This message is written in mid-August and summer is almost over, school starting and Labor Day almost upon us. Time for many of us seems to go faster every year. For your information we've had the lake fertilized twice and the few weeds we've encountered have been treated. If anyone sees any weed growth at the shoreline, please contact Steve Seitz or me and give us the information.

Tests are being conducted on the need for lime to be added to the lake and early results would indicate the need for lime. If water hardness is too evident, the fertilization does not work well and the high cost of fertilizer is wasted.

A problem still exists on the lake – that is we have too many small, stunted bass that have eaten just about everything else. Our bluegill and crappie populations are way down. In the last few years with the help of some fisherman and your BLHA, we've stocked over 50,000 threadfin shad as forage for the bass hoping to get spawn from them. We think they helped, but they are gone. If they spawned, which they may have, our starving bass consumed them all.

Our biologist, Shan O'Gorman, feels we needed to take out 2,000-2,500 bass from the lake beginning January 1, 2009. We've shocked the lake twice, once in June and once in July and removed 300 small bass. One fisherman has said he has taken over 415 bass this spring and summer. We need at least four more like him!

Unfortunately, we do not have any way to monitor the success of our other fisherman, but we sure do need their help. We are asking everyone that fishes our lake to let us know by October 15, 2009 approximately how many bass they've removed from the lake since January 1, 2009.

It's very important to our success for everyone to keep all the bass 13" and shorter. They must not be put back – they won't get any bigger. Catch and Release will not work with our current "over population" and lack of food. It's fine if you put back the bluegills because these small fish are food for bass.

Fishermen – we are really asking for your support and help in letting us know your fishing success! The largest expense for BLHA is wrapped into lake maintenance. It's important that we hear from as many of you as possible before October 15, because the BLHA board is in the process of developing a long range plan for the next 3–5 years regarding the lake, its maintenance and water quality.

Please call, write or email Steve Seitz or me. Thanks for your help. Note: email addresses are listed on the Contacts page.