Checking in from Fl.

[nosnag]

Hi there gents and ladies,
Some of you know me from other forums.For those who do'nt I will give you the short profile.
Originally from Ct. and moved here at the end of 2004.Retired from Pratt&Whitney Aircraft after 28 years of service.
Came to florida after the death of my wife from cancer in 2000.Met my new wife here in Fl.She had been here over 20 years,but originally came from another town in Ct.about 30 miles from where I lived.
I hunt large and small game.Fish both salt and sweet water.Salt water is new to me here in the south,but fished fresh for channel cats for over 50 years,so I consider them old friends.I have to learn how to fish all the new salt water species here in the Gulf.
Have a 16.5 foot mirrocraft and a 12' porta-boat that I use for my fishing.
I live .4 of a mile from the Suwannee river in the west central part of Fl.,in the Big Bend area of the Gulf Coast.
I guess that about covers it.
I hope that being here will gain me new friends and possible new fishing partners.
Have a sparkling day,y'all.
BILL

[Catbird]

Nosnag,
welcome to WIF! Things run very smoothly on this site and I am sure you are going to like it here. Good to see you posting, Dale.

[Stump Bumper]

Bill, glad to see you made it over! You are going to really enjoy this site. How are those Suwannee River Channel Cats biting these days?....Ray

[Schoe]

Bill, I am certainly glad to see you have joined us. I hope hear about some of your salt water experences in the past as well as the present. Welcome again, Schoe

[capt.kirk]

HEY BILL
glad to have you with us,and i have the same question that RAY had
tell us about the SUWANNEE RIVER catfishing,been thinking of trying it
but would like some info about it.
KIRK

[nosnag]

Hi Y'all,
River is just starting to settle down to a good level again.Took a friend out for some sunfish fishing and checked out the new structure left after all the rain from up north.A lot of new jambs to explore and a few that are now gone.Caught fifteen channels while jumping from one place to another.Not much time spent on them though.Spawn is going on right now and they are all stuffed with crawfish and the roe is ripe. Most are found in the spring feeder outlets right now.Biggest caught was 5# or so.Most were frying pan in the round size.All were caught on punchbait.Caught up with trying to get the motor home ready for travel and yard landscaped for a few more days.Maybe get out this weekend and do my scouting of the jambs.Try it and give you a better report soon.
Next high water should bring on a great bite.

BILL

[capt.kirk]

HEY BILL
thanks for the fishing report on the river,next question is ramp locations
and directions coming up 75 from new port richey,motels in the area.
THANKS
KIRK

[nosnag]

Kirk,
Best place to launch would be in Fanning Springs area.You would get off of I75 at Gainesville/Newberry exit Rt.26 and go left at the light.Follow 26 right to the end.(about 40 miles) This will put you onto Rt.19.at Fanning Springs.Follow it North for about a mile. When you cross the bridge over the Suwannee River turn left at the boat launch marker.(believe it is first left).Launch area is free and has a floating dock beside the launch site to tie onto.
After launch go left and run upriver till you see a old RR bridge.From there up for the next ten miles you will be in prime channel/ba$$ areas.Deep and shallow runs,spring outlets,weed patches,and my favorite,log jambs and stick ups.
Some manatees and a bunch of gators to watch while dunking your baits.
I'll send you my number to call if you have any problems,or if possible we can get together to try some holes.

BILL

[Screen]

Welcome!!! With all these Fl. guys joining us northerners should have a place to stay down there -LOL! HaHaHa!!!

[big country]

kirk you would go straight up 19 for about two hrs and your there....:p
thought i would help....

[capt.kirk]

hey big country
you are right,i talked to BILL on the phone yeasterday,and figured that
19 is the best and the short way for me to come,about 2 hr drive from
here,he also had a lot of good information about the river,it is full of
BIG BLUES,and CHANNEL CATS,he said that he has been broken off many
times using live bait around the log jams,and has marked some very large
fish,sounds like FLATHEADS to me.:D
KIRK

[hushpuppy]

Welcome Nosnag. You picked a nice area to move to. Not too crowded yet.

[big country]

kirk i'll be waiting on that report when you get back from there,i'm up there all the time but just have never fished it.....

[capt.kirk]

HEY BIG
we are getting the boat and HEAVY tackle ready for the trip,im not sure
when we are leaving,still have to get some live bait caught,we are planning
to stay a couple of days,sure wish i had some crawfish!!!!!
KIRK

[big country]

well good luck to all and tear em' up.....

[nosnag]

Went out in the 12 foot boat today on the Suwannee.Ran up to the hole I was telling Kirk about.When I got there I saw several large swirls on the surface of the water as I approached. After anchoring and things calmed down I found what was showing on the recorder.Big Gar. About five or six of them about 3 1/2 foot long. Tried the spot anyway for a couple of hours.Caught two Channels around 3# apiece.
Found that all the yard work I did last week took its toll,and my back and legs started to cramp up so I called it a day.
If I go out tomorrow I will have to take the 16.5 footer out.Easier to move around in and the pedestal seats will give my legs a break.
Typical Saturday on the river today. Speedboats and PWC's up and down the area.Good weather has brought them all out now.I guess it will be a couple weeks before it slows down again.No Wake and Manatee Slow signs are all being ignored too.Too much horsepower and too little brains.
Still wish I could have stayed out longer and prospected the jambs.Maybe next time.

BILL

[capt.kirk]

BILL
it sounds like a good place to avoid on the weekend,i was reading more
about the river and it was saying that there are MONSTER spoonbills
in there also.have you caught or know of anyone catching them?
KIRK

[nosnag]

Hey KIRK,
I'm afraid that if I saw one I would'nt even know what it was.I hav'nt heard anything about spoonbills even from the locals I've met. Fish and game only recently admitted that there are blues in the river.There are sturgeon here from what I hear.Also someone catches a striper each year. I have seen some gawd awful jumps and rolls while fishing,but hav'nt a clue what is causing them.Some I attribute to manitees,the others "who knows".I have entertained trolling some of my old striper tackle just to experiment.
As for avoiding the area on weekends,I have to agree on that for a couple of weeks till the novelty wears off for awhile.Where I was is really up in the sticks.Most of the year you only see about five or six boats on the water with sunnie fishermen.Maybe a pontoon boat or two enjoying a cruise.I do'nt even know where all those river runners came from.At the launch site and two others I passed there was a total of four vehicles and trailers.
Doc.Mitchell and I are going again on Tuesday.Hope that things will be better then.

BILL

[nosnag]

Went out yesterday morning with Doc.Mitchell catfishing on the suwannee. Stayed till it started to rain. We only caught three fish Two panfriers and one around 5+ pounds. The river was running strong and is still about five foot over normal.
On the way back we saw a older gentleman trying to row his boat back to the launch site. He had two young grandsons with him ,and was'nt making any headway. We threw him a line and towed him to the launch. Seems he had'nt tried to start his motor until it was too late and he got caught up in the current. We were glad that we were there in time to give him assistance.
Cats are still eating crawfish and spawning.

BILL

[wewamohawk]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"> nosnag i was glad that you and doc were there to help grand dad and get him and the grandsons in to the launch the mohawk </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">
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[BIG D]

:Hello my name is Dave Mason I live in Dover I am sitting on the back porch with hush puppy and stump bumper They gave me this site to check up on everybody

[Catbird]

Welcome to the site Dave. Lots of good info here.

[Stump Bumper]

Dave, sure glad you joined us, now all we have to do is get all those other guys from the lodge to join....LOL....Ray

[nosnag]

Welcome Dave,
Have a good time here and do'nt be shy. A lot of good people here with excellent info.

BILL

[wewamohawk]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"> hi bill i would like to welcome you and ask you to try fishing north west Florida a round wewahitchka we have some good fishing and some real nice people here also this the home of the florida catfish classic in october from the mohawk </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">
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[capt.kirk]

DAVE welcome to the WIF family,any friend of RAY and JOHN got to
be OK,check in and look us over every chance you get,AND get some
of those others from the lodge to check us out.
KIRK

[nosnag]

Yeppers mohawk,
All registered and ready to go.Hushpuppy and I are teaming up for the FCC. May go up there a couple of times beforehand.I'll get in touch when I do. With the mohawk and the Micmac, they wo'nt stand a chance.(little native Amer. humor there.) Still waiting for a nice flattie for a pic.
BILL

[wewamohawk]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"> yes the mohawk and the micmac they wont stand a chance i like the Little native amer humor i have some nice pictures of faltheads but i need help to post them it will be nice to have you guys from south Florida </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">
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[nosnag]

Maurice,
Hushpuppy and I were putting our heads together on the PM's and we were hoping that when we go up there in August,you might find the time to show us the territory.From what I've seen on the posts, you are the man to see.
I'm hoping that it wo'nt be an inconvenience to you to wet some lines with us. I for one need all the help I can get. Be nice to see someone else in my age group too. We could sit a spell and talk about the good old days ,and just how good they really were.
Tight lines and singing reels to you,
BILL

[wewamohawk]

nosnag or i should say bill i just sent apm to hushpuppy leting him know that i would be glad to have you guys up in auguas and we sure will wet some line and we will sit talk about the good old days the mohawk

[wewamohawk]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"> hay bill and hushpuppy there is going to be a flathead tournament here on the 18th and the 19th of auguas you guys should try to come at that time i would try to put you guys on some flatheads i am sure you would have fun and try to get some of your friends to come good luck maurice </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">
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[wewamohawk]

hi there big d or dave you should try to get someone to come up here in wewa on the 18th and 19th to fish we are having a tournament hope you can come maurice ps thats in aug

[nosnag]

Mohawk,
Hushpuppy and I are planning to come up there in August.I'm not sure just when.He put in for vacation time during the month,but has'nt got back to me wether he has the time or not.
BILL

[wewamohawk]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"> hi bill i am glad that you guys are trying to come up here we will have fun ;; maurice</TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">
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