 The following areas were selected by Florida's freshwater fisheries biologists as being the most likely to be highly productive for stripers, striper hybrids (sunshine bass) and white bass during 2010.
Location: from Florida/Georgia state line at Chattahoochee, flowing south to city of Apalachicola Species: Striped bass, sunshine bass and white bass. This is where the largest Morones in the state are found. The state record striped bass (42.25 pounds), sunshine bass (16.31 pounds), and white bass (4.69 pounds) were all caught in the Apalachicola River / Lake Seminole system. Striped bass fingerlings (200,000 or six per acre) are stocked into Lake Seminole annually. Sunshine bass stocking has been suspended to eliminate any competition with stocked striped bass, but hybrids are still stocked into reservoirs upstream on the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. During high-water events, sunshine bass are also discharged from upstream reservoirs into Lake Seminole. Lake Seminole, a 35,000-acre reservoir located on the Florida-Georgia border in Gadsden and Jackson Counties, is the headwater of the Apalachicola River. Here, striped bass and sunshine bass congregate along the old river channels and the lower lake near the dam during fall and winter, and migrate up the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers during the spring. Larger fish move to cool water springs, which are closed to fishing during the summer.
Fish are discharged downstream from Lake Seminole through the Jim Woodruff Dam into the Apalachicola River during high-water periods. Striped bass greater than 20 pounds and sunshine bass weighing from seven to ten pounds are common. Striped bass in the 40- to 60-pound range have also been caught or collected from the Apalachicola / Chattahoochee / Flint river system.
Stripers and sunshines move throughout the Apalachicola river system during the fall and winter, and can be caught from the dam to the coast. Larger fish migrate up the river and congregate below the dam during spring. Bucktail jigs and crankbaits that resemble shad are popular lures around bridge pilings and along deep channels and drop-offs. Live shrimp are very productive in the lower river. Shad are most productive below the dam.
White bass have been on the decline in recent years. The white bass fishery occurs in the upper river during the spring spawning run, when adult fish congregate along sand and gravel bars. Live crayfish and freshwater shrimp produce consistently, although small jigs are also effective. top of page Location: west of Tallahassee Species: Striped bass and white bass.
Striped bass are stocked (10-20 per acre) annually into Lake Talquin and many are discharged downstream through the dam during high water. Striped bass in the 10 to 20-pound range are common, and fish up to 30 pounds are possible. Live shad, spoons and jigs are favorite baits of local anglers. White bass were introduced here during the 1980s, but this species has been negatively impacted by drought conditions during recent years. Historically, three to five-pound white bass have been common, and this fishery may rebound when more typical periods of rainfall and high water during the winter and spring return. Striped bass can be found throughout the reservoir during the fall and winter, particularly along the old river and creek channels. They migrate up the Ochlockonee River during spring and congregate in creeks with coldwater discharge during summer. Fish discharged into the lower Ochlockonee River through Jackson Bluff Dam travel throughout the system during fall and winter, and then migrate upstream to congregate below the dam during spring. top of page Location: flows north more than 250 miles from Indian River County, but best fishing available from Deland north to Jacksonville
Species: Striped bass and sunshine bass.
Because the URBAN PONDS are put-and-take channel catfish fisheries and channel catfish are a warm water species, this quarter can often be a bust. However, if we have an unseasonably warm winter and/or you focus your efforts in March towards the end of the quarter, some channel catfish may be caught. Try fishing chicken liver rigged on a #6 or #8 hook around the “Baited Fishing Area” signs. Night crawlers and wigglers are a good second choice for bait.
top of page Location: northeast of Pensacola Species: Striped bass.
Striped bass fingerlings are stocked into the Blackwater and Yellow rivers annually. The major fishery is in the upper Blackwater Bay (in Santa Rosa County) near the mouths of the rivers during fall and winter. Similar to other Morone fisheries in the state, fishing success is sometimes best at night. Striped bass migrate upstream during spring. Fish in the 10 to 20-pound range are common and stripers in the 20 to 30-pound range are now occurring more frequently. The lower stretches of this river provide some of the best fishing. Live mullet, menhaden and shrimp are favorite baits, along with shad-imitating lures. top of page Location: northwest of Panama City Species: Striped bass and sunshine bass.
Either striped bass or sunshine bass are stocked annually. The main fishery is in the lower portion of the river, between State Road 20 and Choctawhatchee Bay in Walton and Washington counties, and occurs during fall and winter. Live finger mullet, shad and menhaden are locally favorite baits. During cold weather, anglers cast shad-imitating lures to surface-feeding schools. When summer arrives, striped bass congregate in and around tributaries contributing coldwater discharge. top of page Location: (north of Pensacola) Species: Striped bass and sunshine bass.
Escambia River and Bay, in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, are stocked annually with sunshine bass and striped bass in alternating years. Fish in the 10 to 12-pound range are caught here. Striped bass and sunshine bass are found in the lower 10 miles of the river and upper bay during the fall and winter. Sunshines will make a small run up river during the spring. Striped bass also make a spring run upriver as the result of stocking efforts. Dawn and dusk are prime times for striper fishing, and anglers should try to catch a falling tide for best results. In the lower, tidal section of the river, points of land extending into the river are very productive. Live mullet and menhaden are popular baits, along with shad- or mullet-imitating lures. Live shrimp or twister-tail type jigs are also popular. top of page Location: north of Jacksonville Species: Striped bass.
Striped bass are the principle sport fish in the St. Mary's and Nassau Rivers, which are interconnected via the Amelia and South Amelia Rivers (Intra-Coastal Waterway). The St. Mary's / Nassau system also connects to the St. Johns River through Sister Creek (Intra-Coastal Waterway). Fish are stocked into both rivers, although migration from the St. Johns River or natural reproduction is the main source of fish.
Striped bass tend to overwinter in the lower portions of the system, and move upstream above U. S. Hwy. 17 during spring. On the St. Mary's River, look for stripers between I-95 and the town of St. Mary's near the mouths of larger tributaries, along the deeper banks, and the I-95 bridge pilings. On the Nassau River, stripers are most commonly found from the confluence with Thomas Creek to below U.S. Hwy. 17 in the vicinity of Pearson Island. In both rivers, striped bass congregate in or near tributaries with coldwater discharge during summer.
Check with the local fish camp where U.S. Hwy 17 crosses the Nassau River for updates on striper fishing in the river. Trolling along or casting to steep banks with Bucktail jigs or shad-imitating lures is productive, and fishing with live shrimp is also popular. top of page Location: northwest of Lake City Species: Sunshine bass.
Eagle Lake Fish Management Area is a 200-acre reclaimed phosphate pit located in Hamilton County. It is heavily stocked with 50 to 100 sunshine bass per acre. Spring sampling indicates that most sunshines averaged about 15 inches in length after one year. Sunshine bass grow rapidly because of abundant shad, and reach six to seven pounds in two years. The best angling occurs during fall and winter. Important habitats in Eagle Lake include deep or narrow cuts between the fingers, where sand bars drop off quickly into deep water. Rapidly retrieved crankbaits fished deep, as well as suspended shad-imitators, are productive lures. top of page Location: west of Orlando Species: Sunshine bass.
Lake Apopka (30,600 acres) was restocked with 400,000 sunshine bass (13 per acre) in spring 2008 and again in 2009, after many years of no stocking. The 2008 year class fish are now approximately two pounds and growing fast. An abundant shad forage base in Lake Apopka promotes fast growth and also provides plenty of live bait. The best fishery is in the Gourd Neck Springs area, during warmer weather, when the fish are attracted to the cooler spring water. Anglers should use the Winter Garden Boat Ramp for easier access to this part of the lake. Other areas include the new fish attractors located on the west shoreline, just south of Smith Island, both marked with FWC yellow and white buoys. top of page Osborne / Ida Chain-of-Lakes Location: (West Palm Beach) Species: Sunshine bass.
Lake Osborne (356 acres) and Lake Ida (159 acres) are the largest bodies of water in the "Osborne Chain-of-Lakes," a series of inter-connected lakes located in eastern Palm Beach County. Sunshine bass were first introduced into Lake Osborne in 1974, and are currently stocked at a rate of 28 fish per acre annually in both lakes. Three smaller lakes in this chain, Clarke (35 acres), Pine (15 acres) and Catherine (10 acres), are stocked at a rate of 40 fish per acre each year.
The majority of sunshines caught are about one pound in weight, but fish up to three pounds are available. An abundant shad forage base promotes rapid growth and provides a good source of live bait. The best fishing takes place during winter and spring. Most sunshine bass are caught with live minnows and shad fished near the 6th Avenue Bridge and in the deeper holes found throughout the lake. Many are caught by bank anglers, particularly near canal salinity structures when waters are flowing rapidly. Stocking of this hybrid in highly urbanized south Florida has provided a popular and unique fishery for what is likely the extreme southern limit of its range. top of page
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