HARVEYS LAKE – The first bass tournament I ever covered was the Wednesday night tourney at Harveys Lake. It was back in 2007 when Warren Gensel was running the tournament, and since then I continued to write about the event when Bob Makaravage took it over and Duke Dalley, who runs it today with his grandson, Tyler Dalley.
Traditionally, the Harveys Lake tournament, (which is a lunker event, meaning each angler weighs in their heaviest fish each week) produces a solid weekly turnout and a strong showing at the weigh-in table.
But when I stopped by the tournament on July 31, something was different.
Out of 35 anglers, only 18 fish – 11 largemouth and 7 smallmouth – were brought to the weigh-in table. Intrigued by the low catch, I talked to a few anglers and they said it’s been the norm this year.
The reason, however, has been hard to pinpoint.
“I could make a lot of excuses,” said Jim Quinn, who has been fishing the tournament for nearly 30 years. “With this lake, what worked last year won’t necessarily work the next.”
Duke and Tyler Dalley said this summer’s lower catch rate is reflected in the tournament standings. After six weeks, the first place angler led the way with an overall weight of 13 pounds. Normally, the top overall weight after six weeks is around 18 pounds, Tyler said.
And Tyler thinks he knows the reason for this year’s low catch.
“Pressure. Between the amount of boat traffic and all of the tournaments held here, it really turns the fish off. They’re feeding in the early morning and late at night to avoid all the pressure,” he said.
Makes sense. In addition to Dalley’s Wednesday tournament, there is also a weekly event held on Friday night, numerous club tourneys on the weekends and others held at random throughout the summer.
In addition, many of the tournaments at the lake are based on four or five-fish limits. That means a lot more fish are being caught and released as anglers select the heaviest for their limit at the weigh-in.
“Keeping fish in a livewell and culling them during an 8-hour tournament is a lot of pressure,” said Cody Cutter, who has been fishing the Wednesday tournament for several years. “Overall, I think the pressure on the lake stays the same. But there is a lot and these fish see baits every day.”
Is there an answer for reducing the pressure and increasing the catch at Harveys Lake?
Possibly.
Tyler Dalley suggested making more of the tournaments “lunker only” as opposed a four or five fish limit. That way, he said, fewer fish would be culled and those that are would be released immediately, as opposed to sitting in a livewell for several hours.
It makes sense.
Still, it’s also possible the low catch rate is just an anomaly. With many of the tournaments continuing into the fall, there’s still time for things to straighten out.
And, by the end of the season, if the lines at the weigh-in table remain short, perhaps it’s time for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to take a hard look at the lake before it issues permits for next year’s tournaments.
For more information on Duke’s Bass Tournament, please visit: https://dukesbasstournament.wixsite.com/2019
