St Johns river fishing and hotel?

20 years ago I fished the St Johns river two years in a row. I went with some guys that I use to work with and I have lost touch with them.

Here's what I can remember for sure. We stayed somewhere close to Deland, FL. The little fish camp we stayed at was a one level hotel like place. The building was all built from cinder blocks and the rooms were modestly furnished. We were able to leave our boats in covered boat slips while we were there. The little fish camp sat on the bank of a small lake. When we left the mouth of the lake and turned right, we would enter a state park area. We bream fished for a week, while we were there, fishing mainly around bonnet lilies.

I'd love to find out if that fish camp still exists if anyone might be able to give me the name of the place from my description. I know I haven't given you much to go by.

I'd like to take my son on a trip down that way next spring.

I may not be there anymore?? There's Highland Park Fish camp but they don't have block rooms & aren't on a lake but are near Lake Woodruff Wildlife Refuge.

There's Riviera Resort/Marina in Deland, its pretty much on the river but near Hontoon Island State Park & Lake Beresford.

There are several in Astor just south of Lake George - Southmoon, Parramores & Blair's Jungle Den:dono

Hontoon Island state park was it! Thanks that will help me figure it out. Like you said, it might not be there anymore. It was old and sorta run down back then.

The only reason I can remember Hontoon is that after going down there, we called Pontoon boats, Hontoon boats. LOL

The state park is still there, have to access by boat. I think they still have cabins to rent on the island.

Holly Bluff Marina down the road has houseboats to rent. It looks like maybe you stayed at Tropical Resort & Marina on Beresford? They have efficiency suites to rent

I do believe that we stayed at the Tropical Resort and Marina on Lake Beresford. After spending some time looking at the area on Google Earth, I'm just almost positive that is the place. Looking at the pictures on the website, it appears the rooms have been updated but I still saw some of the old pine paneling on the walls and I remembered that as well. Now I just gotta find a slot in my sons schedule for a trip down.

The area has changed in the last 20 yrs & I'm sure the Tropical Resort has been updated since you were there.

Good luck when ya make it down, we've been gettin plenty of rain, it's getting hot & the bugs are in full season.

Sept thru Feb/March, good fishin in most lakes along the St.Johns River system, might have a slabfest or something in October at Lake Monroe not far from Deland

10-4, it wouldn't be before late winter or early next spring. I want to hit the shell crackers on bed.

It's actually been maybe 22-23 years since I've been there. You know time flies....

All I know is I had more fun catching those giant bluegill and shell crackers than I've ever had bream fishing around here. There were 6 boats that went in our group and we carried 16,000 crickets with us both years.

Dang that's a lot of crickets to drown, I don't hit that area too often but know it well.

Skeetbum that's on here has more bluegill/cracker knowledge of that area than me I'm sure

Thanks for the Kudos on the knowledge of the gills and crackers, but I still get beat up a bunch. Plus I prefer to use hand ties or plastics and seldom use live bait. I spend a lot of gas money looking for beds but not having much luck so far. When you get close to coming down, I'll do my best to help you and your group find a fish or two. Hope you can get it all put together.