Thread: Florida Fishing Report...Lake Jessup #2

Originally Posted by huntinslabs

Wonder why them fish are lighter colored than Monroe and Harney? Or is it just the pic?

I could be fishing Jessup in 15 minutes from the door if I paid the Black Hammock yacht launch fee, was $10 last time I used a few years back, but the long story short is I get like that Indian from the 70's commercial with the tear running down his eye when looking at the pollution... run-off from fertilizer causing algae bloom is the reason for the greenish milky color of the water & thus shinner lookin fish....very sad example of what mankind can do to a otherwise beautiful resource.....the long time locals tell me when the flow-age of Soldiers Creek was cut off for the 417 bridge project, the lake went rapidly downhill...the lake could be 25-30ft deep if the bottom muck layer was removed...those that don't know the lake is 5-6 ft except for a football field length on the Winter Springs side..

Same story an ole Sanford local told me a few years back.

Good lookin fish. I went over the I-4 bridge today a couple of times and the lake looked some kinda good to me. Made it hard to focus for a couple of hours. Thousand yard stare and so on. Oh yeah, I'm driving, gotta focus with a few hundred pounds of natural gas behind me. I hope that holds out for the weekend.

Good post Jeff.... There are tons of articles about the restoration of Jessup..... UCF is even involved, but the state has only allocated one or two million dollars and that won't even touch what needs to be done. When they built the 417 I heard they piled down an unbelievable depth for the bridge. I was born and raised on the north side of the lake..... Mostly shore line fishing as a kid didn't even know there were any other lakes around. You're right about all the farm run off.... On both the north and south sides of the lake.... That's what did all the damage. There are probably hundreds of artesian wells still flowing. Not sure they are harmful buy I know they have a high concentration of sulfur. Great lake at one time.

Believe me Mike, it's my backyard & probably saddens no one more, but I will always give light to HOPE!!

I was afraid pollution was the cause, I've heard stories and read about the Harris Chain
and other places with fertilizer and runoff. I do know the lake has a mucky bottom, kinda
why we liked to gator hunt it, easier to track them down when they are under water and stirring
up all that muck. Haven't been there in awhile but got some good memories of being out there
all night til sun up chasing gators around.