Jimbo, the lodge's way of thinking isn't to help people get their boat in the water, it's to keep the boats out. Mc queeny is becoming a special elite 'members only' type lake and they want it that way. If their members can't go to the lake with out it being swamped by all the 'public boats' they will likely stop paying their membership fees and go somewhere else. The sad thing is yes, it's public water, but no one wants it open to the public, and I will even venture to say that 99% of the boating community on the lake enjoys it that way.

THAT is what I believe also!

Okay now I'm hungry. The mention of Hotshots sent images of a nice thick juicy hamburger to my brain and stomach. Use to go and order one and fish the pads while it was cooking.

Not only the burgers, dont forget about the Friday night fish fry. Hot Shots was a great place!! The pads there were never my favorite, but always caught good fish there.

Here is a public information person you might send a message to if you want.

Yolanda Pierce [ypierce@gbra.org]

Need to Find this ramp, That lake has not seen much pressure, but just skiers!!(Dang them). I used to fish that lake alot, even won my first Tournament there when the folks there used to put on around oct. been a few years. but would love to fish it again.
By the way, will be fishing tourney on Coleto Creek on 4/9/10 and will post a lil lake report, till then SetTheHook!!

Anybody go to the lions club meeting?? would like to know what they had on the agenda?

I found the ramp---I don't think I will put in there due to the rocks and the limited parking. Also the neighborhood is a ??? mark to me.

Anyone e-mail the address I gave? I did and have yet to recieve a reply. Also does anyone have an email address at TP&W where I could send a post concerning the ability to not having a public ramp.

Anyone know the outdoor writer at the statesman? Maybe he could mention it in the paper and get some of the yuppies up there riled up.

Headed to Placid tomorrow---at least I can get on that one at the bridge.

I went down this road last year and could not get a legit answer. Here is one of the folks I emailed.

Tbeutnagel@gbra.org It's a gal (Tammy Buetnagel) that works at the river authority.

Outdoor writer for newspaper is Ray Austin. AKA "Topcat" Guide service. Google him and his website will come up with email address. I went to that ramp for the first time today. It was horrible. Concrete all missing and giant holes below water line. Luckily I have a small boat and didn't mind risking damaging my trailer at least this once. Fishing was good but catching wasn't very good. We did catch a nice catfish on a crank bait.

Wow, been awhile since I have been on the TFF. Nice to see the Mcqueeney debate back open again. Good luck with this one. I put in at the "Ragged Ramp" about 20 times this winter, its too rough and I care too much for my equipment.

I have raved in several of my columns in the New Braunfels based paper, The Herald-Zeitung. My editor gives me quite a bit of leadway and actually I was shocked a few times when I ranted about GBRA and their lack of movement on Mcqueeney and it published. Just last week (thanks gary)I found out about them dropping Lake Dunlap 2' during the late bass spawn (absolutely nuts). I have written a few columns on GBRA's poor management, small newspaper and not much coverage area. Fishing with Mike Leggett at Buchanan and was going to drop this in his lap (huge water quality outdoor writer for Statesman and stand up guy for the angler) then the rain hit and I never got to ask him his opinion or ask for help.
Those of you that sent emails to GBRA, let me know if you get an answer. I sent emails to several people at GBRA, no answer. I sent a ten question email to several people at GBRA, no answer. I sent an email to TPWD first and received this back in December from TPWD, basically in the hands of a poorly run GBRA. Anglers are the minority and as long as the tenants are getting their scheduled water level drops to "DO DAM MAINTAINENCE" aka "homeowners working on docks" GBRA does not have that many complaints, they believe they are there for the public. My beefs are not with the homeowners (several are my customers), just GBRA. This was taken straight from my column, once I find the one from the Town Hall meeting I will post it:

I sent an email concerning the access, or lack there of, to Lake Mcqueeney to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. My questions were passed to the fisheries biologist John Findeisen. John was in charge of the fisheries at the lake prior to the public losing access. This is a matter that requires public input and again, Guadalupe Blanco River Authority is in charge of the solution to this problem. You have to believe that access to one of our public lakes being cut off is hard to swallow. I myself cannot understand why or how the state cannot just step in and put in a concrete ramp, build a lot for parking, and turn us loose to fish the mystery lake. The landowners on the lake probably enjoy the privacy and they have nothing to do with the anglers not getting to fish the lake, completely out of their hands. Friends of Lake Mcqueeney has done a great job helping to keep the lake clean during the public�s absence.

Questions: How long has the lake been without a public boat ramp?
Answers: Public access to Lake McQueeney was discontinued in the Summer 2008, when the Lake McQueeney RV Park was sold. Prior to selling, the Lake McQueeney RV Park owned and maintained a private boat ramp that the public could use on a pay-per-use basis. The new owner of the park is no longer allowing the public to use this private ramp to access the lake.

Q: Are there any plans for a public boat ramp to be built on the lake?
A: This is a question that GBRA will have to answer since they are the controlling authority for the lake. Contact David Welsh at (830) 379-5822. I know that GBRA is conducting a use study on lakes Dunlap, McQueeney and Placid and is looking at the possibility of building a boat ramp based on the results of the study. Additionally, GBRA is accepting applications from subdivisions with boat ramps that would allow the public to use. However, no applications have been submitted at this time.

Q: What will it take for the public to help in getting the process started?
A: Again another question for GBRA. GBRA has contacted several angling groups as part of the survey. Tim Cook, Texas' BASS Conservation Director, help provide information concerning many of the angling groups.

Q: Without access to the lake we have no idea what condition the fishery is in, any ideas on that?
A:The fisheries were last surveyed in the Fall 2007 (electrofishing and trap net). The last gill net survey was conducted in Spring 2006. The fisheries were in great shape at those times

Q: How did the public access to the lake just "get cut off"?
A: The ramp was always private but the Lake McQueeney RV Park allowed public access on a pay-per-use basis. When the park was sold, the new owner discontinued public access.

Q: How is it that landowners can keep the lake to themselves and be the only entity that will allow others onto the lake?
A: Unlike lakes Dunlap and Placid there is not a public boat ramp on Lake McQueeney.

Q: Do Game Wardens monitor the lake on a steady basis?
A: Please contact Capt. Danny Villalobos for information concerning Game Wardens. Lake McQueeney is still considered public water for the purposes of game, fish, and boating laws

Q: Which of our wardens monitor the lake?
A: Please contact Capt. Danny Villalobos. I found Danny�s phone number on the TPWD website: 210-348-7375

Q: Your long term views on keeping lakes open to the public?
A: TPWD does strongly support public access to public waters in Texas. We provide grants to local communities for boat ramp construction and repair (see http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/grants/trpa/#boatramp). We have various programs to encourage public fishing and provide public access, including Neighborhood Fishin' (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/management/stocking/urban_catfish.phtml) where we partner with local city park ponds and others. Free Fishing in State Parks (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/programs/familyfish/ which waives fishing license requirements within the boundaries of state parks and provides free instructional how-to events for families and novice anglers. These are just a few examples. See the TPWD Web site boating and fishing sections for more, or go to www.lifesbetteroutside.org for our one-stop resource for family-oriented outdoor recreation, including fishing. You can reach John at: TPWD Inland Fisheries District 1E 361-547-9712

My opinion is just that, an opinion. Our lakes are not our lakes. Why is GBRA conducting a study into allowing public access to the lake? Bottom line, it is a public lake and if they cannot make it public then they need to update their website to �private lake, open to some of the public�. They are the Owner/Operators of Lake Mcqueeney�what gives? I have yet to see, correct me if I am wrong, a major improvement in boat docks at their lakes. I launch, tie up to a bank or concrete wall, then walk off and watch as my boat is beat up against both. I wonder how much money the study into putting in a public ramp is going to end up costing. Perhaps the price of a ramp and parking lot? How much do they help the bankfisherman? Everyone I see is fishing from right around the boat launch area on Dunlap and Placid. You are confined to an area less than one percent of the total shoreline of the lake. For what its worth, I guess steps are needed, the study is taking your private input and this is how you get your personal survey. Email David Welsch with GBRA and he will send you a survey, dwelsch@gbra.org.

GBRA is one of the quietest entities I have ever seen. One positive I have seen is them leaving the gates open on Canyon Lake during the summer for trout to have cold water, bravo. This was not based on the trout, it was based on keeping the water flowing downstream to sell more water.

March 2nd column (Town Hall Meeting at Lions Club):

Still not sure what Guadulupe Blanco River Authority has planned as how there were no concrete answers given at the last meeting. Talk of more studies into whether a ramp on Lake McQueeney is a good idea. They showed pictures of crowded lakes and talked about possibly limiting the use of personal watercraft (jet fleas) on big holiday weekends. There was talk about inexperienced boaters on the lakes. Is this all new?? They are going to have questionnaires at the lakes on the big weekends. Why?? Your best bet is to not have one of the people ask me a question about 7am before my first Dr. Pepper. I can get long winded and it might turn into a question and question session. I don�t have questions I have answers for GBRA. Save our money on studies and put the money that you are investing in these dadburn studies and build something. Put in a good public ramp and allow public fishing access area at Lake McQueeney, Placid, and Dunlap. Build docks for boats at all three lakes ramps. I am going out on a limb here, the cost of these three would probably be right at or below the cost of the studies that you have spent our money on. Open the lakes and then do your study, don�t guess on what would happen if. Clean your own lakes, you make the decisions on the lake so its your lake to clean. Don�t depend on residents and locals to clean the lakes up for free. I would love to hear a concrete answer. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has funds set up to help put in new boat ramps on lakes, perhaps both GBRA and TPWD could build something together.

Texas Parks and Wildlife can then take care of the policing of the lake. Its amazing how a ticket will make a rookie boater learn or a jet skier quit cutting in front of boats, scratch the last part, you must be able to read what the ticket says. The Game Wardens are here to help in the effort to make lakes safe.

Keep up the fight. My solution, If you drive to the Bandit golf course and look at their pond that they get their water from you will notice it is tied into Mcqueeney by a 15' wide navigable channel(I know this because I have taken my boat in there). There is plenty of room for a parking lot and a ramp in that location. I can only imagine the chemicals running off into the lake. I am thinking a good fair trade would be to dredge that 3' deep area and build a ramp and parking lot in exchange for TPWD furnishing them a good water quality control biologist to keep their pollution fines to a minimum.

Great story topcat. I agree with everything you say 100%. It is wrong how the GBRA can do some of the stuff that they do. All their studies are bogus and a way out of a difficult situation. As for the ramp by the golf course, sounds like a good place to put it. Dont matter where they put it at, as long as they get one there soon. Great insights, keep writing your opinions and someone will step to the plate!!

Good info Topcat.

I just got this today. Doesn't look too promising.

"Forgive the delay in answering your question. GBRA has been working with a consultant on a boating capacity study on all of the six GBRA hydroelectric lakes. Public access was included in the study. We are aware that access is limited on Lake McQueeney, but at this time GBRA has no plans on building a public boat ramp on the lake."

BTW--below is a name and info for all that want to carry this to a higher level.

Yolanda M. Pierce

Operations Assistant

Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority

(830) 379-5822 x 271

ypierce@gbra.org