SEBRING — So just how little water could remain in lakes Anoka and Placid without disrupting the lakes' environment? How low can Lake Verona go without making Donaldson Park any less enjoyable? The Southwest Florida Water Management District, which monitors those lakes as well as lakes Tulane, Denton and Angelo, wants to get public input Tuesday evening on that and other questions as the district determines new rules on the lakes' minimum water levels. Those levels are set by SWFWMD to determine the point where further drops in the lake level –– from natural causes or from people drawing water out –– could affect the surrounding environment as well as the lake's recreational use. As Chief Environmental Scientist Douglas Leeper wrote in a letter from SWFWMD's Resource Conservation and Development Department, the minimum levels "protect lakes from impacts associated with ground water and surface water withdrawals." ...more

November 19, 2007

Today begins the second day after the new moon, which occurred on Friday at 11:03 p.m. The projection isn't any better today than it was last Wednesday, I'm sorry to say. So, read it and weep –– if you're a daytime angler. There is a very slight, very early, migration bite in areas known to have a high concentration of fish. The majority of fish stopped feeding four hours before and gorged themselves completely from midnight to 4 a.m. There might be a midday bite, but only the smaller fish will be participating, and very rarely a larger fish. A spawning female bass could be caught, but only if you've won the lottery in the last 2 years. ...more

November 11, 2007

The weather early this morning is closer to the necessary variables needed to cause fish to migrate in larger numbers for longer periods — something that hasn't occurred very often lately. Get to the lake as early as possible and there is a very good chance you might catch the larger fish at the tail end of their feeding spree. The barometer should be near the bottom of the drop that happened Tuesday night, or already starting to rise — but only slightly. For this reason, start your presentation in close to the vegetation, or in the shallows working your way out. There's a great possibility of a "top-water" bite, so give that a try before switching to other methods. I prefer working top-water retrieves at top speed at first, then gradually slowing it down if it doesn't produce any strikes. ...more

October 17, 2007

LAKE PLACID — After last week's cut-off against water permit holders using Lake Istokpoga's water, the South Florida Water Management District is preparing a brand new drawdown request. SFWMD spokeswoman Missie Barletto wrote a press release last week saying they were going to apply to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a "temporary deviation to Lake Istokpoga's regulation schedule" to allow more water than usually permitted from the lake to supply farms and residents downstream. In other words, Lake Istokpoga's water level could drop down if homes and farms need the water, although given the sluggish approval of the last drawdown request, it could be a few months before that happens. "The District intends to file a new request to the Corps for a revised deviation, which may provide some relief for users whose withdrawal points are directly connected to the lake," Barletto said in the e-mailed release. ...more

October 16, 2007

SEBRING — Nothing against chain restaurants. Olive Garden is hotly anticipated, Panera is a welcome addition, and the RoadHouse Grill continues to be popular. But local restaurants are unique, and they offer variety that's not found in national chains. For Flor Becker, it's all about the roast duck with special sauce at the Thai House. And the laab kai salad, which is minced chicken with lime juice and spices. "We like Thai cuisine a lot," said Becker, who lives with her family in downtown Sebring. "At our office, we have a Thai Thursday, where all staff eat together for lunch." Becker, a Filipino who's used to Asian cooking, said Thai dishes are like Chinese food, some are hot, some not. ...more

October 15, 2007

We have entered into the time of year when the majority feeding migration occurs during the night. The new and full moon events happen either very late or early in the day — this means daytime fishing decreases in intensity unless the weather conditions trump the lunar cycle. However, the season of the "early morning bite" starts whenever there is an early morning full or new moon, which happens to be the case tomorrow when the new moon occurs at 5:01 a.m. So, get out on the water as soon as possible because at safe light the "big fish" is on and should be all week. ...more

October 10, 2007

A sad day of fishing started when I arrived at my first hole, only to discover the area had been sprayed recently — to kill Hydrilla. ...more

October 8, 2007

LAKE PLACID — The Budweiser HT3 American Series Bass Tournament came to Lake Istokpoga on Sunday, launching out of Istokpoga Marina with 60 members who showed up at the event and launched from the southwest corner of the lake at 6:45 a.m. The day started as any typical summer Florida day, with light winds out of the northeast and moderate to light clouds providing much needed relief from the sun. After a few hours, what little wind there was just about stopped and the heat took over, driving Bass into shaded cover type areas in deeper water. I talked to a few anglers fishing a variety of areas and the answer was consistent, "The bite was tough." The results proved this statement to be true, as many of the boats came in at the 2:30 p.m. start of the weigh-in. ...more

September 21, 2007

All the rest of this week, any time during the morning will provide a very good morning bite for all types of fishing. ...more

September 19, 2007

This year, Spring Lake is ahead of the game. Instead of flooding around the golf resort, the improvement district rented pumps to lower the canals behind homes. ...more

September 13, 2007