Yeah, all the grass gone has done wonders for decatur. Lakes are definitely cyclical...but all the grass can't hurt!

A friend and I are waiting on the Guntersville frog bite for a trip down. Sounds like we prolly gonna have to pick a weekday or jockey for a spot. Sad what t's become.

Used to like fishing the Decatur flats but don't bother anymore. Mostly fish main river bluffs between Elk and Lucy's branch now. Went into spring Creek today. Only had a 2 lb fish off a laydown. Prolly shoulda started there.

I think there's plenty of grass in Gville. At least there was last year and I've seen a little already this year.

Wheeler's grass has been virtually nonexistent and/or cyclical for 25 years. Those $#*(# industries dumping their chit in the water IMO are the causes. When you catch a fish in summer off the channel or up in the flats that smells like the feed mill or has sores like a leper, that ain't from "spraying" grass. That's some kind of industrial chit.


Guntersville's vegetation control agreement probably should be examined for the specifics -- areas to be treated, amount, near homes and/or ramps, etc. -- and compared to what is being done. There's a disconnect somewhere between that stakeholder agreement and what the homeowners and/or cities are doing, like up in Roseberry Creek about 7-8 years ago when homeowners strongarmed folks for money to have "their" creek treated after TVA announced it would cease treatment.

As for the actual fishing, IMO it's spawn-postspawn, moon phase, transition and pressure, the latter being incredible in April and May. I've seen more eelgrass than ever before, too, and I'd have to think it has to have some kind of impact compared to hydrilla and milfoil

"When you catch a fish in summer off the channel or up in the flats that smells like the feed mill or has sores like a leper, that ain't from "spraying" grass. That's some kind of industrial chit." I agree clem...and not to hijack the original thread (and we've beat it to death before)...but the industries are down stream of flint creek and the east side of 31 highway. All that grass is gone (except that little lagoon south of 67 on the refuge). Why does none of the grass that goes thru g'ville dam not ever set? I asked the refuge biologist and he wouldn't even acknowledge the question.

I figure it's chopped too finely and coming downstream too far to catch a set on the flats. I asked a TVA biologist years ago why they used a harvester to chop up the hydrilla, which has nodes on the stems and IMO would be like constant "seeding." He said it was too small.

Seems like in four or more decades of grass in Guntersville that some of it would have made it downstream and taken hold.

I've been snagged on nasty chit on that river ledge in Decatur (years ago) that was black and stinky. The only thing I'd compare the wad of mess to was something I snagged while fishing with a guy on practice day in the 2000 Classic in Chicago. We were in the Calumet River industrial harbor and whatever I snagged was so gross, the pro told me to cut the line and tie on something else. He didn't even want it in the boat.

Clem if that's the tournament I think it was I remember thinking that someone would snag a body.

I happen to know the guy who does the spraying for tva... So I know for a fact they're spraying.