Magazine articles...Do I need to find a new Lake?

[dfv87]

I fishing quite a bit every summer on Lake Alexander by Cushing MN. In this month's Minnesota Sportsman Magazine they specifically list Alex as a good lake for opener eyes and summer smallies. I have heard from other people that once those articles get written the people start coming like mad. Anybody else find this to be true. For the record Alex is a nice lake but the reason I loved it was it wasn't a zoo all the time and you could actually fish. Now with the new people it may be time to move on to another lake. Looking for opinions/comments.

[hip_hop_fisherman]

All you can really do is wait and see. I don't know a lot of people who focus on a lake they have never fished before for opener, I'm sure some do however. I wouldn't get too down until you see what actually happens. I wouldn't be suprised if it only had minimal effects throughout the summer.

[NELS-BELLS]

Lake Alex. is mentioned a lot in articles. I have not noticed a big increase in fisherman with the exception of muskie fisherman and I've been fishing the lake for almost 20 years. I don't think an article about a lake will increase the fishing pressure nearly as much as word of mouth, if there is a hot bite going.

Its usually a tough bite on Lake Alex during the opener.

Good luck!

Nels

[camo_marc]

Jefferson Lake in southern MN was featured a month or 2 back for crappies and there hasn't been really anybody in the spots they mention in the article. I got a little worried too when they had southern MN bass lakes in the last issue but they left out the real good ones. Only time will tell.

[Tonka Boy]

About 10 years back Chippewa lake was featured in the Star and Trib as the "go to spot" for opener. We had the trip planned well in advance so we stuck it out. Needless to say I have never seen such a bad zoo (and I fish Tonka almost daily).

Hopefully it doesn't happen in your situation. Magazines, as well as these forums are GREAT, but they do have their downfalls...no place is secret.

[gunflint]

I would think that the kind of fisherman that would chase an article like that in a magazine aren't going to be very effective. You might see a little increase for a while but it shouldn't last much longer than the next article featuring an area lake.

[cjac]

Between a couple of the publications, my home lake Rice Lake out by Paynesville gets called almost every year. I guess it's par for the course. It's 1500 acres and well stocked and managed. It can support it.

What I don't agree with is calling out a 220 acre lake like one of the mags just did with Fish Lake in Maple Grove. Metro lakes get enough pressure and are known enough, we don't need extra attention on a lake that small in size. I guess I should take it as a compliment that one of my lesser known bass lakes gets some ink? Still I think they need to show some caution with calling attention to lakes under 500 acres in size.

There....I feel better!

cjac

[Willy]

Quote:

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I would think that the kind of fisherman that would chase an article like that in a magazine aren't going to be very effective. You might see a little increase for a while but it shouldn't last much longer than the next article featuring an area lake.

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I think you're right on, you also made me laugh.

[federline]

Well, Buffalo Lake was a featured lake going into last ice season... and there were more houses and trash and parties out there than I can remember being before. BUT the pressure on the lake had been steadily increasing every winter already, so I can't correlate the article with activity in this case.

[Gissert]

Magazines and newspapers are always going to have feature articles on specific lakes.

They are usually generic in nature, and tend to not really pinpoint anything. The aritcles will discuss the species involved, and maybe talk about past test nettings. My home lake was featured in Outdoor News last year, and I did not notice any real difference in pressure at the time.

What I have noticed is when the local word gets out about a lake with a hot bite. People flock, and pound it every day. The internet has compounded this effect. The local gossip has a much bigger effect on fishing pressure than a paper or magazine article, IMO.

[Howieroch]

I always wonder what kind of effect these article produce...

A few years back the lake our cabin is on was featured on Babe's TV show as a top bass water around Brainerd. After that aired we were over run by boats.

[fisherman]

I think that when outdoor news or these other small papers put out the lake of the weeks. They dont effect lakes all much. When the big papers like the Star Tribune have lake of the week. That seems to bring a lot more people. I dont remember if its Ron Schara's or some other writer who writes the deadly dozen. That article has killed a couple lakes I used to fish that I'm still waiting for them to come back. Its been about 5 or 6 years since it happened. Before the article the fishing was absolutely fantastic. Then the article came and so did the mass of people and actually just killed one of the lakes, and crippled another.

[jerkin'm]

I think Gissert is dead on. It is the local bait shops and word of mouth that direct the pressure. As much as I like this site, it is far more dangerous than any article in a paper or magazine. Not only do people tell you what lake they fish, but the spots, baits of choice, time of day, heck, they will even bring you there!

[wayne123]

I know a metro lake that was mentioned in Outdoor news a few year ago. We have fished it for years and never saw more than six groups on the lake. Lots of time we were the only group on the lake. After the article there were hundereds of people on the lake. The lake has no access and you have to walk two miles through a park to reach the lake. At least the crowds only lasted one season. I think lakes that are wrote about often will not be affected but if it is a lake thet nobody writes about and then an article comes out it will be trouble.