While on the trip, everybody in the vehicle is sharing the enthusiasm in their journey to a land of big bass and warm weather.
There’s no place like Ocala Florida. If you want to make your fishing vacation more pleasant by remembering that it is a fishing vacation, make it a point that you are prepared to enjoy the whole experience, which includes kicking back and enjoying your friends, your surroundings, and your brief respite from the daily cares of your life. But some of the people who spend their vacation do it not simply to relax themselves from their stressful days but they go for bass fishing for a purpose. There enters the tournament, the competition of big bass fish fever caught by many anglers.
Before entering any Bass fishing tournament in Ocala, Florida try to remind some of these things:
The first step is to be sure that you have established your actual fishing goals and then ensure that they are in fact realistic, based on the amount of time you plan to spend seeking those goals.
The majority of bass fishermen will tell you that they are going to Florida seeking that elusive goal of catching a bass over ten pounds. If this is your goal have you considered how much time you will be able to spend in this endeavor? Fishing for a bass that size is what you have been doing since you started bass fishing; will eight hours on the water really give you that chance you are looking for?
Your decisions to hit the waters of Florida are a step in the right direction, but remember, fishing is fishing: can you realistically expect to get it done in an eight hour day? Sounds easy but the truth is, it’s not.
The Florida Game and Fish commission makes a list each year of what they consider to be among the top ten bass lakes which will give you a starting point. This list is based on both shock surveys and creel counts that are reported by fishermen during creel surveys. You now need to narrow the list down to your selection and the only way to do this realistically is to get several references based on other people's experiences. This is where they usually hold the tournaments. Ocala, Florida rarely leaves that list.
Most noted lakes and reservoirs in or near Ocala Florida are:
LAKE GEORGE
Lake George is one of the premier largemouth bass fishing lakes in Florida. It is the second largest lake in the state (46,000 acres), and is 18 miles northwest of Deland and 29 miles east of Ocala.
Lake George is one of the many natural lakes on the St. John’s River. It has extensive vegetation that provides excellent habitat for bass. Wade fishing in eelgrass with plastic worms fished on the surface, and other top water artificial lures, is productive. Fishing with live shiners is an excellent method for catching trophy bass during the spring spawning season.
Hot spots on the lake include Juniper, Salt and Silver Glen spring runs on the western shoreline. In winter and early spring, look for bass to congregate at the jetties on the south end of the lake. Casting deep-diving crank baits near old dock structures along the northeast shore and off Drayton Island can also be productive.
STICK MARSH/FARM 13 RESERVOIR
Created in 1987, the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 Reservoir is synonymous with trophy bass fishing. This 6,500-acre reservoir near Fellsmere, west of Vero Beach, became one of the hottest bass lakes in the country during the past decade. FWC biologists predict a continuation of excellent largemouth bass fishing in upcoming years. Electrofishing samples continue to indicate good reproduction and growth of bass in the reservoir.
Anglers can locate bass throughout the reservoir among a variety of habitats including woody stump fields, submerged canals and hydrilla. Summer 2004 hurricanes drastically reduced levels of hydrilla throughout the reservoir, however, which can affect where the bass are located. Anglers should keep this in mind when trying to pattern fish. Plastic worms, spinner baits, crank baits, soft jerk baits, and top water propeller baits are effective. Wild golden shiners are the top choice for anglers looking to catch a trophy fish.
The recreational harvest regulation for largemouth bass anglers is catch-and-release. There is a two-lane boat ramp, paved parking lot, picnic pavilions and rest rooms. No gasoline, food, ice or other facilities are available on site. This area is part of the St. Johns Blue Cypress Management Unit, see here for a recreational map of that unit.
These are some of the lakes where tournaments have been held and could be the place where future tournaments can be done. Try to practice and study the area so that when tournament time comes, you have an edge over the competition.
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