1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: I'm really excited about today because actions that took place 2 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: not only on this podcast, but through the Alabama Bass Trail, 3 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: Silicaga Marine and a lot of people involved. I honestly 4 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: feel like challenges were put out to the government and 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: it worked. Kay Donaldson, who runs the Alabama Bass Trails 6 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: with me. My buddy Daniel Vasquez is also with me. November, 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: you get a phone call k about a possible slot 8 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: limit on the Coosa River. Now, if you live outside 9 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: of Alabama and you're listening to this podcast and you're 10 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: sitting there going, what do I care about the Cusa River? 11 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 2: By far, the Kusa River. 12 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: Is maybe one of the most fished river systems in 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: the continental United States, which ultimately means it's probably one 14 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: of the most fisher river systems in the world. Correct, 15 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: So when we get news that there's a possible impact 16 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: on the Cusa River, it's all hands on deck. So 17 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: tell me about how you found out this was going 18 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: to be a possibility. 19 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 3: I was invited by the Department of Conservation Natural Resources 20 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 3: to come to Montgomery and meet with them to discuss 21 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 3: the results of the Neely Henry study that they did. 22 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 3: It was a three year study talking about tournament mortality 23 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 3: along Neely Henry and the Cusa River. So I went 24 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 3: down on Wednesday, November the sixth to discuss the results 25 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 3: and was given several options of what could transpire, but 26 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 3: also then a proposal that the biologist was going to 27 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 3: make to the commissioner that would impact the entire Cusa River. 28 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: Were you aware that a study had actually taken place 29 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: on Neely Henry. 30 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 4: Yeah. 31 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 3: We actually had worked with the department and providing samples 32 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 3: of bass that we had weigh in during our tournament, 33 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 3: so we were aware that they were doing a study. 34 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 3: We've worked with them on several studies that they've done 35 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 3: with the Swaba hog program and other samplings and seeing 36 00:01:57,840 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 3: net samplings and things like that, so we've worked with 37 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 3: them on a number of projects, so we were aware 38 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 3: of it. I don't know that I was aware that 39 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 3: it was just studying tournament mortality. 40 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: I was a little shocked to find out that they 41 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: were making such a snap decision on information that they 42 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: acquired off of one lake. You know, Cousa River, Six 43 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 1: lakes starts with Weiss, ends with Jordan. There's several in between, 44 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: and the ones in between are really the most notable. 45 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: At all, and you get Neeli Henry Logan, martin Lay Lake. 46 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: Lake Mitchell is one of the smallest parts of it, 47 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: but still a pretty good fishery. And when I saw 48 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: some of the decisions that they were making off of 49 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: one lake, I thought this should be step one in 50 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: a possible step six. But then you saw the money 51 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: that was associated, I mean, just under nine hundred thousand 52 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: dollars for an Auburn study. 53 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 2: My mind was blown. I'm like, there. 54 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: Should be more than a two day sample or a 55 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: couple weeks study for that kind of month. 56 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, And I don't know what all went into the study. 57 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 3: I didn't get the chance to talk to the biologist. 58 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 3: I got a chance to read the study, so I 59 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 3: have no idea how that figure comes to be. That 60 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 3: seems like a lot of money to us as well. 61 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 3: We operate on a real thin budget, so eight and 62 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 3: forty years old thousand dollars seems like a lot of money. 63 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 4: You know. 64 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 3: I think open lines of communication are always important, and 65 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 3: we certainly found that to be true here with this study. 66 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 3: And then with the expectations of what the Conservation Apartment 67 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 3: thought the expectations of the anglers are, and then what 68 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 3: the true expectations of the anglers are, and what the 69 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 3: true expectations of tournament anglers and tournament organizations are. 70 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 4: I think that's important. 71 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 2: One of the things that you just brought up tournament 72 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 2: angling is. 73 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: Why so many people got upset because there was so 74 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: many conversations that were happening through email, different screenshots were 75 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: getting posted. It was almost like everything should have been 76 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: buttoned up from the department side and it should have 77 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: come from one source where this is what we're talking about, 78 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: this is the plan, because it just got messy, and 79 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: when things get messy, it gets really sloppy. But it 80 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: felt like all the attacks that were happening were solely. 81 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 2: Based on tournament anglers. 82 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: Now, Daniel, you've worked in the fisheries before as somebody 83 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 1: who's had to study fish different bodies of water. How 84 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: vital is it for somebody to actually know what's happening 85 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:26,799 Speaker 1: on a given body of water. 86 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 5: Yeah, that's a great question. You know, understanding population, the 87 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 5: size of the population, the estimates, getting all those surveys 88 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 5: every single year is really important. And going back to 89 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,840 Speaker 5: the budget of the nine hundred grand typically when these 90 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 5: states and they're looking for grant money, there are certain 91 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 5: allotments that you seek and you either overrun the allotment 92 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 5: or you kind of spend less, shall. 93 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 2: We say, and give me give me it? For instance, Well, 94 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 2: you know, when you do. 95 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 5: These studies, you're hiring multiple different individuals. Some of these 96 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 5: people have doctorates. You're running through these through university programs, 97 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,119 Speaker 5: and you know, you sometimes can have a decent amount 98 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 5: of people on board with those and the studies can 99 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 5: go for months and months and months, years and years 100 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 5: and years. So when these state agencies go out looking 101 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 5: for grants, that's kind of how they perceive that, how 102 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 5: they they get their money. 103 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 4: Shall we say, So, there's a lot of pieces. 104 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 5: There's a ton of financial coah exactly. So they may 105 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 5: not have spent nine hundred grand, but. 106 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 2: That's what they seek. 107 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 5: To be able to be able to do the work, 108 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 5: shall we say? 109 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: So, after this study takes place and all the conversations start, 110 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: you and I sat down to do a podcast. We 111 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: invited Lee Holmes of Silicaga Marine to come in. He's 112 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: extremely passionate and he's somebody in the state Alabama. I 113 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 1: think he deserves a lot of credit for this of 114 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: being able to get restocking as a bill and on 115 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: the books. I don't know where that stands right now. 116 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 1: I'm hoping that that's the next logical step that we 117 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: kind of go after. But we got the news recently 118 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: that the slot limit that was proposed fourteen to twenty inches, 119 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 1: which effectively would kill tournament bass fishing on the Kusler River, 120 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: we get news that they're. 121 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 2: Not going to go ahead with that. 122 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: There's one piece of this puzzle that I saw that 123 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: I was like, we got to talk about this. The 124 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: way it was crafted was at this time that leaves 125 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: the door open. I took a little issue with a 126 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: couple of people who put up videos that were like, Oh, 127 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 1: the slot limit's dead and it's this, and it's that, 128 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: It's not this is a possibility, right k for what 129 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: you know that if the Department wanted to say, no, 130 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: we're going to put this in, they don't really have 131 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:45,799 Speaker 1: to go through some of the steps that they've gone. 132 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 2: Right. 133 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 3: Well, what we learned, and I think is very important, is, 134 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 3: you know, we were led to believe that the Commissioner 135 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 3: could sign this and it become effective January one. That's 136 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,559 Speaker 3: what I was told, That's what the other organizations were told. 137 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 3: In the end, as we go into the House Committee 138 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 3: to have our bill, which was to stop any regulation 139 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 3: going into effect without other steps, you know, being tried first. 140 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 4: That was the bill that was in front. 141 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 3: Of the House, that got approved through the House Committee 142 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 3: and then got changed to a different committee. But what 143 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 3: we found out is is that they can recommend the 144 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 3: commissioner and he can recommend or make a regulation, but 145 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 3: it does have to go to a legislative oversight committee 146 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 3: that has one hundred and twenty days that public comment 147 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 3: can be made. Legislators can interview, they can interview the 148 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 3: scientists that did the work, they can interview stakeholders and 149 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 3: things like that. So what we found through this process, 150 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 3: and I think that's very important, is that even though 151 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 3: this regulation is there, it does have to go through 152 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 3: a legislative oversight process that is one hundred and twenty 153 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 3: days that will offer for public comment, legislative comment, and 154 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 3: then it can go into effect, or it can be rewritten, 155 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 3: or it can be taken away altogether. 156 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 2: So where do we feel we stand right now? Then? 157 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 3: Well, I think in good faith the Department stepped away 158 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 3: and I think they are open to the conversations with 159 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 3: the stakeholders, tournament organizers, tournament anglers, recreational anglers. I feel 160 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 3: like in good faith this decision was made, but I 161 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 3: do think there is a strong burden on the tournament 162 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 3: organizations to step up their game as far as fish 163 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 3: care goes. We had long conversations about this, and I'm 164 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 3: talking hour long conversations about fish care. About whether or 165 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 3: not to minimize the crell limit. That also came into 166 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 3: play when we were talking through this, So we didn't 167 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 3: just go in and sit down and say we do 168 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 3: not want to slot limit and we will, you know, 169 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 3: be mad if you do this. There were conversations about 170 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 3: water quality issues, dissolved auction level issues, habitat issues, vegetation issues, 171 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 3: whether or not there is an issue over pressure issues 172 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 3: on the lake, and how many tournaments that we have, 173 00:08:57,280 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 3: and you know, I think it's fair to say all 174 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 3: tournaments are not built equally. All tournaments are not the 175 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 3: same as far as fish care goes, fish care penalties go. 176 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 3: We personally don't fish July, August and September because of 177 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 3: the hard fish care conditions that we face a number 178 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 3: of recreational tournaments and a number of charity tournaments have 179 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 3: their tournaments during that period because that's when they can 180 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 3: get the most anglers because they're not fishing other trails. So, 181 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:24,960 Speaker 3: you know, do you limit the number of fish that 182 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 3: you can weigh in during the summer months, we ask 183 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 3: about lowering the creole altogether from ten fish to five 184 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 3: per person? 185 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 4: Do we see a day? 186 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,559 Speaker 3: And you know, because their science says that people aren't 187 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,199 Speaker 3: harvesting bass to feed their families. 188 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 2: And I don't disagree with that. 189 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: I mean, if you look at if you look at 190 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: the amount of licenses that are sold, I'm willing to 191 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 1: bet that there's a healthy majority of licenses that get 192 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: sold that are solely for tournament anglers. 193 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 2: You know, they know that. 194 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: When they cross the state line, they got to have 195 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: a license for that state. You don't see nearly as 196 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: many guys sitting on the bank as maybe you did 197 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: in the seventies, oh one hundred percent. 198 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 3: I you know, our concern in the department, and I 199 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 3: will give them credit for this. Their issue with lowering 200 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 3: the kreel is because food cost is at an all 201 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 3: time high and if someone is needing to supplement their 202 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 3: family's food source from the resource, they should be allowed 203 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 3: to do that. 204 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 4: And you know, I applaud them for that. 205 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 3: But they say that their research shows that people aren't 206 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 3: feeding their family from the resource, but if it was 207 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 3: a need, they didn't want to prohibit them from being 208 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 3: able to do that. 209 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: But then doesn't that also go into the water quality, 210 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: because after living on the Cousa River, you know, Daniel 211 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,959 Speaker 1: and I have talked about this where he said to me, hey, 212 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: let's have some crappy that we caught when we were 213 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: on a recent trip. And I was like, that's all you, buddy, 214 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: I'm not doing it because I've always heard that the 215 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: fish that you catch out of the Kusa are not 216 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: necessarily healthy because it could have high levels of this 217 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 1: or high levels of that. The water quality is not awesome, 218 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: So I'm not going to take a risk. And even you, Daniel, 219 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: you were like, well, I was talking to my buddy, 220 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: and my buddy was like, you can have a couple, 221 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:08,440 Speaker 1: but don't eat every single day. 222 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a consumption order on most of the lakes 223 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 3: in the on the cous River, as it is on 224 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 3: the Tennessee River as well. There's a limited amount of 225 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 3: consumption you can have per week. And I don't know 226 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 3: about each individual like what that is, but like on 227 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 3: the Tennessee River on Wheeler. It's like three ounces per 228 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 3: week that you can take and be considered safe. 229 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: Well, like we've all noticed this with the information that 230 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 1: gets out there. If you don't know that information, you 231 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 1: just decide, hey, we're going to have a giant fish fry, 232 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: and Uncle Henry comes over and he's just slamming crappie 233 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: and bass and all that kind of stuff. And next 234 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: day you find out Uncle Henry's in the hospital. You know, 235 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:46,560 Speaker 1: people don't know. That's why grocery stores and people going 236 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: to get their meat and their fish there. There's stringent 237 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: orders with the FDA and all that kind of stuff, 238 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: so it's a little bit of a gamble. I applaud 239 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:55,920 Speaker 1: them for saying, hey, if we're going to try to 240 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: feed people, but we also have to give people the 241 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 1: real information about what they could possibly be consuming if 242 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: that's what they were trying to do. 243 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 3: I agree, and I think people like justin Overton at 244 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 3: Couser Riverkeeper and people like that do try to keep 245 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 3: people as informed as they can, knowing where to go 246 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 3: to find that information, whether it be through the Department 247 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 3: of Health in the state of Alabama, whether it be 248 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 3: through Cousier Riverkeeper, Tennessee River Keeper, and all of that. 249 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 3: It's good to be educated on that. Again, we don't 250 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 3: see that. We do life coverage. We don't go to 251 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 3: the bridges and see tons of people there. We don't 252 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 3: go to the bank and see tons of people there. 253 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 3: I'm sure it happens, but we don't see that either. 254 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 3: So you know, I'm thankful I won't have to track 255 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 3: that because I think it would be very hard to 256 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 3: do that. But you know, I think this is a 257 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 3: long education process. And I said this on the Album 258 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 3: Bachelor podcast. Those who reach out to their legislators, those 259 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 3: who reach out to their county commissions, their city councils. 260 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 3: This is a continuing education process and it shouldn't happen 261 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 3: every five years. We have to continue to say, you know, 262 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 3: this is what's important to the anglers, this is what's 263 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 3: important to us economically, this is what's important to the 264 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 3: resource challenged. Our team straight up album Bashall team, be 265 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 3: on your p's and q's. One thing we've noticed in 266 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 3: our first couple of tournaments of the year is the 267 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 3: amount of fish we're fizzing early in the year that 268 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 3: we never fizzed before. We had thirty fish at Smithlake 269 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 3: because of ford facing sonar. 270 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 1: Right, because guys are going out deeper and they're bringing 271 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: them up in the swim bladder has to react to 272 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: the different pressure change. 273 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 3: And I had an angler specifically tell me when we 274 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,080 Speaker 3: were in Montgomery how uncomfortable he is with the fizzing process. 275 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,199 Speaker 3: He said, I'm fifty to fifty of whether or not 276 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 3: ill fis that fish worried that it will die in 277 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 3: the live well because I've either let too much air 278 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 3: out of its bladder or punctured, you know. He said, 279 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 3: I'm really worried about that. So we encourage guys, our 280 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 3: fish care guys available to help with any of those 281 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 3: if they're interested in learning how to do that. If 282 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 3: they're uncomfortable with doing that. As we see ford facing 283 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,960 Speaker 3: sonar progress, then we need to start doing that. One 284 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 3: thing we mentioned to the department is they really need 285 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 3: to look at their sampling, the ways that they're doing 286 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 3: they're sampling their shocking surveys and things like that, because 287 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 3: with ford facing sonar, we've seen that the fishing has changed, 288 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 3: and maybe our ways that we've always taken our surveys, 289 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 3: akrill surveys and shocking surveys, maybe that needs to change 290 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:15,719 Speaker 3: as well. I don't know if it does. I'm not 291 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:18,079 Speaker 3: a biologist. I'm not trying to pretend to be a biologist. 292 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 3: But we're seeing major changes in the fishing industry based on, 293 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 3: you know, technology, and is that something that needs to 294 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 3: transition into their studies as well. 295 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 2: Do you feel like this is an ongoing conversation then 296 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 2: I do. 297 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 3: I feel like I feel like it has to be 298 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 3: an ongo going conversation. We were really shocked and I 299 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 3: think we were given an opportunity to make a difference. 300 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 3: And I think this is a decision that's good for 301 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 3: the entire state of Alabama. But I think that if 302 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 3: we go to bed and forget about it and don't 303 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 3: continue to think about it, it may not be the 304 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 3: outcome in the future. I think we have to continue 305 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 3: to stay abreast of it. I think anglers have to 306 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 3: continue to be upfront with their fish care. I think 307 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 3: we need to think about those summertime tournaments, even our 308 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 3: June tournaments. We have to be very very careful in 309 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 3: June because it gets hot here so fast. So I 310 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 3: think anglers need to keep top of mind awareness of it, 311 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 3: make sure that they're doing the best for their live wells, 312 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 3: taking care of the fish while they have them, and 313 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 3: then us as organizations, how we care for them afterwards, 314 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 3: and how we deposit them back into the resource. I 315 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 3: think we have to be careful. 316 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 2: Daniel. 317 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: You living in Florida before you move to Alabama. You know, 318 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: you guys see fishing in hotter weather, more common in 319 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: more lengthier times of the year than anybody else. What's 320 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: the fish care process, like, what's the mentality of the 321 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: angler in Florida? When it comes to those struggling fish. 322 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 5: We probably our mortality rates probably high or even higher 323 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 5: than probably it is here. The difference here is and 324 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 5: I think the difference overall is just people do not 325 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 5: keep bess. They just don't keep them to eat them, 326 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 5: so they're not managed correctly to recruit bigger fish. And 327 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 5: I think you know, in my opinion, you never you 328 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 5: never manage a fishery specifically for an economic value, because 329 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 5: you'll never have a healthy fishery because then you tend 330 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 5: to favor different fisheries. Right when it comes to forward 331 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 5: facing sonar and things like that. Yeah, it's changing the 332 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 5: fishing world too, but that's still coming down to the 333 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 5: fisheries that it's affecting the most. Where people are catching fish, 334 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 5: those are crappy. They're not keeping bass. So where you're 335 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 5: seeing in the ford facing sonar world. As far as 336 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 5: management in Florida and Alabama, it's night and day and 337 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 5: different in both ways. Here in Alabama. Uh, you know, 338 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 5: you probably would be better off eating some of the 339 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 5: fish around here than you would be in Florida. And 340 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 5: it's really strange to see people not keeping bass because 341 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 5: they do taste good. But I understand that, you know, 342 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 5: the health you know risks around here with the cusa 343 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 5: and it being so previous polluted. Uh, so you know, 344 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 5: there's there's a lot to it. And you know, me 345 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 5: just moving here, I moved here specifically so I could 346 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 5: fish the KUSA and tournament bass fish and I didn't 347 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,880 Speaker 5: know anything about this slot limit until a month ago. 348 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 5: Everybody has the same resources. Everybody's using the same tools 349 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:21,160 Speaker 5: to navigate these waters and to you know, do their 350 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,439 Speaker 5: surveys and they're you know, there's these biologists are the 351 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 5: smartest they've ever been. And that's another thing you have 352 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 5: to understand. If they make a decision, they're making the 353 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 5: right decisions. So challenging those decisions is always going to 354 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 5: have pushback and going to be, you know, not the 355 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 5: best thing for the I. 356 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: Think the grand scheme of this one especially was it 357 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: was bad communication from top to bottom. Now, Kay, you 358 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: have a much different world because you are in lockstep 359 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:52,919 Speaker 1: with what they talk about and what they know, and 360 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 1: you're kind of on the inside. But as somebody who's 361 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,880 Speaker 1: in the public and just kind of seeing what's happening, 362 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: you could see just from social media how distorted information gets. 363 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: I mean there were people posting a week and a 364 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,959 Speaker 1: half two months later after the talk of a slot 365 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:12,880 Speaker 1: came out, and people are like, Hey, we're not coming 366 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 1: to the lake because of the slot limit, and it's like, no, no, 367 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: there is no slot limit. There's a rumor right now, 368 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: it's talk like there's nothing set in stone. So even 369 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 1: in this misinformation, we've already had people who have impacted 370 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 1: the local economy by saying I'm not going to go 371 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: there because of this. Right, Where do you kind of 372 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: think that piece of the puzzle comes in and how 373 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: it affects the local communities. 374 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 3: Well, we actually had a team that didn't sign up 375 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 3: this year that's fecial with us several years because of 376 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:45,639 Speaker 3: the concern on the slot limit and understanding their conversation 377 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 3: was we're really not there to win, We're there to 378 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,639 Speaker 3: compete and get a check, hopefully make it to the 379 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:55,680 Speaker 3: championship and under. And I think this is one thing 380 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 3: that was really eye opening to the department, is in 381 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 3: the South Division, which three of those lakes could be 382 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 3: on my schedule next year? Odds are all five of 383 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 3: them are going to be on the Coosa River Team 384 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 3: Trail list. 385 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 2: And they would have to be. 386 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, And then you've got the Silicoga Marine Trail. So 387 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 3: when you're looking at that and it's three of the 388 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 3: five events that you're going to fish and you're hopefully 389 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 3: to get a check and get to the championship or whatever, 390 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,960 Speaker 3: which may be your favorite lake, it really makes it 391 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 3: hard when you put a fourteen to twenty inch slot 392 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 3: limit on there. I had a guy tell me specifically 393 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 3: that weighed in in the BFL weighed in almost twenty pounds, 394 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 3: and he said, literally none of those fish would have 395 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:36,120 Speaker 3: been able to be weighed had the slot limit been there. 396 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:37,879 Speaker 1: Those are the videos that I was putting now, like 397 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: every fish I caught on Logan, I'm like, I'd have 398 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: to throw this one. 399 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 3: Back right and I agree that economic impact cannot dictate regulation, 400 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 3: but I think we have to consider that in the 401 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,240 Speaker 3: conversation because a lot of these places, and I've said 402 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 3: this a thousand times, are not downtown Birmingham. They're not 403 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 3: hosting big concer in the halls, they don't have top golf, 404 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 3: they don't have you know, tons and tons of things 405 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 3: going on. This is their source of tourism and because 406 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 3: of that tourism they build soccer fiells that is quality 407 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 3: alive for their kids and their grandkids, and so I 408 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,719 Speaker 3: think it has to be a topic of conversation. We 409 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 3: certainly want the lakes to be here because we have 410 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 3: kids coming up that want to fish and grandkids coming 411 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 3: up that want to fish. One of the things sitting 412 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 3: in that room, the lady said, I have a nine 413 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,880 Speaker 3: year old child that for Christmas got all fishing gear 414 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 3: for Christmas, so it's important to them as well. I 415 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:41,639 Speaker 3: think the communication aspect is very important. I think pr 416 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:45,720 Speaker 3: people like myself, marketing people like myself, we communicate very 417 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 3: differently than biologists communicate. So I think that's kind of 418 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 3: where some of the breakdown maybe happens. But I think 419 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:56,920 Speaker 3: we came to a really good understanding. You're right, Lee 420 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,880 Speaker 3: Holmes is so very passionate, and I got to watch 421 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 3: them at full blown, whether we were in Montgomery, whether 422 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,719 Speaker 3: we were sitting down at his store. Very passionate person 423 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 3: has a loyal listening audience and a loyal fishing audience. 424 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,959 Speaker 3: But when he told me about a seventy four year 425 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 3: old gentleman that came in about a ninety four thousand 426 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,399 Speaker 3: dollars Ranger bass boat because he finally got into the 427 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 3: Alabama bass trail, that was remarkable to me. And I 428 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 3: think that story deserves to be told. That It's not 429 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 3: just the tournament organizations that are in arms about this. 430 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 3: It was the boat dealers and the nineteen people that 431 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,640 Speaker 3: work for Silicaga Marine. 432 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,639 Speaker 1: And the dealers. 433 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:40,159 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, you've got Airport Marine and and you know 434 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 3: Freedom Marine and with Dowi Marine, and you got a 435 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 3: lot of dealers here that the majority of what they 436 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,200 Speaker 3: sell our bass boats. I think with Dowie probably sells 437 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 3: more recreational boats than bass boats. But for the most part, 438 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 3: you know, that's that's kind of where we are. And 439 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 3: I think the conversation's open, and I think just the 440 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 3: expectations in us bringing that anglers don't expect to go 441 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 3: to the Coos River and catch seven eights and nines. 442 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,239 Speaker 3: They expect to catch plenty three fours and fives. And 443 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 3: that's the expectation overall of the anglers. Yeah, if they 444 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 3: catch a six pounder, that's awesome. Seven pounder, that's great, 445 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 3: But those are unicorns. The three fours and fives are 446 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 3: where our anglers want to be. 447 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 1: But that's what I noticed in the press release that 448 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: was put out on Outdoor Alabama is they were talking about, hey, look, 449 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: the population of fish is healthy, the size of fish, 450 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 1: we have three fours and fives. We want to have 451 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:35,400 Speaker 1: those six, seven and eighths. Because that's what anglers. 452 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 2: Were bringing up. 453 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,960 Speaker 1: I mean, this is this is truly a don't bite 454 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: the hand that feeds you kind of situation because people 455 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,439 Speaker 1: were up in arms. Ah, they catch them like that 456 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 1: in Florida, and they catch them like that in Texas. 457 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 2: You can talk to this Daniel completely different, completely different. 458 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 1: So when people bring up like other states, it's the 459 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: management side, but it's also the habitat in which they 460 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:01,400 Speaker 1: live exactly when we're talking about Alabama, like, hell, I'd 461 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: love to go out and catch a five pounder. Daniel 462 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:06,479 Speaker 1: and I have talked about this when we're out fishing. 463 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: Where I went to lay Lake for a tournament recently, 464 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 1: I got two bytes all day, and I got a 465 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: two and a half on my fifth cast of the day, 466 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:17,120 Speaker 1: and then I caught a five pounder on a swim Juney. 467 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 2: I weighed seven and a half pounds. 468 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 1: That five pounder to me was a giant and I 469 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 1: thought to myself, Man, I got a chance to win 470 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,280 Speaker 1: big fish. Yeah, and I lost it by nearly a 471 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 1: pound and a half. So that to me was enough 472 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 1: to where I was like, you know what this is insane? 473 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 1: Is this is insane that if we're talking about I 474 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 1: want to catch fish like that are six seven pounders, 475 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: Well cool, Go to Texas, go to Florida, go to 476 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 1: the places that are managed for that. And if we 477 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,439 Speaker 1: get to that point here, awesome. But we have a 478 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: lot of pressure and a lot of people fishing. 479 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,400 Speaker 3: Right and I think when you're comparing the Coosa River 480 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,160 Speaker 3: to a lake fork, that's just insane to. 481 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:56,879 Speaker 2: Do that just for the water size. 482 00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 4: Right from the. 483 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 3: Water size, the ecosystem, the nutrients and everything that's in 484 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 3: the water. Everybody wants to talk about the stocking program. 485 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 3: But you can only grow big fish with big food. 486 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 3: You have to have food to feed the fish. That 487 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,640 Speaker 3: is science one O one. I mean the same way 488 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 3: with pay problem. The bait is there, No, the bait 489 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 3: is there? I agree. I think as fishermen we have 490 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 3: always said catch, catch release, catch release, catch release, and 491 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,119 Speaker 3: that may be part of where we are now is 492 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 3: we have so many fish and the food sources is 493 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 3: split between all of them. So it's just like a 494 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 3: person if you go on a diet and you lose weight. 495 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 3: That's kind of how it is. I mean, the less 496 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 3: food in front of me, the less I'm gonna weigh. 497 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 3: So the only way to grow fish is through a 498 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,440 Speaker 3: food source, and so that's that's kind of where we are. 499 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 3: You either manage the amount of people eating off one 500 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 3: plate or yeah, you get more food. 501 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: I know that you at the Alabama Bass Trail. You 502 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: guys are usually working a year, maybe a year and 503 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: a half ahead of time before the news came out 504 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:03,239 Speaker 1: about the slot limit being taken off the table. What 505 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 1: were some of your plans for twenty six. 506 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 3: Well, one of the plans was to go from a 507 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 3: January to May timeframe and try to stay out of 508 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 3: the summer months altogether. That was really hard to do 509 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 3: when you look at having to move everything up a month. 510 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:17,920 Speaker 3: That means you move your registration up a month, that 511 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 3: means you move your payments up a month, and looking 512 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,680 Speaker 3: at what that looked financially for our anglers, we really 513 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 3: didn't like that look move our championship up to September. 514 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 3: Still pretty hot in September, so. 515 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 4: We looked at that. 516 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 3: We looked at how we could arrange our tournaments for 517 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:35,640 Speaker 3: the Couster River to be earlier in the year. 518 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 4: The problem with that. 519 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 2: Is, so your plan was still to go. 520 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 3: We were still planning to go to the Coosa River. 521 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 3: I'm not I'll say this, I can't abandon those people 522 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 3: because they were with the Alabama Bastral and have been 523 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 3: with us and been loyal to us for twelve years. 524 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 3: So we could not abandon them. We are the Alabama Basstrail. 525 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 3: We cannot abandon the Cooster River. Those people have invested 526 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 3: in us, they have believed in us, and I said 527 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,200 Speaker 3: that we had to have a schedule before we ever 528 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 3: had a boat. So understanding, they agreed to pay the 529 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 3: Alabama Bashor to come to their location before we had 530 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,600 Speaker 3: one boat signed up, and the fact that we sold 531 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:13,200 Speaker 3: out in seventy two days year one and now we're 532 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 3: selling out in seven minutes. They believed in us, then 533 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 3: I'm not going to abandon them. 534 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 4: Now. We were going to have to figure out a 535 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 4: way to do it. 536 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 3: Worried about whether or not we would have to go 537 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,160 Speaker 3: to a three fish limit, whether or not we would 538 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,680 Speaker 3: have to go to a fourteen to twenty inch slot limit. 539 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 4: We were still planning on. 540 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 3: Being there, but our goal was, Okay, if we can 541 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,360 Speaker 3: be there January to May, does that help our story 542 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 3: with the Department of Conservation, If we can move to 543 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 3: an earlier time frame, if we stay off the water 544 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 3: when it's hotter, what can we do to come to 545 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 3: a compromise? Because understanding, if you go to the regulation 546 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 3: book right now, and something I pointed out to them 547 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 3: last week, if you go to the regulation book now, 548 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:57,440 Speaker 3: there's not a regulation on the Coosa River. Tournament organizations 549 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,640 Speaker 3: set a twelve inch minimum because we understood the importance 550 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 3: of that eight nine, ten eleven inch early spawning bass. 551 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:07,440 Speaker 3: Those are your very first time spawners. We understand the 552 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:09,959 Speaker 3: importance of that. So we set a twelve inch minimum 553 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,359 Speaker 3: on ourselves. There's not a regulation in the book, so 554 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:16,680 Speaker 3: going from no regulation to a fourteen to twenty inch 555 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 3: regulation seemed extremely radical. But again they felt like the 556 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 3: outcome of that radical change would been very radical on 557 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:27,919 Speaker 3: the other end, that we would have seen those six, 558 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 3: seven and eights in the matter of three years. I 559 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:34,360 Speaker 3: think understanding the expectation of the anglers was very important. 560 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:36,919 Speaker 3: That we don't expect that we expect three fours and fives, 561 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 3: but we were not looking to abandon our friends in 562 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 3: the at the Coast River. 563 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 2: That's right. 564 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: I think this That's why I think all this goes 565 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 1: right now is this is a step in the right direction. 566 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 2: For the communication. 567 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 1: If we can continue to have a communication with the 568 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: DCNR and be able to say to them, like, let's 569 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: have some valuable information, Let's figure out what's happening here. 570 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 1: Let's have tournaments like yourself and like some of the 571 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 1: other ones, really figure out good ways to regulate within 572 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: the regulations that are out there. And let's also take 573 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 1: a look at the population who loves the fish. If 574 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,200 Speaker 1: you're going to put on a jackpot on a Tuesday night, 575 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: be smart about it. Don't look at those hot summer 576 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 1: months and say, well, I'm just going to have one 577 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 1: because I want to have one. If we're going to 578 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: be stewards of the resource, we have to be smart 579 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 1: twelve months out of the year. 580 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 2: We can't just do it on select months. 581 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 4: I agree. 582 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 3: And one of the things that they brought up, and 583 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 3: I don't know the list of organ of places that 584 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 3: they're looking at, but one of the things said by 585 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 3: the Commissioner in our committee meeting and again echoed in 586 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 3: our private meeting with the Deputy Commissioner was they have 587 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 3: over thirty million dollars of access points that they are 588 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 3: currently working on and a lot of those are going 589 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:55,640 Speaker 3: on on the Kusa River, and he said tournament abled facilities. 590 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 3: So that's exciting to me that the state is looking 591 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 3: at investing over thirty million dollars in tournament able facilities. 592 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 4: That's exciting. 593 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 3: When we look at what was done at Leesburg Landing, 594 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 3: we now see Lincoln Leesburg Landing one percent because of 595 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 3: Alabama Power in the land the city of Leesburg and 596 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 3: their in kind and money that they did for match 597 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 3: and then the state coming in with the one point 598 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 3: whatever they spent to develop that as a tournament ready location. 599 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 4: So I'm excited to see that list. 600 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 3: I'm excited to see what projects that they're working on 601 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 3: on the Coosa River. We're always excited about tournament ready facilities, 602 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,400 Speaker 3: so excited about that. Thank them for thinking about that. 603 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 3: We've seen the addition of the docks at Weiss Lake. 604 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 3: There's lots of projects, Mint Creek up and Gunnersville, lots 605 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 3: of things they've done to help better our tournament locations 606 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 3: and better the ability of us to host tournaments and 607 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:51,640 Speaker 3: locations we wouldn't be able to go to otherwise. 608 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 4: Weiss Lake Prime example. 609 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: These conversations are going to continue to happen as they do. 610 00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: I'll have k On and we'll get everybody in here 611 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 1: to really break them down. I appreciate your time as 612 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: always again, you can read the full press release when 613 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: you go to Outdoor Alabama dot com