The FWC is holding a meeting to discuss weed control spraying on the Harris Chain. The meeting will be held a Lake-Sumter State College on 441 in Leesburg, June 28 at 6:00pm. From what I have heard the topic is suspending further weed control spraying.
Suspending spraying.... I'll believe when I see it. They did a number on big Lake Harris. Water looks like diarrhea. I guess the powers at be would rather have s**t looking water they clear water. I know our government claims the spray is safe (same government that brought us Agent Orange) tell that to the 10 to 15 dead turtles we saw 1 week after they nuked Griffin a couple months back.
Brad Krone
I live an hour and a half away from the Harris Chain but I will be staying up there to fish June 29-July 3rd, is the big lake really that bad? I know the sprays are supposed to be safe, but we’ve all seen the dead fish! This leaves a bad feeling inside as I am really looking forward to this trip!
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Yeah sad to see what the spraying did to griffen what little grass is left there is usually a boat on it.
There were some clean areas on big Harris. The water quality is nothing like it was a few months back when there were acres upon acres of healthy hydrilla. Harris looked better then it has in a decade or more. But now those areas look horrible. You have to search to find the hydrilla they missed. I would not dream of saying where those areas are because I'm sure they would be sprayed this week.
Last edited by BassCatBrad; 06-18-2018 at 11:19 AM.
Brad Krone
They've been having these "no more spraying" meetings for years.
Various lakes, various venues, same outcome ... more spray.
It's won't stop until someone really big sues and brings it forward.
There's too much money (think political contributions) involved.
Yup, they use these meetings to "explain" to the dumb hillbillies (ie: bass fisherman) that what their doing is actually good for the lakes and rivers..
Big Harris was so clean last year and earlier this year. I could see 6ft down pretty clearly around Venetians and the Yalaha Side. Since they spray it's now disgusting
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Don't doubt their genius, just because they turn our lakes from clear, vegetated, great fisheries to putrid, stinking mudholes doesn't mean anything. They are the experts and we are just the stupid redneck bass fishermen.
The fishing is bad on Harris too! The rest of the chain is okay...but Harris, the fishing is dead.Originally Posted by TritonBrad
Wishin' I was fishin'...
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So what is the purpose of them killing off all the vegetation
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They will tell you it is to control waterways and for navigation but when you see where they have sprayed up on the bank everywhere that has nothing to do with navigation you come to the conclusion pretty quick that is about the same old driving force for everything----MONEY
Why it's for safe passage, my good fellow! Besides being the prime means of ferrying the white man deep into and out of Seminole territory, the Steam boats can also carry goods and supplies!!
For you guys that were not around these Central Fl. lakes back 70 plus years ago, there was no weed control because there was no weeds in the lakes. These lakes were clear and devoid of underwater grass, weeds, hydrilla, etc. Kissimmee grass, gator grass, pads and reeds/cattails were along the shore. The fisherman that caught bass off shore were the ones exploring the depths for drop offs from shallow to deep water. Many of those individuals were diving these areas to find were bass would congregate along deep water slopes from flats. Bob Underwater and I use to dive many of these lakes.....Harris Chain, Butler Chain, Conway Chain, East Lake, Toho and others. If you found any underwater structure or vegetation we marked it on a topo map. All the times there was no vegetation off shore we still managed to catch huge numbers of bass. I am just a fair fisherman but I do know there is more to catching these fish other than having a bunch of vegetation in a lake. The bass are there, you just have to find them.
I don't want to be disrespectful, but you cannot compare what it was like 70 yrs ago to now. Population, runoff, pressure, overspaying has devastated the overall water quality and is a night and day difference from back then to today. There was plenty of vegetation back then, just the good natural kind that supported a very healthy ecosystem. The lake bottoms were hard sand void of the thick layers of muck that suffocates all life. You mention mostly all the deep clear water sinkhole lakes for your examples, Come over here to the st johns in Lake Winder and Poinsett, 25 yrs ago the water was clear with healthy vegetation thru out. catching great numbers of bass was on every trip. Now its a cesspool with zero vegetation and you cant find a bass. They keep spraying here several times a year and without no evasive's to spray they have turned to wiping out only stands of bullrush that are left. It's pretty simple, any lakes around here that have good water clarity all have good vegetation and the ones that dont are mudholes.
They are there...they just moved to a more favorable part of the chain....where there is less human intervention in the eco-system of the water.
Wishin' I was fishin'...
1990 Ranger 374v
1996 175 HP Mariner - Magnum EFI
25p Tempest - A45 model
80 lb 24v MinnKota Maxxum
Humminbird Helix 10
Humminbird Helix 7
Garmin EchoMap 106sv w/ LS
Dual 8' Power Poles
Look at it this way B-47. The vast majority of the sea floor is barren, just a sandy under water desert that doesn't hold much life or "biomass". Just useless voids between reefs. Now take that same useless area and drop old bridges, concrete rubble, old ships etc.. and you all of a sudden go from useless space to an area that is thriving with life. Offshore hydrilla serves the same purpose as the 'artificial reefs" do in saltwater. Hydrilla can take a mud bottom lake that is devoid of life and turn it into a fish factory ( just not bass). There is a certain area that I should have won Wolfsons tx at. I was catching fish up to 9 pnds . We went there and we had 3 or 4 nice fish in the 5-6 pnd range and then my buddy John Mobley missed a fish in the 8 pnd range that would have culled a 2 pnd fish. We missed 1st by only a few pnds. we wound up 9th or 10th, but that is neither here or there. I just tell yall this to explain how good this area was. I mean it was good enough to beat 500 other boats and what did OUR GOVERENMENT DO.... they ruined it. For two years I stroked fish and won a pile of tx's there. The MINDLESS, CLUELESS, AROGANT, JACKASSES THAT SIT IN AIRCONDITIONED ROOMS AND CALL THE SHOTS BECAUSE THEY CALL THEMSELVES "BIOLOGIST" RUINED THIS AREA. I haven't caught a fish there in three or four years now. Its all open water to the bank! Not a piece of grass is there now. When I caught those fish it was so thick that I'd pull my trolling motor up and let the wind blow me through the thick stuff.... and that's where the fish were. there used to be vegetation 1/2 mile out into this area. matter of fact they used an AIRPLANE to kill this place. The stretch I was fishing was an open water/ off the bank mile long 6 ft deep mud bottom matted out with penny wart, hydrilla, hythinths and cabbage.... beautiful. The grass created an "offshore" condo for fish. It created additional living space that normally would be void of life. Like I said I havn't had a single fish in there since they wiped out every piece of offshore grass
Point is offshore hydrilla is to freshwater lakes what artificial reefs are to saltwater. This is how bad and corrupt it has gotten. I guarantee if there was a way for the powers to be who offer these contracts for spraying could make a profit by coming up with some excuse as to why they HAVE to spray in saltwater then they would. I can see it now, some bullchit excuse like.... We the govbment came up with a chemical that will dissolve concrete under water. They would say or pull something out of there ass like well we believe concrete causes 4 eyed grouper which gives them an unfair hunting advantage resulting in the reef getting depleted of juvenile fish. So we have to spray it . ( sounds familiar, we heard that before!) And they would expect us to believe it. The Corp of Eng and FWC are so full of .... well you know. FYI its not the low level entry person causing this. Its the high uppers and probably goes beyond government all the way to the big chemical companies like Dupont who lobby to politicians in efforts to get the state to open check book. They state pays these big companies via contracts and in in return Dupont sells millions of dollars of chemical/poison. HOW DO YOU STOP THAT??????????????????????????????
Last edited by Manatee Mauler; 06-22-2018 at 03:47 PM.
Make lobbying a felony offense. Canada doesn't allow it and the people are a LOT more in charge.
We have an issue in the US. Citizens are afraid of the government. It's supposed to be the opposite.
Maybe it's time to quit eating the 'cake' (read as BBQ, tater salad and baked beans) and act on it.
Campaign contributions ? "Applied Aquatic Management" either directly, and/or through its employees, appears to spend a lot of money on the campaign efforts of politicians (i.e. Adam Putnam - State Agricultural Commissioner - now running for Governor). The politicians may help return the favor of these contributions by ensuring well funded aquatic vegetation control budgets. In turn, the FWC could just be following orders sent down from the top, spending money that must be spent. Coincidentally, Applied Aquatic Management and Putnam are both from Polk County.
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