News Releases

Big bass in Orange Lake could lead to prizes

News Release

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Media contact: Karen Parker, 386-758-0525

Anglers fishing Orange Lake near Gainesville now have even more incentive to go after those big bass, thanks to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and The Tackle Box in Gainesville.

Anyone catching a 10-pound (or bigger) bass from Orange Lake can enter for a chance to win a day of fishing with Shaw Grigsby, host of "One More Cast" on the Sportsman Channel and a top-ranked bass tournament angler.

In addition, The Tackle Box is offering a monthly drawing for $100 worth of "Daiwa Dollars," good for purchasing rods, reels and other Daiwa products at its store. Monthly drawings will be the 18th of March, April, May, June and July. The grand prize drawing is July 18.

To enter, catch a largemouth bass weighing 10 pounds or more between now and July 15 and enter it into the FWC's Big Catch program along with the required photos. One photo should clearly display the fish's weight on a scale and the other photo should show the entire fish. All participating anglers will receive an FWC Big Catch certificate and Trophy Bass pin, in addition to being entered into the drawings.

Report any catches as of Feb. 15, when the contest opened, online at http://orangelake.myfwc.com and submit photos or visit The Tackle Box, at 5902 S.E. Hawthorne Road in Gainesville, to enter. The FWC and The Tackle Box reserve the right to make final decisions on contest eligibility.

"The largemouth bass fishery was outstanding last year," said Allen Martin, an FWC regional freshwater fisheries biologist. "It was particularly productive for large fish. Reports of trophy-size fish in the 8- to 12-pound range have become fairly common on Orange Lake."

Anglers who catch a bass between 8 and 10 pounds are still eligible to receive a Big Catch certificate but are not eligible for the drawings.

For more information about the Big Catch program, go to MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on "Freshwater Fishing."

Located about 20 miles southeast of Gainesville, Orange Lake is a 12,550-acre fish management area and the largest lake in the FWC's North Central Region.