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Planning on taking the trip over to Marianna on saturday with my dad and Tucker. From what I've read, this place is something to behold. I'm really looking forward to going. Any suggestions on what to use for fishing? I know they are renowned for shell crackers, what else should we be targeting and how?

Pics to follow

Thanks!

Looking forward to reading a good report and seeing some good pictures! Good luck and a safe trip.

Very clear water and more stump knockers that you can imagine... You can see them swarm your bait.
Fish with crickets and kids will have a great time.
For bass scale down - small lures and light line!

Ahh my hometown...

The "shell cracker," or Red Ear Sunfish is the prize of MMP. Be careful because the minimum size (unless it has been changed) is 12". There was a vegetation outbreak years back and they have tried a variety of methods to kill it. Hydrilla took over and one of the solutions was an Asian grass carp. Well, the carp ate the small fish. So in an effort to restock, they increased the minimum size of them. If you find a fish bed of shells and other debris and see a shell cracker or bream on it, all you need to do is drop something on the bed and wait for the fish to suck it up to move it off the bed and set the hook. There have been some 13" and 14" shell cracker caught there.

The pond is 7 miles long, spring fed from the source at Blue Springs. It runs under Hwy 90 at what used to be the Old Ice House (most recently a mexican restaurant) and just burnt down maybe a month ago or so.) The damn creates Spring Creek, which has good mullet fishing in the spring when they come up so sun in the shoals.


Have a great time on the pond and enjoy all the beautiful Cypress trees and hidden caves.

What is the best place to put in at? 13' Boston Whaler.

Thanks for the advice.

I would put in at the Arrowhead BP gas station on Hwy 90. Its a decent ramp and you will be at the southern end of the pond, allowing you to not waste a lot of time and run the length of it if you choose.

How did your trip to MMP go? I was in Marianna visiting for Mothers Day.

We headed out from Tallahassee at 7am, hit the McDonalds on the way out and got to the Arrowhead campground at about 7:30am local. Got a cup of worms and 50 crickets and headed out. Weather was PERFECT. From everything I've read, overcast with a slight wind to ripple the surface is optimal fishing for MMP.

Tucker was a little less than impressed at first:



But he soon cheered up:





It was Pops, Tucker, and me:



We rigged out tackle with a egg sinker and split shot about 14" from the hook. Started off casting at some docks that had gone into disrepair. If I were a fish, it would be where I would want to live. Ended up with only a couple of strikes, but nothing set. After about 30 minutes,

Tucker started to get a bit antsy, so we took a boat ride up the lake. We went all the way to the top and the water became more and more clear as we went. Picture Wakulla springs made into a lake, though I have to say MMP was more clear than what I remember Wakulla from the last time I went. At the top of the lake there is a very nice park with a swim area centered over the main spring. They have a nice playground, sand volleyball court, a 10' tall metal slide and a diving board directly over the spring. We didn't have the guts to go off the diving board or down the slide, but we did play in the water a bit, and it was COLD! Tucker really seemed to have a good time. There were some enormous ?carp? swimming at the outflow from the spring(one in the center below and 3 more center top), and we saw about 5-6lb bass in the same area.




One odd thing that really had me scratching my head, I found a decent sized blue crab claw and several sets of smaller blue crab appendages in the water surrounding the spring. These were recent, sitting on top of the sand. There were a plethora of snails of all sizes, which I would expect, but the crab claw through me for a loop.

One thing to be careful of. If you are going to play in the area, I strongly suggest wearing some crocks or other form of foot protection. There were lots of rocks, some sharp, all hard, in the water, and sand spurs in the grass. It has convinced me to get the family a pair of crocks each for the boat and water going adventures.

On the way back down the lake, we stopped in a hammock of cypress to fish under the trees and along the grass line. Same setup, sinker with a split shot, and throwing a small repalla that proves effecting on the bluegill and speckled perch at our home lake. We saw a lot of decent sized bream(generic), and bass from 2-7", but nothing was biting. Even dropping a worm free from the boat and tossing a cricket on the surface could not conjure fish. We ended up completely skunked on the day for fish.




I can't say it was a wasted trip, far from it. We got to spend the day with Pops enjoying a wonder of God's creation. MMP is beautiful to look at. The water is clear and refreshing, and the weather was perfect. We were in Pop's 13' Boston Whaler, and though we saw larger boats out there, I wouldn't want to take my own 17' out there. There are a LOT of stumps, and while most are clearly marked with PVC, many nearer the edge are not. It is a perfect lake for small boats and I bet is is a terrific spot for fishing, if you have the talent or knowledge when you go.

timmy0257 wrote:Ahh my hometown...

The "shell cracker," or Red Ear Sunfish is the prize of MMP. Be careful because the minimum size (unless it has been changed) is 12". There was a vegetation outbreak years back and they have tried a variety of methods to kill it. Hydrilla took over and one of the solutions was an Asian grass carp. Well, the carp ate the small fish. So in an effort to restock, they increased the minimum size of them. If you find a fish bed of shells and other debris and see a shell cracker or bream on it, all you need to do is drop something on the bed and wait for the fish to suck it up to move it off the bed and set the hook. There have been some 13" and 14" shell cracker caught there.

The pond is 7 miles long, spring fed from the source at Blue Springs. It runs under Hwy 90 at what used to be the Old Ice House (most recently a mexican restaurant) and just burnt down maybe a month ago or so.) The damn creates Spring Creek, which has good mullet fishing in the spring when they come up so sun in the shoals.


Have a great time on the pond and enjoy all the beautiful Cypress trees and hidden caves.

I have what I always thought what might have been the world record Shellcracker is on my wall. I'm not a fan of mounting fish but I was a little kid and it was a long time ago. It was 12 inches, 1lb and 10 ounces. Now there are a few reasons why I thought it might have been the world record. First, the fish wasn't weighed fresh. Second, I caught 1 a little smaller (but still HUGE) from the same apot. Third, they were both skinny. In hindsight, they had have came from a bed. And fourth, well, I've since caught a ton of 8 and 9 inch Shellcrackers that were 1lb and 10 ounces easliy and I've never seen another 12 incher. Either they get longer over there or they just flat out don't want anybody keeping the ones that are there.

Also this mullet fishing in the Wakulla has my attention. A few people have mentioned that they bite better over there for some reason. I've fished for them in freshwater when they were as thick as salmon in a creek but I've only caught 6 my whole life...7 if you count the one that jumped in the boat (yes that really happened...they were that thick lol!).

Also this mullet fishing in the Wakulla has my attention. A few people have mentioned that they bite better over there for some reason. I've fished for them in freshwater when they were as thick as salmon in a creek but I've only caught 6 my whole life...7 if you count the one that jumped in the boat (yes that really happened...they were that thick lol!).[/quote]


I catch mullet out of the river using algae off the rocks. It has to be the muddy kind made from water flowing slowly over the rock. It turns to mush if you touch it so the hook has to be turned round and round to wrap it on the hook. Any fish will bite it.