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  1. #1
    Member BOATS's Avatar
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    ST Johns not the same since the hurcane,

    Had our final tournament of the season out of Welatka. . Only one team had a limit out of 13 boats. The first place team only had three fish but they went 13.06lbs, second had 9.82 ( the limit) and the wife and I took third with 2 fish for 6.57 lbs. Low fish counts and lack of limits since the storm. Lots of dirty water and the last cold font did not help either.
    Last edited by BOATS; 03-17-2018 at 05:45 PM.
    XPRESS H 18 SS, YAMAHA 115

  2. Member Hez's Avatar
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    #2

    Wishin' I was fishin'...


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  3. Member Hez's Avatar
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    #3
    Yeah, I noticed water temps around 62 degrees today on the Harris Chain. That is 10-15 degrees different from last weekend when it was in the mid 70's.

    They have to be as confused as us.

    I have never done well on the St. Johns

    Wishin' I was fishin'...


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  4. Member
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    #4
    Did you look at the results for the Rodeheaver tournament last Saturday? Looked like some pretty good weights.

  5. Gray
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    #5
    There are some fish being caught but it’s not consistent with the crazy cold fronts, but to your point, this isn’t the same river as before Irma.
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  6. Member Bill2e's Avatar
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    #6
    It's been tough, but there's fish to be caught..

    what club you fishing?
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  7. Member BOATS's Avatar
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    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill2e View Post
    It's been tough, but there's fish to be caught..

    what club you fishing?
    North Florida Christian Bass
    XPRESS H 18 SS, YAMAHA 115

  8. Gar & Mudfish expert! :/ Mickstix's Avatar
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    #8
    Prolly gonna need to relearn a bunch of it.. Down here (Debary) the river is not just less fish different, it's physically different.. Areas that were pad flats now look like open water, trails completely rearranged/blocked.. Lots of muck.. Time to dust off the sonar and get to crankin/c-riggin..

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    #9
    I agree with Mic. Several of the lakes that I fish have major changes from the storm and it has interrupted migration patterns from past years. I could always count on catching several 8 to 12 lb. bass in specific locations due to vegetation patterns from mid lake to spawning areas. This year there are no fish in those areas as the trough lines to shallow water have been filled in with muck and sand and the vegetation has been removed. I had to start looking for other changes that bass would migrate from deep to shallow. It is going to take a while to figure it all out.

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    #10
    Sure is different. Like stated Pad Fields are wiped out. Areas that held fish are full of Muck.

    I have just started fishing like I've never been there before. Some days I get nothing some days I do good.

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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by DAC244 View Post
    Did you look at the results for the Rodeheaver tournament last Saturday? Looked like some pretty good weights.
    There were some big bags but you're also looking at the best guys the river has to offer. Thankfully the bags were split down the middle with all different styles of fishing represented. !st was beds, 2nd was casting, 3 was beds, 4th was bars, etc... .
    The OP is right the river IS in terrible scape and FWC andACoE is making it worse every chance they get. I was told there was 900 pounds of fish caught total. That's only a 6.5 pound average per boat.
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  12. RIP Tonka Reelsore's Avatar
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    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye1 View Post
    Sure is different. Like stated Pad Fields are wiped out. Areas that held fish are full of Muck.

    I have just started fishing like I've never been there before. Some days I get nothing some days I do good.
    Lake O is the same way. This place is totally different. Places where reeds and such were, is all open water. Haven’t found any hydrilla yet in 3 days of fishing now. Will be here for another 3 days. Clear water is nonexistent.
    Sometimes I need my ATV when in my boat and sometimes I need my boat while riding my ATV.

  13. Member
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    #13
    You arent looking in the right places. 20+lbs bags still coming in. Two weeks ago was the first time i had been down in the pcd area and south and managed 15lbs just messing around and went again Thursday and managed another 15lbs. Water looks anazing in a lot of areas too. Welatka sucks right now bc it is getting hit harder than a TJ hooker on a Saturday night. Seems about the same to me.

  14. Member
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    #14
    Well this weekend I spoke to an old friend and my personal Florida Fishing Mentor and we discussed fishing in the River. He shared with me his thoughts and the thoughts of some of the Old Time Fishermen that have fished the River since they were in diapers and are now well into their retirement years.

    Their thoughts was this: The Current caused by Irma and it's Flooding was so strong that the Fish simply were not able to withstand it. They feel that a majority of the Bass were swept down river and that is why the fishing in the more northern parts of the River is very good right now and the more southern parts is suffering.

    I can't say, as I simply do not know. But their reasoning does seem to hold a possibility of truth. Reports from say Palatka/St Augustine area North are good. Reports from South of there all the way to Lake Harney are not so good.

  15. Gar & Mudfish expert! :/ Mickstix's Avatar
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    #15
    I've only been a couple times this year, but from what I've seen the fish are bunched up. If you find one, you'll find 3 or 4.. Small areas holding fish, then nothing for long stretches. It does seem like there's less of them and most are 2-3lbs.. Haven't seen any bigger ones or little 12"ers, like we used to? Odd, to say the least.. I'm gonna need to take my own advice and start using the sonar more I guess..

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    #16
    Sorry guys but when it takes 36lbs to win on the river on Sat, 29 to win an afternoon tourny its fishing pretty dang good.

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    #17
    Quote Originally Posted by IndianOutlaw! View Post
    Sorry guys but when it takes 36lbs to win on the river on Sat, 29 to win an afternoon tourny its fishing pretty dang good.
    I have been fishing the river around Sanford weekly for twenty years. From all reports, the post Irma impact on the north and south end of the river are as different as night and day. We had a major fish kill and now struggle to get a limit of two pounders.

    March is our major schooling season down around the Sanford area due to the annual menhaden run, and generally catch 25 plus bass in a half day. Other than Sunshine bass, the schooling activity has almost been non-existent down here

    The high waters are nothing unusual for us post hurricane, and we generally get a substantial pick up in bass activity for two to five weeks post storm in certain areas. The increased activity has been non-existent with this storm.. I don't buy the concept that the bass were swept down stream. If true, please send our bass back to us.

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    #18
    I mostly fun fish in past two weeks I have had a 33 pound best 5, and 24 pound best five yesterday. It is either hero or zero. I think a good tell will be the Wolfson tournament when the majority are off the beds. As Micstix said, when you find them it is game on.

  19. Gar & Mudfish expert! :/ Mickstix's Avatar
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    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by IndianOutlaw! View Post
    Sorry guys but when it takes 36lbs to win on the river on Sat, 29 to win an afternoon tourny its fishing pretty dang good.
    Problem is we're basically discussing two different rivers. If your fishing north of Rt40 you hear how good it is. South of Rt44, not so good..

    Quote Originally Posted by Whiteboat View Post
    March is our major schooling season down around the Sanford area due to the annual menhaden run, and generally catch 25 plus bass in a half day. Other than Sunshine bass, the schooling activity has almost been non-existent down here.
    I was out last week.. Found a bunch of bait w/no bass or predatory fish activity. Birds just fly in and float around on the surface, bobbing their head when they wanted a mouth full. Nothing even scared the bait. Crazy..
    Last edited by Mickstix; 04-03-2018 at 10:09 AM.

  20. Member
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    #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Mickstix View Post
    Problem is we're basically discussing two different rivers. If your fishing north of Rt40 you hear how good it is. South of Rt44, not so good..



    I was out last week.. Found a bunch of bait w/no bass or predatory fish activity. Birds just fly in and float around on the surface, bobbing their head when they wanted a mouth full. Nothing even scared the bait. Crazy..
    Mic you are correct, some just don't see it.

    When you hear some say "it took 29 lbs to win last Saturday" and the Tournament was held out of Palatka or anywhere north of that, and then say nothing is wrong with the River-- you are mislead.

    While that statement may be completely true, south of Rt 40 the fishing has been tough.

    I was out last week as well, in fact I think we both launched out of the 17-92 ramp at the same time if that was you and your partner and I were discussing always bringing your rainsuit, I fished that area where you later saw me all around if for hours and never had a hit. Did find a few mini Stripers hitting the baitfish but no Bass among them.

    I don't know what the answer is, I just know that the fishing on the River around Sanford sucks for me right now and for quite a few others I have spoken to.

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