(1.1) BASS: Bass Fishing the REAL FLORIDA Part One: Our Natural By God Free-Flowing Rivers and Creeks
Bass Fishing
the
REAL FLORIDA
Part One:
My Other Mom
Gwen Parramore Ritter
Born 1927 - Died 2013
She was a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
Her Great-Grandfather was an Assistant Surgeon in the
Confederate States Army and settled along the Ocklawaha River just after the end of
The War Between the States
For more than half of her life
Gwen supported the breaching of Rodman Dam
And the restoration of HER free-flowing
Real Florida
Ocklawaha River
Largemouth bass
Striped bass
Shoal bass Florida smallmouth
Our Natural
By-God
Free-Flowing Rivers and Creeks
and/or
The Remaining Free-Flowing Segments Thereof
Aucilla River Big Rapid
Aucilla River Big Rapid
An Information, Opinion, Photos, & Sources Report
Compiled by Ocklawahaman Paul Nosca
With the assistance of Captain Erika Ritter & K. Alwine
Created: 16 August 2013
Last Revised: 10 December 2017
NOTE: Click-on individual photos to enlarge them!
Largemouth bass (caught on a spinnerbait from a canoe while float-fishing a swift-flowing river)
Shoal bass from the Chipola River
A limit catch of keeper largemouth bass
INTRODUCTION
Real Florida could possibly be described as being those treasured pieces of the state's real estate that still appear to us modern-day Floridians much as these same lands and/or waters did hundreds of years ago when originally seen by the first European explorers and settlers.
Florida's cities, suburbs, and agricultural lands plus its theme parks, developed beaches, and other tourist attractions along with the state's man-made canals, impoundments, water control structures, borrow and/or phosphate pits, and various additional improvements would not be considered Real Florida natural environments.
Given a choice, I normally prefer to fish for bass in a Real Florida body of water. Real Florida freshwaters would include this state's remaining stretches of free-flowing rivers and creeks plus our naturally-occurring still-water lakes and ponds. The less that the water and its surroundings have been altered by man, the more I like being there.
As many of you know by now, river-bass fishing in current is undeniably my preferred angling pursuit. Streams have supplied a whopping 70% of all the freshwater bass that I've ever caught.
MY FAVORITE NORTH FLORIDA BY GOD FREE-FLOWING RIVERS, CREEKS, AND/OR REMAINING SEGMENTS THEREOF
My favorite north Florida free-flowing rivers and creeks (and/or the remaining segments thereof)
are separated by an as the wood duck flies distance of about 300 miles.
FROM THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH TO THE NORTHEAST THENCE SOUTH:
Chipola River
Shoal bass from the Chipola River
Largemouth bass from the Chipola River
Chipola River near Look and Tremble rapids
CHIPOLA RIVER (largemouth, shoal, spotted, striped, sunshine, and white bass);
APALACHICOLA RIVER (largemouth, shoal, spotted, striped, sunshine, and white bass);
Largemouth bass
Cold-weather bass fishing at Little River
Little River
Largemouth bass
Striped bass from Little River
Little River
Suwannee bass from Little River
Largemouth bass
LITTLE RIVER [LITTLE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER] (largemouth, Suwannee, striped, and white bass);
Striped bass (caught on a spinnerbait from a canoe while float-fishing a swift-flowing river)
Largemouth bass
Suwannee bass from the Ochlockonee River
Largemouth bass
Striped bass
Suwannee bass from the Ochlockonee River
Largemouth bass
Ochlockonee River
Largemouth bass
Striped bass
Suwannee bass from the Ochlockonee River
Largemouth bass
Ochlockonee River
White bass from the Ochlockonee River
Ochlockonee River near Ochlockonee Falls
Suwannee bass from the Ochlockonee River
Striped bass
Ochlockonee River Deliverance Rock
Suwannee bass on the rocks from the Ochlockonee River
Largemouth bass
Striped bass
White bass
Suwannee bass from the Ochlockonee River
OCHLOCKONEE RIVER (largemouth, Suwannee, striped, and white bass);
Largemouth bass
WAKULLA RIVER (largemouth bass):
Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
Old-growth bald-cypress tree of the St. Marks River
Largemouth bass
St. Marks River (67-degree F spring-fed)
Largemouth bass
St. Marks River (67-degree F spring-fed)
Largemouth bass
Chicken Branch Falls into the St. Marks River
Largemouth bass
ST. MARKS RIVER (largemouth and Suwannee bass);
WACISSA RIVER (largemouth and Suwannee bass);
Aucilla River
Largemouth bass from the Aucilla River
Aucilla River
AUCILLA RIVER (largemouth and Suwannee bass);
WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER [north] (largemouth and Suwannee bass);
Largemouth bass from Way UP Upon the Suwannee River
Suwannee River near the Big Shoals
Largemouth bass from the Suwannee River Big Shoals
Suwannee bass from the Suwannee River
Suwannee River
SUWANNEE RIVER (largemouth and Suwannee bass);
Santa Fe River
Santa Fe River
SANTA FE RIVER (largemouth and Suwannee bass);
I
ICHETUCKNEE RIVER (largemouth and Suwannee bass);
ST. MARYS RIVER (largemouth and striped bass);
DEEP CREEK (largemouth bass);
Orange Creek
Orange Springs Run into Orange Creek
Orange Springs Run into Orange Creek
ORANGE CREEK (largemouth bass);
Eaton Creek
Eaton Creek
EATON CREEK (largemouth bass);
SILVER RIVER [closed to all fishing] (largemouth and [PRIOR to the effects of Rodman Dam, naturally-reproducing] striped bass);
Ocklawaha River, Florida largemouth bass
Ocklawaha River
Ocklawaha River, Florida largemouth bass
Ocklawaha River Crooked River with Big Old Trees
Ocklawaha River, Florida largemouth bass
Ocklawaha River Crooked River with Big Old Trees
Ocklawaha River, Florida largemouth bass
Ocklawaha River
Ockawaha River, Florida largemouth bass
Ocklawaha River
A limit catch of keeper largemouth bass
Ocklawaha River
Ocklawaha River, Florida largemouth bass
Captain Erika Ritter's uncle Dub and an Ocklawaha River largemouth bass circa mid-1930's
A stringer of Ocklawaha River largemouth bass circa mid-1930's
A stringer of Ocklawaha River largemouth bass circa 1940
OCKLAWAHA RIVER (largemouth and [PRIOR to the effects of Rodman Dam, naturally-reproducing] striped bass);
SALT SPRINGS RUN (largemouth, striped [stocked], and sunshine [stocked] bass);
Juniper Springs Creek whitewater rapids
Juniper Springs Creek artesian spring for drinking water
Juniper Springs Creek
JUNIPER SPRINGS CREEK (largemouth, striped [stocked], and sunshine [stocked] bass);
Alexander Springs Creek
Alexander Springs Creek
Largemouth bass after sundown from Alexander Springs Creek
Alexander Springs Creek
ALEXANDER SPRINGS CREEK (largemouth, striped [stocked], and sunshine [stocked] bass);
WEKIVA RIVER (largemouth, striped [stocked], and sunshine [stocked] bass);
Econlockhatchee River
Some keeper largemouth bass from the Econlockhatchee River
Econlockhatchee River
ECONLOCKHATCHEE RIVER (largemouth, striped [stocked], and sunshine [stocked] bass);
Largemouth bass
Striped bass
Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
ST. JOHNS RIVER (largemouth, striped [stocked; and PRIOR to the effects of Rodman Dam, naturally-reproducing], and sunshine [stocked] bass).
CONCLUSION
Given a choice, I normally prefer to fish for bass in a Real Florida body of water. Real Florida freshwaters would include this state's remaining stretches of free-flowing rivers and creeks plus our naturally-occurring still-water lakes and ponds. The less that the water and its surroundings have been altered by man, the more I like being there.
River-bass fishing north Florida's remaining segments of swift-flowing streams is undeniably my preferred angling pursuit. These stretches of free-flowing By God rivers or creeks are rare and treasured pieces of the Real Florida experience.
The
Biggest / Heaviest / Longest
Largemouth Bass
Ever Reportedly Caught
From the
Ocklawaha River, Florida
Photo from an Ocala Star-Banner newspaper article of an
Ocklawaha River largemouth bass (and its shadow) taken on January 2, 1975.
Please note that a Ford 5th generation pickup truck tailgate measures 21 inches high
and a 10-pound Florida largemouth bass usually is 25 to 26 inches in total length.
Some Florida bass anglers and bass-fishing-business promoters obviously prefer man-made lakes, possibly dreaming that these manipulated freshwaters are some kind of aquatic Fantasy-Magical-Super-Wonder-World tourist attractions containing state or world record-sized largemouth bass (heavier than 20 to 22 pounds) that are growing fat on something artificially enriched and improved like growth-hormone or steroid-injected wild river shiners maybe (or stocked rainbow trout like they use in southern California). Dam the Real Florida because man-created lakes are much more easily MANAGED for the benefit and convenience of organized largemouth bass fishing interests.
It is quite OK with me that some master largemouth bass anglers and para-commercialized individuals or groups seemingly worship the fishing opportunities provided by Florida's legendary man-made waters.
JUST AS LONG AS the historically free and swift-flowing 56-mile long Silver-Ocklawaha River system (including its Silver Springs headwater)--once capable of supporting naturally reproducing populations of native STRIPED BASS weighing up to 30 pounds, in addition to trophy-sized largemouth bass--doesn't remain blockaded as a sacrificial offering to those that practice the Rodman religion.
STRIPED BASS
require about 50 miles of free and swift-flowing river for successful natural spawning!
Retaining Lake Ocklawaha (a.k.a. Rodman Pool or Rodman Reservoir) ignores the importance to this state of restoring to free-flowing a rare, lengthy riverine ecosystem with cool waters and strong currents sought-after by various Florida-native species of anadromous, catadromous, and other lotic, migratory fishes of the St. Johns River basin.
Besides, any state or world record largemouth bass taken from a NOT-Real Florida freshwater probably should deserve an asterisk (*) next to it whenever officially booked--just like the name and home run number of every slugger in the record book with more than Babe Ruth's (in a 154-game season) 60. We may owe that much to Fritz Friebel and George Perry. They were NATURALS.
Read this historic account of striped fishing in Marion County's
Silver-Ocklawaha River system before Rodman Dam was built:
"All-Time Top-25 Biggest / Heaviest Largemouth Bass Ever Caught (or Reportedly Caught) In Florida"
https://sites.google.com/site/ocklawahaman/all-time-top-25-biggest-fl-largemouth-bass
Read about Frederick Fritz Friebel and his Florida Record largemouth bass at
http://www.bassmaster.com/node/101735
http://fishinghistory.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html
Read about George Perry and his World Record largemouth bass at
http://www.bassmaster.com/news/george-perrys-world-record-bass
http://www.bassmaster.com/news/george-perrys-world-record-bass?page=2
Ocklawahaman Paul Nosca's Bass Fishing Began in Florida Over 52 Years Ago (1965)!
Ocklawahaman Paul Nosca is an accomplished stream angler who has caught nine different varieties of bass plus three different species of cold-water trout along with many other fishes from the flowing freshwaters of several Southern states. Although he has fished many of the still-water canals, lakes, and ponds plus salty tidewaters that almost all other Florida fishermen are accustomed-to and greatly prefer; river bass angling in current is undeniably Paul's preferred pursuit. Paddling a canoe (or bank-walking and wading when advantageous), Ocklawahaman skillfully uses buzz-bait and spinner-bait lures almost exclusively while bass fishing moving freshwater. Motorized watercraft for run and gun fishing or other aquatic tomfoolery and plastic worms or live shiners for bait are not part of his personal angling ethic. Ocklawahaman practices a style of bass fishing on natural segments of streams that is ideally an aesthetically pleasing and un-crowded solemn quest for some of Nature's most game fishes; the great majority of bass caught to be released unharmed for future benefit. North-central Florida's swift-flowing Ocklawaha River is the home water of Ocklawahaman; it is where Paul Nosca first learned freshwater stream angling techniques and where he continues to employ them as often as possible--from his man-powered canoe.
REFERENCE AS: Nosca, P. 2017. "Bass fishing the real Florida part one: Our natural by God free-flowing rivers and creeks" webpage report. "Paul Nosca's bass fishing photos" website. Paul Nosca, Eureka, FL.
Email: ocklawahaman1@gmail.com
End.