Creeking 2023

[Brody]

Some rental property that I had,used to be nice. This was what was left when finally got them out.

 

[B.M. Barrelcooker]

West Virginia has been mined out and east tn can’t hold a spotlight to WVa streams/rivers.

??
🥺

 

[Stone Branch]

I think people just really don’t care. And it doesn’t matter if you earn 5k or 500k a year, folks just don’t seem to take pride in what they have. You go to Northern Michigan and you don’t see anything like you do here.

or southern Michigan for that matter. Michigan has a 10-cent deposit on returnables, Kentucky needs the same. Ditches wouldn't be lined with plastic mountain dew bottles.

G

 

[Stone Branch]

Addiction and depression = DGAF.

I literally spent today raking up 3 95 gallon trash bins of broken glass bottles, cans, & plastic In the yard of property I bought at auction. I guess when i have it cleaned up ill till it real good before seeding grass so my dogs and kids feet don't get all cut up. Another piece of land im trying to buy is even worse as a trailer rotted a way and fell over the hill. Most was demoed and hauled away but there’s so much left I’m a little overwhelmed by it. Both of these properties are lake/creek front. Their septic tanks were buried 5 feet deep and never serviced. So for that last 30 years their black water went straight to the lake.

Keep up the good fight. I've prospered on other people's shit holes. Stone Branch is a good example.

G

 

[drakeshooter]

Some rental property that I had,used to be nice. This was what was left when finally got them out.

Dude who in the drug addicted white trash lives like that? Feral animals.

 

[Fur Feather]

Some rental property that I had,used to be nice. This was what was left when finally got them out.

I had to clean one up with a snow shovel and rake one time. Worst decision I made was getting in the rental business.

 

[JR PORTER]

I think people just really don’t care. And it doesn’t matter if you earn 5k or 500k a year, folks just don’t seem to take pride in what they have. You go to Northern Michigan and you don’t see anything like you do here.

Add lazy to that statement also!

 

[JR PORTER]

It's ten times worse IMO now than what it was before the flooding!

 

[Drahts]

Nice catches Mudhole!

Any day I drive the county road to my house I shake my head at how much trash folks just throw out the window onto the road. Can't tell you how much crap I pick up all the time. One of the pawnshops in town throws flyers out onto the driveway with a pen in the pack with the business name on it. Then they hung signs on my trees at my driveway. I picked that crap up, tore the signs down, went into the store, got ahold of the manager and told em if I see one more sign put up on my land w/o my permission, or a flyer on the ground next to my mailbox I was coming back in to nail the sign to their back and shoving the pen up his ........

So tired of the crap. One politician put 11 signs on the road on my property. I took every one of em to his house knocked on his door and when he opened it I threw em in and told him to clean up his trash. Just cause you lost doesn't leave you with any less responsibility than had you won! Clean up your signs! I already have enough damn targets! LOL

 

[CalebConn16]

In 2021 my wife and I went thru and stayed the night in Pikeville on our way from west Ky to Boone NC.
I had spent a lot of time doing road jobs in the mountains when I was a young man in the late 80’s thru mid 90’s. We always dealt with coal trucks and it seemed like everything was covered in dust and black mud . Things had really changed from my perspective. Downtown Pikeville was nice and had some good restaurants and we stayed in a nice hotel.
The next day we went down they Virginia and East Tn and into NC.
From the 64/mountain parkway split until east Tn I didn’t see one coal truck. That really surprised me. The mountains of east Ky are every bit if not more beautiful as East Tn , Va , or NC. We could have the same type of outdoor adventure tourism and economy with very little effort. There’s tons of ground left idle from the mines and our streams could be second to none.
A good example is what the folks at friends of the tug fork have done with that beautiful river. With the right publicity and a little management it could be a destination smallmouth fishery. It’s one of many that have overlooked potential.

Sorry to ramble. I just really wish we could help the people and the land of Eastern Ky prosper without ripping it all to hell and leaving nothing but scars.

Never will there be a destination smallmouth fishery in east Ky or the tri-state area. Too many people take fish and keep them from small streams and that is not sustainable. I have been fishing streams and people walk out and ask what we’re catching, when you say smallmouth I’ve had people say “good lord I love them” to come back and have literally 0 fish to catch and see filleted fish on the bank. I’m all for catching and eating fish but small river and streams do not have the sustainability and carrying capacity of larger lakes to support take away fishing on any level really. A 21 inch smallmouth in a stream in this area is around 10 years old, on average the fish posted above are from 4-6 years old based on size. While pollution is an issue for sure I believe harvest is an issue as well. I know people don’t like to hear that but there is absolutely nothing I love more than wade fishing smallmouth in local creeks. But even in the last 4-5 years I have seen a reduction in what I call trophy fish in this area around the 20 inch mark. I really would like to see F&W address this issue and really try to advance this fishery by placing slots or no keepers at all. Just my opinion.

 

[mudhole crossing]

Never will there be a destination smallmouth fishery in east Ky or the tri-state area. Too many people take fish and keep them from small streams and that is not sustainable. I have been fishing streams and people walk out and ask what we’re catching, when you say smallmouth I’ve had people say “good lord I love them” to come back and have literally 0 fish to catch and see filleted fish on the bank. I’m all for catching and eating fish but small river and streams do not have the sustainability and carrying capacity of larger lakes to support take away fishing on any level really. A 21 inch smallmouth in a stream in this area is around 10 years old, on average the fish posted above are from 4-6 years old based on size. While pollution is an issue for sure I believe harvest is an issue as well. I know people don’t like to hear that but there is absolutely nothing I love more than wade fishing smallmouth in local creeks. But even in the last 4-5 years I have seen a reduction in what I call trophy fish in this area around the 20 inch mark. I really would like to see F&W address this issue and really try to advance this fishery by placing slots or no keepers at all. Just my opinion.

We keep a few, but not many.

 

[B.M. Barrelcooker]

Never will there be a destination smallmouth fishery in east Ky or the tri-state area. Too many people take fish and keep them from small streams and that is not sustainable. I have been fishing streams and people walk out and ask what we’re catching, when you say smallmouth I’ve had people say “good lord I love them” to come back and have literally 0 fish to catch and see filleted fish on the bank. I’m all for catching and eating fish but small river and streams do not have the sustainability and carrying capacity of larger lakes to support take away fishing on any level really. A 21 inch smallmouth in a stream in this area is around 10 years old, on average the fish posted above are from 4-6 years old based on size. While pollution is an issue for sure I believe harvest is an issue as well. I know people don’t like to hear that but there is absolutely nothing I love more than wade fishing smallmouth in local creeks. But even in the last 4-5 years I have seen a reduction in what I call trophy fish in this area around the 20 inch mark. I really would like to see F&W address this issue and really try to advance this fishery by placing slots or no keepers at all. Just my opinion.

I totally get that. A couple of western ky spring fed streams that I used to love to wade for spotted bass went downhill quick once the Amish moved in en masse and proceeded to keep every fish they could out of the streams and would even show up with the trout stocking truck and go to town on those too.

I recently fished a place that enforces struck rules and has created GREAT fishery in both quality and quantity :

 

[CalebConn16]

We keep a few, but not many.

It’s legal so pour it on it. I just think it wrecks a delicate fishery to keep any. Mortality from herons, and cranes along with other predators in small streams as well as general mortality around fishing is enough. I don’t see a issue with keeping mortally wounded fish but harvest should be limited to that imo

 

[CalebConn16]

I totally get that. A could of western ky spring fed streams that I used to love to wade for spotted bass went downhill quick once the Amish moved in en masse and proceeded to keep every fish they could out of the streams and would even show up with the trout stocking truck and go to town on those too.

I recently fished a place that enforces struck rules and has created GREAT fishery in both quality and quantity :


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I wish KY would do this for all named smallmouth streams. I know people don’t mean harm but I truly don’t think they understand just how much time and energy they are removing when they remove even a 12 inch smallie from a stream. Just such an awesome fishery that is destined to be destroyed. I saw a guy posted a picture of a stringer full with 12-15 inch smallies and a couple of 20’s and I wanted to puke. I just feel that there are much better options for eating fish if that’s what you want. Bluegill, crappie, lake largies, and even rainbows are way more available and you really can’t hurt those populations. But oh well.

 

[B.M. Barrelcooker]

I wish KY would do this for all named smallmouth streams. I know people don’t mean harm but I truly don’t think they understand just how much time and energy they are removing when they remove even a 12 inch smallie from a stream. Just such an awesome fishery that is destined to be destroyed. I saw a guy posted a picture of a stringer full with 12-15 inch smallies and a couple of 20’s and I wanted to puke. I just feel that there are much better options for eating fish if that’s what you want. Bluegill, crappie, lake largies, and even rainbows are way more available and you really can’t hurt those populations. But oh well.

Exactly add in the fact that they get a good spawn off every 3-7 years it’s a wonder we have good stream smallmouth fishing at all.

As you stated there are much easier and better eating fish out there if anyone is looking for a meal.
Some old heads can’t resist a big string full of smallies for Instagram or the grease.