My Local Lakes Are Trashed - 10/22/24

[@granvillej3316]

Tracy heartbreaking how nature can change peoples way of life in such a way ! The things we do normally and take for granted can change overnight! The drone coverage shows a very eerie landscape of our homes and community! Devastation all around will take months or years for everything to ever get back to a somewhat normal way of life! The bass has definitely shown a displacement from these lakes and ponds where you use to catch in the double digits to now just a few or if any! The bite has changed for them! Prayers still going out for you and your community Tracy! Take care and God bless you!❤❤❤❤❤

[@OldLadyAngler]

You're absolutely correct. Blink of an eye, and life is rearranged. I've flooded before and there is no bigger feeling of helplessness than watching the water rise through your living room. It's a really large area of damage too. Just insane! Thanks for tuning in.

[@TWC6724]

Prayers out to everyone affected. I’m up in Western NC. I’m still in a surreal mood from Helene. Devastation is atrocious.

[@OldLadyAngler]

Oh my gosh! Prayers to you all, too. Do you still have a home?? I am just stunned at the footage coming out of that area. I was there last fall and it was so beautiful. I'm even more stunned at the lack of assistance from the govt.

[@TWC6724]

@@OldLadyAngler We were lucky. Had some basement flooding but nothing like some people. I work with a few people that lost everything. Home and both cars. So sad. And yes, the government has dropped the ball. Big time. Makes me furious. Even the people I know that did get FEMA assistance, it was table scraps. Despicable.

[@OldLadyAngler]

Lord have mercy!

[@AnneSweeney-i5h]

Hoping things get back to normal soon for all of those affected

[@OldLadyAngler]

Yeah, it's crazy! The towns north of here are even worse!

[@eleanormayo249]

Everything is super low here except for one river.They have lowered all the lakes for winter and we have had very little rain

[@OldLadyAngler]

are you till able to kayak fish?

[@MSmith-jf5wo]

Great you getting out and showing us how high the water is after the hurricane. I'm sure the fishing will be better when the water recedes. (As with any catastrophe, it will take time to recover. Nothing will "Be the Same" as it was before!).

[@OldLadyAngler]

Yeah, I'm sure it will be awhile before the lake levels are back to normal. The ones that aren't being pumped are not really receding. They have to pump those because they cause problems for residents and traffic flow.

[@eleanormayo249]

Crazy flooding down there 😮

[@OldLadyAngler]

It's so bad 😔

[@MarioNappa]

Anxious to see how the forest fared with Milton. Hope to fish there a lot this winter.

[@OldLadyAngler]

As always, Astor went underwater right there at the bridge (Lake County Line). I couldn't see how deep it still was, because it was dark. There were a few places on the drive home that had flood signs posted, but the water had receded. I think they probably didn't get as much rain as we got over here nearer the coast. I've never seen water this high here. Even when Hurricane Irma slammed us. So much more rain with Milton.

[@OldLadyAngler]

I'm sure a lot of the forest roads are not driveable though. I haven't even begun to explore the back lakes.

[@MarioNappa]

@@OldLadyAngler I am anxiious to get down. Ironically, we have a drought here in DE. I fished a couple of weeks ago and had to walk through 50 feet of muck to be able to launch. I am sure the fishing will get tougher down there as the fish have more places to hide in the water column.

[@OldLadyAngler]

When are you coming down?

[@MarioNappa]

@@OldLadyAngler ETA is Monday PM.

[@garywilliams7938]

Saw a guy catching large mouth in the middle of the street. Thinking out of the box in tuff conditions key . ❤ happy your okay all is well .

[@OldLadyAngler]

I can see how largemouth ended up in the streets. It's crazy! I can't imagine how bad it was two weeks ago.... before I got home.

[@bigtoutdoors]

Welcome back to Florida. Most of Deltona lakes are dumping into my lake then out to St. Johns. Good thing is topwater bite is on.

[@OldLadyAngler]

Most of the flow I've seen is heading south from town. I'm sure there are so many storm drains and small creeks that get it to the river eventually. Unfortunately, I haven't had much of a topwater bite since I've been home. But I'm sure it'll come! Looking forward to our end of the year pre-spawn activity to start up.

[@plantcitychuck2551]

What part of Florida do u live

[@OldLadyAngler]

Central FL. Just north of Orlando

[@plantcitychuck2551]

Don't feel bad they r messed up everywhere.

[@robertringier1232]

Just got off that lake. Got 2 dinks; usually good for 10. Very high water.

[@OldLadyAngler]

All the lakes are a mess!

[@MarkMacDonald-q4o]

I feel we will have some challenges catching these bass over the next few weeks.

[@OldLadyAngler]

For sure, for sure!!

[@tedlincolnsfishinglife]

When it's flooded like that is when I love to fish my rat/mouse baits 🤫

[@OldLadyAngler]

I haven't fished a rat in a few years. Kept losing the tails and just didn't replace. Been throwing my Teckel Frog. That thing usually catches 'em but not right now.

[@tedlincolnsfishinglife]

@@OldLadyAngler definitely time to try them again

[@YourNextCast]

I've seen a lot of photos and video from down there. Just floored to see how flooded things are. you can pretty much fish right in the street. Thoughts with you and all those impacted.

[@OldLadyAngler]

Oh I'm sure the water was very deep in some of the streets. This is almost 2 weeks post event, and it's still so much water standing. I launched my kayak right from my parking spot in the small corral you see at mark: 34:45 and just paddled out the fence opening and onto the lake. You can see where the shoreline should be..... right where the trees and grass are.

[@The1dogtraineracademy]

It’s crazy, I’m so ready to get back out but have no clue where. Everyone local I’ve talked to same issue. High water and fast flowing water making it hard.

[@OldLadyAngler]

High water and low appetite for the fish. I went this morning and got exactly one hit and one catch in 3 hours. It's tough!

[@ornametalsmith]

WOW…. the drone footage really shows how bad it is. 😔

[@OldLadyAngler]

And I'm sure it was way worse two weeks ago.

[@mikeschwallenberg3456]

I'm not sure if this applies to Florida fishing, but from 40+ years of fishing flooded rivers and lakes up North....I found the fish did one of 2 things after a huge rain event that would raise the water level big time......SOME of them, but not many would actually move up into that flooded area and hug the new "shore/bank" ....but what I found is that MOST of the fish actually would stay in the exact same area that they were in before the water rise (where the old bank/shore would have been).....so I'd catch soooo many more fish casting 5 feet out from the shore than my buddies would actually fishing the newly flooded "bank/shore".......now, whether that applies to Florida is a different story because it seems like in the 3 years I've been living here, not much of what I learned over the years applies here.

[@OldLadyAngler]

When I did the first fishing trip after getting home I was throwing the topwater up in the shallow "yard" that was newly flooded. Got a strike way up in there! But my last 3 trips, I threw at old and new shoreline with very little activity. Seem to just have lock jaw, not really wanting to eat. Maybe I was just getting reaction bites. I'm curious what they do in the middle of the hurricane when the barometric pressure is low and the winds are howling. I bet they go deep. Wonder if they stay there until they get settled down. Who knows! Hopefully this won't mess up their pre spawn activity.

[@mainelyhobbies]

I got into Stanley Spinnerbaits a couple years ago that you were using and the dual threat swimbaits. Now they have been bought up and are not producing them anymore.. I have found some comparable spinnerbaits by sixth sense locally, but I cannot find a swimbait as durable as the dual treat swimbaits.. I have tried seveal alternatives and they fall apart after 1-2 fish where the dual threat lasted 8+. Do you have any recommendation there? Also.. discksporting had the Vanford 2500 on sale for $150 yesterday and I was able to order a couple.. moving up in the fishing world haha.

[@OldLadyAngler]

YES I have a recommendation for a paddle tail trailers. Funny you ask because I was just using it a few hours ago. Try this right here: www.countryboybaits.com/felony-minnow and tell him I sent you / ask for the discount! These are the next best thing to the dual threat. I wasn't aware that Stanley quit making them. I have a bunch in my bins but I've been using the CBB Felony lately in the DIRTY SILVER, WHITE, AND SHAD MAGIC colors. What a deal on the Vanford. I'm guessing it's the old 2020-2023 model? I love the 2024 version but honestly, they're both great reels. How's the fishing been up there? I got an email from a local up there and she said she caught 58 Bass the other morning. Good LORD!!!

[@daviddura1172]

Crappie looked tasty…. Floods reminded me of Grapevine in DFW area It was 16 feet high and flooded parks roads and took the emergency spillway to get it down I imagine flat level Florida has runoff problems… it’s got no where to GO. Just soak in????

[@OldLadyAngler]

I had a house flood in the mid cities area (NRH) in TX back on 5/5/95. If you were living there at that time, you'll remember the storm. It happened during cinco de mayo celebrations. If I remember correctly, a few folks died from being pummeled by giant softball sized hail. It was a crazy back to back storm scenario. Here in FL, once the ground is saturated, there's no more absorption for a LONG TIME lol. So it seems. In the city, they end up pumping all of the lakes out to help it along.

[@stevenbryant8382]

Three species that’s slam, isn’t it?😂

[@OldLadyAngler]

Yessir!