Hot Lake

There's a lake near my home that has been great for me over the last four years. I have lived here for 33 years and didn't fish it much for the first 29.
I don't know why. I'd heard that it was a tough nut.

Wrong!

Everytime I go I catch a lot of fish. I mainly target bluegill, but also catch some really nice crappie, bass, shellcracker and channel cats -- all on light fly rod.

I usually use No. 10 poppers, No. 12 gold bead nymphs, wooly buggers, etc.

Average day is 75 fish. I've caugth more than 100 on many occasions.

The lake has a 20-horsepower restriction, but doesn't affect me since I'm fishing out of a kayak.

Lake Manatee is located nine miles east of Interstate 75 off state road 64 in Manatee County. We're located about 45 miles south of Tampa on the west coast.

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This is a friend on mine who I took out to the lake. The bass was caught on a 2-weight.

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Great fun catching one after another, Do you keep em?

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Originally Posted by SteveGibson

I'd heard that it was a tough nut.

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They just told you that so you wouldn't go there and find out how good it is.:D

I have make that mistake too or even go back and fish little lakes I fished as a kid. They still have fish in them. But not all the lakes are there any more. Dried up, filled in to make room for new houses :( But great memories :)
Thanks for sharing the picks good job.

Great pictures and just luv them bull bluegill on a fly rod...tail to tail they will out fight any fish in the lake
Gillbuster

Perhaps the others aren't catching because they are using the wrong tackle. My boss likes to fish but only throws a Hula Poper on heavy tackle. Why you wonder, his brother told him that a Hula Popper imitates a baby owl that has fallen into the water and bass love baby owls. I've seen a new born owl and they are about 5 time the size of a Hula Popper. Late last year after seeing my pictures of all the bass, bluegills and sac-au-lait I bring home, he finally went to the store and bought himself a light weight outfit and some down size tackle and bait. Fish are getting ready to turn on around here and I just can't wait to put the pressure on him again.

Nice job on your continued catch, it seems like you have them figured out. Fishing for them on light tackle, either fly or spinning, is the only way to go. I do both and my success rate is much higher than most of my cohorts. Tight loop and tite lines.
From the bayou,
PawPaw "gene"

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Originally Posted by PawPaw "gene"

Fishing for them on light tackle, either fly or spinning, is the only way to go.

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Amen to that!

Great pics!!! Keep'em comin!!!