Reopened Mosaic lakes teem with fish for anglers From http://www.fwc.com/
News Release
November 30, 2010
Contact: Gary Morse, 863-648-3200
Contact: Gary Morse, 863-648-3200
Portions of the Mosaic Fish Management Area in southern Polk County will reopen to public fishing on Friday, Dec. 10. The 1,000-acre fish management area near Fort Meade is managed through a cooperative agreement between Mosaic Fertilizer LLC and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Lakes Coulter, LP2 East, LP2 West, S8 East and S8 West are reopening. These lakes have been closed for more than three years due to mining-related public safety issues.
When the lakes reopen, there likely will be some memorable fishing trips in store for anglers looking to catch largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish. Fish populations, as well as fishing success, often improve significantly when lakes are closed and then reopened.
The lakes range in size from 20 to 250 acres and have an angler quota that protects the fishery from overharvest. Quotas will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
FWC biologists and Mosaic staff took advantage of the closure by improving access roads and boat ramps, monitoring fish populations and enhancing fishing opportunities by stocking channel catfish from state hatcheries.
The Mosaic Fish Management Area has been in existence for more than 10 years. The area is open to public fishing Fridays through Mondays, from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. There is no cost to fish, but anglers must check in and out with Mosaic security staff.
For more information on freshwater fishing opportunities, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing or call the FWC regional office in Lakeland at 863-648-3200 during regular working hours.
Photo by Eric Engbretson
By late summer, bass fishing is not for the faint of heart. Largemouths are often deep and lethargic, and they’re also frequently starting to relocate and suspend at middepth ranges as forage begins to move. This is when professional anglers start following the ABCs of summer fishing. • “The ABCs stand for aquatic vegetation, bridges, and current, three shortcuts to finding fish,” says veteran tournament pro and Lake Fork guide James Niggemeyer. “In summer, bass need shade, cover, oxygen, and food, and the ABCs always provide that. In addition, aquatic vegetation and bridges have depth changes close to cover, and current in the back of a creek attracts bass from other areas.”
Aquatic VegetationWHY BASS LIKE IT: Hydrilla, lily pads, hyacinths, and other greenery hold forage such as crawfish and sunfish and provide cover, shade, and higher oxygen.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Edge irregularities, especially depth changes; brush, logs, or rocks with the vegetation; isolated patches of greenery.
TECHNIQUES AND TACKLE: Skitter floating frogs over the top and through openings; flip tubes and jigs into open holes; run shallow crankbaits along the outside edge. Use 50- to 65-pound braided line for frogs and tubes; 12- to 20-pound fluorocarbon for square-bill crankbaits.
BridgesWHY BASS LIKE IT: Cover, shade, and abrupt depth changes are always present; nearby rocks often hold forage.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Brush lodged on the upstream side of pilings; current breaks behind pilings; baitfish around pilings.
TECHNIQUES AND TACKLE: Bulge a fast spinnerbait parallel to abutments and pilings nearest the channel first. Cover the brush at upstream pilings with a crankbait; hit the downstream side of abutments with a drop-shot rig. Use 8- to 16-pound fluorocarbon line (it sinks).
CurrentWHY BASS LIKE IT: Moving water produces higher oxygen, washes in food, and usually creates cooler temperatures.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Eddies and protected calmer water; rocks, small islands, other visible cover like stumps or logjams.
TECHNIQUES AND TACKLE: Cast light jigs, plastic grubs, or Texas-rigged worms upstream and let current carry them into quiet eddies. Work small buzzbaits across calmer areas, especially in early morning. Use 12- to 16-pound fluorocarbon
for strength and low visibility.