Key Points
Hello Folks,
We have a full moon this weekend; Saturday, shortly after noon, to be exact. That bein’ said, the fishin’ should be really good… if the weather doesn’t get bad. You need to get on the water early and go catch ’em by 9 a.m., or at the latest, by 10 a.m.
Also, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Florida’s Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday. The tax relief started on September 1st, and it runs through December 31, 2026. It gives tax relief on firearms, ammunition and a wide range of hunting, fishing and camping supplies. So, if you’ve been waitin’ to get some outdoor supplies, now would be a good time to get ’em.
Also, the FWC has announced Where Art Meets the Water Contest is now open. Young artists across Florida are invited to put their creativity on display by participating in this contest. It’s open to all students between kindergarten through 12th grade. You can go to the FWC website for all the information you need to participate in this annual program.
The bass fishin’ on the Harris Chain is a little slow for some of our anglers, but others are catchin’ some nice bass in the deeper parts of the lakes. And, for some of you who may not be familiar with this chain of lakes, seven lakes make up the Harris Chain: Big Lake Harris, Little Lake Harris, Dora, Carlton, Beauclair, Eustis, and Griffin. And, even though Lake Yale is technically part of the Harris Chain, it’s not actually accessible from any of the other lakes in that chain of lakes.
Congrats to Neil Davis and David Simpson on their win in the Wednesday Night Shootout on Johns Lake. They weighed in three bass that hit the scales at 8.25 pounds. Congrats to Justin Evans and Conner Lietz on catchin’ the biggest bass of the night which weighed in at 3.85 pounds.
I wanted to give a shout-out to Bobby Bakewell from Orlando. Bobby competed in the MFL Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit down on the Kissimmee Chain last week, and he led day 1 of competition with five bass that weighed in at 25.2 pounds. He struggled a little on day 2 but made a nice recovery on day 3, which was Championship Day. Bobby finished in third place overall and won $20,000. Congrats, Bobby, on a job well done. We are all very proud of you and hope to see you on the water again real soon.
So, it’s safe to say that the bass are bitin’ on the Kissimmee Chain. Congrats to the winner, Drew Gill, on his win, which gave him his third major victory of the year. Drew had a three-day total of 75 pounds-3 ounces. He also brought home a check for $100,000. Not too shabby for a day’s work, I’d say!
The bass fishin’ is still doin’ good on the Headwaters Lake down in Indian River County. It’s about an hour and a half southeast of Orlando, and well worth the trip! Folks are gettin’ on the water at first light and catchin’ some very nice bass on shiners and topwater baits. You need to fish along the hydrilla edges or the wind-blown points in the lake.
Also, congrats go out to a 16-year-old angler, Xzavier Peon, who lives in Miami. He caught the state’s biggest Jaguar Guapote fish in the Westwood Lakes area of Miami. It weighed in at 3.02 pounds and was 16 inches long. The FWC certified his fish as he set the new state record with his catch. Folks, I want you to know I have never even heard of a Jaguar Guapote before this week, but it seems it’s one of 30 non-native freshwater fish species that have become established in Florida. Most of these fish are bein’ caught in the urban canals down in Southeast Florida.
Well, I hope y’all get a chance to do some fishin’ real soon, and KEEP IN MIND… fall already started on Tuesday of this week!
I’ll see ya next week.
Tip of the week: Full moon tomorrow, Saturday.
SAVE A FEW AND GOOD LUCK!!