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  1. #1
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    St. Johns river thoughts

    I use to live a few miles from Ortega and over the past several years a few miles from Black Creek. I fish all over the state and have fished a ton since retiring Sept of last year. I feel like I am lying to myself since I have never been, nor ever will be the best fisherman. However, I think--I know a few things having fished all over the world. In short, is it me or has the river faded over the past few years? For example-- 2016 I probably caught 100 fish on a buzz bait and now nothing will sniff it.

    Overall, I think the river is fading from its once glorious days. Maybe I am wrong?

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    #2
    I agree with you.

    I live near Lake Monroe and have fished the River from Lake Harney to Lake George. It used to be my Go To when I wanted to fish.

    For me in my eyes it all started in 2011 or so when the War on Weeds started in my area. Then when Hurricane Irma hit there was a HUGE Fish Kill on the River and it has never recovered.

    Yes you can still catch some fish here and there but it is NOTHING like it was. There were places you could take someone that never caught a Bass and they could load the boat just tossing a worm and swimming it back. Now those same areas are almost devoid of life.

    I know a couple of guys that run Pay Ramps and they are suffering form the lack of people coming to fish the River now.

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    #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye1 View Post
    I agree with you.

    I live near Lake Monroe and have fished the River from Lake Harney to Lake George. It used to be my Go To when I wanted to fish.

    For me in my eyes it all started in 2011 or so when the War on Weeds started in my area. Then when Hurricane Irma hit there was a HUGE Fish Kill on the River and it has never recovered.

    Yes you can still catch some fish here and there but it is NOTHING like it was. There were places you could take someone that never caught a Bass and they could load the boat just tossing a worm and swimming it back. Now those same areas are almost devoid of life.

    I know a couple of guys that run Pay Ramps and they are suffering form the lack of people coming to fish the River now.
    This post is spot on. The water is very low right now - so hopefully the eel grass can make a come back.

  4. Member Spanky06's Avatar
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    #4
    Jason,
    The River has indeed declined somewhat, the war waged on the grasses essential to good fish habitat has all but been wiped out, that coupled with Irma has dealt the River a serious blow that will take years to recover from, look at it this way, a couple of years ago Rick Clun won the BASS tourney on the ST. Johns with something like 106 pounds ( I could be wrong here on the weight) and this year it was under 50.. Its not Rocket science. I haven't fished the River for about 2 years now, just frustrating to not be able to find good vibrant growth of hydrilla and eel grass.

    Spanky
    BTW was at Santa Fe today and it was like the 4th of July Googins in full force.

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    #5
    Whenever the grass recovers so will the fishing. It’s tough right now. Very tough. I’ve caught two fish right at 10 the last couple weeks but #’s are way down. The grass is coming!
    2003 Stroker with 2014 SHO
    2012 21RDC Bullet with 2016 SHO

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    #6
    I don't fish the St. Johns but I do fish Lake Kissimmee 3-4 days a week. If the St. Johns is like Lake Kissimmee the grass will never come back as long as they continue to spray the way they are now..

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    #7
    I will add in this Thought given to me by some "older than I" River fishermen.

    The Current in the River in the aftermath of Irma was crazy and they all seem to believe that the Fish could not keep up against it. They feel that much of the Fish that didn't die in the huge Fish Kill were washed downstream and ended up in the area from Lake George North.

    They might be right. It does seem that the Ones fishing the River from George North are reporting Good to Great Fishing with lots of Big Fish being caught, while the ones Fishing George south are saying how tough it is.

    My last Trip to the River was on Lake Woodruff and I also fished in Spring Garden Run (ie Deleon Springs Run) and I never had ONE HIT after fishing for 6 hours. Sad Sad Sad.

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    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Spanky06 View Post
    Jason,
    The River has indeed declined somewhat, the war waged on the grasses essential to good fish habitat has all but been wiped out, that coupled with Irma has dealt the River a serious blow that will take years to recover from, look at it this way, a couple of years ago Rick Clun won the BASS tourney on the ST. Johns with something like 106 pounds ( I could be wrong here on the weight) and this year it was under 50.. Its not Rocket science. I haven't fished the River for about 2 years now, just frustrating to not be able to find good vibrant growth of hydrilla and eel grass.

    Spanky
    BTW was at Santa Fe today and it was like the 4th of July Googins in full force.
    Luckily I can fish during the week now. Last week during the week Santa Fe was packed. Good fishing though. Wish I lived closer to that lake. It fits my styles.

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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye1 View Post
    I will add in this Thought given to me by some "older than I" River fishermen.

    The Current in the River in the aftermath of Irma was crazy and they all seem to believe that the Fish could not keep up against it. They feel that much of the Fish that didn't die in the huge Fish Kill were washed downstream and ended up in the area from Lake George North.

    They might be right. It does seem that the Ones fishing the River from George North are reporting Good to Great Fishing with lots of Big Fish being caught, while the ones Fishing George south are saying how tough it is.

    My last Trip to the River was on Lake Woodruff and I also fished in Spring Garden Run (ie Deleon Springs Run) and I never had ONE HIT after fishing for 6 hours. Sad Sad Sad.
    Great points across the board. I have only fished George to Welatka a dozen times in past few months so really cannot comment. However, north of that I have. Yes there are still fish but for me it is all the other indicators. For example: for decades I could throw a trick worm on a light wire hook and catch blue gill and sun fish for hours. The popping sound they make I have heard only once recently. In addition, the 12 inchers could be caught all day on same trick worm. Nothing.

    I was in a creek last week and caught about 20 bass. It was loaded. So the bass are around just does not seem right. Same feeling a person gets (IMO) when something is wrong with you.

    I really think the dredging is not helping also. I was in the intercostal few weeks ago and the dredging ships are no joke.

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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Gamblerman65 View Post
    I don't fish the St. Johns but I do fish Lake Kissimmee 3-4 days a week. If the St. Johns is like Lake Kissimmee the grass will never come back as long as they continue to spray the way they are now..
    as much as I hate spraying that’s not what killed the eelgrass. The experts on the subject kept saying it was high tannic water and hurricanes. Well the river is low and no rain and the grass is actually growing. Hopefully the trend continues and we see it soon in George.
    2003 Stroker with 2014 SHO
    2012 21RDC Bullet with 2016 SHO

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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by IndianOutlaw! View Post
    as much as I hate spraying that’s not what killed the eelgrass. The experts on the subject kept saying it was high tannic water and hurricanes. Well the river is low and no rain and the grass is actually growing. Hopefully the trend continues and we see it soon in George.
    Agreed. It wasn't herbicides but hurricanes in this case.

    I believe Matthew chewed out a lane of the bridge approach of the Shands on SJC side. Irma had all 3 springs on George sky high, stripped of grass, and viz less than 6" all the way to the spring heads.

    After both storms, debris from damaged docks on the north end was in places and at elevations you'd never imagine. The grass didn't have a chance.

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    #12
    You guys are in big denial if you blame the hurricanes, that is what they want you to believe.

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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by rocknemo View Post
    You guys are in big denial if you blame the hurricanes, that is what they want you to believe.
    maybe If you were on the St. John’s as much as John and myself are you would understand
    2003 Stroker with 2014 SHO
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    #14
    Quote Originally Posted by rocknemo View Post
    You guys are in big denial if you blame the hurricanes, that is what they want you to believe.
    I'm on the River weekly, for the last 25 years. Nothing changed the north end and George like Matthew and Irma.

    I won't dispute the damage done by spraying on the lakes - Istokpoga, Kissimmee, Walk In Water are wasted.

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    #15
    If FWC spots the eel grass it's dead..

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    #16
    I sure as hell hope they don’t!

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    #17
    I'm ten minutes to the ramp at Lake Poinsett and have been fishing it for over 35 years, All offshore grass in Poinsett, Middle river, and Winder has been eliminated and it wasn't from no damn hurricane. Along with the grass went the fish. so dont tell me that I dont understand because I'm not on the river. And they are still out there spraying year round.

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    #18
    Quote Originally Posted by rocknemo View Post
    I'm ten minutes to the ramp at Lake Poinsett and have been fishing it for over 35 years, All offshore grass in Poinsett, Middle river, and Winder has been eliminated and it wasn't from no damn hurricane. Along with the grass went the fish. so dont tell me that I dont understand because I'm not on the river. And they are still out there spraying year round.
    The DIFFERENCE is your talking about two different areas.

    The Hurricanes DID have an impact on Lake George and did rip up the entire west bank.

    In other areas of the River System the non stop Spraying has done the rest of the damage.

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    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye1 View Post
    The DIFFERENCE is your talking about two different areas.

    The Hurricanes DID have an impact on Lake George and did rip up the entire west bank.

    In other areas of the River System the non stop Spraying has done the rest of the damage.
    Two different areas but the same river system. I'm not saying that the hurricane didn't have an impact there but with our very fertile waters any grass that was displaced should naturally come back quickly. But with the decades of over spaying with the tens of thousands gallons of different chemicals dumped in this waterway, these chemicals have a half life of many years, which settles into the bottom muck and slows down if not stops any new qrowth. Look up Palm Beach Pete on youtube. He does video's thru out the year of the grass down there in the lagoons, this time of year the water is clear with lots of new growth, come our rainy season when the water starts flowing from the canals into the lagoon the grass all dies and the water looks like crap. Same happens to you guys up north as the St Johns flows north.

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    #20
    As most of you know I did not have a good time there. It was almost one of those defining moments when you say to yourself why am I doing this and should I sell my boat and take up basket weaving or something like that. I hope I can come back there and catch some fish because it’s a beautiful place. Seems that some from the area don’t struggle as much as some others. But wow that place is tuff.

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