ABC WAAY31 Reported – Sharon Thomas and her husband Mike Carter have strong ties to Lake Guntersville.Thomas grew up on the lake and Carter works as a fishing guide.
“I used to sit on the bank and catch bass, crappie, and bream and any kind of fish you wanted to catch,” said Thomas.
However, as of late, she’s noticed the fish aren’t biting like the used to.
Carter, too, said he’s noticed a big decline in fish. He believes it’s due to everyone coming to the lake to fish.
“We’ve had a tremendous amount of pressure on the lake, which has been fantastic for the revenue…we want to keep the tourism here, we want to keep the tournaments here,” said Carter.
But, as he pointed out, in order to have those tournaments, you need something to catch.
Thomas and Carter have come up with a solution. They created the Lake Guntersville Conservation Group which is looking at how to restock the 69,000 acre lake.
That plan will start in Montgomery.
“We are hopefully going down there with a group in February to make a proposal before the Conservation Board to get the state to help us restock,” said Thomas.
Carter estimates it will cost $50,000 to restock the lake. While they wait on funding, more tournaments are being planned.
The Fishing League Worldwide recently announced they will hold a tournament on Lake Guntersville in February.
“Lake Guntersville may be down a little bit more than it was a year or two ago, but it’s still one of the best fishing locations in the country,” Joe Opager with the Fishing League Worldwide told WAAY-31.
Thomas wants to keep those tournaments coming, helping to boost the local economy. But at the same time she is looking forward to the lake returning to full capacity.
“I just want the lake back like it used to be.”