Headed out to Lake Manatee this morning. Caught quite a few quality fish. Got some nice bluegill, speckled perch and tilapia. Caught some bass, but they were all small.
Top fly was my No. 8 Nymph FLY (Fuzzy Leach Yarn) that I just tied on Thursday. It did really well.
Specks are in the shallows and average about 1 1/2 pounds. I fished east of the S.R. 64 bridge along the north side of the lake.
Bite was semi-slow, but consistent. You just had to keep your fly in the water.
Got quite a few fish in the afternoon on the Myakka Minnow.
I believe that the fish you are calling speckled perch is the same fish we call a black crappie around here. If that is the case, 1 1/2 pounds is an amazing average size. how long was that one in the phtograph? Also, how long was the tilapia?
Will definitly hollar if I manage a trip down that way…didn’t know fly fishing when I was down there but really like Sarasota, Siesta Key, Lido Key and Longboat Key.
Sure are nice fish. Are there any campgrounds that could accomodate a 30 foot travel trailer any where near that lake? Looking for a place to head south to to do some warmwater fishing. What’s the best time of the year to get into those big bluegills and could one use a inflatable pontoon to fish Florida or would your dangling feet be gator bait?
Lake Manatee State Park is on the lake. I’m not sure I would dangle me tootsies in the water because of the gators. Never had a close call out there, but who wants to be first.