The drought and excessively hot weather has shut the lights off for a few places in the fishing business.
Bait and tackle shops started the year off great because spring came early and people hit the lakes and rivers in February, rather than waiting until late March and April.
Although as soon as the intense heat and drought hit, people stopped bringing in the business.
"Compared to the way it started out, it was like you turned the light switch off," explains Hatchet Jack's Manager Randy Witkowski. "With the heat and stuff it's stress on everything, especially live bait. Fishing is pretty much like farming. The stress, that's on the live fish when they grow here."
He said an April Saturday may have seen 500-700 people, while Saturdays in the last month only saw about 50.
Bait and tackle shops started the year off great because spring came early and people hit the lakes and rivers in February, rather than waiting until late March and April.
Although as soon as the intense heat and drought hit, people stopped bringing in the business.
"Compared to the way it started out, it was like you turned the light switch off," explains Hatchet Jack's Manager Randy Witkowski. "With the heat and stuff it's stress on everything, especially live bait. Fishing is pretty much like farming. The stress, that's on the live fish when they grow here."
He said an April Saturday may have seen 500-700 people, while Saturdays in the last month only saw about 50.
