FloridaFishinFool

Seems to me I recall Mann made a worm like that. The mannipulator maybe???

One of the old Florida fish camps that is no more is the old Lemon Bluff fish camp which use to be situated along the St. Johns River just east of Sanford, Florida. It has slowly crumbled into dust, but we still fish around her old docks, and concrete wall that is also cracking and crumbling to pieces and falling into the river piece by piece. Too bad places like this are no more! But the river and the fishing has not changed even if these old fish camps crumble into dust... So long bass resource. These are some of my last posts here. I hope you will grow this thread and keep it going. I must be moving on...

Well that's a good question. To me there are two kinds of Florida fish camps I divide up as salt water and fresh water fish camps. And since I love to bass fish, I decided to focus mainly on just fresh water fish camps since they are now going by the wayside sort of like the buggy whip, but the salt water fish camps are doing very well indeed. To describe an old style Florida fish camp I have go back in Florida history to the days of when access to this state was still dirt roads. People who moved in here were wise to homestead land along some of our great rivers and lakes. And this is how many of our old Florida fish camps got started. Usually, they would be about the only access to a particular lake or section of a river. This was in the days before our state government began building and developing public boat ramps all over the state. But back in the late 1800's and early 1900's as more and more people from up north either visited this state on vacation or moved here, some would buy or homestead large tracts of land next to a large lake or a river and start up their own fish camp to take advantage of northern money and northern interest in Florida fishing. And in the early 1900's Florida bass fishing was big business and the heyday of great backwoods Florida fish camps out in the middle of no where Florida. So as fish camps developed over time, they would usually have a fish lodge where the office was located and in there they would usually have a bait and tackle type of little store so customers could buy what they needed to fish with right there at the fish camp. Some would open up their own restaurant, some of which became famous over the years like in Jacksonville, Florida area Whitey's fish camp became known for its fried catfish, which back in the early to mid 1900's was all caught right there in the waters around Whitey's fish camp, but today that is no longer the case, but Whitey's still sells its famous fried catfish even if the catfish is now trucked in from who knows where. Another part of old Florida fish camp life that developed with the fish camps was a marina where people could store their boats for a price. You could buy fuel, oil, and some could even service your boat and do repairs if necessary. And along with the growth of a marina at the fish camp came boat rentals for guests to rent and go fishing in. Some fish camps also offered guide services too and made extra money helping the unfamiliar northern guests catch some big bass. And since a lot of these old fish camps were located in remote backwoods locations far away from main roads and cities and towns, the fish camps had to also develop some lodging for customers, and so began the days of Florida fish camp cabins! And now that RV's are the way to go, many old fish camps offer RV hookups and rentals. And, some fish camps developed their own campgrounds as well. The backwoods old Florida freshwater fish camp lifestyle was very laid back and slow. You fish when you want to, enjoy the restaurant food, the peace and quiet of the woods and water scenery and the comradery of fellow fishermen telling stories and fishing advice around a fire in the lodge or a bon fire outside the lodge where the guests would gather around until one by one people would drift off to their cabin, tent, or RV. For many decades this was how a lot of locals and northerners got onto the water to fish here in Florida. Fish camps were about the only places with real boat ramps, and all the supplies someone would need to go bass fishing. Today growth and public boat ramps have caused many old Florida fish camps to go out of business. In some cases, the old guy who started it died off and his inheritors did not keep it alive like the old fish camp on Lake Delancy run by Karl. Once he died, his fish camp died with him. There are not a lot of freshwater fish camps left in Florida these days, and some have changed with the times like Whitey's up in north Florida is now more restaurant and bar party place than it is a real fish camp any longer. But the atmosphere is still there. The past can still be felt there, but there is nothing quite like going to an old Florida freshwater fish camp and spend some time there taking it all in before it is gone. My young sons are only 2 and 4, but they have already been to at least two old style Florida fish camps and we plan on visiting as many more as we can find and go back to some we have already been to. This past weekend was spring break for college students. So anything along the beach here in Florida was a mad house with drunken college kids, so I wanted to take my boys to a more quiet place to do some fishing and this past weekend we rented a cabin at Highland Park fish camp just west of Deland. The Bassmaster elite series tournament was just north of us on the St. Johns River. Some of those pro bass fishermen venture as far South as Lake Dexter on the river for the tournament, but if you go a little bit further South on this same great river you run into Lake Woodruff and Lake Woodruff Nation Wilderness Park which is about as remote and backwoods Florida as you can get out there, and that is where Highland Park fish camp is located. They have a lodge, a bait and tackle store, bass fishing pond, marina, boat storage, free hot coffee in the morning, campground, RV park, cabins, the works, except they do not have a restaurant, but all of the cabins and RV's have kitchens. My boys loved it out there! And we plan on going back soon. http://www.hpfishcamp.com/ At Highland Park Fish Camp, Fishing Is A Tradition! Highland Park Fish Camp in Deland, Florida is proudly frozen in time – it’s the way “old Florida” used to be, before theme parks arrived on the landscape. In 2014, we are celebrating our 52nd anniversary of the family owned fish camp, where the largemouth bass are biting year round. This rustic destination has updated conveniences over the years, but nature has been preserved. Highland Park Fish Camp is an authentic haven carved out of the wilderness and the perfect place for the fisherman, the family that loves camping and the nature lover. Highland Park Fish Camp is a 30 acre gem located on the Norris Dead River, a portion of the St. Johns River that is neatly situated on the boundaries of Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, a 23,000 acre preserve that has been left untouched by development. It is a nature lover’s paradise that has been left natural, unlike the growth and development of Central Florida, but only five miles from the center of historic downtown DeLand where there is plenty of unique restaurants and shops to enjoy. You see that lodge above? Walk inside and take a look at the massive bass mounted on the wall inside. Numerous 15 pound plus bass hanging in there. Bobcats, alligators, and bucks galore hanging in there. A history of success inside this old lodge. These are all St. Johns River bass which flows through Lake Woodruff near this old fish camp... Highland Park fish camp bass! Us Floridians really should keep places like this a secret!

I'd like to start a thread about all of Florida's old- and newer- fish camps. My two sons and I are making it a point to explore Florida's old freshwater fish camps one by one before they are all gone or out of business. I want my boys to experience what the old Florida fish camps are like before they are gone. So I hope that all of you here on BR will contribute to this thread and bring here a growing list of Florida's freshwater only fish camps that still exist so that maybe some of us here can use this thread to plan new fishing adventures. I'll add in some I am familiar with later on after this initial post. ***Added: I hope that other members will continue to grow this thread and list of fish camps. I've enjoyed my time here on this forum, and I met a lot new friends here who are now fishing buddies, but there comes a time when we have to move on and accept change whether I want to or not. Change has been imposed upon me and as such, this is so long... keep it alive and tight lines!

Take welded over riveted any day. Also check hull thickness. A thicker hull is preferable to tin foil boats with extremely thin aluminum hulls. For a 14 to 16 foot boat I'd want it around .100" (of an inch) thick. Today you will find them thinned down to like .0625" just too thin for me. I started out with flat bottom and will never go back. From my own experiences, I had a 14 foot aluminum flat bottomed boat with a Yamaha 25 on it, and when I was crossing a lake with a chop of about 12 inches, I had to slow down because I could watch the flat part of the bow bend inwards with each hit on the waves. It was so bad I thought on a number of occasions the hull would split open or cave in there. The flat bottom boat was like a hammer on top of the chop taking each hit kind of hard, while the V bow slices through the wave action giving me a better ride and a more secure feeling. In all fairness I have been told I over powered the flat bottomed boat and the new owner says he loves it, but he put a 10hp on it and can not get it to do what I could with a 25hp on it. So hopefully he feels a lot safer in it than I ever did! So for me, from now on, I will only use V bow boats.

Leaders are notorious for losing fish. Been there, done that. So for years now I use straight braid with no leader. I never use a leader when bass fishing. Don't need it, and I surely do not miss it! Give it a try and this problem will be solved!

Garry Shandling was about to leave for ER on doctor’s orders when he collapsed from heart attack BY MEERA JAGANNATHAN NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Updated: Friday, March 25, 2016 Garry Shandling was reportedly minutes from heading to the ER on doctor's orders when he went into cardiac arrest. The “Larry Sanders Show” creator-star, who died Thursday morning at 66 from an apparent heart attack, had just told a doctor pal — whom he'd consulted a day earlier about aches and shortness of breath — that he was still experiencing symptoms, sources told TMZ. Per the doc's advice, Shandling was poised to go to a hospital after their 10 a.m. conversation. He ended up phoning 911 himself, the site reported, but collapsed in the middle of the call. A limo service car was already waiting outside the comic's house when emergency workers arrived at 10:45 a.m., according to the gossip site. Shandling reportedly had been planning his hospital visit after a Wednesday house call from his doctor, who advised him to seek medical help if his condition persisted, TMZ reported. He did not mention any chest pains, according to the report. Shandling was home alone when he went into cardiac arrest, a source close to the comic told the Daily News Thursday. Paramedics allegedly had to break down the comedy genius’ door to reach him. They transported the Chicago-born standup to St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, where he was pronounced dead, the source said. “It’s a shock,” the source continued. “He seemed pretty healthy, took care of himself. There were no known heart issues at all in his history.” Shandling scored 19 Emmy nominations before his sudden death. GARY HERSHORN/REUTERS Tributes from Shandling’s peers poured in after news of his death broke, as fellow comedians recalled seeing him just days before his sudden passing. “I can’t believe this,” tweeted “Better Call Saul” star Bob Odenkirk, who had posed for a photo with Shandling — seemingly in good health — and Kathy Griffin posted Sunday. “Very sad to say goodbye so abruptly.” “Sunday, my longtime friend Garry Shandling was here, making every1 laugh,” Griffin added on Twitter. “I loved him. I'll miss our talks the most.”

I was curious about which current professional bass fisherman, or fishermen were considered the best at flipping and pitching. I obviously think Denny Brauer is one of the best of all time, and KVD right there with him. But, I also thought Tommy Biffle was one of the best pitchers I had noticed over the years of watching him fish. So I did a google search for best pitchers out there and I found an old 2009 article where the pro's themselves were asked who they thought was the best at it, and over and over Andy Morgan was chosen as the best flipping/pitcher with Tommy Biffle a close second along a few others chosen fewer times than these guys were.

An interesting thread to read for sure...

I use some fine sand paper rolled up to scratch up the inside of the tip tube some to give the glue something to grab on to. Next I put some cut off pieces of the glue inside the tip tube for most of the length of the tube. Once the glue is inside the tube I heat it up to melt it onto the inside of the tip tube. I also melt some glue onto the rod shaft all the way around to make sure that glue is distributed everywhere the tip tube will cover. Lastly, I heat up the metal tip tube and the glue on the rod shaft, and then slide the tip tube onto the rod and align it and let it cool. Once cooled, I then remove the excess glue and go fishing.

I still have 4 BPS reels in use, two signature Johnny Morris reels, and two Browning Midas BC reels which are now quite rare in the left hand models. These Browning reels made by BPS who now owns the Browning brand name are almost identical to the BPS Johnny Morris Carbonlite reels. All 4 reels are 7.1:1 speed. All of them have worked flawlessly for years and are still like new today, but I do keep them regularly maintained too. I like how the Browning reels have dual brakes, both magnetic and centrifugal, that are easily adjustable with dials on the outside of the reel for fast instant adjustments. And the Browning reels palm very well better than the JM reels. All 4 reels have triple carbon fiber drag washer mechanisms and ball bearings in the handles too. Each reel has 10 ball bearings and are very smooth and pleasant to use year after year.

16 inches??? And 10 pounds!

Legendary Comic Garry Shandling Is Dead at 66 BY BRITT D.B. (25 MINUTES AGO) Getty - Frazer Harrison Famed comic Garry Shandling has sadly passed away at the age of 66. The news has been confirmed by Variety and TMZ. The actor, comic and writer was best known for the television series “The Larry Sanders Show” and the “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.” In a career that spanned three decades, Shandling was nominated for 18 Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. He took home an Emmy for “The Larry Sanders Show” season finale. Image Credit: Getty/Bryan Steffy The gifted and prolific comic was pronounced dead at a Los Angeles hospital this Thursday. The cause of death is still unknown. Shandling was never married, nor is he survived by children.

Yep! You are crossing over to the dark side!

Fox Swim Mapper By FOX International Group Ltd Description FOX Swim Mapper is designed to aid anglers when mapping out and logging details of each swim they fish. Using a series of photos and icons, Swim Mapper allows the angler to record specific visual marks and concise distances to ensure they can arrive back into a swim they’ve previously ‘mapped’ and are angling with pinpoint accuracy within minutes. http://www.swimmapper.com/ Screenshots

Say what??? When I got my first Curado i, it was so easy to dial in, in minutes actually, and just a few casts. And for me, the new shimano braking system is very effective and I'd have to say my curado is the reel that backlashes the least of any I have. It casts further and virtually zero problems or backlashes. I will look into those scorpions though...

JDM means two different things, but both related: JDM = Japan Domestic Market, and JDM = Japan Domestic Model. From Wikipedia: The term "Japanese domestic market" (JDM, also "Japanese domestic model") A Japan Domestic model is a product made for the Japan Domestic Market. But, non-Japan Domestic Models do make it into the Japan Domestic Market. Generally speaking, a JDM fishing reel, or Japan Domestic Model costs more than non JDM reels. Usually there are fewer of them, and they are often believed to be manufactured to a higher standard of quality. Another issue is that Japanese fishing reels made for sale in the USA have to conform to copyright protection laws, but the Japanese can and do make Japan domestic model products for themselves that include copyright protected features that they can not market in the USA. So sometimes fishermen in the USA seek out the Japan Domestic Models especially if it has features not available on models the same company is shipping to the USA. It is the same in the auto manufacturing as well. American versions of Japanese vehicles are tailored to American roads, needs, and wants, while JDM vehicles are tailored for Japan roads and market with softer suspension and smoother ride type of thing for an example. My point to this post is to not confuse a Japan Domestic Model with all that is sold within the Japan Domestic Market because they do import and also out source a lot of their manufacturing. There is a general belief that a JDM is actually made in Japan, but these days that simply is no longer the whole truth. As I recall, Japan has to adhere to a certain percentage of the parts in a product to declare it is still a JDM product. So even though you get a reel from Japan is no guarantee that it truly is a JDM. The gears and internal parts could have been made in Malaysia or Philippines.

This issue revolves around a right of control by private land owners & Brandreth Park Association, which holds the recreational rights to the privately owned tract. If they can legally control it, then they can sell access to it in the same way governments charge us citizens to enter in to and use state and national parks. If these land owners and recreational rights owners win in court, then they can put up toll booths and charge for access to their waterway route. But if they lose, then the public can freely access it in the future. Once again it appears this issue will boil down to an argument over what is navigable waters or, not.

MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016 Top Court To Hear Arguments This Week In Paddling Lawsuit by Editorial Staff The state’s highest court will hear arguments in Albany this Thursday in a trespassing lawsuit filed against Explorer Editor Phil Brown after he canoed through private land near the William C. Whitney Wilderness. Several organizations have filed friend-of-the-court briefs in the case, which could have statewide ramifications. The Adirondack Mountain Club and Environmental Advocates are siding with Brown in arguing for paddler’s rights. The Adirondack Landowners Association, New York Farm Bureau, Empire State Forest Products Association, and Property Rights Foundation of America are siding with the landowners. The disputed waterway, about two miles long, connects two pieces of the state-owned Whitney Wilderness. Brown paddled it in May 2009 as part of a longer trip from Little Tupper Lake to Lake Lila. He was sued the following year by the Friends of Thayer Lake, the main landowner, and Brandreth Park Association, which holds the recreational rights to the privately owned tract. Since the waterway is navigable, legally accessible, and useful for travel, Brown maintains that the public has a common-law right to paddle it. The state Department of Environmental Conservation agrees and has joined the case. The landowners contend the waterway is too small and remote to fall under the common-law right of navigation. State Supreme Court Justice Richard T. Aulisi ruled in Brown’s favor and threw out the lawsuit in February 2013. The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court upheld Aulisi in a 3-2 decision in January 2015. Because two judges dissented, the landowners had an automatic right to appeal to the Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court. The oral arguments are scheduled to start at noon Thursday. Brown’s attorney, John Caffry, and the state’s attorney, Brian Ginsberg, will have six minutes each to make their cases. The landowners’ attorney, Dennis Phillips, will have twelve minutes. The seven-judge panel is expected to hand down a decision within six weeks. The court’s summary of the case can be found here. Photo of Phil Brown paddling Shingle Shanty Brook by Susan Bibeau. Court Summary: http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2016/03/59872.html#comments

Its happening again! Raw Sewage Taints West Orange Lakes Stephen HudakContact ReporterOrlando Sentinelr5 March 22, 2016 More than 1,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled from a holding area Sunday, contaminating the waters of Lake Rose and Lake Sherwood and promptingOrange County officials to warn the public from boating, fishing or swimming in the two waterways in west Orange County. The lakes should be avoided for weeks, biologist Julie Bortles said. The spill was discovered Sunday by firefighters who were called by a resident about a possible sinkhole near the two lakes in the area of Old Winter Garden and Good Homes roads. The sinkhole turned out to be a stinkhole filled with raw sewage from a nearby condominium. Bortles said the county will test water samples every two or three days until the bacteria count drops to a safe level. The county has posted signs warning of the possible danger and posted the advisory on its web site. Investigators have not determined how much of the spill made its way into the lakes. http://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county-warns-residents-of-toxic-water-in-lake-rose/175062165 Orange County warns residents of toxic water in Lake Rose Updated: Mar 22, 2016 - 5:26 PM ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Orange County Environmental Protection Division is warning residents that the water in Lake Rose could make them sick. Thousands of gallons of raw sewage poured into the lake after a pump station failed on Sunday. “It could take up to a couple (of) weeks for Mother Nature to help kill off the waste bacteria that comes from the sewage,” Julie Bortles, the division’s supervisor, said. Samples collected by residents and county environmental crews were found to be contaminated after tests were done. "Results in the canal came back relatively high, which we expected, and the results in Lake Rose came back above state standards,” Bortles said. Crews plan to retest the water on Thursday and urge residents to stay away from that water until further tests are done. “It’s toxic in that if you ingest it, it can cause gastro problems, but usually if people touch it it's not going to cause a reaction,” Bortles said. The county said the problem is rare, but the leak came from a private citizen and the county has no control over private sewage systems. The cause of the incident was a break of the main sprinkler line that eroded the ground housing of the valve box and broke the lift station. The county has notified the Department of Environmental Protection and has placed signs up to alert people to stay clear of the water.

This is one of central Florida's great lakes... on the map it looks like several interconnected lakes, but has but one name- Lake Orienta. Normally, this is a fun lake to fish and learn to fish. And most of the time you can have it all to yourself since it is not an in demand lake for heavy fishing pressure. The city of Altamonte Springs controls the public boat ramp. Lake Orienta Reopens Following Sewage Leak Last Updated: Friday, March 18, 2016 ALTAMONTE SPRINGS , Florida Lake Orienta is back open to swimming and fishing after it was closed about a week ago following a sewage leak at a nearby living complex. The sewage system at the Royal Arms Condominium in Altamonte Springs backed up Saturday and sewage spilled into the lake. The community association manager at the condominium complex on Wednesday said the sewage system got backed up because of built-up grease in the system. The manager blamed the blockage on residents pouring too much cooking grease down their drains. Meredith Siems, communication coordinator with the city of Altamonte Springs, said Friday that quality sampling results showed water quality is back within acceptable levels for the lake. The Lake Orienta boat ramp is back open, and the water has been deemed safe for swimming, wading and fishing. For more information, contact the city of Altamonte Springs at 407-571-8340 or 407-571-8686 or the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Orlando office at 407-897-410. Lake Orienta 1882-1887:

I think the very first comment posted on youtube under this video says it all very well: Skridge Milky3 weeks ago Don't you just love fake reality fishing shows with morons for fishermen?

Nope. Not brand loyal. No reason to be brand loyal. Why limit myself? I've been repairing, modifying, and upgrading reels for close to 35 years. I can not choose to repair or work on just one brand, so I see them all. Over time I buy what I like regardless of brand name. Brand name means absolutely zilch to me. How many people care about the brand name of a hammer or a crescent wrench or hex keys we use on a regular basis? My point is these are tools to do a job. Reels are the same for me. Just a tool. So in my collection of rods and reels is just about every modern brand name made. Rods and reels come and go on a regular basis. I have now gotten rid of all my older Mitchell spinning reels and all of my 1980's and 1990's Shimano Bantam reels too as I am trying to modernize to an all new level for me. I have yet to buy a lew's but it is on my radar for this year. Regardless of brand, I use what works for me. Simple as that.

Mister Twister keeper hook.

Nail polish does not have good adhesion properties. It would crack and flake off in no time.