"Largemouth Bass of the Ocklawaha River, Florida" An Information, Opinion, Photos, and Sources Report Compiled by Paul Nosca Created: 21 November 2011 Last Revised: 02 August 2017 INTRODUCTION Largemouth bass are inextricably linked to the Ocklawaha River and the St. Johns River tidal estuary that it flows into. The largemouth bass, naturally present in all 67 counties, is undoubtedly Florida's most important and popular freshwater sport fish which makes this particular black bass species a sizeable component of the state's economy. The combined Ocklawaha and St. Johns drainage basin is possibly the most significant river-estuary waterway of Florida, past and present, while this system is of legendary reputation among anglers of largemouth bass who seek 10-pound plus trophy fish. Many fishing tournaments, tackle shops, and guides rely upon the continuance of the bountiful largemouth bass fishery that has existed within the Ocklawaha and St. Johns River valleys. This report -- compiled by a fisherman who fishes from a man-powered canoe and has actually caught over 2,000 largemouth bass on artificial lures from the Ocklawaha basin -- will attempt to consolidate available information, from many sources, about the largemouth bass of the Ocklawaha River along with related St. Johns River or other Florida data. It is intended to be informative reading for bass anglers and environmentalists alike. https://sites.google.com/site/ocklawahamanpaulnoscareports/largemouth-bass-of-the-ocklawaha-river -------------------------------------------- "Let us leave no bit of useful information uncollected, unstudied, or unused in our shared work for the restoration to free-and-swift-flowing again of Florida's 56-mile Ocklawaha and Silver River system" - "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca. The SJRWMD "Technical Publication SJ2016-1" by John Hendrickson contains the data -- about DISSOLVED SILICA, NITROGEN, and PHOSPHORUS (and their combined effects on possible [downstream] St. Johns River harmful algal blooms) -- best supporting that the restoration of the Ocklawaha River will be beneficial for the entire St. Johns River basin. Hendrickson, John. 2016. Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River. Technical Publication SJ2016-1. 107 pages. St. Johns River Water Management District, Palatka, Florida. FOLKS, we are continuing to add more FOR-FREE $$$ signatures supporting the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" (https://www.change.org/p/st-johns-river-water-management-district-free-the-ocklawaha-river-by-the-breaching-of-rodman-dam) online petition. This is possibly the most important petition in the history of the Ocklawaha River issue since those that were sent to President Lyndon Johnson (D) and later President Richard Nixon (R) asking that the Cross Florida Barge Canal (CFBC) be stopped. Remember that it was the Republican -- President Nixon --that halted the CFBC (1/19/1971). "Lest we forget" all that has been accomplished for Ocklawaha River restoration and the breaching of Rodman Dam by the various non-governmental watchdog "alphabet-soups" of groups since 1971. Has it amounted to "a spit in the river?" "Ocklawahaman" is willing to believe that you might have a sincere opinion about that question. "Ocklawahaman" is of the honest opinion that you should consider the following while you still can: PLEASE SIGN -- FOR-FREE $$$ -- THIS PETITION! When you join with the "Ocklawahaman" to "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" by signing the online petition FOR-FREE $$$ it costs you NO $$$. "Ocklawahaman" has NO lawyers for you to payroll! YOU get to buy a backpack, BBQ dinner, canoe, or kayak with your own DOUGH and enjoy the remaining segments of the free-flowing Ocklawaha River and its superbly forested jungle-like corridor. At some point "Ocklawahaman" would perform the final delivery of petition signatures and comments to SJRWMD and FL DEP along with contacting SJRWMD to arrange -- if possible -- for a hearing(s) with certain staff and/or management where "Ocklawahaman" would do his best to represent the will of this petition's signatories: Who, "do hereby respectfully petition the SJRWMD and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FL DEP) to earnestly begin, move forward with, and finally carry out the process of restoring to free-and-swift-flowing-again the Ocklawaha River -- 'Source to the Sea' -- from its Silver Springs supreme headwaters to its St. Johns River estuary. This restoration process would require the breaching of the earthen Kirkpatrick (Rodman) Dam at the location where the historic Ocklawaha River channel flowed through it prior to September 30, 1968." It may be the MOST IMPORTANT THING that YOU can do (or have ever done) to assist SJRWMD and FL DEP to determine that the best interests of the greater St. Johns River basin are enhanced by the restoration of a free-and-swift flowing-again "Source to the Sea" 56-mainstream-mile "Real-Florida-By-God" Silver Springs-Silver River-Ocklawaha River system. Where else can you get "this much bang for the $$$ buck?" "Ocklawahaman" NEEDS YOUR FOR-FREE $$$ HELP! Show your support for the free migration -- St. Johns River to Silver Springs -- of the Florida manatee, channel catfish, and Atlantic-race STRIPED BASS. Note that the native Atlantic-race STRIPED BASS lost its only suitable spawning habitat of the entire St. Johns River basin (and the most southern in the U.S.) when Rodman (Kirkpatrick) Dam was closed across the Ocklawaha River on September 30, 1968. Riverine LARGEMOUTH BASS have been native to the Ocklawaha River for perhaps thousands of years -- they don't need Rodman Dam or Rodman Reservoir for their survival! Thank you to all that have already signed this petition FOR-FREE $$$ https://www.change.org/p/st-johns-river-water-management-district-free-the-ocklawaha-river-by-the-breaching-of-rodman-dam and desire a free-and-swift-flowing-again "Source to the Sea" 56-mainstream-mile "Real-Florida-By-God" Silver Springs-Silver River-Ocklawaha River system! Currently (as of 1800 hrs EST 12/6/17) there are 2,241 signatures supporting the breaching of Rodman Dam. What does this number represent? "Ocklawahaman" reckons it means that 2,241 INDIVIDUALS so far have been willing to BOLDLY and PUBLICLY add their name (sort-of like "John Hancock" did in 1776) FOR-FREE $$$ -- following their own sincere whims, wishes, wants, or purposes (whatever) -- to this outdoorsman-single-citizen-created "Declaration of Independence from Rodman Dam" proclamation that is officially known to SJRWMD and FL DEP as the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. -------------------------------------------- Read this 7/11/16 email from SJRWMD's contact person to "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca: "Paul, So long as everyone is aware that we are housing the petitions, and so long as everyone knows we will not be sending receipts to petitioners, I think we are fine. You will always have an open dialogue available with me, and I may even recommend you come to our board meeting tomorrow to tell our board that you have over 1,000 signatures; which is an impressive feat!" -------------------------------------------- If "Ocklawahaman" meets in the future with staff and/or management of the SJRWMD in Palatka wouldn't it be impressive to have many more than 2,241 such "votes" of individual citizens supporting restoration that "Ocklawahaman" represents? Encourage others and spouses and/or significant others to support this grassroots petition! ONE problem that "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" has now is that an individual person signs it BUT THEIR SPOUSE OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER DOES NOT! So instead of TWO signatures the petition only gets ONE! Remember that in the "Rough and Tumble" of politics, TWO (or THREE) "votes" beats ONE! Both "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca and Captain Erika Ritter have signed FOR-FREE $$$ this petition. Are WE (including YOU) serious about getting Ocklawaha restoration started in earnest? Or are WE (including YOU) just talking TRASH? IMPORTANT NOTE: "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca is a totally non-commercial, retired, private citizen and does not seek $$$ and does not accept any $$$ contributions for the administration and promotion of his individually-created petition! The State of Florida and the United States governments -- that provide me retirement benefits (for my past services to them) -- OWN almost all of the Ocklawaha River's water and its submerged and corridor lands and collect taxes from MOST all of us. Lets FOR-FREE $$$ encourage Florida and the U.S.A. to wisely follow the principals of ecology and FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM! Sign the petition FOR-FREE $$$! And keep in mind that the last available online data -- that "Ocklawahaman" has been able to uncover -- about the "Save Rodman Reservoir, Inc." not-for-profit group shows that they have about 1,700 contributing $$$ members! Are we serious about getting Ocklawaha restoration started in earnest? Or are we just talking TRASH? Please be aware that many active public employees of the Federal and/or State of Florida governments -- or applicants for such positions -- who otherwise agree with this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" petition might be very reluctant to sign it publicly because of social media policies that may apply to them -- they have their careers, retirements, and families to consider! "Ocklawahaman" understands their situation because "Ocklawahaman" himself was a dedicated, loyal, and patriotic U.S. and Florida governmental employee before retirement. For these government employees that aren't allowed to sign the petition publicly, "Ocklawahaman" has created a SECRET VOTE "Do You Favor the Breaching of Rodman Dam to Restore a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River?" online poll at http://www.poll-maker.com/poll790342x4Bd4496B-32. As of 1800 hrs EST on 12/6/17 the results of this SECRET VOTE online poll are 220 "Yes" for breaching Rodman Dam and only 19 "No" (against breaching Rodman Dam). "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca, who strives for accuracy and honesty, worships zealously a more natural Ocklawaha River valley that includes the restoration of the 56 mainstream river miles from Silver Springs to the St. Johns as a free-and-swift-flowing stream again. I am a private, retired citizen and U.S. Army veteran and a member of NO environmental organization but I volunteer my Ocklawaha River experience, observations, research, and sources to sincere individuals or groups that share my zeal for restoring this old "crooked river." "Ocklawahaman" has canoed, explored, fished, hiked, and lawfully hunted the Florida outdoors since 1962 (and still does). UNLIKE ALMOST EVERYBODY ELSE INVOLVED WITH THIS ISSUE, more of my life's outdoor time -- fishing, exploring, and hunting -- has actually been spent in the Ocklawaha River basin (canoeing its waters and swamp-stomping or hammock-humping its jungle-like swamps and hammocks) than anywhere else. My Florida bass fishing began 52 years ago in 1965 and I want Rodman Dam breached to allow the restoration to free-and-swift-flowing again of the 56-mile "Real-Florida-By-God, Source-to-the-Sea" mainstream Ocklawaha River-Silver River system. And "Ocklawahaman" has actively advocated for Ocklawaha River restoration since 2006. ALL PROBABLY SHOULD KNOW THE FOLLOWING FACT: "Ocklawahaman" already has bass-fishing, canoeing, hunting, and exploration access to the best, coolest-watered, and most natural remaining part of the Ocklawaha River and its splendidly-forested wilderness corridor (i.e., the middle Ocklawaha River from the Silver River inflow/SR-40 Bridge to the Eureka/CR-316 Bridge). Along with Captain Erika Ritter, "Ocklawahaman" owns property at Eureka that borders the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway and the Ocklawaha. "Ocklawahaman" can request the FWC to stock more striped bass and channel catfish into those 18 river miles. And "Ocklawahaman" can go back to being happily retired! But for now until somewhat more than 2,241 supporting signatures have been obtained, "Ocklawahaman" is going to try to do a selfless thing as JOB #ONE -- promote and administrate this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition so that WE, while daring greatly for a worthy cause, can finally make a difference! At some point in the future, "Ocklawahaman" will be hoping to negotiate his best possible hearing(s) with staff and/or management of the SJRWMD -- the more public signatures that he represents, the louder shall be the "voice" of "Ocklawahaman" for breaching Rodman Dam! Captain Erika Ritter was once told by a high-ranking official of the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease!" Help "Ocklawahaman" if possible FOR-FREE -- sign the petition (if you haven't already) which currently (as of 1800 hrs EST 12/6/17) has 2,241 signatures. Thank you very much to all of you for your time reading this webpage and for any positive consideration that you might have towards signing the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" petition and/or encouraging others to do so! And know that I am in favor of a free-and-swift-flowing-again "Source to the Sea" 56-mainstream-mile "Real-Florida-By-God" Silver Springs-Silver River-Ocklawaha River system! How about YOU? Most sincerely, "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca. THE SONG "Ocklawaha, Set Her Free" videos at: https://vimeo.com/179479588 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIUn5Hg5ePE "There are lake fishermen, and there are river fishermen, and seldom do the twain agree!" - The original author’s name is unknown to me.