingly, etc. Nomally lakes that have too many nutrients are off color and not clear as algae loves the nutients and thrives, clouding the water. I think you will agree, maxi is one of the clearest lakes around. It is possible the reduction of nutrients caused your cabbage bed to die, but I doubt it. Clearer water usually allows weeds to survive and grow deeper cause of the light penetration is better.
Chemical treatment at Maxinkuckee killed all the native weeds, and that is a fact! But I know what Max had back in the 70-80's. And its not there anymore. And invasive weeds did not rid Max. of its native vegetation, the lake owners did.Fact is the weeds in Max are not the same as they were 30-40 years ago. I think you will find this in about any lake you look at. It is not a fact that chemical treatment and the lake owners killed the native weeds. You have no supporting evidence that backs up your statements and accusations. You are making an assumption that becuase they have recieved permits to kill invasive weeds (which are granted to many lake association to help control milfoil and other invasives) and are trying to reduce nutrients in the lake, they are to blame for the weed changes. The real question is the fish poplation declining in Maxi? If not, what is the issue?
Good Question! The district biologists would know.[email protected] try this guy.I`ve had Good luck requesting info for a small lake the DNR manages. He gave me 19 pages of infomation with more info than a normal fisherman would need to fish this small lake. Maybe he can help resovle this conflict or lack of infomation? Each part of the state has different people for certain areas. Maybe this guy? Maybe someone else. Info at DNR site for each area. :-\
Fact is the weeds in Max are not the same as they were 30-40 years ago. I think you will find this in about any lake you look at. It is not a fact that chemical treatment and the lake owners killed the native weeds. ......
The real question is the fish population declining in Maxi? If not, what is the issue?
Great discussion, I think we all agree that the Lakes have changed . I hope the weed beds return someday. My option is that the fishing was much better with the weeds. How do we get the plants back??? re plant them???
So you are wanting me to believe that native cabbage weed beds just simply disappeared on their own since the 80's. I am sorry but I can not believe that. I truly believe that legal or illegal chemical treatments have killed off most or all of the native weeds. That is my opinion, and I feel its the opinion of many others.
Its to late to bring them back now. I very well doubt you will get the DNR to transplant the cabbage weeds back into Max.. Even if the DNR wanted to transplant Cabbage back into Max.. They would need to OK from the lake association to do that and they are not going to give the OK. Why do I say they would need the Lake Association approval. Because the Lake Association owns/controls/ or influences the politicians/Dnr who oversee that lake. No matter if you want to agree with that or not, I and many others feel the same way.
Say for example you got together 1,000 fisherman to go up against Max's lake association. Do you really think they would win out? I don't think so. Nowdays to win in politics you need money and influence. And no doubt the Max. Lake Association has way more than the fisherman will ever have.
Yes, that is the story. Fish needs weeds for protection of their young. And since there is very little weeds, the population decreases thru time.
It is sad that the native weeds, on Max. has been depleted. In my opinion, a few Snobs who only want to run their High Dollar boats in a lake free of weeds are to blame. As I stated, I do have solid verbal facts on how the Lake Association and town of Culver have stopped the addition of a Parking lot so more out-of-town fisherman could be on the lake. And they also have pushed out bait shop owners, I talked to a shop owner yrs back who stated that. Those are facts I personally can vouch for.
As for me, I don't have any solid evidence or proof. But I personally feel thru the killing of weed with permits, or illegal treating weeds by lake owner. That is how the native weeds have been destroyed. You have to ask yourself, can you proof that is incorrect?
mon ey
My brother talked to the land owner(face to face), and the owner told my brother that the Lake association/town block his efforts to make his field a parking lot. I am sorry, but you can defend the Lake Association all you want, maybe you are one of them I have no idea. If you are, then you are lucky to be on one of Indiana's great lakes.
It is not fiction, its a fact that the lake association do their best to restrict the flow of non residents on Max. and weed growth. I am going to do my best to stop discussing or arguing this subject anymore, since you always take the lake Associations side on this fisherman's site. I have no hard feellings and I am sorry if I upset you. But you can ask any fisherman who fishes Max., and I bet 90% will feel like I do that someone has killed off the native weeds. And it sure hasn't been the fishermen.