Hello Folks,
I hope you are havin’ a great week, and you are enjoyin’ a few warm days this week. The weather has been just awesome and hopefully you got a chance to go fishin’.
I have some sad news about Lake Apopka. There has been a big fish kill on the lake this past weekend and this week. My buddy Rich Niles fished on the lake Saturday and Sunday and he reported a few shad, some tilapia, some minners, and a few small bass. Then on Monday, February 3, all kinds of fish came up to the surface and died. Some nice size bass were on the surface that had died, along with all types of fish.
There are rumors that the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) had been sprayin’ the lake, but the FWC has reported that the fish kill is due to an algae bloom. I don’t know who’s right on this situation, but it’s a darn shame that this happened.
The lake was recoverin’ and the fishin’ has been really good in the lake as of late. Rich caught some nice healthy bass on Saturday and Sunday and sent me pictures of the bass he caught. For all intents and purposes, they looked healthy. So, hopefully, we will get the real story soon and I’ll share it with everyone.
It’s just terrible that this happened with all the hours and all the volunteers that have worked on restoring this famous lake. I hope this is only a minor setback and the lake will rebound very quickly and we can enjoy some great fishin’.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department held their 12th annual bass tournament this past weekend on the Harris Chain. This is a charity tournament held each year for the charities they support. The winners of the tournament were Lee Stalvey and Parker Stalvey. They hit the scales with 5 bass that weighed 30.67 pounds. There were 2 bass that won big bass. Jeremy Knepper and Bobby Bakewell each caught a 9.87 pound bass. Congrats to all the folks that fished the tournament and the winners. The Lake County Sheriffs’s Department appreciates all the sponsors and volunteers and your support for this charity tournament.
This comin’ week MLF will be in town for the Bass Pro Tour tournament bein’ held on the Harris Chain. The tournament will be held out of Venetian Gardens from February 13 until February 16. Some of the top anglers will be here fishin’ the tournament. The last time they were here, Ott Defoe won the tournament and he will be back this year to defend his title. There will be 66 anglers fishin’ this tournament, with the top ten fishin’ on Championship Sunday. They will be fishin’ for the top prize of $150,000.
If you would like to meet some of these anglers, and get their autographs, they will be hangin’ out at Bass Pro Shops on Wednesday, February 12, from 12 noon until 2 p.m. I’m sure they would like to meet with you and sign your hat or shirt while they are there.
On Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m., there will be a MLF Fan Experience & Watch Party. You will be able to watch the pros on The MLFNow! Big Screen and enjoy some free food and listen to live music and cheer on your favorite pro. The first 50 kids that are 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel each day. There will be some of the pros on hand to sign autographs, and take selfies each day, as well. So, hopefully, you will get a chance to stop by, eat some food and see the winners.
See ya next week.
Tip of the week: Go Fishin’.
Save a few and good luck!
