Lakes have suffered

Every fisherman that fishes Lake DeGray should be greatly upset with the Arkansas Game and Fish fisheries division. I have been fishing DeGray for 25 years now, and when Andrew Hulsey was the director, our lakes were some of the best lakes in our nation. Lake Maumelle was a great lake for all species, especially striped bass. We were ranked third best striper lake in our nation and had a striper club with approximately 100 members.

Hulsey retired and over the years our lakes have become some of the sorriest lakes due to mismanagement. Pleading for help to build up our lakes has become useless and falls on deaf ears.

Governor Hutchinson and the Game and Fish political appointees should be ashamed for letting this happen. This ruins our fishing and camping tourism and makes fishing terrible for all of us. Many of us do not respect the Game and Fish fisheries division. Our taxes are not being spent on fishing, but other programs. Fishing brings in a lot of money to our state and the money should be spent as it’s supposed to with most going to restore our lakes. I have pleaded for years to help our lakes but to no avail. I believe malfeasance has caused our lakes to deteriorate. Surely someone cares about this problem, but no one does anything about it.

Our Game and Fish Commission has to be ranked as one of the sorriest in our nation. The fisheries division obviously does not and will not listen to longtime fishermen’s advice.

I plead for help from all concerned fishermen to contact Governor Hutchinson and ask for help. The governor is responsible to all of us to not let this happen. Doesn’t anyone care? We need an audit and you would see how our taxes are wasted and how bad our lakes are.

J.O. BROOKS

Bryant