Thread: Lake Manatee October 28th, 2014

Lake Manatee
Manatee State Park
2585 acres impound lake
20 hp mtr max. restriction due
to city Bradenton/Palmento water
filtration system

Mike Bemjamin / myself had not been
on this lake in 2 yrs.

Put first pole in water, long-lining
all artifical - usuing Slider, along
with Southern pro stingers & road runner
"blue cheese" jig. at 7:14 am - at 11:10
am - we were culling any fish under 12
in and/or 1lb 4 oz.

7 fish total weight 9 lbs 14.2 oz: 50 fish
limit 58 lbs 11.0 oz total weight. Big fish
weighed in at 1 lb 7.5 oz
Fishing was totally unbelieable. Opportunity of this kind only comes once maybe every 10 yr. Spoke with couple
fisherman putting in same time we were
including 1 guide with clients said fishing
had been tuff past few days...........duh.

These fish were so wide at shoulders
that they couldn't fish in a fish checker
for length....At times we had 3 - 4 rods
going down at once. Water temp. 74.3,
wind out of East at 2mph, Water depth,
8 - 17 ft. working old river channel
Colors used blue/chart - Black/chart
- black/yellow & pumpkin seed/yellow

When fileted all were females and most
had good signs of roe forming and plenty
of fat. (good signes eating well)

Guide trip out of Sarasota- his group
caught 12 fish and called it quits at 11:30am. Guide did not want to look
at our fish nor talk to us with clients
there about what we were using or
where we were at - although he could
see us working same basic water he had.

Mike Benjamin, "Professor" still knows his
fish, colors and rections at Manatee.
He hard person to beat fishing this lake,
always glad to be on his team.