This Is Why I Love Florida!

[Casslaw]

I had a Dr appt today and in front of his office is a 50’ by 70’...hole with water in it, could never hold any life. Last time I was there I walked to the bank and there were schools of little 3” bluegills and more life than I could imagine.

Today I took a pole with a junebug baby brush hog and made a few casts. Caught 3 little 1 pounders and lost 2 or 3 more in 10 minutes from one spot on the bank. The pads were moving, there were small gar I could see, place is full of life for being SO tiny, it’s a half cast wide!

I don't imagine it holds any large fish but this little pond reminds me why I fish! When do you find these little things in the middle of a relatively new business lark? It is about 7 foot deep, pads, cattails...it would be perfect if it were just a few thousand times larger!

[250bassFL]

[rocknemo]

That is why we all loved Florida. But what is all that nice beautiful green stuff that appears so vibrant with life? My lakes are all dead & brown and looks like a stinkin cesspool.

[Mickstix]

Nice! I wouldn't dismiss it too quick about not having any big ones.. Back in Va., when I was building roads, we drained a few little BITTY retention ponds and there were so many 5-7 lbrs it was crazy.

[B-47]

Back in 1973, I had access to 3000 acres of orange and grapefruit groves to hunt and fish. The grove had about 7 ponds at 5 to 10 acres each. They were loaded with panfish and bass. My friend (the owner) decided to dig one more pond about 4 to 5 acres. After he dug the hole I asked what he was stocking the pond with; bass, panfish, catfish? He said nothing he just wanted a new pond to water his grove. One year later I was fishing another pond near by and decided to try the new pond just to see if I could catch anything. I caught more than a dozen small bass. Within the next 15 years I caught 16 bass of more than 10 lbs from that little lake and all the big bass were moved to a big bass lake only on his property. It is amazing how a new pond with absolutely no fish in the beginning can produce fish without stocking. All together I had about 12,000 acres of farm ponds I access to and I caught more than 300 bass of more than 10 lbs from those small ponds/lakes. It was great hunting and fishing while it lasted. Now, all that property is asphalt and concrete homes and roads. What a waste!

[Basswhippa]

Back in 1973, I had access to 3000 acres of orange and grapefruit groves to hunt and fish. The grove had about 7 ponds at 5 to 10 acres each. They were loaded with panfish and bass. My friend (the owner) decided to dig one more pond about 4 to 5 acres. After he dug the hole I asked what he was stocking the pond with; bass, panfish, catfish? He said nothing he just wanted a new pond to water his grove. One year later I was fishing another pond near by and decided to try the new pond just to see if I could catch anything. I caught more than a dozen small bass. Within the next 15 years I caught 16 bass of more than 10 lbs from that little lake and all the big bass were moved to a big bass lake only on his property. It is amazing how a new pond with absolutely no fish in the beginning can produce fish without stocking. All together I had about 12,000 acres of farm ponds I access to and I caught more than 300 bass of more than 10 lbs from those small ponds/lakes. It was great hunting and fishing while it lasted. Now, all that property is asphalt and concrete homes and roads. What a waste!

Amazing story. What was your biggest bass caught? What was the biggest you lost? Neat story of years gone by in Florida. Gone forever.

[Casslaw]

Yeah I’m from Pasco county where we used to have all sorts of orange groves. I was chased off of many properties when I was a teenager cause I wanted to fish those little ponds. My first double digit bass came out of a pond no larger than an acre. When I was in high school (early 90’s) those ponds were in the hundreds in the Land O’ Lakes area.

I mounted a bass at 13 that I caught out of a small local lake, 12lb4oz...that’s the only bass I’ve intentionally killed. She was 31.5 inches long and had already spawned as I caught her in June. I told myself it would have to be significantly larger for me to ever kill another fish that size.

I was brought up that you dont kill bass, period! I’ve caught a few larger than my 12.4 but nothing I’d consider mounting. One was in Lake Tarpon. She was a beast! I know that I don’t carry a scale because I really don’t care but I’ve caught so many bass near the 10 pound mark that I stopped counting in my twenties, I’m 42 now.

I’ve only started bass fishing seriously again since I got my boat June 1st and so far I’ve gotten 4 really good ones, this is probably the largest from my new boatand this was maybe 2 miles and 2 lakes up from where I caught the one on my wall. This boat has been good luck, I caught this one the first trip the day after I bought her in Lakeland . On Sunday I caught this bluegill out of the lake the first fish came out of... Crazy thing weighed almost 2 pounds and was over 13 inches long.

And the ONLY reason that little pond has lily pads and cattails is because an FWC boat won’t fit in it!!

[Hez]

And the ONLY reason that little pond has lily pads and cattails is because an FWC boat won’t fit in it!!

Casslaw, I'm heading to Tsala Apopka for a few trips over the next month. May shoot you a PM and pick your brain, if that's ok.

[Casslaw]

Sorry Hez, hadn’t seen this when I got your pm. I hope my rambling helps in some way! Let me know how it goes! I’m looking forward to this cooler weather! Wait...no cooler weather for another few months

[Hez]

Sorry Hez, hadn’t seen this when I got your pm. I hope my rambling helps in some way! Let me know how it goes! I’m looking forward to this cooler weather! Wait...no cooler weather for another few months

No worries bud! What is this cooler weather you speak of?

[Casslaw]

I had to add to this. My in laws live in a large development near me (seven oaks) but their section is no more than 3-4 years old. They have a 100 foot by 50 foot retention pond behind they’re house...they said there’s no fish in it. So I took a jerkbait with me to pick up my daughter, made 3 casts then walked in the front door.....

Her mom asked what is that? And where did it come from? I said your back yard! I’m still amazed how nature goes on...at 3-4 years old this fish should be no more than 14”. It was a nice 3.5 that jumped 3 times. Love Nature!

[Casslaw]

I had to add to this. My in laws live in a large development near me (seven oaks) but their section is no more than 3-4 years old. They have a 100 foot by 50 foot retention pond behind they’re house...they said there’s no fish in it. So I took a jerkbait with me to pick up my daughter, made 3 casts then walked in the front door.....

Her mom asked what is that? And where did it come from? I said your back yard! I’m still amazed how nature goes on...at 3-4 years old this fish should be no more than 14”. It was a nice 3.5 that jumped 3 times. Love Nature!

[Hez]

Nice fish Cass

[Bassdeer]

Back in 1973, I had access to 3000 acres of orange and grapefruit groves to hunt and fish. The grove had about 7 ponds at 5 to 10 acres each. They were loaded with panfish and bass. My friend (the owner) decided to dig one more pond about 4 to 5 acres. After he dug the hole I asked what he was stocking the pond with; bass, panfish, catfish? He said nothing he just wanted a new pond to water his grove. One year later I was fishing another pond near by and decided to try the new pond just to see if I could catch anything. I caught more than a dozen small bass. Within the next 15 years I caught 16 bass of more than 10 lbs from that little lake and all the big bass were moved to a big bass lake only on his property. It is amazing how a new pond with absolutely no fish in the beginning can produce fish without stocking. All together I had about 12,000 acres of farm ponds I access to and I caught more than 300 bass of more than 10 lbs from those small ponds/lakes. It was great hunting and fishing while it lasted. Now, all that property is asphalt and concrete homes and roads. What a waste!

The way this happens is from birds and ducks that get fish eggs stuck to there feet and then moving them to other lakes.

[Casslaw]

I was asked the how and I told them that as well as underground routing that we may not be aware of I was always told that the birds ate minnows/small fish that had ingested eggs and the eggs(the most delicate) survive the digestion process.

Soinds fishy to me but I’ve had no better answer so that’s what I’ve always gone with!