![]() Just how many more years are we going to wait for this BIG RODMAN LARGEMOUTH BASS to happen?Īnd all the while allow the continued decline of the fish diversity of Florida's world famous Silver Springs caused by Rodman (Kirkpatrick) Dam's blockage of the historic migratory fish travel route between the St. (NOTE: If you can find a better/more-detailed list of Florida's biggest/heaviest ever reported largemouth bass catches -GO FOR IT!). See the all-time list of Florida's reported biggest/heaviest largemouth bass catches ever at: Bob McNally has described of as "America's Top Bass Lake" (Rodman Reservoir) has been in existence now for 46 years (Rodman Dam was closed across the Ocklawaha River on September 30, 1968)-and has NEVER produced an All-Time Heaviest World Record (or State of Florida Record) LARGEMOUTH BASS yet! Johns River Basin not only completely dependent upon the work of fish hatcheries? Wouldn’t the "long-term well-being" of a desirable Florida-native game-fish species with a very limited range in this state-the Atlantic-race striped bass-be better advanced by making its very existence in the St. The stated mission of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is "Managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people." It would seem that attempting to restore a natural breeding population of Atlantic-race striped bass to their historic Ocklawaha River spawning habitat would be a worthy goal for the FWC to actively pursue. Johns River system (and present there) have difficulties learning how to spawn again at the Silver-Ocklawaha River historic striper-spawning area some 50 river miles or so above the St. They would only be required in the unlikely event that the South Carolina (Santee-Cooper system) striped bass currently stocked into the St. Johns/Ocklawaha whenever Rodman Dam is finally breached. Thankfully, there is native, Atlantic-race striper stock available in some coastal SE Georgia rivers for conservation re-stocking of the St. Johns River drainage-bred) Atlantic-race STRIPED BASS EXTINCT in the St. Rodman Dam has made NATURALLY and SUCCESSFULLY REPRODUCING (St. The free-flowing (before Rodman Dam was built) 56-mile Silver-Ocklawaha River system was the only suitable spawning (and hatching) habitat of STRIPED BASS in the entire St. ![]() Johns River basin STRIPERS have been hatchery produced for some 44 years now and are not stocked into the Ocklawaha upstream of the dam that created Rodman Reservoir. STRIPED BASS must have access to approximately 50 free-flowing, uninterrupted miles of large, swift-moving stream (current) during the late winter or early spring of the year in order to naturally reproduce successfully. Johns-Ocklawaha River basin, without any doubt, have suffered the most because of the Septemcompletion of RODMAN DAM. ![]() Johns/Ocklawaha River system is entirely in the state of Florida while the Apalachicola (which is the combination of the Chattahoochee/Flint/Spring) /Chipola River system is shared with the states of Alabama and Georgia. Johns River (the Ocklawaha River is its only long-length, cool-water, spring-fed, swift-flowing tributary stream)-contained naturally reproducing stocks of native striped bass. Back in 1961 fishery biologists determined that only two waterway systems in Florida-the Apalachicola River (the Chipola River is its only long-length, cool-water, spring-fed, swift-flowing tributary stream) and the St. Striped bass, however, have a completely different life history. Trophy largemouth bass (10-lbs and over) are caught from time to time statewide. There is nothing unique about finding native largemouth bass in Florida. In almost all of this state (except where maybe it's too salty) you can dig a pond on your own property (if permitted and of suitable depth/size) that stocked largemouth bass will probably be able to successfully spawn and survive in. Largemouth bass exist and naturally reproduce in all of Florida's 67 counties. So Ocklawahaman, who has largemouth bass-fished in Florida since 1965-in both still-water lakes and swift-flowing rivers-shall speak for the cool-water, riverine striped bass! Johns River system prior to the closure of Rodman (Kirkpatrick) Dam in 1968-but only man-stocked "stripers" ever since. Rodman Pool or Lake Ocklawaha), seems to be speaking for the commercialized big-$$$, largemouth bass LAKE-fishing interests-who conveniently always seem to forget that there were endemic, NATURALLY REPRODUCING, Florida-native, Atlantic-race STRIPED BASS (a great game fish) in the un-dammed St. The famed and highly respected Bob McNally, by voicing support for the retention of Rodman Reservoir (a.k.a. Rodman Reservoir: Is This More "MILKING" the "CASH COW?"Īn Information, Opinion, & Sources Report
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