วีดีโอ

The proposed slot limit will help our Coosa river lakes big fish population and we all know it. It may mean that you can't haul those fish around all day. The solution is catch, weigh, and release. Our lakes bigger fish have taken a beating the last several years..... We have to ask ourselves what is more important, revenue or our great resource. Just saying.....

So sorry for your loss. God is on his shoulder.

Thanks.

They need to ban forward facing sonar in tournaments it’s killing the fish population

Great coverage and glad to see Luke back up and at them again. Best this coming year

Awesome run trail the ABT i watch them all and i dont even bass fish anymore 😂 old habits ya know ..i still love watching tournaments of mutiple species i love watching these guys break down a lakes

Loving the ABT from TEXAS!!! 🤠

Loving the ABT from Texas!!! 👍👍👍

Good morning Kay and ABT Family 🎣

I have mixed feelings about the changes proposed. There are to many fish dying and too many tournaments happening week after week, however, I do believe that Kay is sincere and has bass fishings best interests in her efforts. I appreciate you Mrs. Kay and I hope a compromise can be reached that will benefit the bass, the waterways, and all of the people and businesses involved. Sounds as though you want the same. Thank you.

Good morning Kay and ABT 🎣

Kayaks don’t catch, weigh and release. They catch, measure, picture and release. Then the picture is upload by the angler.

Happy Thanksgiving ABT!

I can wait on the decision on slot limits. But I’m still upset about Alabama restrictions on out of state anglers not having a state that requires a boater safety certificate. I can either take one in Alabama for $66 or one from my state for $10. I have to buy a test at Walmart, take it to TWRA make an appointment that Tennessee doesn’t want to do. Then pass the test just to fish in Alabama 5-6 times a year. I was born and raised in Alabama , when they came out with the license I took the test and had a V on my license. Then my job moved me here and they don’t have one. It stinks but I’ll do it just to come home. I may not like it but I will.

My opinion only. I believe the state of Alabama, is looking to put a strangle hold on bass fishing tournaments. By doing so, that will strongly limit the large amount of out of state anglers that go there each year. I’d say, if this is passed, it will bleed its way across the state and they will apply this to ALL of the large tournament lakes. I think a soft start was the implementation of everyone that boats on an Alabama waterway to have a boating permit. Not a bad thing, it will just stop a large amount of people from visiting the state. Again, just my opinion.

Ask any biologist that specializes in bass and big bass and they would probably agree. If your population size is good and your size is small it more times than not has to do with too many smaller fish competiting for a limited food source then add in an aggressive spotted bass competiting for the same food source. Your largemouth can't get big. It sounds like there needs to be more harvest of 12 inch largemouth and alot of spots reducing the competition for the forage

There are so many Pot tournaments that need to be regulated. They should have to purchase permits. Our fisheries are being hammered. I caught 4 fish this year over 20 inches on Weiss. I was not in a tournament. They were released where they were caught.This is just my opinion. If there is anything I can help with,please let me know. I'm off Friday- Sunday.

Dang I was hoping Luke's dad made it to the award banquet to honor his wife before he died

May GOD comfort you and give your family peace Luke 🕊️

Good morning Kay and the ABT Family, HAPPY THANKSGIVING ABT

Who do those fish belong to? Who does that river belong to? Does it belong to the Government? Does it belong to the fish and wildlife advisory board? Does it belong to the state of Alabama? The answers to every single one of those questions is... It all belongs to the taxpayers of the state of Alabama! Period... End of conversation! Those tournament anglers pay their taxes to... It would be different if they were taking those fish home and cutting the heads off! They aren't. And I will also say that any study conducted can be channeled to how you want it to come out in the end. I have tournament fished most of my adult life. . It is not tournament fishing that's doing the damage. When those fish had a habitat this wasn't a problem. I can speak about Miller's Ferry because that's the lake I know best... Before the grass was killed... In the old Mcnider Marine iron man tournaments.. it was routinely won with sacks north of 20 lbs...I can remember the top 10 all being more than 20lbs with some 24 and 25lb bags being caught in the spring. BUT... They killed the grass and the weights started falling each year after! Shad spawns are negatively effected when there's no grass. There's only so many other habitat's for them to use...I won't give out the secrets and get chastised for it. But if you know you know. This whole deal is just someone looking for a place to lay blame and this time it's a tournament angler. They do that on the coosa and the tournaments will move to the Alabama... Tombigbee... Mobile... And black warrior rivers... They'll get them next. THIS HAS TO BE MEET WITH A HEAVY RESISTANCE OR THEY WILL GET THE WHOLE STATE. !!

Well i can say they ain't looking at the fact that over the last 30 years there's way more boats on the water than there used to be so way more fishermen

Here is my Opinion, Everyone and there Momma is holding tournaments now. At Weiss I have seen as much as 400 boats on the water fishing a tournament on the same day. Limit the amount of paid permitted tournaments to the Major Trails, Federation Clubs, High School, College and Kyak. And limit it to a few lake trails. The permits should not coincide with another tournament. The permits should be done a year in advance and giving the Major Trails the first dates available. . Once again. Just my opinion.

Ms. Kay your doing a fine job! I hear the passion in your voice for the great state of Alabama and Bass Fishing. 4-5 weeks ago I saw an article where some in Alabama just seem to be running off business. When Alabama passed a law ( I see the good in this law) requiring anglers from other states to take a boater safety course before coming or taking one 5 times high once they get there, I said it then that something was going on. Why does this matter to me? I was born and raised in Lauderdale Co. Alabama. That’s home to me and I go home 3-4 times a year. And I bring my boat to fish my old tournament holes. I did get my safety class but Tennessee doesn’t require one. Now this survey and suggestion is going to run off tournament anglers. Plain and simple some in Alabama are not looking at the dollars brought in by anglers. Whoever is doing this hates tournaments and anglers. I fished in the FLW early days and they loved us. You keep fighting the good fight and know that the ABT Anglers have your back. Even this old Alabama Boy stuck up here in Tennessee now days has your back. I attend your weigh ins when in Guntersville because I’m only two hours north. So it’s a big part of my year to come home and fish then hit your weigh in. Your in my prayers JL

The Coosa river fishery is extremely unique one of a kind fishery. With the Alabama river bass and that unique current dominated environment. It could become a world class fishery with a bunch 4 and five pound spots like it used to have. Not that you can not catch some now. But this is way more difficult than it used to be

EXCELLENT podcast Kay, the HUMBLE spirit and giving of the A B T , is WHY I can’t wait to join , and fish the A B T circuit, I’m a Co-Angler now , fishing the BFL in the Bulldog Division here in Georgia, my vision is the not only fish the BFL’s , but to expand into the ABT, and other trails, GOD will bless the ABT, and I am praying and speaking LIFE into my vision, and getting a boat and truck to pull it, I REALLY enjoyed this podcast Kay, THANK YOU for what you and your team does in the ABT, looking forward to fish and see you soon in the A B T , GOD BLESS 🕊️

Good morning A B T 🎣

I do not recall MLF BPT ever weighing in a dead BASS because of on the water weigh in never a dead fish penalty Get With the program or get Left behind

If 200 KAYAK anglers can take a picture and send it in so can the BOATERS On the water weigh and release is the FUTHER BASS MASTER ELITES bring 1400 BAS S to the STAGE STOP IT That is in 1 TOURNAMENT 1400 BASS

It's in everyone's best interest to protect the quality of size and numbers of bass on the Coosa. Curious as to the history of the winning weights on each of the lakes in the history of the ABT to see if the have gone up, down or stayed around the same over the years. Totally agree that Lay is way too small for the amount of tournament pressure it gets from national, regional, state and local tournaments. My understanding from people who have fished Lay for a long time is that the quality of the fishery has declined greatly, that's not scientific of course. There should be a compromise with everyone involved, including the state to come up with a good solution. Frankly I am glad the state is finally waking up to at least try and do something to protect the fisheries. You keep giving the financial impact of the ABT and other tournaments, which is a great point, but if the quality of the fisheries continue to decline that will hurt the economic impact as well. That is a great point comparing the pressure on Guntersville and it's size in comparison to the size of the Coosa lakes combined being 75 percent of the size of Guntersville. It's great the ABT keeps track of mortality and reports it and is so transparent. Why would your payout and registrations decline with slots? The fisherman are still catching fish outside the slots judt can't keep and weigh them. What is your recommendation for improving the fishery? Or are you saying the Coosa lakes are healthy and don't need anything changed?

Let these people do their job they are not attacking bass fishing they are trying to make it better. If there are tournaments every Saturday and Sunday, spring and summer, that is too many. We now have a slots limit on my home river at first all the tournament people cried and stopped having tournaments there. After a few years, now it the best place to have tournaments

Thanks for the podcast Kay. What would you say are the top five “common ground” steps with DCNR could be on this and what’s preventing ABT (and all the other tournament organizations you mentioned) from self-imposing them before the DCNR has to act?

Miss Kay, thank you for laying this out clearly, and thank you for all you do for tournament anglers. I am a tournament angler, albeit on a small scale compared to the anglers in your trails. Like most, i believe that this slot limit appears to be excessive, and unfairly targets tournament anglers. That said, I for one believe that something has to be done to preserve the sustainability of the resources. Like you, and most of us with an opinion, I don't profess to be a biologist. My opinions are simply drawn from my observations on the water. Others in the profession/sport share obviously share the opinion that our lakes are "getting hammered" with pressure. As I constantly hear on their podcasts and youtube channels. I don't have the answers, but do believe that we are coming to a time across many states where we will see limitations on tournaments whether it be field sizes, slot limits, or numbers of tournaments permitted on a given body of water per week/month or year.

Thank you Kay for this thorough breakdown of the information regarding the Coosa River. Your hard work is appreciated in this opposition. Alabama anglers are still hoping for a different solution, even though we feel like our hands are tied. Keep up the fight❤️

Everyone needs to realize all of this has come about because the tournament bass anglers are concerned about the quality and numbers of bass on Neely Henry lake.Not some outside source. Bass tournament anglers need to realize they are not the only anglers that fish the Coosa river and that if bass tournaments slow down the crappie tournaments will increase because they have struggled for years to find places to fish because of the bass tournaments that dominate our lakes in Alabama.kayak tournaments have also struggled because of the same problem.Both have a large following in this state. The crappie and kayak tournament directors are hoping that this rule goes in effect and will gladly replace the weigh in bass tournaments on this river.So that means loss of revenue will be minimal.While the size of bass on this river has fallen the crappie fishing has gotten better on this river and biologists say the crappie are doing great and I agree so I guess the stripe bass just eat bass not crappie .The state of Alabama might need to raise the size on the crappie to offset the effects of the high numbers of crappie tournaments that are going to flood this river

Did they mention anything about them killing all the grass and now blaming the shitty fishing on the tournament angler! ? Everybody knows this is really just a shot at tournament fishing as a whole! Pissed because they can't catch fish when it gets a little tuff .

With Catch, Weigh and Release you would have to have an office in the boat. Plus the cost of buying 225 Bubba or Rapala scales. That’s a major hit for ABT.

So they say tournaments cause the most deaths of bass. So how do they account for the average anglers fish who die? I have seen anglers who place fish in a live well and they just throw them on the ground at the ramp. Tournament anglers keep their live wells clean, treat the water and I promise you not one average angler even knows how to.

How do you qualify for the ABT?

No anglers, there will be closing of gas stations, restaurant's tackle shops, small business in the small towns will suffer. Most of the small towns will not survive this rule. Most of the people that down grade their lake only goes fishing 2 or 3 times a year and can't understand why Thay can't catch anything. what about the small pot trail events, I see them weigh inn and put all the fish caught in a cooler for fish fries. Let the towns make their own decisions on what they support. I would be happy to do a pod cast about this idea at any time from a lure company prospective. You did an outstanding job.

I think this study needs to be protested by legal means. The study, the people doing the study, in general how the study was conducted needs to be challenged by an attorney.

I deleted my prior comemt as you coverd what i thought this was about.. but they fixin make a mess out things when you get a pencil pusher involved in my opinion cause its a nice way to say trails are having too many tournaments

Fisheries will benefit from lack of out of state anglers… That’s currently part of the problem, too many anglers…

*Quick question about club tournaments and the small wildcat tournaments, are they also effected or just the large organizations?

My final comment......the harder you dig your heels in, the longer the fishing continues to suck on the Coosa, the more blame will be put upon the shoulders of tournament organizations like the ABT who are picking profit over long term sustainability and quality of our fisheries.

2, 3, and 4llb Bass are exactly the fish that need to be immediately released. Nobody cares about the dinks or the aging out monsters. You must protect the middle class of fish proverbially speaking

Nobody is asking for "Lake Fork slot Bass", rather we just want to catch quality sized Bass. Good luck catching fish over 1-2lbs on the Coosa

No amount of money is worth catching nothing but 1lb dinks on these lakes. Something has to be done to improve our fisheries......how about you address that point, and maybe this wouldn't be necessary

This will solve it all get rid of forward facing sonar and that will help the problem no forward facing sonar in tournaments at All

Something needs to change, Alabama fisheries suck in terms of quality sized Bass.