Captain David and Ken both started to catch fish. The day was already a success and we had the whole trip left. Shortly after that, I put a 5-pound largemouth in the boat as well. I caught a beautiful big bass weighing in at 6 pounds. One of the major feeds of the day struck and we started putting fish in the boat. It was not long until a hungry bass came along to feed during these peak times. By far, the best part about fishing the reservoir during drawdown is fishing in the stumps. Watching your bait cruise through the stumps was stimulating because you did not know when the fish was going to strike. The live bait danced around and found themselves pinned throughout the stumps. These stumps would usually be underwater, but now are providing a safe haven for largemouth bass.Ĭaptain Ken found his spot and we anchored where you could barely see us. After soaking our baits on the outside of this field, we entered. It was not long until we arrived at a field of stumps. This cool morning brought on one of the most amazing sunrises I had ever seen. Just as the sun peeked through the horizon, we were meandering through the hidden channels in an S formation. I knew this trip was about to be exhilarating. Just as safe light broke, we were off with a slow pace toward the sunrise. Right after me, Captain David Lang climbed aboard. I climbed aboard Captain Ken’s 21ft Mako. Now, it operates as a perfect boat ramp to get into the reservoir. It was part of the Ocklawaha river that was submerged with 10 feet of water before drawdown. I knew this was a magical time to go fishing but it far exceeded my expectations.Īfter picking up our wild-caught live shiners, we drove off to the boat ramp. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience. The Rodman Reservoir is a must-see fishery for all those that love to catch bass.ĭecember marked the 2nd month of the Rodman Reservoir Drawdown. Last year, I caught the biggest bass of my life on the reservoir and I was coming back to beat it, and live bait is the way to do so.Įach adventure and experience at this breathtaking fishery is truly unique. Every year, I visit the Rodman Reservoir near Palatka, FL to try to break my personal best. Early mornings calls for waiting to get this prized commodity that helps increase your chances of success. When it comes to bass fishing on the Rodman Reservoir, the most important ingredient is live bait and more specifically, wild-caught live shiners. Captain Ken Walker had to make a pit stop. After a short drive, we arrived in a small town. You felt like you were driving through a tunnel with the thick canopy tops overhead. Still completely dark, we traveled through the long winding north Florida roads. It was time to go, so we climbed into the truck. Already you can feel that your Rodman Reservoir bass fishing trip was about to get interesting. As you sip a hot coffee, a cool crisp air hits your face as you step outside. You spring out of bed with excitement about what the day is going to bring. Just less than a third of the project was finished during that time, with much of it impacting Marion County.On some occasions, waking up early in the morning is a pleasure. It chugged along until 1971, when President Richard Nixon finally killed the project. In 1963, President John Kennedy, and after his assassination, President Lyndon Johnson, revived it as a national defense project. Remnants of their unfinished labor are still visible in the median just north of Belleview.īut the money dried up, and the project sat stagnant for almost 30 years. Thousands of men descended on Ocala to begin work near the Santos area, where one of several new soaring bridges, including one planned for Interstate 75, would span the artificial channel. The channel would connect the Ocklawaha to the Withlacoochee River, where barges could eventually exit to the Gulf of Mexico near Yankeetown. Johns to the Ocklawaha and eventually through a man-made channel south of Ocala to Dunnellon. Johns River at Jacksonville from the Atlantic Ocean, travel down the St. The canal would allow barges to enter the St. In 1935, in the depths of the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt allocated $5 million (about $94 million in 2020 dollars) to start construction of a canal.
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