# droughts droughts and more droughts



## Land is the Limit

Man I really hope we get tropical storm rain this season. Tally now has 3 of its largest lakes all but erased. The are drawing down Lake Miccosukkee to restore it which I support, but now that means that our big natural spring fed lakes are gone. The only lake left that a real boat can be launched in is Talquin....and there are hundreds of boats crowding it. Good thing the rivers aren't dried up. We will be trying a new section of the Ochlockonee river up towards Havana for Flatheads soon. We are pretty excited! But the Panhandle has a severe drought cisis right now but also some amazing fishing. Read our article about the state of the panhandle here http://landisthelimit.com/2012/06/05/state-of-the-panhandle-address-fishing-in-north-florida/


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## CatHunter

Land is the Limit said:


> Man I really hope we get tropical storm rain this season. Tally now has 3 of its largest lakes all but erased. The are drawing down Lake Miccosukkee to restore it which I support, but now that means that our big natural spring fed lakes are gone. The only lake left that a real boat can be launched in is Talquin....and there are hundreds of boats crowding it. Good thing the rivers aren't dried up. We will be trying a new section of the Ochlockonee river up towards Havana for Flatheads soon. We are pretty excited! But the Panhandle has a severe drought cisis right now but also some amazing fishing. Read our article about the state of the panhandle here http://landisthelimit.com/2012/06/05/state-of-the-panhandle-address-fishing-in-north-florida/


We are getting a cabin over on Talquin for the 4th, Ill be hunting the lake for Flatheads as well as the northern stretch of Ochlockonee,


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## jcoss15

I hear you on the drought man, the upper streches of yellow river and blackwater river are as low as I have ever seen them...a couple tropical storms might get us back where we need to be, but consistent rainfall is really what we need.


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## skiff89_jr

CatHunter said:


> We are getting a cabin over on Talquin for the 4th, Ill be hunting the lake for Flatheads as well as the northern stretch of Ochlockonee,


Lucky >.< Lake Talquin is a beautiful lake.


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## hoghunterx

spent a week at talquin back in march the catfishing there is awesome.


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## CatHunter

hoghunterx said:


> spent a week at talquin back in march the catfishing there is awesome.



How was the catfishing over there? Any Flatheads and Blues?


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## Yakavelli

Just went to Talquin a month ago. Found lots of blues towards the dam from Pat Thomas Park. Had a lot better luck in that area last year though. All daytime fishin, I ain't gettin near that lake at night with my kayak. Too many gators!


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## skiff89_jr

Yakavelli said:


> Just went to Talquin a month ago. Found lots of blues towards the dam from Pat Thomas Park. Had a lot better luck in that area last year though. All daytime fishin, *I ain't gettin near that lake at night with my kayak. Too many gators!*


You are smart man sir! :thumbsup:


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## CatHunter

There sure isnt much information on Talquin catfishing, I'm going to try and do a complete lake observation while over there, and try to figure out the catfish population of blues and Flatheads. With the bait supply the lake offers I see no reason this lake cant become a major contender in Florida's catfishing waters.


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## DanG

Glenn, where will you be staying on Talquin? That is my primary fishing ground, usually putting in at Lake Talquin Lodge. It would be neat to meet you while you're here.:thumbup:


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## CatHunter

DanG said:


> Glenn, where will you be staying on Talquin? That is my primary fishing ground, usually putting in at Lake Talquin Lodge. It would be neat to meet you while you're here.:thumbup:


We will be up there after the 4th, kinda let the crowds disperse. I'm not sure exactly where we will be staying yet any advice on a cabin or lodge with its own boat dock would be greatly appreciated. I would love to meet up with you and get some local advice on the lake to, I'm hoping maybe to squeeze in a bit of striper fishing between cat-fishing.


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## DanG

There are not an awful lot of rental cabins on the lake. L. Talquin Lodge has a few as does Ingram's Marina. I'm sure there are others that I'm not aware of. Better make some calls right quick.


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## Yakavelli

Yeah, might be hard to get a cabin if you ain't got it yet. Should be able to find a campsite though.


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## bowfisher91

I think the good Lord must be responding to this thread with the ridiculous amount of rain he has dropped in the area....


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## skiff89_jr

Lake Talquin lodge is pretty nice. That's where we always put in and the owner of the bait shop doesn't mind telling you where to go or giving you info if you're new to the lake. Ingrams is nice too and they have a gas pump. Lake Talquin lodge is a little more centrally located on the lake and ingrams is really close to the dam. You gotta eat at whipporwheels while you are there too. It's right beside ingrams.


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## WW2

*fixed...


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## CatHunter

skiff89_jr said:


> Lake Talquin lodge is pretty nice. That's where we always put in and the owner of the bait shop doesn't mind telling you where to go or giving you info if you're new to the lake. Ingrams is nice too and they have a gas pump. Lake Talquin lodge is a little more centrally located on the lake and ingrams is really close to the dam. You gotta eat at whipporwheels while you are there too. It's right beside ingrams.


Thanx skiff, are there any catfish that hang out at the dam?


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## old sneaky

droughts over 14in at my house


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## skiff89_jr

CatHunter said:


> Thanx skiff, are there any catfish that hang out at the dam?


I'm not sure? Every time I go to Talquin the crappie fishing was too good to do anything else  I know for a fact that there are flatheads in that lake though. This one was caught in the lake and i think it came from boy scout (oclawaha creek) while they were trolling for crappie.


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## CatHunter

skiff89_jr said:


> I'm not sure? Every time I go to Talquin the crappie fishing was too good to do anything else  I know for a fact that there are flatheads in that lake though. This one was caught in the lake and i think it came from boy scout (oclawaha creek) while they were trolling for crappie.


If u put it in their face I'm learning flatheads love the jigs


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## screwballl

Wirelessly posted

this rain should help out greatly


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## FishWalton

The river rise will be good, but it may not stay high long enough to push them into the swamp to fatten up. We need a good long rise in the worst way.


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## jcoss15

fishwalton said:


> The river rise will be good, but it may not stay high long enough to push them into the swamp to fatten up. We need a good long rise in the worst way.


Yea river fish get fat when they can swim out in the river swamp to feed...alot more variety of food for them to gorge on.


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## CatHunter

Just the other day Escambia River was at 3.3 feet as of this morning she sits at 8.93 feet on the ham river gauge and is projected to reach 14.7 feet by Wednesday that's over a 11 foot rise, I guess we got the water we asked for.


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## wishin4bass2

Escambia will not stay high long, Went to Molino Boat ramp yesterday afternoon and water was still low. it was about 4 ft from the bottom of the dock and the water was moving downstream fast. Keeping my fingers crossed North of us got enough rain to keep it trickling down.


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## FishWalton

Friday the Choctawhatchee river gauge at Caryville on US 90 was right at zero, by Wednesday this week the projection is 9 ft, but will drop fast unless more rain comes.


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## skiff89_jr

fishwalton said:


> *Friday the Choctawhatchee river gauge at Caryville on US 90 was right at zero*, by Wednesday this week the projection is 9 ft, but will drop fast unless more rain comes.


Sure was. I had to get out and drag the carolina skiff :blink:


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## screwballl

Wirelessly posted

ahhh the joys of having a small shallow jon boat


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## river_roach

skiff89_jr said:


> I'm not sure? Every time I go to Talquin the crappie fishing was too good to do anything else  I know for a fact that there are flatheads in that lake though. This one was caught in the lake and i think it came from boy scout (oclawaha creek) while they were trolling for crappie.


Skiff,

I am afraid you are mistaken on the fish in this pic. It is not a flathead. It is a speckled catfish. Look at the side fins on him.


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## bowfisher91

river_roach said:


> Skiff,
> 
> I am afraid you are mistaken on the fish in this pic. It is not a flathead. It is a speckled catfish. Look at the side fins on him.


+1^^^^

He has the thick, dark whiskers also...


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## Land is the Limit

There are Flats in Talquin and below the dam. We have seen a cerified 50lb Flathead caught right below the dam. Also we have seen Flatheads caught above lake talquin in the river. If they are above and below then they are in it as well. A 36 was caught from the iron curtian last winter. Local tackle shops offer aerial photos of lake talquin as it was impounded showing the old river channel as well as the creek channels that enter the lake. This is a very helpful tool in finding the channels seeing how Talquin is without any channel markers at all (making it dangerous to run). Good luck everyone. I know that the Channel cats are very abundant and the flatheads have taken over the river below and above! Everywhere you go in the ecosystem there are lots of kitties and tons of bait to support them.


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## skiff89_jr

river_roach said:


> Skiff,
> 
> I am afraid you are mistaken on the fish in this pic. It is not a flathead. It is a speckled catfish. Look at the side fins on him.


ohhh :001_huh: tell me more about this speckled catfish. Are they a type of bullhead or what?


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## CatHunter

He means brown bullhead, Very good possibility they are very aggressive much more so then the other bullheads


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## CatCrusher

CatHunter said:


> He means brown bullhead, Very good possibility they are very aggressive much more so then the other bullheads


No,trust me he means speckled catfish!


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## skiff89_jr

Well....I think we've been getting the rain that we've been asking for lol


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## WW2

skiff89_jr said:


> well....i think we've been getting the rain that we've been asking for lol



hahahahaha.... Fixed!


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## FishWalton

Skiff 89 JR you are right about that. The Caryville gauge is looking good right now for that neck of the woods and down below. Ebro is dropping as well.
Last 3 tims out I haven't see a single boat fishing bream or bass, but they should be back out there soon. Everyone in the lower river is fishing mullet. 
I'm headed out Friday but haven't made up my mind yet on what to fish far, but it will at the Choctaw. My buddy Joe and I will have to figure out a plan.
There is supposed to be a bass tournament at Cowford this coming Saturday.


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## skiff89_jr

Fishwalton- yeah the choctawhatchee is looking good! It's a little muddy, but at least it's not bone dry. You can actually run a little bit on the north end if you know the river a little bit. I really wish it would stay this level year around.


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## skiff89_jr

Figured i'd revive an old thread....Needless to say, we should have some flathead baits come this spring. The 7/0 might not even be big enough :thumbup:


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## FishWalton

*You bet*

You bet......River will be about 18 ft soon. Haven't had that high for several years. About April,if not before, we may be having some fun.

I was across the river yesterday at Caryville. Man, she's really up there and running swift.


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## CatHunter

I was down on Perdido River last night, I launched the boat at about 5:45pm and was pulling it out at 7pm. I expected a little rain but damn, the horizon was lite up with some nasty lighting so I bailed. I got home right before the sky feel out.

Perdido River is about to hit flood stage, she was ripping last night with some impressive logs floating down. Water temp was 60-59 cooling down again.


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## skiff89_jr

Here's some pics from about a hour ago at hwy 2. Hydrograph says it's at 24.5 ft and it's on the rise.


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