Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

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TOWM
Posts: 67
Joined: June 16th, 2019, 8:10 am

Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by TOWM »

I’ve been doing lots of freshwater fishing lately. Been catching bass on Rebel PopR’s, gold Rapala minnows, and Bass Assassin jerkbaits. On Lake Jackson anything that floats and stays above the hydrilla and looks like a minnow produces strikes. On Lake Lafayette the cypress trees hold nice fish that seem to prefer a slowly twitched jerkbait.
Redbelly
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Location: Thomasville

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by Redbelly »

Good report! :thumbup:
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Fishbster12
Posts: 24
Joined: July 6th, 2020, 8:39 am

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by Fishbster12 »

Solid report. Thanks.


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J Holden
Posts: 138
Joined: February 17th, 2012, 7:16 pm

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by J Holden »

In the last month or so I've caught a 5, 5-10, 6-5 and an 8 on gold F-13 and F-18 Rapalas. They get it done!


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dropaline
Posts: 60
Joined: June 21st, 2016, 9:11 am

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by dropaline »

nice fish,good reports!!
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kenfly
Posts: 791
Joined: January 28th, 2011, 10:20 pm

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by kenfly »

Nice report, where are you putting your boat in at lake Lafayette? Used to fish there a lot as a kid, big specks in there, and had a blast . I rode down to the road to the lake a few weeks ago looked rough to even launch a kayak in there


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PeteStaehling
Posts: 5
Joined: August 25th, 2020, 7:44 am

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by PeteStaehling »

I haven't wet a line there, but I have been canoeing near there a bit in Piney Z. It looks so grown up that I don't see how you could paddle Lake Lafayette or get any kind of boat on there if the canoe/kayak trail from Piney Z is any indication. I didn't see a way to even get to the land bridge between the lakes to the spot where you portage between them without serious plowing through really thick lily pads. I'd guess that the whole lake is pretty thickly grown over. My plan was to wait until after a few frosts this winter.

Can anyone confirm or correct those impressions with more or better information?

UPDATE: I checked it out a little more thoroughly today and it is possible to get to the land bridge from the Piney Z side. The way the canoe trail maps shows is impassible, but if you hug the land bridge that runs down the middle of Piney Z all the way to the one that divides Piney Z and Lake Lafayette go left along that land bridge to the landing. The last bit is a little rough going as it is loaded with some kind of floating vegetation (looks like duck weed, but thick and dense). The lily pads look like maybe they were intentionally killed off to maintain a navigable path.

I did not fight my way through that last 20 yards to see what the Lake Lafayette side looks like. If the lily pads have died or been killed off to maintain a path it may be navigable. Otherwise I doubt it. If I get around to checking it out, I'll post another update. If anyone else know please post.
Last edited by PeteStaehling on August 26th, 2020, 10:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
PeteStaehling
Posts: 5
Joined: August 25th, 2020, 7:44 am

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by PeteStaehling »

kenfly wrote:Nice report, where are you putting your boat in at lake Lafayette? Used to fish there a lot as a kid, big specks in there, and had a blast . I rode down to the road to the lake a few weeks ago looked rough to even launch a kayak in there


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Could he possibly mean Piney Z? Or is there a section of Lafayette lake that is more open? Have they been doing something to kill some of the lily pads and open up a path and some area? I hope someone will clarify. I thought it was pretty impassible until the weeds get killed back with a frost.
PeteStaehling
Posts: 5
Joined: August 25th, 2020, 7:44 am

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by PeteStaehling »

I drove/walked to both ends of the canoe trail on Lake Lafayette and it does look passable in both places. In between I can't say, but it looks promising. Maybe I'll try paddling it next week and see.
Bjpfla
Posts: 10
Joined: October 13th, 2019, 11:42 am

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by Bjpfla »

I put in at Road To The Lake ramp tonight, it’s horribly overgrown. There is literally no where to fish, paddled over vegetation the entire time. I lost count of how many gators I saw once I put my head lamp on coming back, they’re always around, but still. Guess I’m just trying to warn anyone who is thinking about going out there.


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PeteStaehling
Posts: 5
Joined: August 25th, 2020, 7:44 am

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by PeteStaehling »

Thanks for the update. How far out did you make it? I wonder if it eventually opens up. The post from the guy on July 8th looks like he had some good success.

I wonder if he made it to more open water or if it just got that much more grown up in the past month. The aerial views do make it look like at the time they were taken you needed to go pretty far to get to any open water, but it was there at the time the views were taken.
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kenfly
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Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by kenfly »

Man it’s a shame, that lake used be great on its prime and back in the day, back of the lake where we used to put in was some of the best scenery I ever seen, still remember it, wish had taken pictures we eased our boat through cypress trees till got out to the main part of the lake. Maybe one day they will do some work out there. Last time was on that lake, had a friend lived off bucklake and went into piney z before they made it to what it is now, then pulled the job boat over the jetty to get to the other side , giant specks and even bigger mud fish


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Bjpfla
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Joined: October 13th, 2019, 11:42 am

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by Bjpfla »

I went all the way to Cypress Pond, where it typically is pretty wide open, but not now. Lots of water, if you put your paddle through the vegetation it was plenty deep, just overgrown. Disappointing from a fishing perspective, but I’m sure the natural seasonal cycles will open it back up sooner or later. Or the duck hunters will open it up starting this month!


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PeteStaehling
Posts: 5
Joined: August 25th, 2020, 7:44 am

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by PeteStaehling »

Bjpfla wrote:I went all the way to Cypress Pond, where it typically is pretty wide open, but not now. Lots of water, if you put your paddle through the vegetation it was plenty deep, just overgrown. Disappointing from a fishing perspective, but I’m sure the natural seasonal cycles will open it back up sooner or later. Or the duck hunters will open it up starting this month!
I went out for a short paddle just to check it out this morning starting at the canoe/kayak put in off of "road to the lake road". The way was narrow as far as I went, usually too narrow to turn around. It was looking like a storm might be brewing so I didn't go far not wising to back out of there against the wind which looked like it was starting to kick up as coming from the way back.

I didn't make it far at all so maybe it was a little better farther on, but it didn't look promising.
BloodyChamp
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Joined: January 19th, 2014, 8:18 pm

Re: Lake Lafayette and Lake Jackson

Post by BloodyChamp »

I haven’t fished a think lily pad lake on forever! Fun times. There’s always bass under them. Is Lake Lafayette safe anymore as in just the water??? I just assumed it was polluted by now.
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