anybody fishing freshwater?

Use this area to post freshwater fishing reports from the area lakes and rivers. Please try to include relevant information such as:
Location, date, time, water conditions, weather conditions, baits, techniques, species caught, etc.

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GaryDroze
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Posts: 961
Joined: November 2nd, 2010, 8:35 pm

Re: anybody fishing freshwater?

Post by GaryDroze »

East Pool in the St Marks Refuge is rapidly losing water, which is concentrating the fish. I've limited on 1-3lb bass last 3 trips. Fun on light tackle, and tasty with beer batter deep fry. Minnows or small spinners/little plugs are the ticket. But watch out for the gators. They become more aggressive when dropping water crowds them. Also caught a 12lb mudfish. That size always makes you think you hooked a record bass until you get them to the boat. Dang.
BloodyChamp
Posts: 418
Joined: January 19th, 2014, 8:18 pm

Re: anybody fishing freshwater?

Post by BloodyChamp »

GaryDroze is just never going to quit testing them gators!
silverking
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Joined: June 29th, 2003, 6:31 pm
Location: Panhandler

Re: anybody fishing freshwater?

Post by silverking »

While fishing up inside one of Gary's favorite creeks during the Redtrout Shootout (he was out of town), I was casting ahead when I thought I heard clapping. Looked back and saw one of Gary's pet lizards, about a 10-footer, chomping down on a fish. When I idled back out of the creek, the gator was still there, snacking on what was likely the winning redfish. He smirked at me while I eased by. :smt005
"Sun rise and sun sets. Since the beginning, it hasn't changed yet." Little Feat
GaryDroze
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Posts: 961
Joined: November 2nd, 2010, 8:35 pm

Re: anybody fishing freshwater?

Post by GaryDroze »

I gotta laugh when I read pieces from supposedly authentic Florida authors who assert that our big alligators stick to freshwater. I'm sure there are 12ft+ gators in freshwater, but I've never met one. I have absolutely fled (while wading) from pissed-off saltwater gators in Horns Creek that easily surpassed 12 feet. In winter, waders have no worries. The alligators are sluggish then. But right now, the bull gators are bowing up due to mating season. Watch your step.
BloodyChamp
Posts: 418
Joined: January 19th, 2014, 8:18 pm

Re: anybody fishing freshwater?

Post by BloodyChamp »

I’ve seen 12feeters in freshwater, swamps even. It never occurred to me that there were less of them there than brackish water. I always just figured giant gators were rare because they were giants just like anything else. Now that you mention it though, I have seen more big gators in brackish water than anywhere else down around where you have talked about and in the Aucilla.

As for bass fishing, I lost a bucket mouth at my feet today. It was very close to a place that has a topic here that I just bumped up. I’ve since figured out how to get there. The only legal way is to cross the river which I wasn’t doing today. I wasn’t doing much else either once I figured out where I was at. I simply got out to make 1 cast in the plague of yellowflies just to say I’d done it and a bream nailed it so I head to try again. Next I threw out, twitched, crunk etc and nothing so I just reeled it on it fast before the yellowflies ate me alive. And you can guess what happened next. This is the happiest I’ve been after losing such a fish for sure since I made it back to a spot that I hadn’t been to since I was like 14 but hot dang I would have liked to have caught it.
BloodyChamp
Posts: 418
Joined: January 19th, 2014, 8:18 pm

Re: anybody fishing freshwater?

Post by BloodyChamp »

4-5-20...went to a sinkhole today that I hadn’t been to in a few years, and if I remember correctly I made a report here. I remember it because I caught bream with worms then when I ran out I tied on a lure and started catching bass. It apparently rained a whole bunch down there this morning and none at my house. Fresh water was in the banks and where there was no banks you could see the undiluted top layer like sinks sometimes get. The cold front probably didn’t help either. Gah...thank goodness for the 1 big ole Catfish I caught. It and a Stumpknocker fed me today.

Before that I’d gotten up, felt the cool weather and decided to forget it. But the boat was already loaded so after sitting around I figured I’d go buy a can of worms from Boland’s Country Store and wet a line off the bank. Then if anything bit, go ahead and put the boat in. At the upper Plank Road Forest place I caught a Redbreast and a tiny Warmouth so I figured I was in luck. Wrong lol! But O well...they’ll be biting everywhere soon. I’d go as far as to say that as soon as this passes, they will bite from here on out. It’s already April.

They appeared to be rebuilding the bridge at the river. They had a big machine on the other side and some poles already in, and some leveling string strung together to my side. I don’t know if I like it or not. I’m totally going down to the big bridge on the other end of the Forest tomorrow to see if that’s been messed with. The Forest ranger I ran into last summer said they were going to rebuild it. Incoming people if that’s the case :smt013 :smt013 :smt013
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