MAY
APRIL
04-29-08
Fishing on Orange Lake Saturday, Barry Brunges set a new high standard for a local bass fishing organization that has been around for quite a while. In the Gainesville Bassmasters’ monthly tournament, Brunges was paired with fellow Gainesville angler, Dennis Murphy. Casting a white spinnerbait near the boat ramp at Heagy-Burry Park with the tourney winding down, Brunges had a strong strike. The large bass was also plenty spirited---and at the end of a struggle that featured lots of line-stretching and spectacular jumps and wallows, Murphy netted a huge bass that would weigh 10.69-pounds. That ranks as the largest bass ever caught in one of the monthly contests over 24 years of the club’s existence. With a six-fish limit weighing a total of 17.71-pounds, Brunges and Murphy also netted first place overall. Another Gainesville Bassmaster also deserves props after claiming the club’s Angler of the Year title last month. David Gunter of Earleton out-pointed 49 fellow club members by a healthy margin at the end of their March-through-February year. Although panfish action was a bit off with the moon squarely between the ‘full’ and ‘new’ phases, weekend catches of bluegill, shellcracker, and warmouths were reasonably strong on Orange and its sister lake, Lochloosa. Lochloosa Harbor saw numerous nice catches; most pulled from the north end of the lake by fishers using crickets or grass shrimp for bait. Cooperative weekend weather helped anglers score fine Gulf Coast catches. Two Steinhatchee-based saltwater tournaments, the Fishing for Kids Saltwater Trout Tournament and the Big Bend Bash, saw lots of participants and nice fish. In ‘the Bash’, mackerel results were the most impressive. Brian Kiel and his kids, Casey and Kaitlyn boated an 18-pound, 15-ounce king…and also a 4-pound, 15-ounce Spanish. Saturday, May 3rd, Suwannee Cove Marina will host another longtime favorite fishing event when the Fightin’ Gator Touchdown Club holds its 22nd Annual Fishin’ Tournament. This one is “open to everyone who loves to fish,” and always attracts a fun-loving crowd of hopeful casters. Call Freddy Pearson @ 352-317-6530 for more. Dependable redfish and trout action remains the rule down at the south end of the Big Bend, but weekend grouper guides fared even better. Saturday, Homosassa Capt. Bill Musser’s party of three docked with 13 hefty grouper up to 18-pounds. They fished live pinfish in water 40-feet deep. Capt. Don Chancy’s Sunday party of four dropped frozen Spanish sardines to the bottom in water 30-to-35-feet deep to bag 20 keepers. Hometown angler, David Wagner caused a ruckus Sunday when a chunk of cut bait he cast into the Homosassa River from shore at McRae’s Marina was eaten by a huge tarpon. The 100-plus-pound beauty cleared the water three times to the shouts and cheers of onlookers drinking and dining at the Tiki Bar. The big fish eventually got away.And that’s this week’s report.
Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
04-22-08
In these turbulent days of conflict and shaky economy, area anglers can take comfort in the fact that area fresh and salt waters are presently in nice shape and that fishing is very good. Among the lakes within fifty miles of Gainesville, a few lakes stand out at the top of the ‘best fishing’ list. Lochloosa would be near the top, turning out nice bunches of bluegill, shellcracker, and catch-and-release bass. Dewey Edwards of Callahan fished crickets on the northwest side Saturday to ice 21 thick shellcracker. He returned Sunday to add 25 more big ‘crackers to his fish fry stock. Bob and Lloyd Miller of Lochloosa and Lake City also chose crickets Tuesday to work a shellcracker and bluegill bed they had previously located in water 3-feet deep just off the east shore. By noon, the brothers had 60 big fish on ice. Another fish-catching team of brothers, Steve and Bruce Tenney, went after speckled perch Saturday in deeper water. They hauled in nine good-sized specks before the wind picked up to the point of disrupting their drifts.
Jay Pease took time out from fish camp duties at Lochloosa Harbor and fished Firecracker-colored crappie jigs in a Lochloosa creek to take 25 big warmouths. And Friday, Joe Freeman of Newberry and Henry Manassa of Gainesville cast Zoom Flukes in a Lochloosa hydrilla bed to lure ten bass up to 5-pounds. Every fish was in the 14-to-24-inch protected slot and all were promptly released. Fishing is just about as good on Rodman, Orange, and Newnan’s Lakes. At the annual Save Rodman Reservoir bass tournament, well over a hundred boats lined up in the pre-dawn darkness along the canal at Kenwood Landing, waiting for take-off. While most were big, sleek, and fancy; one boat belonging to Arkie and Tercel Mullins stood out a bit---a small vessel powered by a 25-horsepower ‘kicker.’ That afternoon at weigh-in, the little Mullins craft had hung in with the fancy rigs just fine. With a limit weighing 17.65-pounds, Arkie and his young son posted a strong 5th place overall finish. And Tercel, who turns six on Friday the 25th, caught a couple of the keepers. East Coast action is strong overall in the Matanzas area, with drum, bluefish, and jacks all plentiful. But, by far, it is the sudden arrival of a great wave of flounder that has anglers most excited. A fisherman looking to weigh his catch lugged a doormat-sized flatfish in to Devil’s Elbow Sunday. The flounder pulled the needle down to the nine-pound mark. And that was plenty big to command the full attention of the local flounder fans. Gulf Coast results were again excellent over the weekend…both from inshore and offshore. Bob and Al Foster fished off Cedar Key Sunday aboard Kenny McLean’s 23 Contender. In water around 70-feet deep, the men first trolled Stretch 30 lures, each letting out well over a hundred yards of thin Power Pro Spectra line to allow the diving plugs to reach greater depths. Trolling success was slow, so the anglers were glad when the wind died sufficiently to allow them to anchor and bottom fish effectively. Dropping live pinfish and frozen squid to the bottom, they boated 18 good grouper and a nice mangrove snapper. Winning catches in the 13th Annual Citrus County Builders Association tournament held Saturday and Sunday out of Crystal River were as follows:
Trout: Bobby Kelly III 4.74-pounds @ 24.5-inches.
Redfish: Jimmy Kofmehi 6.90-pounds @ 26.2-inches.
Grouper: Dave Moore 16.16-pounds @ 32.75-inches.
Cobia: 13.66-pounds @ 34.25-inches.
Perhaps the most impressive catch of all, though, was the redfish taken by Jeremiah Cariucci…a fish that sported no fewer than 93 spots. And that’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
04-15-08
Although the panfish free-for-all is presently a little quieter in area lakes, bream and speckled perch experts know that another full moon is coming Sunday, and that action will again be fast at its arrival. Normally, the speckled perch spawn in our area is finished by late-April, having given way to the year’s initial wave of bedding bream. But this year hasn’t been normal. A number of fishers continue to report catching big, female specks still full of roe…so we have to assume that there’s at least one more session ahead. Last Friday, Ron Gaylon of Hawthorne fished tiny jigs in Lochloosa’s North End pads to take 25-specks and 10 thick warmouth. On the same day and in the same area, Tracy Parker fished crickets to entice 28 big bluegill. Saturday, Mr. Lee docked at Lochloosa Harbor with a 25-speck limit plus three bream, while David Barrett caught and released a beautiful 7-pound bass. Although the seasonal outpouring of fresh, ‘red’ water into the usually-clear Suwannee flats still has the water in that area off-color, anglers are managing better catches all the time. Capt. Jon Farmer’s customers have all been treated to nearly-nonstop mackerel action recently. The Suwannee guide likes to drift the slowly-clearing Spotty Bottom area while free-lining shrimp. “The Spanish are kinda small, but they’re thick as fleas,” Farmer said. “With light spinning tackle, they’re lots of fun.” Kingfish, too, are in good supply, and Capt. Jon’s parties have boated fish up to 10-pounds while drifting with the light, 8-pound-test line. The technique, though, is not without pitfalls. “One big king did tear up a reel the other day.” Trout and redfish action is also good in the gulf shallows. Friday, Capt. John Leibach fished the flats north of Horseshoe Beach with Dr. Ted Burns and Sean McCarthy. With live shrimp, the three anglers hauled in 20 redfish and scores of trout to 22-inches. And that’s not counting several incidental species including black drum, flounder, and Spanish mackerel. Saturday brought rougher conditions, but Capt. John returned to the productive flats with four fresh fishermen---his son Danny, Dr. Dick Childers, Dr. Bruce Bryant, and Stewart Hancock. Strangely, on this day they found no trout…but did release 50 redfish in the bluster. Doyle Hewitt did battle with a surprising early arrival while fishing out of Steinhatchee Saturday with fellow Gainesville anglers, Brian Dixon and Ken Elwood. Casting a Gulp! bait for trout, Hewitt hooked a big fish. It was soon evident that this was no trout, as a six-foot tarpon cleared the water. With 12-pound test line, it seemed that the battle would be a short one. But Hewitt’s buddies fired up the engine and followed the big fish; keeping enough line on the reel to prolong the battle in a building wind. Finally, after a forty-minute fight and six jumps, the line parted with the big tarpon at boatside. Grouper fishers are reporting very good results out of every Big Bend port, with those running farther offshore faring best. Out of Homosassa Saturday, Capt. Bill Musser’s party of five hauled its full allotment of 25 good grouper from water 60-plus feet deep. The same day Capt. Don Chancy and his party of three anglers worked spots in just 30-feet of water to take ten legal gags. And Homosassa cobia numbers are increasing each week. Casting artificial eels, Chris Wilkins has boated three bragging-size ling over the last few days. That’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
04-08-08
Emergency crews had only just arrived. Glass, wood, concrete, and splintered cane poles still were strewn and heaped on the store floor in front of a pickup truck, also partly inside. A few of us were taking in the surreal scene from outside the store when John Courtney pulled into the parking lot. He surveyed the wreckage silently, then abruptly offered, “Wanna see some fish?” In the middle of a very strange Monday, we had to laugh. It was a timely reminder that, although the situation was anguishing, nobody had been hurt and things would soon be back to normal at The Tackle Box. And we did walk over to check out John’s ice chest nearly filled with big early-season bluegill and shellcracker. “Caught ‘em all in Orange Lake with worms---in one hour,” the expert panfisher said. Then, almost as if the sight was a routine one, Courtney mused, “Somebody didn’t stop, huh?” We have seen similar occurrences on the news for years, but the sights and sounds of such an accidental storefront ramming are unforgettable. A twelve-by-eight foot window from the pre-safety glass era rains down following impact for what seems like an eternity. But back to fishing. Along with the Orange Lake bream that are suddenly biting like crazy in McIntosh Bay near the Heagy-Burry boat ramp, bream on Lochloosa also have kicked their feeding up a notch. Lily pad beds around the lake all are holding bluegill that will take worms, crickets, and grass shrimp; as well as speckled perch that nab shrimp and minnows best. The flooded brush and cypress trees that ring Newnan’s Lake also are producing bream, warmouth, and specks for fishers using the same baits. In an attempt to eradicate the latest non-native threat to the health of area waters, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission personnel will close the Newnan’s ramp at Windsor on Thursday, April 10 and Friday, the 11th. They will be treating the area near the ramp in hopes of eradicating an infestation of the island apple snail, a South American species that first made an appearance at this site a few months back. When a bird watcher reported the big, pink egg clusters in September, it was the first introduction of the dangerous interloper ever noted in the entire Orange Creek Basin watershed. We’re sure pulling for the good guys here. This large snail species could eventually wipe out huge amounts of essential aquatic vegetation if it spreads successfully. Rough weather limited weekend offshore trips, but anglers fishing the Gulf Coast flats again scored well. The water remains dark in the proximity of the Suwannee River mouth, and bites are tougher to find in this stained water. The clear flats near Steinhatchee, Cedar Key, Waccasassa, Crystal River, and Homosassa offer better prospects for near-shore fishers looking for redfish, trout, and Spanish mackerel. Some of the best-known spots to catch spawning sheepshead during March and April are presently in the sector of gulf stained by the river water, so catches there remain sub par. Of the best-known sheepshead spots outside the Suwannee area, Steinhatchee Reef has probably produced the best results most consistently. And that’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box…NOT offering drive-through service.
MARCH
03-25-08
While it’s an excellent month for fishing overall, March does throw some trying challenges at anglers. First, it’s not called ‘the windy month’ for nothing. Countless fishers either caught far less than they might have—or were forced to cancel fishing trips altogether over the last few weeks due to high winds. And just when the wind finally eased off to a pesky breeze, a couple of unusually-cold post-Easter nights again altered the fishing scene.
But successful fishing often involves dealing with unfavorable elements and changes. A bunch of area anglers are making impressive hauls as ‘the windy month’ winds down. They have remained in the shallows all the way into spring; but now, there are signs that the annual speckled perch spawn is winding down in most lakes. More fishers are choosing worms and crickets for bait, while the crazy number of Missouri minnows we’re counting is beginning to taper off. On Newnan’s Lake (where we now know that an amazing year-class of specks was hatched three years ago,) the panfish ratio remains at least five-specks caught to every bluegill or warmouth. Fishers on other area lakes such as Orange and Lochloosa, though, have started reporting bream and specks in nearly-equal numbers. Bass, too, are making some serious noise with Lochloosa and Orange Lake anglers. Dave Bennett was fishing out of Lochloosa Harbor Fish Camp Sunday evening when an enormous fish engulfed the topwater frog lure he cast. A little later at the camp, the monster weighed 12-pounds, 1-ounce. After a couple of photos, Bennett released the huge bigmouth---even though, at 26 ½-inches, it could have been legally kept as a trophy. An unusual slot limit on Orange and Lochloosa allows each angler to keep three bass per day, but every fish must be either shorter than 15-inches or longer than 24-inches. The special limit has been in place for some years now, and it certainly seems to be working. Speaking of Orange and Lochloosa, there have been lots of questions regarding boat-launching possibilities since the water rose with nice March rains. Actually, not a lot has changed in that department. On Lochloosa, the Highway 301 ramps at Lochloosa Harbor and at the public ramp a short distance south of it remain the top launch spots. Cross creek is not navigable by larger boats, and most boats still cannot access Orange from Marjorie Rawlings Park without a mighty struggle. Small vessels can put in at Mikes Fish Camp (at Boardman off Hwy. 441,) but larger boats are still stuck with the long, steep ramp at Heagy-Burry Park. While we’re talking boat ramps, here’s a rundown of the possibilities at other nearby favorite fishing spots. At Lake Santa Fe, there are no problems at the Melrose ramp or at the North End ramp on Little Santa Fe. Rodman Reservoir, however, has been tricky of late, as the pool level is on the rise following a winter drawdown. For a couple of weeks, the temporary ramps were flooded but the water wasn’t yet high enough to use the standard ramps. Now we’re told that the water is sufficiently high at Kenwood and Orange Springs to accommodate most vessels. On the Gulf Coast, avid anglers endured a trout closure through February and a month-long grouper closure in Federal waters that ended March 15. Although fans of both species were chomping at the bit to get back after them, that furious March wind kept most away. Finally, nicer conditions arrived last weekend. Capt. Bill Musser took a party of five to a rocky-bottomed spot in 40-feet of water off Homosassa. Fishing frozen baitfish on the bottom, each angler hauled in a 5-grouper limit. Rodney McRae and his sister, Cathy didn’t run as far offshore, stopping on a 25-foot-deep spot. Here, the Spanish sardines they dropped to the bottom produced nine good gags. Richard and Cindy Scibeck and Marty Gray fished the grass flats out of Horseshoe Beach Saturday. Since all three anglers are or have been in the fishing tackle business, they decided to conduct an experiment. Richard, Cindy, and Marty used varieties of popular new scent-releasing shrimp tails, each casting samples produced by a different company. Two of the hyper-scented baits already had strong reputations, while the third was a relatively untested and soon-to-be-released product. And the three anglers were surprised when this new shrimp tail was the clear winner, accounting for more trout (45) than the other two combined. On this day, at least, a saltwater bait called “Fishbites Xtreme” was king. And that’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
03-18-08
Things are about as crazy around The Tackle Box right now as I have seen in my 30-plus years here. The seemingly-sudden resurgence of a productive Newnan’s Lake is the reason. Folks are rolling up in the parking lot towing boats that haven’t seen a lake in thirty years…with outboard motors that would seem to have almost no hope of running. Those without boats arrive early to stake out the most prime spots along the boat ramp canal at Powers Park. For hours at a time, they line up for bait and tackle like we’re hot dog vendors during halftime at a Gator game. It is a too-rare reminder of the excitement Gainesville’s nearest major body of water is capable of creating. Twenty five years ago, when area freshwater fishing was in another class of productivity, crowded boat ramps here during spring were standard fare. Now the fish-catching is great again, and a brand new generation of fishers is taking advantage of it. The mix of people looking to get in on the Newnan’s Lake speckled perch action is most interesting. Some enjoyed catching fish here when the lake was in its prime back in the sixties---but many are inexperienced or even first-timers, fishing from shore with minimal gear. And the great thing is, everybody seems to be catching fish. Monday, even a stiff wind didn’t limit the fervor of the now-daily circus. And again, catches were excellent. Gainesville anglers, Stan McCandless and Brian Roe came in with 50-specks---the largest half of the 100-or-so they caught in all while casting yellow jig heads adorned with white Crappie Slider grubs in the North End shallows. Their cooler also held 15 thick warmouth, two fat-headed catfish (one weighed 5-pounds,) and a 4-1/2-pound bass. Good speck and bass fishing can also be found on Lochloosa, and Lake Santa Fe is turning out great bass catches. And, with the daily crowds at Newnan’s, the angling competition on these two lakes has to be greatly diminished. The wind that failed to thwart speck-seekers has, however done in offshore anglers looking for grouper in deeper gulf waters. This morning, Nancy Bushey of McRae’s Marina at Homosassa said, “We haven’t been able to get a single boat out there since Saturday, when the season reopened. It’s just been too windy.” Near-shore trout and redfish seekers at Homosassa, on the other hand, have enjoyed great success. Sunday, Capt. Mark Zorn’s party of three took both redfish and trout limits while casting the flats near the river. The reds took gold spoons and cut bait, while the trout (including one 25-inch whopper) fell for jigs and shrimp. William Toney’s Sunday party filled limits nearly as nice, and Capt. Don Chancy’s three-person party also maxed out on both species Monday. One of Florida’s signature inshore favorites continues to show signs that it is expanding its territory up the Gulf Coast in this age of global warming. In a bass club tournament two weekends ago, several members of the Bassmasters of Gator Country reported catching and releasing sizable snook in Crystal River with lures intended to attract largemouth bass. And, if that’s not convincing enough, consider this one. Fishing cut mullet about a mile upriver from Fowler’s Bluff on the Suwannee River, Josh McLeod and friends hooked something other than the expected catfish. Yep, it was a 26-inch snook. Gulf sheepshead fans have braved choppy seas to take big bunches of spawning fish that are now biting well on nearly every natural and artificial reef off Cedar Key, Suwannee, and Steinhatchee. And East Coast anglers say that abundant bluefish are easy to find at Matanzas Inlet and throughout the inland waterway. They join sheepshead and black drum as the top targets of angling locals. And that’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
03-11-08
The strong, wet front that blew through our area late last week interrupted some very good fishing, but no true sportsman complained. The resulting several-inch rise in lake levels will pay angling dividends for months to come. And actually, not every angler allowed the nasty weather to postpone his fish-catching. Dave Jamerson and Wade Lynn drew some head shakes and chuckles Friday when, wearing heavy rain gear, they came into the store and purchased 7 dozen minnows. Then the Gainesville men proceeded out into the driving rain to launch their boat into Newnan’s Lake. They returned later to let us know that they had pulled in 75 speckled perch during the downpour, keeping 50 fish up to 1 and 1/2-pounds. Lynn said, “On average, we caught bigger specks that we had been catching in nicer weather.” Perhaps even more amazingly, Jamerson and Lynn returned Saturday morning. As bad as things had been the day before, Saturday’s incredibly windy conditions offered even tougher angling prospects. But the intrepid pair came off the lake a few hours later with another good catch. “We got another limit, but it’s nasty out there,” Lynn offered with a shudder. Things improved quickly weather-wise, and Sunday saw many great Newnan’s catches. Gainesville’s James Scott fished from the aluminum fishing pier at Powers Park. His 3-dozen minnows produced a very impressive take consisting of 23 specks and 20 catfish. The same day, Ronnie Smith and Lannie Starling combined to box a 50-fish double limit of Newnan’s specks, plus 25 catfish. A few of the ‘cats’ taken by the Gainesville brothers weighed as much as 4 pounds.
While crappie tallies have been the biggest fishing newsmakers lately, area bass anglers have quietly been picking up good fish. Bald Eagle Bait and Tackle’s annual open bass tournament on Lake Santa Fe happened to fall on the terribly-blustery Saturday…and any middling success, really, in the 30-to-45 mph wind would have been somewhat surprising. Catches were not just surprising---they were amazing. The Gainesville team of Don House and Keith Chapman bagged a very fine 5-bass limit that weighed 17.37-pounds to win. Wayne Geiger and Buddy Gouge boated the tourney’s largest single fish at 7.8-pounds. Even the fifth-place team, the last to earn a paycheck in the windstorm, had 12.26-pounds---a respectable catch even in ideal weather. Offshore saltwater anglers are excited that grouper season will reopen Saturday following a month-long closure. Inshore gulf enthusiasts, on the other hand, are most excited that speckled trout fishing is improving steadily every week. Even though the big rain Friday dumped more than six inches on Gulf Hammock, the dark water the Waccasassa River sent out into Waccasassa Bay apparently did not hurt the saltwater fishing. Trout fans here reported their best action of the season early this week. Keith Petteway of Williston and Floyd Graham of Daytona manned one of the vessels that docked at the Waccasassa Fishing Club Monday with both trout and redfish limits. They made the good haul while casting jigs on the flats near the “Cedar Key Pole.” And that’s this week’s report.
Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
03-04-08
Some long-awaited good saltwater news headlines this week’s report. Speckled trout season has resumed (following the annual February closure in North Florida) with a bang out of most ports along the Big Bend coast. Not only that, but spawning gulf sheepshead are finally beginning to gather on natural and artificial reefs out in deeper water. Homosassa guides have had no trouble putting their customers on plenty of trout through the first few days of March---and most have been able to fill quick redfish limits on the way back to the river for good measure. Captains Don Chancy, William Toney, and Marvin Williams all accomplished this on Monday. Most of the top trout results have come from the zone known as the “Bombing Range,” in water about 6-feet deep.
Although not every well-known March sheepshead spot is producing yet, at least a few are. Capt. Jon Farmer’s parties took limits of sizable fish on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The veteran Suwannee captain, however, had to search long and hard for the early spawners. “I haven’t had a bite yet on Hedemon Reef or Spotty Bottom,” he said, “and only a couple of the artificial reefs off Horseshoe Beach in water about 32-feet deep have fish that are willing to bite.” Here, though, they are willing enough that his parties boated “about 600-pounds” of the banded battlers over the three-day period, releasing many. Interestingly, Farmer’s fishers also released 25 short grouper and even pulled two legal gags from spots within the “State waters” boundary that failed to yield sheepshead. Farmer is a bit concerned, though, that the “muddy water pouring out of the Suwannee” following heavy North Florida and South Georgia rainfall will have a negative effect on the blossoming sheepshead bite. Sheepshead are in the East Coast news, as well. Fishing Sunday around pilings of the Matanzas Inlet Bridge, local anglers, Andy Echols and Brett Hudson fooled 20 sheepshead with live fiddlers. But the big news was the largest fish of the bunch---a whopper that weighed all of 12-pounds and rated as the biggest seen at Devil’s Elbow in years. Speckled perch are still the biggest deal in local fresh waters. Daily 25-speck limits were again standard fare over the weekend at Newnan’s Lake, with most of the generally-medium-sized fish coming from water less than two-feet deep. Green crappie jigs and minnows are the best baits. Although some of the best catches on Lochloosa are also being made in the shallows, it was the mid-lake depths that yielded the best catch of the weekend there. Along with his brother and grandson, Mr. Farmer of Sumter County drifted minnows in open water Saturday to take 65 nice-sized crappie. And that’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
FEBRUARY
02-26-08
Things are looking good these days for freshwater fishers. Recent rains have brought some lakes up as much as 6-inches, bass reports are on the increase, and fine daily speckled perch action is standard in the shallows of many nearby lakes. Bill Deashong fished 18-to-24-inch-deep water on the South End of Lochloosa Wednesday to take a nice 25-fish limit of spawning specks. The Citra fisherman used minnows to make the good catch. Sunday, Ted Elliott of Cross Creek went after specks with Keith, his brother visiting from Wisconsin. The Elliotts fished minnows on a #2 gold Aberdeen hook below a “little bitty split shot and a tiny cork” to pull 40 specks from shallow-water Lochloosa pads. They kept the 30 best fish. Rob and Leslie, a Canadian couple spending a few days in Lochloosa Harbor’s RV Park, simply paddled a rental boat out from the camp Friday and into a nearby lily pad bed. With minnows, the visitors enticed 25 specks. They returned Saturday to the pads standing in water two-feet deep to take 18 more. Although the great majority of anglers picking through the Newnan’s Lake shallows are searching for specks, abundant tales of incidental catches show that there’s much more to find here. Sunday, John and Bridget Weeks and Jimmy Watts fished minnows around shallow cover. The three pulled in not only twenty nice specks; but also a bass, a mudfish, a few gar, and 15 catfish of 2-pounds or better.
Ricky Hutchinson stopped by The Tackle Box Tuesday holding an impressive pair of bass up high. Along with his dad, Roosevelt, Ricky had fished night crawlers in a pond near his home in Hawthorne to fool the hefty brace. On tested scales, the fish each weighed within a couple ounces of seven-pounds. “We released two more that were even bigger,” the proud angler added. On the saltwater front, warmer-than-usual water has (for now, at least,) the flats already holding shallow-water favorites such as trout. And, of course, open season for the spotted coastal favorites will resume Saturday, March first. Crystal River Capt. Mark Zorn took a party out on a catch-and-release trip Monday. They enjoyed fast action, taking a few nice redfish and sheepshead--and several nice trout. Crystal River anglers will celebrate the reopening of speckled trout season in North Florida with a trout tournament to be held out of Pete’s Pier Saturday. During the month-long trout closure, some anglers turned to redfish with good success. Carlton Annis and Donnie Woods fished Sunday with Capt. Glen Touchton out of Crystal River. On the afternoon trip, the three men boated between 20-and-25 reds ranging in length from 16-to-29-inches. Their best luck came while fishing dead shrimp around high tide south of the river. East Coast anglers say that warm-water fish are showing up early on their side of the State, as well. Lucas Smith and Terry Bottom worked boat docks in Matanzas River Monday with live shrimp and artificial Gulp! shrimp. The local experts picked up a nice mix of trout, redfish, and flounder…and they even boated a few jack crevalle. And that’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
02-19-08
With seasons presently closed for two top targets, saltwater fishing activity on the Big Bend Coast is slow these days. Captains that normally rely on speckled trout and grouper to please clients now must be creative in order to accomplish that goal. Capt. William Toney is one guide that has this down to an art. Sunday, the Homosassa guide took a pair of customers out with the idea of showing them lots of bites from varied species. At day’s end, they docked at McRae’s Marina with two good Spanish mackerel, three big sheepshead, a 23-inch redfish, and a load of sizable black sea bass. Mission accomplished. Occasional anglers looking for shallow-water action during the remainder of the February trout closure will probably do best with redfish. On the gulf side, the top red reports have come from Suwannee and Waccasassa-area creeks and from the St. Martin’s Keys that can be reached from the Crystal and Homosassa Rivers. Shallower backwaters on Matanzas River, too, are yielding nice red results for fishers on the Atlantic side of the State. For Florida freshwater anglers, February is a top month for bass and speckled perch. Folks are locating Lochloosa specks a little better these days—many in open pockets in thick hydrilla beds that are scheduled to be chemically treated in about a month. Saturday, Jacksonville anglers, Mr. Reddish and Mr. Shealy picked up 20 good specks in water two-feet deep just above Little Lochloosa. They used minnows to make the nice haul. Sunday, Mike Buncha picked up several specks, while William Conners caught and released 8 bass in a Lochloosa Harbor rental boat. The largemouths ranged in size from 2-to-3-pounds. Mr. Turner again demonstrated that his unusual method produces specks a little better than most. The Lochloosa resident fished from his brightly-lighted pontoon boat Friday night to take a good bunch of specks topped by a hefty 2-pound, 4-ounce slab. For fast action, Newnan’s retains the crappie crown among area lakes. Gainesville’s closest major lake again received tons of angling attention over the weekend. This time, the shallow old pond produced very well. Most anglers concentrating their efforts in sufficiently-shallow water scored with fine hauls of keeper-size specks. In fact, several weekend fishers reported culling through nearly a hundred fish to fill legal 25-fish limits of nice-sized examples. James and Barbara Chatman fished the shallow cover in the north end of Newnan’s Sunday evening. With a “green head jig” in water just a foot deep, the Gainesville couple hauled in 25 good specks—plus a catfish so big that James couldn’t grasp it with one hand. And they caught every fish in just two hours. While a small handful of bass have been taken here, it’s clear that Newnan’s is presently a lake that will best satisfy folks looking for panfish and catfish. And that’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
02-12-08
It happens often enough to defy the law of averages…a good bite develops in a nearby lake or lakes and word gets out. When a nice weekend follows, tons of folks break out the fishing gear---some for the first time in years. And, of course, despite all of the positive indications, the fish don’t bite very well. The fishing version of Murphy’s Law surfaced once more last weekend. Newnan’s and Lochloosa Lakes had been putting out the speckled perch well…until the weekend brought hundreds of anglers to each. The lakes were generally stingy, and some of the infrequent fishers were discouraged. The more serious variety of angler will not be put off, and some will be on hand to enjoy speck action that is yet to peak. And then there are the dialed-in locals able to catch fish whether they’re biting well or not. At the Lochloosa Public Boat Ramp late Sunday afternoon, anglers taking boats out of the lake related accounts of their fishing day to John Duncan of the FWC. The overall accounts of the fishing had not been too inspiring to the longtime fish and game officer. About that time, a small aluminum boat pulled up to the dock and a thin, bearded man with a floppy hat jumped out. A cheery bounce in his step told the disgruntled group that his fishing day had gone better than theirs. When the man opened his ice chest to reveal a limit of slabs (several pushing the two-pound mark,) the empty-handed fishermen shook their heads in disbelief. But the anglers at the ramp didn’t know that John Courtney has been the top speckled perch angler on this lake for quite a while. Newnan’s specks saw the largest number of boats on that lake in years--and succeeded in sending most weekend anglers home without the big catches they expected. Fortunately, the crappies’ feeding attitude recovered quickly. Cory Johnson fished alone on the west side of Newnan’s Monday with minnows set under corks, and filled an impressive 25-speck limit by just after noon. Many of his best fish appeared to be slab males taken, he said, from water only a foot-and-a-half deep. Josh Beckwith made an epic catch Sunday while fishing for specks at the Buckman Lock, between Rodman Reservoir and the St. John’s River. With ultralight spinning gear and six-pound test line, the High Springs angler battled a whopping foe “back and forth across the canal for thirty minutes.” At the end of the fight, a huge, 35-pound blue catfish lay in Beckwith’s boat to accompany the fifteen nice specks already there. Gulf Coast anglers are limited these days as to the species they can legally harvest. Gulf grouper are off-limits from February 15 until March 15 outside State waters, and speckled trout season is closed through February on both North Florida coasts. Trout fishers scored very well right up through the last day of January, and grouper anglers likewise made outstanding offshore catches in the days leading up to the recently-imposed closure. These anglers, though, will have to concentrate on different finny targets for a while. And that’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
02-05-08
It’s that much-anticipated time of year when speckled perch head for shallow cover to spawn. Every year, one or two bodies of water locally stand out as the best producers bedding slabs, and it is always interesting to try and predict which will produce best. If the early primaries are good indication, this year’s winner will be a big surprise. North Central Florida’s old-time favorite lake for specks is making some serious noise again. All access points to Newnan’s Lake have been very busy for a week now…and the reason can be determined any day with a quick creel survey. Light-tackle fishers and cane-polers alike are hauling in great numbers of specks. Monday, Orville Prickett nearly filled a 25-fish limit before a broken trolling motor propeller ended his fishing day. Last week, the longtime Newnan’s angler took speck limits four days running. He offered his productive technique to anybody interested in getting in on the good action. “I’m setting a little speck jig about a foot under a float, and pulling it past the flooded bushes where the water’s a couple of feet deep. I quit using minnows when I found out that they’d bite bare jigs just as fast.” Access is not a problem for most vessels…but the water is low, and larger boats and motors will have a harder time getting around in the shallow lake. Adam Franson tried the Newnan’s specks Friday. Armed with cane pole and minnows, the Windsor angler pulled in scores of fish, keeping a nice-sized limit. Franson returned Saturday to pull thirty more specks from around the stickups standing in shallow water. John Courtney stopped by the store Tuesday with clear evidence that Newnan’s is not the only good lake choice for the crappie-minded. His ice chest held 25 impressive Lochloosa specks---lighter in color and, on average, larger than the Newnan’s examples we have seen. The largest of the bunch weighed 2-pounds, 4-ounces on our tested scales. Although the big female fish seemed to be roe-filled, Courtney caught them in deeper water, far from standard spawning territory. T. J. Shear and Tim Nielsen located a good bunch of specks in lily pads on a nearby lake they declined to pinpoint. Friday, the Gainesville pair showed off 17 amazing specks averaging at least two pounds. They returned Saturday to pull in 17 more, again finding the fish while dipping minnows around pads with cane poles. Shear went to the hot spot again Tuesday morning, but fell below the lofty standard set on the previous trips. At noon, he weighed 16 specks that tipped the Tackle Box scales to 19.5-pounds. “As long as it stayed overcast and there was a ripple on the water, the fish bit. When the sun came out and it calmed off, they quit,” Shear stated flatly. These are tough times for grouper fishers, who rightfully feel that their sport (and for some, livelihood) has been attacked. Federal regulators looking to reduce gag grouper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico by 45-percent have imposed a permanent month-long grouper closure for recreational anglers in the Gulf of Mexico from February 15 until March 15. But that’s not the tough part.
The proposed changes are the ones that could, for many, destroy a way of life. It is the recommendation of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s Reef Fish Management Committee that there be no recreational bottom fishing for grouper between January 15 and April 15 every year, spanning the peaks of the red and gag grouper spawning seasons. During the nine ‘open’ months, recreational anglers could keep three grouper per person, per trip; but with only one of them being a gag. Commercial fishers would also face a new, stricter quota on gags---but it is scheduled to be relaxed in subsequent years. Experience tells us that recreational limits never relax later. The final rules will be imposed at the Council’s April meeting. And that’s this week’s report,
Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
JANUARY
01-29-08
A North Florida panfish enthusiast wanting to schedule his fishing vacation at the peak of speckled perch season would be well-advised to put in for the days surrounding either the new or the full moon in February. Some years, the crappies’ annual move into the spawning shallows happens a bit earlier…and it can occur later, too, if February conditions are particularly harsh…but either of these weeks would be a good call. Although everybody enjoys drifting for specks that are roaming through the deeper water during the fall and early winter seasons, any angler that has really located the big spawning slabs in shoreline cover such as grass, limbs, and logs will attest to the supremacy of the sport during this phase. Unfortunately, unlike the spawns of other favorites such as bass and bluegill, it is a short window of opportunity---often coming and going before the angler can find a free day to hit the lake. Just a week or so back, speck catches suddenly increased in some area lakes following a strangely-slow spell. The Phillips/Jones duo filled a double 50-speck limit while slow-trolling minnows in Lochloosa Friday. Billy and Frank Atkins also had good luck in deep water the same day, icing 25 nice fish. Good speck catches continued Saturday, a day that also saw the first really good Lochloosa bass reported this year---a 9-pound, 1-ounce lunker that was weighed and released. Sunday, James Walker of Adel, Ga. docked at Lochloosa Harbor Fish Camp with a whopping 2-pound, 2-ounce slab that he took with a minnow at the junction of Big and Little Lochloosa. Tuned-in speckers, though, have offered the most revealing reports. During evening hours, some have pulled handfuls of big specks from near-shore maidencane and lily pads. These would be the first of the spawn-minded slabs checking out potential spots to procreate. Reports of shallow specks have already come from several other area lakes, as well. Among these are Newnan’s, Wauburg, and Alto. Referring to February fishing on the gulf coast, one captain said, “It’s a good month to have your equipment checked out serviced.” Aside from speckled trout season closing for the month, redfish don’t tend to be particularly active and the cold flats are almost devoid of the small baitfish that attract any of the predators that will be in ready supply in a couple of months. Only sheepshead action is typically on the rise in the gulf during February---and both Homosassa and Crystal River marinas did mention increasing numbers of the banded battlers taken from rocky holes in each river. So far, however, there have been no promising stories regarding their gathering in the spawning areas a short run from shore. Out deep, grouper fishing remains good, but days suitable for offshore trips can be few and far between in late winter. Last Wednesday, Charlie Blackwell, Skip Christie, Bill Cushman, Paul Daugherty, and Randy Hicks fished with Capt. Steve Hart of Legal Limit Charters out of Steinhatchee. Capt. Hart made several stops in spots from 12 to 38-miles offshore to put the five fishermen on 21 nice grouper that included a 15-pound gag and a 15-pound red. East Coast anglers have managed to stay with the black drum that have given them at least one dependable target in the inland waterway. Last week, Captains Jimmy Blount and Keith Waldron each put their parties on big numbers of drum that ran from three to five-pounds. A few nice-sized flounder were bonus catches. And that’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
01-22-08
There was a time when the last week of January and the first of February brought with them a circus-like atmosphere at The Tackle Box. Folks carrying buckets lined up at the minnow tank, sharing thoughts as to whether the speckled perch had made their annual move into the spawning shallows…and where the hottest spots might be. For most, the nearest lake was the favorite. Ask any longtime local freshwater angler about the speck fishing among Newnan’s Lakes’ flooded cypress trees just ahead of spring…but when you do, be prepared to listen for a while. It was a revered tradition. Fishers that would not wet a line for the rest of the year turned out to slip their little boats under the trees and around the knees as quietly as possible. Under the tall canopy of cypress, cane poles were the top choice for swinging minnows set under small corks alongside the woody cover. Indeed, there was something magical about watching the float disappear into the tannin-stained water, knowing that another slab had taken the bait. Through the 1970’s and most of the 1980’s during February weekends, it was not unusual to see vehicles with empty boat trailers parked along the shoulder of Highway 20 well above and below a maxed-out Powers Park. And that’s not to mention the packed lots at the Windsor landing and at McGilvary’s Fish Camp on Lakeshore Drive. These parking lots, though, have not been full in a long while.
There have been fine late-winter seasons for catching spawning crappie in some area lakes---most notably Lochloosa and Orange---but the storied Newnan’s speck fishing that became legendary among outdoors folk ended fairly abruptly about twenty years ago. One of the culprits contributing to the long recess in the Newnan’s Lake experience has been chronically-low water levels. Even though we have been aware of a growing population of specks in Newnan’s, the fish have been scattered and comparatively difficult to catch. Again this season, there is insufficient water surrounding those old cypresses to invite bedding specks. There are, however, lots of dead bushes out away from the trees---remnants of the 2000 drought that dried out much of the lake bottom. And now there are indications that specks have again gained a foothold in the ages-old lake and might utilize these ‘sticks’ for spawning cover. Saturday morning, Michael Kramer and Austin Marino launched their small boat at Powers Park. In the dreary chill, the young Gainesville fishermen floated minnows around the brush standing in water a couple of feet deep near the south end access point. Only an hour later, their vessel was back on the trailer with 28 specks aboard. The larger examples appeared to be thick with roe. It might not be quite the same as the old days, but the Newnan’s speck-spawn this year could be as close as we have seen in far too long.
Switching gears rather radically, Gulf Coast grouper fishers have also been scoring in the chilly January bluster. John Kimball and Carl Carrillo headed out from Cedar Key Saturday on a nasty, foggy, and rough day. The fishing was well worth the discomfort of the rough boatride. Dropping live baitfish to the bottom about 75-feet below, the Gainesville anglers hauled in 13 fine grouper up to a staggering 22-pounds. “That was the biggest gulf grouper either of us had ever caught,” said Carrillo. Extremely low tides continue to hinder the inshore angling efforts of many trout and redfish seekers along the gulf. “Yesterday was the lowest it’s been here in ten years,” declared Craig Bledsoe of McRae’s Marina on the Homosassa River. “A northeast wind during winter does it...but not usually this bad.” If conditions don’t change soon, trout fishers will miss their final shots at their favorites for a while. Speckled trout season closes during February in North Florida. And that’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
01-15-08
Reports from coastal creeks and rivers and from Rodman Reservoir continue to provide most of the angling highlights for this area…and a rainy spell held even these hot zones below par last weekend. Diehards that braved wet gulf coast boat rides found yet another hindrance to overcome, as extra-low tides added to their usual winter toll on propellers and lower units. During our weekly phone call to McRae’s Marina on the Homosassa River, Nancy Bushy underscored the typical skinny-water problems. “The tides have been so low…” said Bushy, “The water hasn’t even been coming in much at high tide. Our boats are sitting in the mud right now.” Bushy also mentioned that some fishers concentrating within the banks of the deeper Homosassa River have been having fun with the multitudes of ladyfish there. Nobody knows for sure whether the recent cold-weather mullet kill along much of the Big Bend coast was significant enough to bring changes that will affect anglers. There’s a buzz among anglers of the inland east coast waters. Some are searching the shallows and others are looking deep---and both techniques are working well for redfish seekers in the Matanzas area. Locals believe that a big influx of blue crabs in Matanzas River has the reds feeding like there’s no tomorrow. One redfishing group launched at Devil’s Elbow Saturday. Weighting live shrimp to the bottom in a deeper channel, the three anglers took quick limits and released thirty more ‘slot-size’ fish. Conversely, Capt. Jimmy Blount located a big school of reds on a shallow flat and was able to keep his eye on it all week long, releasing scores of nice fish. Folks looking to add to their cold-weather saltwater fishing knowledge should plan to attend the Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club’s January 22nd meeting. Award-winning outdoor writer, Capt. Tommy Thompson annually makes great catches in winter, and the renowned flats master will offer some key tips. For the deep-water-minded, Capt. Wiley Horton will enlighten anglers regarding the capture of offshore targets such as grouper during cold weather. President of the Coastal Conservation Association’s Gainesville Chapter, guide, and tournament angler, Horton has long been a serious threat to big fish. Each speaker will offer a wealth of fish-catching knowledge at Lecture Hall ‘A’ of UF’s Veterinary Academic Building on S.W. 16th Avenue. Doors will open at 7:00 P.M. One fisherman calls the good fishing on Rodman Reservoir “like shootin’ ducks in a barrel.” The embattled backwater is in the midst of a scheduled weed control dewatering that will last until April. During these earlier days of the drawdown, at least, the duck allegory seems accurate. Big numbers of fishers are visiting the temporary boat ramps at Kenwood and Orange Springs every day---and most are leaving with fine catches of speckled perch and bream. Two Sundays ago, Johnell Young concentrated on deeper spots in the Barge Canal cut, allowing his little green and chartreuse crappie jig to settle slowly through the depths. “When I found a spot 14 to 17-feet deep, I would stop and cast,” the Gainesville angler said. The unhurried approach accounted for a hefty limit of specks, plus several chunky bass that the Gainesville fisherman promptly released. Johnell returned to the Orange Springs access point Monday with Earl Richardson, Jr. The specks were a little smaller on this trip, but just as willing. The men kept a double-limit of fish that were “hand-size” or better, and released about that many again. Florida LAKEWATCH, one of the largest lake monitoring programs in the nation, provides a huge service to all who use Florida’s waters. Over 2000 trained volunteer citizens monitor 600 lakes and 50 coastal sites throughout the State. Now, the program’s director, Dr. Dan Canfield, is trying to raise funds for a new LAKEWATCH building. To help with this, 2008 Florida LAKEWATCH calendars are now available, featuring beautiful photos taken by LAKEWATCH volunteers. They are available for donations. Please visit http://lakewatch.ifas.ufl.edu/ to download an order form. Let’s help the State’s most comprehensive and cost-effective monitoring program finally build its first home base after more than 20 years of service! That’s this week’s report. Good fishin’ from The Tackle Box.
01-08-08 Anglers knew that the frigid front that blew through North Florida last week would have a big effect on the fishing scene. The only question was how dramatic that effect would be. For the most part, game fish seemed to handle the extended freeze pretty well. There were a few reports of scattered dead fish at Steinhatchee—mostly small redfish, mullet, and blue crabs---but larger game fish escaped in fine enough shape to bite well in the days that followed. Jim Myles of Micanopy and Doug Hancock of Alachua found the big trout in a feeding mood south of the Steinhatchee River Sunday morning around low tide. Casting white plastic twitchbaits in very shallow water, they boated thirty trout---most of which were over 20-inches long---and also released a couple of legal redfish. It was apparently the tidal creeks in the long stretch of coast from Suwannee to Waccasassa Bay that saw the worst works of the cold snap. When I called Spek Hayward of the Waccasassa Fishing Club Tuesday, he didn’t bother to break the news gently. “We have thousands of dead mullet out there,” he stated flatly. “Most of ‘em are in the creeks between the (Waccasassa) river and Turtle Bay. In a couple of creeks, the grassy edges are white with mullet bellies.” Fortunately, Hayward and his friends have not seen any belly-up species other than mullet---and these are almost altogether small mullet. Still, like all old Florida salts, Spek loves mullet and understands the importance of this one species to the big picture of coastal health. He muttered with heartfelt melancholy, “It couldn’t have happened to the damn catfish.” Out deep, weekend grouper catches seemed as good as ever. The best results, though, did come from a little farther offshore. Homosassa Capt. Bill Musser guided a party of four to hefty grouper limits Sunday. Musser’s group fished Spanish sardines in water 45-feet deep. Now in its fully drawn-down state, Rodman Reservoir is clearly the best North Florida freshwater fish-catching destination. Kenny Brown and Cedric Ferguson are among the Gainesville anglers regularly taking advantage of the fast bite. Launching at Orange Springs, the fishing friends have a productive routine along the Barge Canal cut that dissects the pool. “We pull up and beach the boat, then put out minnows in the deeper water,” Kenny explained. Both Saturday and Sunday, their minnows produced fine catches consisting of speckled perch, bluegill, warmouth, and catfish. Michael Bush of Gainesville fished Rodman Thursday with his dad, Jim Bush of Crestview. Yes, that was the windy day after the 20-degree freeze. “We waited until 9:00 to go out, but it was still freezing,” laughed Michael, “and we only saw one other boat.” The Bushes would have the last laugh, however. They anchored their boat in vegetation on the edge of the old Ocklawaha River channel and freelined wild shiners. “When I finally did get a bite just after noon, it was the fish I’ve been looking for,” said Michael. On his Boga Grip, the lunker weighed 10-pounds, 4-ounces. After a quick photograph, the men slipped the big bass back into the chilly river channel. And that’s this week’s report.
01-01-08 Before the big chill arrived, trout could still be found on the grass flats---an unusual happening at Christmastime. The Friday between Christmas and New Year’s Days found Jeff Kanipe of Gainesville and Jim Joiner trying their luck in the Cedar Key shallows. Kanipe of Gainesville hoped to put Joiner, his brother-in-law visiting from Tuscaloosa, on a good winter saltwater bite. Their first stop, Corrigan’s Reef, yielded just two small legal trout…but Kanipe had more spots to try. In a shallow area near Snake Key, a long and narrow band of grass produced two quick bites, so Joiner tied on a big Super Spook surface lure. It was then that the fishing puzzle was solved for a while. Joiner cast his large topwater bait while Kanipe chunked a smaller version, and the big trout found each irresistible for nearly an hour at low tide. Dozens of fish busted the big surface interlopers, and about thirty good-sized trout made it to the boat. The anglers filled the remainder of their ten-trout double limit with fish between 17-and-20-inches long, releasing several fish bigger than some already chosen for the ice chest. Then, suddenly, the bigger trout quit biting. “We caught a lot more after that flurry, but they were all small.” Still, the shallow-water holiday trip was a success. “It was an amazing 45 minutes,” Jeff smiled. At Lochloosa, the water color is milky and most fishers are finding the bite to be a bit tougher of late. But, while the numbers may be off this season, there’s no arguing with the size. Limits are scarce, but the average Lochloosa speck is a stout keeper.
At least a half-dozen slabs weighing better than two-pounds have been weighed at Lochloosa Harbor Fish Camp since Christmas. As far as we can tell, just one Hawthorne angler has unlocked the secret to consistently come in with both size and numbers of Lochloosa crappie. “People follow me,” said John Courtney, “but they can’t seem to catch ‘em too well.” Courtney docked amid a bunch of envious anglers Saturday afternoon with his daily 25-fish limit of speckled perch. And again, his fish (taken in lake’s south end,) were uniformly large. Jealous fishers should not assume that Courtney’s fish-catching prowess is limited to the waters of Lochloosa. Friday afternoon, his 25-speck limit from Rodman was just as hefty as the Lochloosa bags have been. Funny thing…you can easily tell these days which of these two ‘hot’ speck lakes produced the fish you’re admiring. Lochloosa perch are almost all very light in color, while almost every Rodman speck is quite dark. Whether light or dark, here’s hoping you can get after the season’s most inviting angling targets real soon. That’s this week’s report.
Good fishin’…and Happy New Year…from The Tackle Box