Lake Parrish November 1st, 2014

Lake Parrish - FPL
November 1st.

Lake Parrish, located Parrish, Fl
4,065 acre impoundment built by
Florida Power & Light for the use.
Average depth is 4.8 ft with multi
contrours and 30' high concrete levee.
Has water intakes around north - west
ends, also inlet flow to plant and out
discharge flow from plant. Lots of
low area with various grasses, bull rushes
was and is noted for its monster, bass,
crappie, bluegill & catfish (big enough to
swallow a man) United Way has 4 events
per year with $350.00 entry fee per boat,
(3 per boat) Max. 60 boats. FWC laws
apply to catch - People are encouraged
to keep their catches as lake needs to
be thinned down. Bass were extremely
easy to catch. Mike & I caught 11 bass
ranging in size from 2 - 7 lbs fishing for
spec's only. Spec caught (2) maybe a
pound ea. Was not a good day for Spec
fishing or test for what lake has to offer.
This is a north-south lake with no trees.
Rain-wind-barametric pressure, open
water played heavy on Spec. catch.
Water temp 7am- 76.8, air temp 60.
29.99 bara. wind NW 9.6 -gusts 16.1
8 am - press. 30:01 NW 4.1
9am - press. 30:04 NW 8.1 gusts 12.4
10am -press 30:06 N 17.3 gusts 22.8
11am - press 30:08 N 10.4 gusts 24.0
12 - press 30:08 N 15.0 gusts 24.8
1pm - press 30:06 N 12.7 gusts 27.4

Very interesting lake and would probably
fish it one more time to get a better
reading on same.- Just hard to justify
entry cost.
53 entries signed into into Bass pot
7 entries signed into Crappie pot.

Due to weather conditions Mike & I
opted to long-line lake in deeper water
working the levee wall drop-off's, and
pitching wall with live minnows for
falling effect. Wind conditions - could
not single pole jig bullrushes, kissimmee
grass. Spider rigging inlet- outlet
discharges piers was impossible due to
wind - waves & breaking blow washes

Attachment 178093Attachment 178094Attachment 178095Attachment 178096Attachment 178097Attachment 178098Attachment 178099

Sorry you got wind hammered Harold, but you caught fish anyway. Really hate to see a lake like that put off limits. They could put a lottery system or some system in place to keep control over who was fishing. The $350 goes to a good cause but it keeps a lot of people that can't afford it from having a day on the water.
Love that last pic, it looks like my normal day on the water back home in PA.

For those interested. Priced out of my range. Fish United Way – May 17, 2014 Tournament Photo Gallery

Don't see why they don't just charge 25.00 per boat to fish each time and stop this nonsense.....Didn't our tax dollars build this?

Thanks Ronnie for the update of past events held there.

Make note that they showed results on First tournament with payouts,
Last tournament they showed pictures......- NO PAYOUT. ( SAVED MORE MONEY)
This tournament only the cash in outside pot was in payoff - bass people
got 100% of pot and crappie people got 50 /50 of pot (boo)

They will have 4 tournaments next year on Parrish -Fish United Way.com will have
all facts and sign up sheet. Again no offense meant toward United Way...They are
a good cause - just often wonder how much % is actually given back into Charity and
how much is kept for cost ! ! ! !

Could consider it a "Guide Trip" or King Size Crap shoot with one roll of dice allowed.
If i go again will have a better understanding of what lake is like and possible ways
to fish it - no prefish really sucks and no lake maps contours - nothing just water,
grass, bullrushes, levee, inflows that start and stop without notice - that could sink
a boat if to close to them when they start up....(Warned about them at Capt. meeting,
only idle speed throughout lake.)

At first thought i was on Crescent in December at Classic time........thought about
throwing chain - but wind was pounding so bad - water was washing over front and
back of boat as we moved south with wind to back, outflow canal at southend of
lake thought might work for wind protection but water was blowing over top of 15'
jettee outflow and we were restricked to allowed travel distance up 1/2 - 3/4 mi canal.

Maybe will try it again.. can't help think about stories of big Spec's being caught in
there.

With fishing only tournament no time to hunt. Idle only to slow to find fish. $$$$$$ not worth it to me. Rather relax when I fish. Life is too short to hurry.

I agree with you 150% Ronnie, first time ever on lake, no maps or anything avail to
give idea of lay-out, contours, drops, depths with hurricane winds....
No doubt lake has some big fish in it...............but Saturday was not the time
to try pre-fish and work out catch plan.
Was told by several that catching Bass was easy as lake is teaming with them
and they needed to be thinned out............(yippee) Blind man i guess could find them,
Mike & I found 11 of them from 18 - 27" in length -and were'nt looking for'em in basic
open water or sharp drop off's using jigs.
Will think about it on serious basis whether i will go again............

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Davedirt

Don't see why they don't just charge 25.00 per boat to fish each time and stop this nonsense.....Didn't our tax dollars build this?

---

Tax dollars did not build this lake. It is a privately owned cooling pond for the power plant. Due to to national security after 9/11 they decided to close the lake to fishing. They are allowing United way to put on these events for charity, while allowing the public to still enjoy this lake. Don't think they don't have a beefed up security detail on these days. Terrorism is real and thank God it is taken serious, I hate to sacrifice too. Though, I know several of attacks that we have been protected from without ever knowing. At 3 to the boat, that's only $125 a fisherman for over 3000 acres. Got to be tax deduction too!