The "Florida Hate Board"

[Manatee Mauler]

Will keep it in mind. Usually down there often but the whole Covid thing now. Daughter was in Jacksonville but is now in Gainesville working for UF.

Lucky her, in Gods Country and close to Orange Lake where I weighed in 31 pnds with big fish of 1o.3 and had an 8 to go with it. Day before I caught one practicing that went 10. That was two years ago, Now you have to take a number to get on the lake and fishing sucks ( mainly due to FWC spraying once a month though).

GO GATORS

[RangerJim]

Lucky her, in Gods Country and close to Orange Lake where I weighed in 31 pnds with big fish of 1o.3 and had an 8 to go with it. Day before I caught one practicing that went 10. That was two years ago, Now you have to take a number to get on the lake and fishing sucks ( mainly due to FWC spraying once a month though).

GO GATORS

ROLL TIDE! Sorry, couldn't resist. I do like the Gators going back to the Spurrier days. Mullen has them going in the right direction again.

Yep, went through TVA and their yearly spraying programs and grass carp stocking that worked so well in the 90s that there wasnt a sprig of anything green on Guntersville. Fortunately, the last few years looks like a happy medium has been reached that satisfies most everyone including the big money lake property owners

[NitroZ7]

The unfortunate thing for Florida is that its economic prosperity has always been tied to population influx and development. I watched a great documentary about the early days of Florida. Land development and sales to northerners were central to the southeast part of the state and building drainage canals was central to developing agricultural areas south of Okeechobee. Majorie Stoneman Douglas warned about this path but it is the path the State chose to take. Governor Broward was hell bent on draining the swamps and it has been growth ever since. We do not have an income tax so much of the revenue comes from property taxes. The whole economic structure is set up for growth and development. I don't blame people moving here I blame the short sightedness of our leaders for not planning to grow responsibly. If you have ever read the book A Land Remembered then you probably understand that the battle was lost about 100 years ago (at least for the Southern part of the State).

[Hez]

If you have ever read the book A Land Remembered then you probably understand that the battle was lost about 100 years ago (at least for the Southern part of the State).

This is the 2nd time in a week someone has referenced that book...it must be good.

[RangerJim]

This is the 2nd time in a week someone has referenced that book...it must be good.

Hez, I bought the book when I was down in Ft Myers. I would recommend the book if you'd like something based on Florida history.

[NitroZ7]

This is the 2nd time in a week someone has referenced that book...it must be good.

If you fish around the Central part of the state you will notice alot of references in the book to many places you may pass each day. You will definitely look at these places differently once you read it.

[NitroZ7]

Here is a youtube video with the author of Land Remembered describing his trip through Florida as a young boy in 1933. He took a trip around the whole state and described what it was like and he has some pictures of places he visited. For those of you they may be new or moving to Florida I would recommend the book as it will give you a sense of Florida and the many places here.

[B-47]

Enjoyed the video, it reminded me of many things I experienced back in the 40's and 50's while growing in the backwoods of Northwest Florida. We lived in a very old run down country house that had 3 rooms, no water, no electricity and no in door bathroom. The out house was about 100 feet behind the house and for paper we used magazines, newspapers and paper bags. We cooked on a potbelly coal stove. The house was about one half mile down the dirt road to the hard (paved) road. Many times my father would leave us (trouble between mother and father) and we would have no food. Mom would send me up to the hard road to find dead squirrels, rabbits, turtles, coons or opossum that were killed by passing cars. If I found anything and it was some what a fresh kill, I would bring it home to be cooked.

All the roads to anywhere were single lane roads with few homes and small backwoods grocery stores or rolling grocery stores that would drive down the dirt roads to farm houses. Hunting and fishing was a way of life and most of the food you put on your table.

I remember my mom putting me on a Greyhound bus to travel to Tampa to live with my dad. I was constantly looking out the window of the bus to take in all the swamps, lakes and farm houses while wishing I could fish every pond/lake we passed by. It was beautiful country, GOD's country.

Those were hard times but very memorable.

[RangerJim]

Thanks. That was a great video. Reminds me of the stories both my dad and stepdad told of Florida but 25 years later than the author of the book in the video.

[Hez]

Good video, thank you for sharing.

[Hank Purvis]

I grew up near Tampa,and Florida was much different then than today. We lived in a small house with no air conditioner and a tin roof.

[rexran]

some of my best friends are Yankees...jus watch out for the folks who say they're from NY (Actually New Jersey)

[Casslaw]

I was born at Tampa General in ‘75, caught my PB when I was 13, 11lb9oz out of a really small lake...I grew up in Land O Lakes.

Florida was incredibly different then, then again, my parents were Yankees!

I beat that PB when I was 14 with a 12lb4oz out of Lake Tarpon, I wouldn’t go there now. It’s infested with people.

When I started law school I switched to saltwater fishing, loved it! But my mom passed a little over 2 years ago and she asked me to go back bass fishing since that’s what I grew up loving to do. I got my little Triton and have caught three over 10 and one over 11 in the last 2.5 years but things are very different now!

I tried to take the wife to a “fish camp”, you know, those weird places that were everywhere in the 80s?? People were a little off but could throw one helluva party?! There wasn’t one to be found other than Camp Mack. Every single lake I go to that I used to fish is now covered with houses! I don’t go anywhere near Orlando....they’ve pretty much privatized every waterway in that county.

I know we cannot stop progress, I just wish that everyone was like the people I meet at the ramps. I don’t care where you’re from, if you love to fish and are respectful of the environment then I’ll help in any way I can.

Ill admit, I don’t hesitate asking questions here cause I think most people know I’m a Florida native. Not sure how, but we seem to recognize each other

I would like for people to come to this board and learn; just respect our waters and what’s in them. Frankly, when I start to go out of state I will go to their boards and ask questions. I hope I’m received well in Georgia and Alabama, always have been while hunting and we don’t even carry guns!

[acesover]

With around 1,000 people a DAY moving here, it's tough to maintain the infrastructure and roads.
As far as this being a "Hate " board, I am tired of the traffic, clogged boat ramps and listening to the snowbirds say how good it is up north. Well, you sure don't hear anyone saying " I can't wait to retire and move up north". I have lived here for all but 6 months of my 68 yrs. The change hasn't been good, and I am sure it will get worse long before it gets better. The great decline in water quality has been the toughest thing to watch. The Indian River Lagoon used to be clear, now its a mud colored mess. I see more and more saltwater skiffs and so called "guides" fishing the freshwater now because the fishing in the Lagoon is really bad.
But, if you respect the water and wildlife, I really can't begrudge you much I guess, it's the other losers that come down here and keep any fish they catch and toss trash on the backs that I can do without. And BTW, the "natives" are guilty of this too.

[k3fishing]

Well you guys in central/north Florida have it worse off than us down south. No one is going to be sitting in their boat on lake okeechobee and have to worry about some water skiers coming by and messing with the fishing. Now the grass commandos that’s a whole other topic. Last week was only the 2nd time I have seen jet skis on the lake. Other smaller lakes do have more population of this. It crazy around here because most of the people that come from Cuba love to jet ski and you can’t tell them to go back. So it’s hard to get upset about migrating Americans. We all are guilty of being part of the problem. It was an invention they came out with a few years back, called the internet... 25-30 years ago you couldn’t post pics and tell people where you caught them unless you had their address/phone number. And some may get upset with this, the internet has also given everyone a voice. Even the ones that shouldn’t have one. Because I do believe 90% of the time “if you don’t have anything good to say, shut up...” Oh, just in case your wondering “FLOGROWN”

[k3fishing]

And according to the liberal news half of Florida died from COVID-19. So there should be plenty of room.

[cwilt]

Well you guys in central/north Florida have it worse off than us down south. No one is going to be sitting in their boat on lake okeechobee and have to worry about some water skiers coming by and messing with the fishing. Now the grass commandos that’s a whole other topic. Last week was only the 2nd time I have seen jet skis on the lake. Other smaller lakes do have more population of this. It crazy around here because most of the people that come from Cuba love to jet ski and you can’t tell them to go back. So it’s hard to get upset about migrating Americans. We all are guilty of being part of the problem. It was an invention they came out with a few years back, called the internet... 25-30 years ago you couldn’t post pics and tell people where you caught them unless you had their address/phone number. And some may get upset with this, the internet has also given everyone a voice. Even the ones that shouldn’t have one. Because I do believe 90% of the time “if you don’t have anything good to say, shut up...” Oh, just in case your wondering “FLOGROWN”

I have seen jet skiers zoom up and down the rim ditch and out and around uncle joes and Clewiston. They dont go into the lake cause the weeds would clog up their motors. Now Ida and Osborne are a different story.

[blade1970]

I have seen jet skiers zoom up and down the rim ditch and out and around uncle joes and Clewiston. They dont go into the lake cause the weeds would clog up their motors. Now Ida and Osborne are a different story.

I was down in south bay about a month ago and heard this strange sound..... then around the cattails emerged a guy on a stand up jet ski..... I almost dropped my flipping stick overboard.....

[hogzilla]

I've seen them at Kings Bar and at 4th Point.

[cwilt]

I was down in south bay about a month ago and heard this strange sound..... then around the cattails emerged a guy on a stand up jet ski..... I almost dropped my flipping stick overboard.....

Fish the hay fields, (or what used to be) they wont go there.