Vertical jigging in thick aquatic vegetation also works well sometimes - crappies are a suspended-in-open-water, schooling-type fish except when they are actually in shallower water bedding among downed trees, lily pads or other water weeds. mini-jigs) or Beetle-Spin type lures on ultra-light spinning tackle through the deep open still-water of cuts, oxbows, canals and lakes.
To specifically target speckled perch in the wintertime my usual fishing technique is slow trolling (from my canoe) using small curl-tail jigs (a.k.a.
#RODMAN RESERVOIR DRAWDOWN SCHEDULE 2015 PLUS#
The really serious gasoline- guzzler-motorboat-using black crappie fishermen and commercial guides (with depth/fish finder electronics, trolling motors, plus all the other modern technological goodies that can be bought) fish spider-rig set-ups of 6 to possibly 12 rods at a time - and try not to ever stop moving (all those rod-reel-line-lure outfits) while catching speckled perch! Trolling the open waters of the Ocklawaha River basin from my man-paddled (or wind-drifted) narrow canoe is a two fishing rod (and reel) affair for me.
#RODMAN RESERVOIR DRAWDOWN SCHEDULE 2015 CRACKER#
Up North, somewhere above that old Mason-Dixon Line, sportsmen with cabin-fever possibly engage in some type of hunting or they ice fish! When a Floridian doesn't hunt in the winter and it is too brutally cold for any normal angler to think of bass fishing, many a Cracker (or a Born-Again Cracker ) goes SPECK fishing - which is probably the official Florida version of ICE FISHING! Heck, once in a while there will actually be some ice floating near the shoreline in the mornings - or it will warm-up for a couple of crappie days after the freeze and Ocklawahaman will have at it for specks anyway! I used to hunt in the river swamps with my double-barrel 12-gauge shotgun from my canoe on many of these raw days, jump-shooting ducks or gunning for deer, hogs and turkey (when and where legal). Temperatures can range from the teens up through the 40's with bright sun or overcast skies, with or without wind, and with or without variations of rain - maybe even snow flurries every decade or so. Beetle-spins and grass shrimp work well.A Beetle-Spin catch of a black crappie from a side-creek of the Ocklawaha Riverīelieve it or not, North Florida experiences some cold weather for short spells every winter. Bluegill, shellcracker, and redbreast sunfish fishing is best this time of year in the riverine section of the reservoir. While anglers have their preferred colors, chartreuse, yellow, and white seem to get the most consistent action. Black crappie can be caught along the river channel and Barge Canal on live minnows with floats and plastic tailed jigs. Texas-rigged worms, spinner baits and lipless crank baits also work well, while golden shiners are the bait of choice for the live-bait enthusiasts. Deep diving crank baits and Carolina-rigged soft plastics (worms, lizards, and crawfish) are preferred in the deeper water. The trick is to find the fish and it is important to be careful boating around Rodman because there are stumps everywhere. Generally, the biggest bass are caught in deep water along the river channel and Barge Canal in the Kenwood to Kirkpatrick Dam area. Rodman Reservoir is known for big bass and this is the time of year to get them. Note: Look out for floating logs and exercise caution when navigating. Visit the Florida Boat Ramp Finder for ramp locations. Drawdowns are conducted every three to four years on the reservoir for aquatic plant control and fish and wildlife habitat enhancement. The Barge Canal and river channel have water depths up to 30 feet deep. The pool section from Orange Springs to Kirkpatrick Dam, including the river channel and the Cross Florida Barge Canal, consists of floating and submersed vegetation, dead standing timber and submersed and partially submersed trees and stumps. The transition section from Paynes Landing to Orange Springs consists of flooded standing timber and areas of floating vegetation. The reservoir from its headwaters at Eureka Dam to Paynes Landing consists of flooded woodlands. A four-gate spillway (Kirkpatrick Dam) controls the water levels of the reservoir. The reservoir was created in 1968 when an earthen dam was built across the Ocklawaha River. It is located south of Palatka off of Hwy 19.
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