Labor Day signals the end of the summer tourist season and this year the tourist industry in Lake County has been anything but good.
I normally check the boat ramps in the Lakeport area several times a week and the average number of boat trailers in the parking lots this summer has been four or five compared to a dozen in past summers. There are several reasons the tourists stayed away this year and they range from the algae and weeds in the lake to the poor economy. I blame the poor economy more than the weeds and algae.
The reduced number of fishermen competing in the bass tournaments is a good example. Whereas the weeds and algae may keep the pleasure boaters away, the bass fishermen don”t care either way. Clear Lake is still considered one of the top bass lakes in the country and the team tournaments used to draw at least 50 or more boats per event a few years ago. This year a tournament is considered a success if it draws 25 boats, and many only drew 10-12 boats. The reason isn”t the condition of the lake or the fishing conditions, but the economy. Many of the tournament fishermen are in the construction business and work has been hard to come by. The result is that many of these fishermen can”t afford to travel to Clear Lake.
The high cost of entering a tournament has also played a role. The average team tournament has entry fees of approximately $300 per team. That includes the basic entry fee plus various options and other fees. Not included are the cost of gas, hotel fees and meals. It”s not unusual for a bass fisherman to use 30 gallons a gas per day in a tournament. That adds up to approximately $120 just to run the boat. A hotel room can cost between $60 and $100 and a decent meal will set you back at least $20. With the low number of fishermen entering the tournaments it”s basically a “winner-take-all” situation.
This past summer most of the team tournaments paid from $1,500 to $2,500 to the winning team. The rest of the field received a lot less. When you divide that by two for a team it hardly covers expenses.
Most tournament fishermen don”t compete primarily for the money. They do it for bragging rights and the love of competitive fishing. However, with the entry fees going up they have to make some hard choices and what they are doing is cutting back on the number of tournaments they fish. One answer would be for the tournament organizations to lower the entry fees. A good example was the recent BassFest tournament held in the Delta. That tournament had an entry fee of only $50 per team and it drew 237 teams. Tournament organizations make their money in several ways. They take a portion of the purse and also receive money from their sponsors. The more fishermen entered in the tournament will attract more sponsors in the end.
The cost of fishing tackle has also skyrocketed. A popular crankbait can cost upward of $30. A swimbait can be as much as $75, with the average one costing about $20. Even a live minnow goes for a dollar each. If you really want to spend some money look at the cost of fishing rods and reels. Some of the more popular fishing rod brands can cost as much as $600, and a good reel can set you back $200. It”s not the fault of the local tackle shops as they are also paying a lot more for their products.
One Lake County resort has been beating the trend and keeping their rooms full. The Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven is catering to their clients” needs and the result is a fully booked resort. Owners Tony Benevento and Ken Taddie rebuilt their docks and refurbished the cabins. Every Thursday evening they host a barbecue where live music is provided and often a guest speaker. The Thursday night barbecue has become so popular that many guests book into the resort to see old acquaintances and enjoy the music and the lake. They also conduct wildlife sightseeing trips around the lake on a patio boat. Taddie said the trips are extremely popular among their guests.
Tourism is a major part of the economy in the county and as the economy improves we should see the fishermen and other tourists return.
