Jimbo
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He did so because the original had a few mistakes which have been corrected now. He wanted to make sure everyone in the LAP would get the updated version. It’s still password protected so it can’t be opened by anyone not in the LAP.
Jimbo
The Army CORP and GBRA will undoubtedly be greatly increasing the releases from the dam very soon. It looks like they will be switching from the generator outlets, to straight pass though the dam. The lake is approaching 914’msl, pool is 909’msl, recreational pool 910’msl. They will make an announcement tomorrow about what they are going to do. I expect they will ramp up flows, in stages, to 5,000cfs. It should be there for as long as it takes to bring the lake back down. I am hoping they will stop at 910’msl and hold it there instead of going down to 909’msl. As soon as the official announcement is made I will post it on the forums.
Jimbo
Sorry you feel that way. We did it for several reasons.
Over the years members were complaining too many anglers were on our leases and wanted us to limit membership numbers. So we did. Then we had complaints from members who wanted to sign up, but waited too long and were frozen out because we hit the limit and were sold out. We also had complaints that wife memberships took another full membership for someone who was fishing just a couple of days. (Wife memberships counted as a full membership against the LAP limit regardless of how many days they fished)
That being said, we also have many members who fish only a couple of days and still buy a full memberships,… Why? Because they want easy access to all our sites. They know that 100% of those monies go to support the cost of purchasing all these Trout and acquiring our leases. These costs are going up faster and faster every year. Rainbows cost over double what they were when I started as VP of Fisheries back in 2010. We are still buying 12,000lbs, plus we added 2,000lbs of Browns these last 3 years which again are 75% more costly than Rainbows. It also is getting harder to keep leases access sites. Those costs have gone up over 50% since 2010. Also it keeps getting harder and harder to keep leases from year to year because of a few members that don’t follow the rules. That makes new leases harder to find and negotiate. We lost Scott’s because it was sold and the new owner didn’t want us on the property like the original owner. We lost Gypsy because members were complaining about the check-in and gated access which did not always work. The owner told me it wasn’t worth it anymore unless I paid 10 times as much.
We have done what we can to hold down the cost of the LAP program. Our costs have gone up more than 65% since 2010 the cost of the LAP has not. And in my book it is still a bargain against anything other yearly paid access. It’s half the cost of a single day with a guide. Most rod fees for Trout in the Rockies start at $100/day and go up. And try to explain to your wife that she is not worth $40/day to visit any of our sites stocked with our big Trout but your membership is not negotiable. You’ll likely the sleeping on the couch.
What it comes down to was this was a Board decision. We did it to allow more members access. We did it to cover costs for another couple of years without any foreseeable increases. Remember your membership in the LAP is more of a donation to our on-going efforts to stock these large Rainbows and Browns in the Guadalupe year after year after year more than anything else. Only monies generated from the LAP program may be used to purchase Trout and acquire leases those are the bylaws. Members have asked for more Trout, and then Browns, and more lease access. I have done the best I can and said yes to every wish.
It comes down to a matter of priorities. I am a poor man myself. I myself have not made more than 30k per year for decades and I bet you most everyone in the LAP makes 2 or 3 times as much money as that. And yet I have been in the LAP program for at least 38 years and each year I also voluntarily donate an additional $100 towards funding GRTU projects. And I have always found a way to afford those donations in my yearly budget.
I’m sorry if that sounds a little harsh. I have given 1000s of hours to maintain the quality of fishing in the Guadalupe since I became a board member. It is still the best deal you will find anywhere for the quality of Trout fishing you can enjoy. And it’s right here in the middle of the Texas Hill Country as improbable as that is and not 100’s or even 1000’s of miles away out of state. Just think how much it would cost you to go to fish the next closest Trout fishery, Mountain Fork, and then tell me the LAP is too expensive.
Jimbo
P.S. Guest Passes are for one person for one day of fishing with a member who has a full LAP.
The flows have arrived, and peaked (29,500cfs) and started to come back down. The lake has gone up quickly, currently standing at 911.77’msl. I talked to WORD this morning and GBRA has announced they will be increasing the releases from the dam this afternoon to 700cfs. They will remain at 700cfs till Friday when GBRA will reassess their strategy. I expect they will increase flows ramping them up to at least 2500cfs if not 5000cfs.
The Army CORPS is in charge of any lake level above 909’msl. It is important to understand that this lake and it’s dam were created to control flooding on the Guadalupe and that is it’s primary function. There is also an agreement that when possible and the lake has risen above 909’msl, there will be a consideration to drop and hold the lake at 910’msl for recreational purposes.
Now with that said we are expecting more rains this weekend. I am sure GBRA will be considering that also before they make their announcement. Once they make their decision to increase flows, depending on the amount they chose we could see very high flows for at least 3 weeks. The amount of additional rains we will receive in the upper basin and flows into the lake will determine just how long these flows last.
At the current time stocking dates have been set for the first 2 Rainbow trout stockings. I will convene with the Fishery committee and we will discuss these dates and any need to have them changed because of the high flows. At this time I do expect to proceed as planned.
More on this as it developes.Jimbo
First of all, You’re going to have to watch the flows.
They should be going up very soon as the lake rises and GBRA releases water. I would say for your 81 year old wade only if flows are below 200cfs. This should really be asked on the Lease Access Forums, as the flyfishing forum is open to the public. PMed.Jimbo
I think there is little doubt that in the next few days the Guadalupe will be unwadeable below the dam. Normally we recommend extreme caution when flows hit 300cfs. I find the absolute upper limit about 550cfs. That’s when there are almost no places to cross the river and I consider myself a strong wader. So don’t try and wade the river above these levels.
Jimbo
Stocking dates are held secret until 10 days before. We do this to minimize the locals from finding out and following the stocking truck. We like to give the fish 24 hours to acclimate before fishing for them to limit mortality. When the time comes I will send out an e-mail blast to LAP members. I will then make a topic on the Lease members forum and ask volunteers to sign up for a head count. Most stocking require at least 30 people as there is a lot of bucketing fish to the river.
Jimbo
Dustin Scott is your “Go to Guy” for anything pertaining to the purchase of LAP memberships, Day Passes, or donations.
I can answer most the other questions you may have about the Lease Access Program, Lease Sites, Stockings, and the Whitlock/Vibert Box program.
Jimbo
Note that from last year LAP sites: we lost Scott’s, because of a sale, and Gypsy River didn’t want to participate in LAP anymore. There is a new lease coming and details should be finalized in the coming week. Once things are finalized I will make a post on the forum and send out an e-mail blast to LAP members. I am always on the hunt for another good access so stay tuned.
Jimbo
