[tkwalker]

Originally Posted by softbaitmaker

Yep, it was heavy all over the lake along the banks and on the shallow flats on the main channel but it will never be that way again. The lake has become a Money Persons Paradise now. They will keep killing it to keep the rich folks happy. Back years ago I use to fish the Milfoil mats on the point of Ski Cove in Station Camp Creek. Now Congresswoman Diane Black owns that house located on that point and there will never be weeds on that point again and the entire lake is now having houses like hers built all along the shorelines of all the big creeks. The lake will never be the Bass lake it was back then because the bass fry that hatch in spring have no shelter in which to hide anymore....JMHO

Wow! First off welcome aboard to our Forum and FTI Web site SoftBaitMaker (SBM) ... I will address the Political , and Housing rant at the end of my post.

Now, This is a great subject Milfoil, It has it's Pros and Cons ... After reading the threads It appears, do to the age of most of the posters with the exception of SBM who is two years younger than I, and I am 72. That most of you fished the last 25 years during the invasion of the foil. And I am sure you think it is similar to Lilly Pads as an inviting place for old Bucket mouth to lurk which is true. But unlike Lilly Pads which only has a stem and then produces a Flower (Pad) Which Old Hickory has had in some of it's back waters every since I can remember. But Member TEXAS RIG is correct about the Foil, and I quote: "It's submergent. It grows in deeper depths and doesn't necessarily grow on the shoreline. The water may be 15 feet deep and it will grow from a couple feet tall or all the way to the surface." End Quote: The milfoil produces leafs along it's stem deeper than Lilly Pads which means it grows in the Channel and the Corps has to keep it at a depth of 13 feet. Now this was not a challenge to the mighty Tow Boats but the back wash was playing havoc on the smaller pleasure boats.

Also, the Corp of Eng. as well as the US Coast Guard reported that the milfoil in some cases impeded channel navigation. Not the commercial Barge traffic but pleasure boat operation do to propeller fowling. My personal thought on this is more of complaints from commercial (nets&baskets) and non-commercial pleasure troller fisherman. Now remember only about 25 miles upstream from OH dam is back water ... The remaining 75 miles is basic narrow river channel all the way to Cordell Hull with hardly any massive mansions or housing developments. And believe me the big old sows live and hatch other places rather than the bedrooms of Gallatin and Hendersonville. (Hey, all their Massive docks and boat houses produces a lot of structure)

Now I am going to debunk Mr. Richards Statement: "The lake will never be the Bass lake it was back then because the bass fry that hatch in spring have no shelter in which to hide anymore".

Okay, I am going to assume SBM has not lived on this lake all of his life. But I have pretty much. In 1954, I was eight yrs. old. ... Old Hickory Dam closed it's gates and started back filling OH Lake. My Dad and I sat on the hood of his 1953 Ford at the end of Lock Four Rd. with only about one foot of the Lock Spillway showing, I watched a train of barges pushed by a tow boat overcome the spillway and head upstream carrying materials for the newly constructed Gallatin Steam Plant.

I fished Old Hickory lake every since. In the 70's Bass Tourneys came along ... We formed a local fishing club in the 70's I was a charter Executive member of GABA (Gallatin Association of Bass Anglers)... We had a max membership of 50 members. And back then releasing fish was an option, even though you got an extra point for every fish you released which went toward the end of year points... ,A lot of fish was put in the freezer ... And it was not uncommon for the big fish of the tourneys to reach between 5 to 7 pounds with a mix of large fish in between .

Then I commercial fished in 1980 and 1981. There was a Russian Embargo on Cavier ... So Paddle fish (being in the Sturgeon family) was in high demand . $24 per processed pound and a 35 pound fish could produce 7 pounds. ... Hard fishing with nets in the heart of winter... This is a story in it's self.

And Lastly, Stripers were introduced to OH in 1973 .... I did not start fishing for them until the 80's and started guiding shortly after. I used Paper Graphs to chart both sides of the channel and Islands from Cunningham Island close to where the first stripers were released in 1973 to OH Lake, all the way to Cordell Hull Dam. Yep! it took a while and I wore out two Graphs.

Now what all of the above is saying is this. Milfoil depriving Bass fry no hiding place ... Don't think so... There is plenty of structure in Old Hickory lake to support any amount of Hatch for any species year round... Cold water, Bait, warm water, (steam Plant) ... Folks Old Hickory is used as a balancing lake for the Cumberland river chain, which in turn, do to High water and current releases from CH, causes washouts, and land slides which produces submerged structure (Mainly upstream) that is why there is No fishing Pressure upstream for Bass. For most folks except the Pros who come in here ... no one fishes upstream...

Most weekend and working fisherman like the over pressured, over fished, Multi tourneys every week for the convenience of the lower 25 miles of the lake ... And I'm Sure the hundreds of 80 MPH Plus ..$80,000 dollar Bass boats doesn't help the lower 25 either.... THE MILFOIL AND FISHING PRESSURE OF THE 90'S TO PRESENT ON IT'S BEST DAY WILL NOT SURPASS THE GREAT FISHING BEFORE IT CAME.

When I was guiding I was hired by Bass Pros for my incite on good spots were on OH. I showed them and they produced .... UPSTREAM!.

Now as for the political rant, The fishing forum is no place to express that, But I can see where SBM needed it to get a point across, no problem ... Since it was brought up I will say this ... Diane Black is not my favorite person, But I will have to vote for Her for Governor . I hope her replacement in congress is worthy of my vote. And am Glad that Marsha Blackburn will most likely take Corkers Seat. Now remember all Political Posts should be expressed in the Sports Lounge.... <'TK><