Big Cedar Lake

Chemist, per the usual, RIGHT ON THE MONEY! I believe there is more delayed mortality with walleye than bass from water temp changes, not too concerned with bass mortality from tourney fishing. For the public access and wake boat conversation, they are a serious threat to the ecological system of BCL and small inland lakes. There have been conversations about this in the Access Big Cedar Facebook group. Some in the group deny wake surfing has any impact and believe it’s just an attempt to reduce public access. They must be wake boat owners and/or are lying to themselves. Banning wake surfing is the opposite of reducing access, it’s going to allow small boats and kayaks to experience the lake without putting their life in jeopardy from 3 footers out of nowhere. ​

I am the one that personally runs the Wednesday night league. We have been for 4 years now. We have never had dead fish at the weigh in and hope to keep that up. All of our fish swim away perfectly fine. In fact we canceled last Wednesday due to the heat for the fishes health. It’s a small tourney of 10 boats at max. There is nothing wrong with what any of us are doing. Sounds like a personal problem if you ask me. 

Thank you to Chinka for answering a question Ive asked several times regarding when tournaments are held. It helps me to plan my trips when there aren't tournaments. 

The use of the lake will probably ebb and flow. Right now there is a smaller number of bass in the  population with a better size structure.  That combination will always attract tournaments. Big fish being the goal.

The wake boats actually destroy habitat making them a threat to all who fish. The tournaments are just an inconvenience, primarily when launching and coming off the lake. There may be some delayed mortality of bass but most of the tournament guys know how to properly handle fish. Especially the guys who routinely catch the most fish.  I've checked the rules, and the small tournaments don't need permits so they are well within the law. I've also fished mornings after the tournaments and did not find any dead bass. Strangely I have found a number of nice northern pike dead in the mornings in the 30-35 inch range. I always thought Northern pike were the tougher species but maybe I was wrong about that.  Wakeboard boats destroying habitat will harm the fish population more than high fishing pressure from tournaments will.

Long term, lakes adjust to fishing pressure. Too much and the lake goes downhill for a few years. People fish elsewhere until it rebounds. Not great, but pretty much every fish population goes through it unless you greatly reduce access. 

I fought hard for public access in 2018 (when access reduction was threatened) only to see the beneficiaries of my efforts come with bigger and bigger boats fully capable of swamping my boat while my family fishes. Sometimes being rude and inconsiderste at the boat ramp too. 

The hours and hours I spent the summers of 2018 and 2019 supporting access rights were probably a waste of my time at best, and helped perpetuate some of the lakes biggest problems at worst. 

I will keep quiet when the next fight to reduce access takes place. 

Mickel posted:
"my concern isn't about now, it's what the fishing will be like in 10+ years. I've already seen a change in fish patterns over the past few years since the weeds disappeared. Fish are clinging to any kind of structure on the bottom, or moving out to deeper water"

I don't think we have ten years. Maybe 3-4 years, but obviously that's conjecture. There has been a extreme loss of habitat of those deep weed beds, especially on the south end. Do the fish adapt and move deeper? Sure, the gamefish will give it a go. But the minnow and fry population don't necessarily do well in the deep. And you've got the complication of the bottom absorbing the wakeboat waves, and potential impact of that wave scrubbing power, wiping out the fish nests in May and June.

The eco-system off the coast of California is designed for the power of surf waves. Wisconsin inland lakes and the fisheries contained therein, not so much. 

Tuesday night its tnt bass circuit, we are out there 1Time a month, Wednesday night  is every week small tournament ,bass guys enjoying competition,let's us be!!

Archer, I agree. This lake see’s so much pressure already, having an added 15-20 fishing boats tue-thurs and the occasional Monday and maybe Friday now? makes this lake hard to fish with confidence (meaning, in a spot you’ll catch fish since there are boats in most logical spots to fish already). You already cannot fish this lake effectively on weekends due to boat traffic, but now having tournaments throughout the weekdays just takes some of the fun away having to deal with people fishing a cast away from you. The TNFC gives back through stocking, have no problem with them, but the other tournaments surely do not and there certainly is delayed catch mortality associated with tournament fishing… just my 2 cents.

@ArcherTheDog.  Which group is out there on Tuesday and which tournament/group is possibly out there on Friday?  The Monday night league fished BCL (3) times this year.

This week started off with another Monday night tournament…if it follows suit with the previous three weeks that means that there will be a tournament on Big Cedar at least three nights with a chance of a Friday tournament. The Thursday night club is expected; and appreciated for what they contribute to restocking. Having “pop up” tournaments on BCL three or four nights out of the week needs to stop. 

Exactly, I'm still here just stopped posting. Getting ready to retire so I can fish whenever I want with the new boat.  Still nailing them on Big Cedar and Pike.

MCC1364, can't say I agree with all of your posts, but I do agree with your "no weeds to hide in panfish are history" statement". Which brings us back to Gil Fisher's post and the "ecological impact" that outside influences are having on this lake. I ice fish this lake ALOT and catch plenty of fish (most released), but my concern isn't about now, it's what the fishing will be like in 10+ years. I've already seen a change in fish patterns over the past few years since the weeds disappeared. Fish are clinging to any kind of structure on the bottom, or moving out to deeper water. Used to be you found the drop edges with deep weeds and there were fish everywhere. Now you have to search more, which I still enjoy. But again, what will the fishing look like in 10+ years?