Lake Manatee with pics

[SteveGibson]

Fished Lake Manatee on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Arrived at the ramp at about 7 a.m. Lake was calm. Put the kayak in the water and paddled down the lake in the fog.

Using a 2-weight rod and No. 10 popper, I picked up a hand-sized bluegill right off the bat. Action slowed and I managed about 20 bluegill and six golden shiners on poppers and No. 12 nymphs.

On the paddle back, I stopped a spot near the S.R. 64 bridge and added six more bluegill, plus a fine speckled perch (black crappie) -- all on No. 12 nymph.

Lake Manatee is located 9 miles east of Interstate 75 off S.R. 64 in Manatee County, FL It's one of my favorite lakes to fish and gets very little pressure.

On an average day, I'll see maybe one or two other boats.

Fishing will pick up as the weather warms. One-hundred fish days are common.

[cycler68]

Great pics Steve. Up here the lakes are all still solidly frozen and the weatherman has been delivering more snow with disgusting regularity. I wanna tell him to cut it out and please, please let the water get soft so I can go fishing!

[FishinsMyLife317]

Those are some nice fish! We have a lot of dark black and purple bream like that top one in our pond.

[Rick Z]

I am green with envy becasue that crappie is not in my hand.

Rick

[SteveGibson]

I am green with envy becasue that crappie is not in my hand.

Rick

Hey, Rick,

Come on down! The fishin's good!

I think I'm headed down to The Everglades Saturday. That should be fun. I fished my new 1-weight yesterday and had a blast.

[dixieangler]

Great job, Steve. If we don't get some water soon here in Sebring, it may get me thinking about heading over your way. Hopefully your area isn't experiencing severe drought like we are. I've seen Lake Manatee before when I was over that way over the S.R. Hwy. 64 bridge. I hear that lake has quite a good supply of gators in it (hopefully nobody is feeding them). Be careful in that yak.

BTW, what nymph were you using?

[SteveGibson]

Great job, Steve. If we don't get some water soon here in Sebring, it may get me thinking about heading over your way. Hopefully your area isn't experiencing severe drought like we are. I've seen Lake Manatee before when I was over that way over the S.R. Hwy. 64 bridge. I hear that lake has quite a good supply of gators in it (hopefully nobody is feeding them). Be careful in that yak.

BTW, what nymph were you using?

There is plenty of water in Lake Manatee and fishing will continue to improve as the weather warms. Alligators are no problem (I wouldn't drag a stringer of fish, however).

Here's the nymph:

[DShock]

Steve,
Did you paint Eyes on the bead?
Doug

[SteveGibson]

Steve,
Did you paint Eyes on the bead?
Doug

The beads are premium tungsten fly fying beads by Nymph-Head. They have a raised portion onto which you color with a black Sharpie. Pretty neat.

[CRAPPIECAT]

Steve, thanks for the post and the pics.....looks like someone had F U N !