Orange Lake Fl. giving up GIANTS in the heat!!!!

[Ski]

I bet the boat ramp is crowded this morning!! Yesterday 5/25/2024 in 90* heat, Team Taylor/McDevitt won a local event with 40.51 pounds, pictured on the left!

Pictured on the top right, Team Laney-Roberson with 38.21 pounds (they had two fish over 11 pounds) for 2nd place, and Team Murray-Schroeder pictured middle and bottom on right for 3rd with 25.72 pounds!

[SC53]

Dang.  On my to go list.

[FryDog62]

Only 3.5 hours from me but work keeps getting in the way…  absolute hawgs there -

 

Any input on primary lures that are working?

 

[Mike L]

Whew!!

I heard about Orange a few times but nothing like this 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Ski]

49 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Any input on primary lures that are working?

 

Punching mats.

2 hours ago, SC53 said:

Dang.  On my to go list.

Heading there Tuesday.

[FryDog62]

47 minutes ago, Ski said:

Punching mats.

Heading there Tuesday.

Great, let us know what works - good luck👍

[SC53]

Ski, let me know how you do. 

[Captain Phil]

Orange Lake is on a comeback. Years ago, this lake was one of the best big bass lakes in Florida.  It is spring fed and can go through periods of very low water levels.  There is a huge hole in the bottom that has been filled numerous times.  This dries out the bottom and has the positive effect of rejuvenating the bass population via a natural draw down. 

[F14A-B]

She’s a classic to be sure.. 

[F14A-B]

On 5/26/2024 at 8:24 AM, Ski said:

Punching mats.

Heading there Tuesday.

Any ideal on what plastic they were using? I fished Orange and Loch but mostly loch. That’s about the only thing you could do in the 80’s was punch, we just called it flipping. Plastic worms between 7 and 10”. I used a black color but blue was popular. Rarely were the conditions adequate to fish a rattletrap but depending on boat traffic and lanes you could definitely catch some good fish on a trap. A lot of guides with clients using golden shiners also. Guys tossing chicken feed and throwing nets to catch the shiners.. plenty of good fishing. Punching is a grind, but the payoff is big. I haven’t been there in a while, time to revisit an old friend. Hope you stick a hog and do report back on your day please..🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

On 5/26/2024 at 8:09 AM, Mike L said:

Whew!!

I heard about Orange a few times but nothing like this 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

Wait.. what? You never fished it? 🤣it’s like there is soo much water to fish in Florida that it’s easy to pick out a handful of lakes, ponds, rivers and stick with it for the sake of sanity 🤣

Gotta love the fishing in Florida, there’s always a place on fire. 

[Mike L]

12 minutes ago, alonerankin2 said:

 

Wait.. what? You never fished it? 🤣it’s like there is soo much water to fish in Florida that it’s easy to pick out a handful of lakes, ponds, rivers and stick with it for the sake of sanity 🤣

Gotta love the fishing in Florida, there’s always a place on fire. 

 Nope never did 

 

Your right, there’s so many in Central and So Florida and considering the amount of time and tournaments I spend on Okeechobee just never got around to it. 
 

 

 

Mike

[Ski]

Update from 5/28/2024.

Was on the lake @ sunrise.

Both of us started catching as soon as we began fishing, I was throwing a frog and my partner was throwing a Spook. We each caught 3, biggest was maybe 3lbs. As we fished farther away from that area the slower things got until we could not get a bite @ all. We spent the whole day searching for other areas with Chatterbaits, Swim jigs, Toads, Punch rigs, Stick baits, Spinnerbaits and never found the "mother load" or another fish for that matter. We left the lake around 2 PM with our tails dragging and scratching our heads. The lake had a heavy stain to it, areas that were normally good to us in the past had been sprayed and lacked vegetation and other areas were so topped out with Hydrilla it was a haystack needle trying to punch it. I plan on returning Friday but frankly not knowing what we will do differently.

[F14A-B]

Most of the time on Lochloosa anyway, my bites ALWAYS happened an hour after sunrise then typically, completely died. (This time of the year) I won a jackpot tournament on that lake in 87 and weighed in 13 pound w 3 fish. All caught within a hour of launch. That was in early July and the sun is brutal! Good luck and hope you find the big girls. 

[SC53]

Thanks for the report Ski.  Nice rig you got there too.

Good luck Friday 

[Zcoker]

The spraying that they do in these lakes is down right depressing, staining them into oblivion. I reckon they have their reasons. Headwaters Lake is were it's at right now, having just won over Orange Lake for trophy fish (380 of them). But don't go running down there just yet. Just got word from the st. johns water management district that Headwaters is closing in June, probably to be sprayed. If that's the case, then it'll take a LONG time for recovery, same as the Stick March, Kenansville and just about every other popular lake that gets nuked on a regular basis. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

On 5/29/2024 at 3:20 AM, Ski said:

Update from 5/28/2024.

Was on the lake @ sunrise.

Both of us started catching as soon as we began fishing, I was throwing a frog and my partner was throwing a Spook. We each caught 3, biggest was maybe 3lbs. As we fished farther away from that area the slower things got until we could not get a bite @ all. We spent the whole day searching for other areas with Chatterbaits, Swim jigs, Toads, Punch rigs, Stick baits, Spinnerbaits and never found the "mother load" or another fish for that matter. We left the lake around 2 PM with our tails dragging and scratching our heads. The lake had a heavy stain to it, areas that were normally good to us in the past had been sprayed and lacked vegetation and other areas were so topped out with Hydrilla it was a haystack needle trying to punch it. I plan on returning Friday but frankly not knowing what we will do differently.

A guy I follow closely named Jimmy Zinker has caught 5 DDs this year on Orange.....he fishes almost exclusively at night with a Muskie Jitterbug and Pat Cullin's black Buzzbait.   

 

Some great info on the Big Bass Podcast about his techniques, and the way he modifies the Jitterbugs.

 

I'd give it a go at night.   Good luck, hope you catch a DD!

 

Nothing more tragic than state "management" agencies destroying Bass fishing through spraying.   One of my biggest pet peeves.   

[Zcoker]

I can vouch for those Jitterbug mods. I had to add extra heavy duty hangers for my side hooks; they were ripping them off. Curling in the front cup to achieve a certain sound they like takes some trial and error but once right, it's game on....drives them batty lol 

 

[Ski]

1 hour ago, Zcoker said:

Headwaters is closing in June, probably to be sprayed.

Johns River Water Management District announces the temporary closure of the Headwaters Lake boat ramp located within the Fellsmere Water Management Area (FWMA) for essential repairs from June 10 through June 20. This closure is necessary to ensure the safety and functionality of the facility for visitors.May 7, 2024

 

[Zcoker]

1 hour ago, Ski said:

Johns River Water Management District announces the temporary closure of the Headwaters Lake boat ramp located within the Fellsmere Water Management Area (FWMA) for essential repairs from June 10 through June 20. This closure is necessary to ensure the safety and functionality of the facility for visitors.May 7, 2024

 

 

yeah, but their idea of “essential repairs” could also include nuking. This is a quote I got directly from the SJRWMD related to the closure:  “staff plan to address some of the vegetation issues that impact the lake”

[F14A-B]

This was posted on X today..

Orange Lake, 13.5 pounds 

[N Florida Mike]

I used to fish Orange back in the 80s. Big, dark worms and traps were the baits of choice then. And shiners of course.

Came in 2nd in a tournament in Lochloosa in 86 or 87…

[F14A-B]

1 hour ago, N Florida Mike said:

I used to fish Orange back in the 80s. Big, dark worms and traps were the baits of choice then. And shiners of course.

Came in 2nd in a tournament in Lochloosa in 86 or 87…

Exactly right, that’s what I used almost exclusively. Worms, traps and golden shiners.. Loch just has a vibe about it. My favorite Florida fishery with the St.Johns a very close second.