Lake Jackson (Rhoden Cove) 8/14/13

[Poopong McPlop]

We put in at Rhoden Cove at 6am this morning. The moon was underfoot around 6am, and the fish were feeding strong when we arrived. We ran to some offshore lily pads and fished them until 8am. The bite was strong for the first hour, we boated about 10 fish and most of them were between 8-10". All fish were inside nooks in the pads or near points in the pads. Most of the fish we encountered required some coercion to take the bait. The fish were feeding again at 11am, and we caught a few more but it was a much slower bite than the dawn feeding. We came back in at 12:30pm as it was getting hot and the fish were hard to find. We caught about 20 BG, shellcrackers, and LMB, and kept about 10 with the biggest being a 1.5lb BG. We had several 1lb BG and shellcrackers. Another good morning at Lake Jackson!

[Salty Gator]

Great report. You are dominating this section!!! We may need to rename the freshwater section, Mr McPlops fishing log. Congrats again

[Ifishtoo]

What's the status of that hole in ground? Is there a Lake there like there was 5,10, 25 yrs ago??

[SS-342]

Great report. You are dominating this section!!! We may need to rename the freshwater section, Mr McPlops fishing log. Congrats again

I second that motion!

McPlops, you need to run a guide service or even a TV show. Never seen anyone who consistently catches big fish like that. I'm convinced you know your stuff!

[Poopong McPlop]

The water is low, just below 82ft above sea level. 87ft is full pool. The Crowder area is full of fish. ONLY certain areas hold desirable fish. You're wasting your time in 90% of the Crowder area. Deep water (relative to the surrounding areas) adjacent to feeding areas is where we are catching all of our big bluegills, shellcrackers and LMB. The pads are completely destroyed by sunfish eating glass worms off the undersides of pads. Church cove has some fish, as do the boat trails and hwy 27 side. Most other areas seem to only hold young of the year that are still in their plankton eating stage. There will be a ton of bass in the coming years. Lots of missing year classes as to be expected of a lake that drained last year. Shellcrackers are everywhere and seem to be the dominant fish. I've said it before and I'll say it again, fish when the moon is overhead or underfoot, especially when it coincides with a dawn and dusk feeding time this time of the year and you will find fish. Most other times are a waste to be on the water, the fish simply wont bite, unless you run the bait right by their nose.

[Ifishtoo]

Thanks for that update. What a terrific Lake it was back in 50's - '80's . Mother nature can be harsh. Folks down around Orange Lake/Lockloosa and Cross Creek have seen this too. I always wonder when I drive I-75 what Payne's Prairie looked liked in 1760, or 1860, or even 1910? Sure sounds vastly different when Marjorie Keenon Rawlings lived on Cross Creek in late 1930's? Perhaps it will all return long after we're gone.

Are the gar and mud fish returning at the same rate as the "good fish".

[Poopong McPlop]

I think Paynes Prairie has always been a swamp, unless you've got information otherwise.

edit: As of yesterday, Lake Jackson is now above 82ft above sea level. This is huge because this is the minimum for complete navigation of the lake. I carved out a basin at Rhoden cove for ease of launching. I pulled the mimosas out that were growing in the water and chopped up the rest of the vegetation. There are some tussocks (floating islands) in fords arm that shifted and are blocking the way out to open water as of last week. You can jump them with the motor trimmed up and a full head of steam. I will get out there in the next coming days and tow them out to open water. Either way it beats putting in at Crowder rd if you live on the killearn side of town like myself. Get out there and catch some fish!

http://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/hydrology ... me/649.htm