Only a few teams showed up Saturday morning to fish the UF/FWC Bass Tournament on Newnans Lake. This was likely due to a couple of factors. With the lake now very high the bass-catching had steadily become tougher here and … Continue reading → The post Area Tournaments Produce Varied Results appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

A bass tournament was held Saturday out of Marjorie Rawlings Park. Nothing unusual about that. The unusual part didn’t come until weigh-in. Many anglers believe that when Orange Lake is ‘on’ it is capable of producing big bass catches like … Continue reading → The post The Greatest Sport is Also Cruel appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

The year’s biggest rain event persisted for four days in our area lasting through Saturday.  When it was done our lakes were considerably higher giving us pretty solid assurance that nice water levels will hold at least into summer. Our … Continue reading → The post Big Rains Alter the Fishing Landscape appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

You’ve heard the old axiom “When March comes in like a lion it goes out like a lamb”. This year ‘the windy month’ arrived to nice calm weather so maybe the reverse will be true. Folks who put stock in … Continue reading → The post Good Action All Around appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

February’s Full Moon arrived on the heels of quite a chilly spell. This celestial event often marks a time when crappie lovers see the relatively brief move of specks into shallow shoreline cover to spawn. So far we have not … Continue reading → The post Giant Bass and Dead Gators appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

Early Saturday morning hopeful anglers were greeted by windy chilly and rough conditions. The New Year always sees the start of fishing tournaments and organizers of the 12U Elite Baseball Team Tournament fundraiser rolled the dice taking the first slot … Continue reading → The post Speck Fishers on Alert appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

All-in-all 2021 was a good fishing year for us in North Florida. A rainy start made for some good things in our lakes but did no favors for gulf rivers or salty inshore Big Bend fans. Not until late spring … Continue reading → The post Wrapping Up a Good Fishing Year appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

The Tackle BoxMy attachment to Newnan’s Lake goes pretty far back. For as long as I’ve been around locals have had an affectionate but unflattering nickname for the old 6 000-acre pond — “The Mudhole”. To me though the lake has … Continue reading → The post Will Newnans Lake Return to Old Form? appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

Here at the start of winter the biggest fishing news in our part of Florida remains the exceptional ‘speck’ fishing. Speckled perch that is in Gainesville’s nearby lakes and speckled trout across nearly 100 miles of coastal shallows on the … Continue reading → The post Plenty of Good Holiday Angling Options appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

A nice holiday season warm spell has allowed anglers easy shots at fish and reports have been outstanding from several areas along the Big Bend Coast. Capt. Sean Campbell is one of a number of near-shore gulf fishers reporting dependably … Continue reading → The post Early Winter Fishing — So Far So Good appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

In a time when few things seem to make sense any more the sport of fishing at least gives us dependable respite. The normal draws for anglers during the holiday season — in both salt and freshwater — are working … Continue reading → The post Area Fishing Still Makes Sense appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

Anglers are great speculators and the speculating was widespread as recently as a few weeks back regarding the scarcity of speckled trout along Florida’s salty Big Bend coast. Starting in the spring and all the way through the hot weather … Continue reading → The post Arrival of Trout appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

Water temps are falling more quickly now and about at a point that should kick off the two or three month-long period that skinny-water inshore anglers love. The most successful of these fishermen have gone to considerable trouble and expense … Continue reading → The post Time for Skinny – Water Trout appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

If you built a list of the favorite targets of North Florida anglers it would be pretty long. You’d have several species on the Freshwater side and an even longer list on the Saltwater side of the slate. Now it’s … Continue reading → The post A Special Speck to Start November appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

Fishing is generally good in North Florida right now. Bass fishing is above average on most lakes and now that the Suwannee River’s level is falling noticeably bass action is much improved there too. On the gulf redfishing is strong … Continue reading → The post Speck Fishing... Salt and Fresh... Fires Up appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

The season’s initial cooldown always gives fishing along the gulf’s Big Bend a shot in the arm. That shot is being reported now — primarily by fishers casting in the shallows. This has not been a stellar year for speckled … Continue reading → The post TWELVE-POUNDER BOAT-FLIPPED appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

It was a long time ago. Richard Bowles Tim Tucker and I met after work at Sonny’s on Waldo Road to discuss my taking over as the Gainesville Sun’s fishing columnist. My best qualifications were that I had spent a … Continue reading → The post A Fishing Farewell appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

As daylight shortens and nights cool a bit several elements of area fishing are strengthening. Among the opportunities that have apparently ramped up through the last couple of weeks are: speckled perch on Orange Lochloosa and Newnan’s Lakes bass on … Continue reading → The post Shorter Days Make Active Fish appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

For many avid fans of outdoor sports this is hunting season … pure and simple. Possibly even more would-be anglers postpone their casting due to football season. But those who keep a grip on their rods while others grab guns … Continue reading → The post Fall Fishing Firing Up appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.

Most years fall-run Spanish mackerel begin showing up in our nearest gulf waters sometime in September. The run often commences when the first nights begin to turn a bit cooler. By the second week in September avid mackerel lovers are … Continue reading → The post Fall-Run Mackerel Arriving appeared first on Gary's Tackle Box.