I live on the lake and am incentivized to have fewer boats, yet feel that restricting access is a bad thing. Public water is just that. If I wanted a private like community then I could have bought at Kiowa or Hideaway.

I was also surveyed there by the TPWD about 2 weeks ago.

Hahahahahaha "lets go to Waco" -Said no one EVER!!!

Isn't there additional parking? Or is this off limits? I'm asking seriously as I don't know for sure.

LOL! sounds like Lake Welsh

Most of those other people work all week to. They have just as much right to the PUBLIC WATER as you do. We all get frustrated fishing pressured water at times, but the solution to that problem is not to start restricting access to public water. Lots of states are trying just that, and it is turning into a disaster. This type of lazy fisheries management is a snow ball headed for hell.

As to the homeowners....you know when you buy property on a public lake there is going to be traffic. Either accept that or sell the property. It's part of owning lake property. Don't like it? Go buy you a ranch and build your own lake.

Homeowners on a public complaining about other people fishing "their" lake is like buying a house next to a freeway then complaining other people are driving on it


Its a public resource.
.

I'm really failing to see what their problems are. Outside of the spawn, fishing traffic really isn't that bad. Traffic overall is bad in the summer because every single person that lives on this lake has a ski boat and runs in circles from 6:45 AM until dark every day. It just started 2 months earlier this year because of the rona. I would bet the majority of traffic on that lake every single day including tournament days is the property owners. If they want traffic to return to historical levels, just ban wake enhancement...

I'm sure there are things the homeowners could do to limit tournaments. I'd hope TPWD would entertain a reason to put a 16 inch maximum on Athens.

We could also talk about why TPWD has failed to produce this type of fishery on so many of our other lakes but that's a different topic.

Respect your opinion but also respectfully I think comparing “rights” between a lake owned(and managed by) the Army Corps of Engineers and a lake owned by the local water municipality(Athens Municipal Water District) as a bad comparison. True “apples to oranges”. Prolly just me.

And “YEP” to this if you believe outsider tournaments are have some negative effect on fish populations. I personally don’t think they are.

It's pretty much used very weekend between May and September

a couple of obvious points regarding this...

1. MLF and having Ott Defoe catching 25+ lbs in a short window got a lot of Athen's attn.
2. Covid is causing all our lakes to be super crowded. Just check the ramps at Texoma, Lewisville, Ray Roberts, Eagle Mountain, Bob Sandlin, Cypress , etc.They are completely packed even on Weekdays.
* My club officers are now having to make adjustments just to accommodate ramp parking and weigh In's where we used to enjoy little to no traffic.
3. The article mentions not contributing to the local Athen's economy... When my club did fish Athen's in years past - We stayed at the local motel, ate at Whataburger, bought gas at the Walmart, etc.. and probably would spend more if they had more access to gas stations and Food places on the loop.

I personally love fishing Athens.. used to be one of my favorite lakes. Just like Lake Bonham, I would pay the annual fee if that's what they went to, but I think if it's public waters and the state is providing services, it should be FREE.

So.,,,, if the HOA gets their way and it becomes exclusive - does this mean that they will compensate the state for the fish that TPW has stocked there? Perhaps a small check to every "non-local" that has fished there and has purchased a license?

I have a lake house on Fork. Everyone knows that Fork is crowded, perhaps I can whine and get it closed to non homeowners.....
Public lake, public access...

oh boy paying more fees is like paying for the things we have already paid for.