The Myakka River always has been one of my favorite places to fish. However, fishing has really been bad for the last two years. In fact, I haven’t fished it in quite a while.
I decided to try it again. I was surprised. I had to work hard for every fish, but I ended up with 25 bluegill, shellcracker and stumpknocker. Almost all were quality fish.
Had one hit (a miss) on a popping bug. Things heated up when I changed to a No. 10 nymph. Got all my fish on it.
The river is beautiful and a true reflection of Old Florida.
It’s only 10 miles from the house, so I plan to hit the river more often.
Looks like a beautiful river and it certainly has some fine fish. I’m afraid that I have to sound like a Yankee since we don’t (usually) have gators in my neck of South Carolina. How long was that gator sliding into the water and how big a route change did you make. I believe I would have changed to the West side of the Rockies. Very nice camera work too! 8T
I would guess that gator at 10 feet? He wasn’t sliding in the water. He was lying that way. His presence meant I had to backtrack at bit. At that point, I was about 75 yards from the truck. I had to turn around and paddle about 300 yards. No big deal considering the circumstances.
Is this the time of year when alligators are breeding (or nesting maybe)? The time of year when (so I’ve heard) they will aggressively challenge people who come close? Even on land they’ll do this?
My #2 son is visiting Florida right now and is planning to do a bicycle trip through the Everglades, is why I’m asking. If there’s any special thing he needs to do, or avoid doing, I’d appreciate knowing what it is so that I can try calling him on his cell phone to warn him.
As far as I know, the alligator breeding season is in the spring: March, April, May.
I’ve never had a problem with a gator, but I certainly respect them and I err on the side of safety.
In the wild, they’re fairly shy animals. Of course, if you come across newly hatched gators, it’s not wise to stick around because you know that mama is near – and she won’t be happy.
Biggest problem we have – especially in state parks – is people feeding them. They come to expect food and lose their fear of humans.
I’ve relayed your information to my son, Eric. Unfortunately, all I could get was his cell phone’s voice mailbox. So the information was broadcast “blind”. Hope he hears it before stopping at a state park in that area.
Those were some nice fish you caught.
Question about the “stumpknocker”: is this fish what we in the Midwest would call a crappie?
Age and Growth - Very little information is available on age and growth. A four year old fish average about six inches long.
Sporting Qualities - Because of its small size the spotted sunfish has limited value to the angler, but it is an active and fiesty panfish.
All of the Stumpknockers I have caught have been small ones about six inches. I have never caught a large one. I don’t think they are able to grow to bigger sizes like some other kinds of bream even when there is an abundance of food for them.
There is a lot of regionalism in sunfish names, but I’m pretty sure the “spotted” sunfish is a redear sunfish (L. microlophus). Note the long pectoral fin that extends from behind the person’s thumb all the way past the front of the anal fin.
Don’t think so. Stumpknocker is a spotted sunfish. Redear sunfish are also known as shellcracker throughout the South. Shellcracker and stumpknocker (spotted sunfish) are two different animals.
Are you kidding? I like fishing as much as anyone I know but if that thing not dead I would conceder another river. Do you have to have a point man while fishing? I’m serious do ya?:shock:
