Lake Seminole, Fl/Ga line Hydrilla problems

[Son]

Catfishing today. Managed to find some channel catfish bedding in about 6 feet of water out in the main lake. A hump out in deep water with some grass on it. Caught six and lost three that broke the line. Hope to go back tomorrow with bigger tackle. The big females are loaded with eggs.

 

[BassRaider]

9.2 Rodman

 

[Fisherman001]

Catfishing today. Managed to find some channel catfish bedding in about 6 feet of water out in the main lake. A hump out in deep water with some grass on it. Caught six and lost three that broke the line. Hope to go back tomorrow with bigger tackle. The big females are loaded with eggs.

Hey Son, I also caught some female channel cats that had eggs in them just last week, which I was surprised to see since I thought they were done spawning this time of year.

 

[Son]

Hey Son, I also caught some female channel cats that had eggs in them just last week, which I was surprised to see since I thought they were done spawning this time of year.

Those caught yesterday were almost roe'ed out. Egg sacks were about half empty.

 

[across the river]

Hydrilla is a scourge and pestilence.

My dock extends out 135 feet, and the hydrilla and lily pads extend out over 100 past the end of it. You can`t see it in the lily pad shot, but it is solid hydrilla all the way to the bottom, which is less than 2 feet deep right there. 35-40 years ago, it was close to 5 feet deep at the end of the dock, white sand bottom, crystal clear water. Now it`s maybe 2 to 3 feet deep and solid vegetation. Another couple of years and the cattails will take it over.

Find a sick bald eagle, place it on the bank somewhere, and they will fill the place up with grass carp to wipe it out like they did on the hill and Santee. Nothing gets them moving like a sick bird.

 

[Son]

It's a fact, protected species are more protected than we are. Like the alligator, it was never in danger. Merely a sneaky of government getting their hands on the money being made off gators. I could have always shown more gators than most would swim with. Ocala Nation forest Where gators were not hunted for many years. At night, any water would look like it was filled with reflectors. Many Florida rivers were the same. Hillsborough River to name one. Same thing goes on by confiscating land for flood control etc.. First thing to go up is cattle gaps and fencing. Cattle barons need the grazing. But as usual, government covers their moves with what seems to be good reasons, excuses etc. I found them for years in Florida before leaving the state. I was always outnumbered at meetings. I can say this though, I never lost a debate at any meeting.

 

[NWS]

Been a long time since I was down on Seminole.
Jack Wingate was still living and running his place the last time I was there.
After seeing these pics, I don't think I'll be ever going there again either.
Such a shame to see what has happened there to a once great fishery.

Old Jack was quite a character, someone who you instantly liked. I remember way back at an old Fisharama or Buckarama in Atlanta he was there with a big cooler of Stripers promoting his Fish Camp.

 

[Son]

Old Jack was quite a character, someone who you instantly liked. I remember way back at an old Fisharama or Buckarama in Atlanta he was there with a big cooler of Stripers promoting his Fish Camp.[/QUOTEJ

Yep, Jack was a sport who was always after the dollar. I remember he had the Lake Guide service locked up.

 

[Nicodemus]

Find a sick bald eagle, place it on the bank somewhere, and they will fill the place up with grass carp to wipe it out like they did on the hill and Santee. Nothing gets them moving like a sick bird.

I doubt it. Plus only a complete idiot is gonna mess with an eagle. Even if you are attempting to joke.

 

[across the river]

I doubt it. Plus only a complete idiot is gonna mess with an eagle. Even if you are attempting to joke.

Didn’t expect anyone to actually try to capture an eagle. My point is, Clark’s Hill had hydrilla since the mid 90s and parts of the lake were pretty choked out with it. They determine that the bald eagles dying were related to some algae that grew on the hydrilla that the coots ate and passed along and in 2018 or so they decided the hydrilla needed to go. Didn’t take them long to pretty much rid the lake of it and the coots and ducks. Spots have taken over the place, though they have been around for years, which I think also relates to the grass being removed. If they wanted to get rid of it, a bunch of fish goats would do it.

 

[Nicodemus]

Didn’t expect anyone to actually try to capture an eagle. My point is, Clark’s Hill had hydrilla since the mid 90s and parts of the lake were pretty choked out with it. They determine that the bald eagles dying were related to some algae that grew on the hydrilla that the coots ate and passed along and in 2018 or so they decided the hydrilla needed to go. Didn’t take them long to pretty much rid the lake of it and the coots and ducks. Spots have taken over the place, though they have been around for years, which I think also relates to the grass being removed. If they wanted to get rid of it, a bunch of fish goats would do it.

I don`t know how long grass carp have been in Seminole, but about the only good they`ve done is maybe keep the gators fed, a little.

 

[Son]

Problem I saw with the grass carp. White Amur, They all escaped into the main lake, then down into the Apalachicola. The carp didn't do much in my area because they stayed around docks with feeders. A carp full of fish food doesn't need much salad to survive. Nic is right, I actually watched gators come up with grass carp in their mouths. Three gulps and a 30 pound grass carp is turned into gator fertilizer for the lake. I do remember spraying hydrilla down in Florida years ago, the smell was awful, and the water smelled terrible. The gar and mud fish didn't seem to care.

 

[across the river]

I don`t know how long grass carp have been in Seminole, but about the only good they`ve done is maybe keep the gators fed, a little.

It’s a numbers game. If I remember correctly they were shooting for like 15 per acre, which is a lot.

 

[Son]

The reason we don't catch world record largemouths in the south is because gators eat them too.

 

[Son]

Caught `12 nice channel cats in Seminole this morning while it was overcast. When the clouds moved out, they quit biting in shallow water. Probably moved deep, I had enough so came home and cleaned em.

 

[Fisherman001]

Caught `12 nice channel cats in Seminole this morning while it was overcast. When the clouds moved out, they quit biting in shallow water. Probably moved deep, I had enough so came home and cleaned em.

I’m still trying to figure out how to successfully catch catfish when I fish from the bank. For me it’s a hit or miss. There’s some evenings where I won’t even get a bite and I leave baffled.

 

[Son]

Catfish can be off the bite. I've been underwater and seen them dormant. While other times, they can be so many feeding it's almost like they're schooling. Bank fishing can be difficult because fish are not always everywhere. They may be where you're fishing, and maybe not. The fish caught today was in shallow water, about 7 feet deep out in the middle of Lake Seminole, with deep water all around the area. Where the fish bit best was on a bottom where there was some vegetation. Few days ago, there were large channel cats spawning there. Today the fish averaged about 1 3/4 pounds each. I have fished the same spot for hours and got not one bite. It's sometimes FISHING., not CATCHING.

 

[Fisherman001]

Catfish can be off the bite. I've been underwater and seen them dormant. While other times, they can be so many feeding it's almost like they're schooling. Bank fishing can be difficult because fish are not always everywhere. They may be where you're fishing, and maybe not. The fish caught today was in shallow water, about 7 feet deep out in the middle of Lake Seminole, with deep water all around the area. Where the fish bit best was on a bottom where there was some vegetation. Few days ago, there were large channel cats spawning there. Today the fish averaged about 1 3/4 pounds each. I have fished the same spot for hours and got not one bite. It's sometimes FISHING., not CATCHING.

Thanks for your response Son. Yes, fishing from the bank your very limited to just a few spots, especially when there’s more folks fishing. I often wondered what I’m doing wrong, or how to improve. My rigging is set up right and I have the right bait, but sometimes no bites. But if your limited to bank fishing, your more dependent on the fish coming to you. ( if it’s catfish that is).

 

[Son]

Let me tell you how to draw catfish to where your are fishing. That is, if there's any down stream that are hunting food. Put some stink bait in a cloth bag with a brick in it. Tie to a rope and toss it out just up stream from where you will be casting. A can of dog food with holes poked in it will work just as well, but be sure to have it secure so it can be retrieved when through fishing. When catfishing from the boat and nothing is happening, I will move around by drifting to locate fish. When a fish is caught. I will anchor, then put down a mushroom anchor with some stink bait on it. If there's fish in the area, they will come and can be caught right below the boat. I don't know much about fishing, but I'm lucky catching them a lot.

 

[Fisherman001]

Let me tell you how to draw catfish to where your are fishing. That is, if there's any down stream that are hunting food. Put some stink bait in a cloth bag with a brick in it. Tie to a rope and toss it out just up stream from where you will be casting. A can of dog food with holes poked in it will work just as well, but be sure to have it secure so it can be retrieved when through fishing. When catfishing from the boat and nothing is happening, I will move around by drifting to locate fish. When a fish is caught. I will anchor, then put down a mushroom anchor with some stink bait on it. If there's fish in the area, they will come and can be caught right below the boat. I don't know much about fishing, but I'm lucky catching them a lot.

I will definitely have to try that Son. Thanks for your knowledge on that. I will definitely make sure to leave no trace behind when I leave.