March 29, 2005

Contact: Kim Jamerson (850) 488-1638

CATCH A LITTLE “BASS FEVER” AT THESE LARGEMOUTH FISHING AREAS

When the going gets tough, the tough go fishing. And those looking for a challenge use their bait to tackle Florida’s best known freshwater fish, the largemouth bass. This monster of the freshwater-world can weigh in at 20-plus pounds and has become the Sunshine State’s most popular freshwater game fish.

“People like its aggressive attitude. Largemouth bass will go after almost any kind of artificial lure or live bait, and they strike with explosive force,” said Wes Porak, FWC’s largemouth bass specialist. “In fact, the value of the largemouth as a sport fish has prompted a movement toward catch-and-release fishing in many areas.”

Porak said spring is the best time of year to catch bass, when fish move into shallow water to spawn. Spawning may occur as early as January in extreme south Florida and as late as May in the panhandle, but March and April are peak months.

You can find these “bucketmouths” and other black bass species in almost every body of freshwater in Florida, so with more than 7,500 lakes to choose from, anglers face a tough decision about where to fish. To help narrow down that list, FWC fisheries biologists recently selected their top black bass fishing holes for 2005. They are, in no specific order:

Lake George: The second-largest lake in the state, Lake George is one of the premier largemouth bass fishing lakes in central Florida. Hot spots on the lake include Juniper, Salt and Silver Glen Spring runs along the western shore. You can reel in trophy bass during the spring spawning season using live shiners, or try deep-diving crankbaits near old dock structures along the northeast shore and off Drayton Island.

Stick Marsh/Farm 13 Reservoir: This 6,500-acre reservoir has become synonymous with trophy bass fishing. Located near Fellsmere, west of Vero Beach, it has become one of the hottest bass lakes in the country. Plastic worms, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, soft jerkbaits and top-water propeller baits are sure to catch any largemouth’s eye, but wild golden shiners are the top choice for anglers looking to reel in a trophy fish. For bass, Stick Marsh/Farm 13 Reservoir is catch-and-release only.

West Lake Tohopekaliga: This 18,810-acre lake grabbed national attention in 2001 when professional angler Dean Rojas broke the all-time B.A.S.S. tournament record for a total weight with a catch of 108 pounds of bass. Anglers targeting trophy bass will find success in the spring using live golden shiners inshore near native vegetation or topped-out hydrilla. North Steer Beach, Brown’s Point and Goblet’s Cove are popular fishing spots on the lake, and fishing Shingle Creek and St. Cloud Canal can be outstanding when flow is present through these tributaries.

Lake Kissimmee: This 35,000-acre lake is sure to give your rod and reel a workout. A 2004 survey showed anglers experienced an excellent catch rate of 0.54 fish per hour in spring. Strong winds associated with last year’s hurricanes cleared vegetation from some areas of the lake, which allows anglers to fish areas that had been inaccessible. The shoreline between C-37 canal and the Pig Trail and Lemon Point and Grassy Island are examples of some of the areas impacted by the storms. Fly fishermen will enjoy success wade fishing long the miles of shoreline surrounding this central Florida lake.

Rodman Reservoir: Drive east of Gainesville and south of Palatka to access this prime largemouth bass habitat. The best technique for catching trophy bass is to use wild shiners, but anglers will find success using a variety of baits around river channel bends from Kenwood to Cypress Bayou, as well as areas in the main pool.

Lake Tarpon: Fish ranging in size from 12 to 16 inches are plentiful in this 2,500-acre Pinellas County lake, but quality and trophy fish are present in good numbers too. Anglers will find most success flipping or pitching plastic worms along canal and bulrush edges. Offshore bass fishermen who target ledges, humps, coontail and eelgrass beds can lure in some fish using shad-imitating jigs, crankbaits, jerkbaits and top-water baits.

Lake Weohyakapka: Commonly know as Lake Walk-in-Water, it could be renamed Lake Reel-in-a-Lot. Anglers frequently catch up to 25 bass a day, with several ranging from four to eight pounds. The lake also produces many trophy bass exceeding 10 pounds a year. Pitching live wild shiners and flipping soft plastic baits in the bulrush (“buggy whips” or “round rush”) and cattails in the northern and eastern areas of the lake works like magic through springtime. Spinnerbaits also produce bass in the bulrush and cattail stands. Electrofishing surveys found bass concentrated in those areas during fall 2004. There is a 15- to 24-inch protective slot limit for bass on Lake Weohyakapka.

Lake Istokpoga: Although bass fishing is excellent throughout the year on Lake Istokpoga, April and October are the best months for anglers looking for cooler weather to fill a cooler full of bass. From January to April, anglers will find spawning bass in bulrush, cattail and around the lake’s two islands, Big Island and Bumblebee Island. Try flipping soft plastics during this time of year. Top-water lures and jerkbaits work best over the top of hydrilla and pondweed in the south half of the lake during spring and summer. There is a 15- to 24-inch protective slot limit for bass on Lake Istokpoga.

Deer Point Lake: Those looking to land some largemouths in the panhandle should take a trip to Deer Point Lake, where bass fishing becomes red hot in April and May. Anglers unfamiliar with Deer Point should try fishing in the old creek channels of Bear, Cedar and Econfina creeks with plastic worms, diving crankbaits or rattletraps. Bayou George and the flats area at the confluence of Bayou George and Deer Point Lake are also popular largemouth bass sites.

Suwannee River: Although this waterway isn’t known for trophy largemouth bass, anglers can expect good catch rates and quality-size fish. The smaller, but feisty, Suwannee bass is plentiful along most of this 213-mile river system, and bass large enough to qualify for FWC’s “Big Catch” Suwannee bass certificates have been reeled in on the Santa Fe.

Everglades Water Conservation Areas 2 and 3: The Everglades Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) are south Florida marshlands intersected with over 200 miles of canals. WCA-2 has 210 square miles of marsh, and WCA-3 covers approximately 915 square miles of marsh. Originally designed for flood control and water supply, the area provides some of the most legendary largemouth bass fishing in the country. The best fishing is typically found in the spring, when dropping water levels concentrate fish in canals. Anglers can hit their peak in April with catch rates as high as 4.1 bass per hour in the L-67A canal.

Crescent Lake: This 15,725-acre lake borders the east side of Crescent City on the Putnam/Flagler county line. Crescent Lake flows into the St. Johns River via Dunns Creek on its north end. Past electrofishing samples for largemouth bass revealed one of the highest catch rates recorded for areas on the St. Johns River. Largemouth bass up to 20 inches long were well represented in the sample, and good numbers of 8-pounds-or-larger fish were collected.

Go to MyFWC.com/fishing/updates/bass2004.html to get more details about these top largemouth bass fishing sites, including bag limits, boat access and consumption advisories.

KDJ/CR

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