Author:  “Ocklawahaman” Paul Nosca with the assistance of Captain Erika Ritter

This RiverBassin article is a small preview of a larger research paper called “Striped Bass Of The Ocklawaha River, Florida” that I have recently submitted to a conservation organization for scientific peer review and possible publication. Others from that organization may add their professional expertise to this document–with the final goal being to create the most informative report ever compiled about the Ocklawaha River’s historic native striped bass fishery. The Ocklawaha River is the largest and most important tributary of Florida’s St. Johns River Basin. Read the full story

Author:  “Ocklawahaman” Paul Nosca with the assistance of Captain Erika Ritter and Keith Alwine….

This particular RiverBassin article is a small preview of a much larger research paper entitled “Largemouth Bass Of The Ocklawaha River, Florida” that I have recently submitted to a conservation organization for scientific peer review and possible publication. Others at that organization, more learned than I (and above this old soldier’s “pay grade”), may add their professional expertise to this document–with the final goal being to create the most comprehensive description ever published of the Ocklawaha River system’s largemouth bass fishery along with that of its historic migratory riverine species (i.e. striped bass, American eel, American shad, striped mullet, giant river prawn, sturgeon, channel and white catfish). The Ocklawaha River is the largest and most important tributary of Florida’s St. Johns River Basin. Read the full story

Author:  “Ocklawahaman” Paul Nosca with photos by Captain Erika Ritter….

Captain Erika Ritter and I had the rare opportunity to observe as many as 5 West Indian manatees at a time in the Middle Ocklawaha River near Eureka, Florida during the last couple of weeks of May 2011. They also were seen up to 25 miles upstream at Silver Springs and Silver River.

One of them was “Bertram” number 47 who has an interesting life history which you should be able to find more about by searching online.

“Bertram” is about 20 years old and has been taken out of the St. Johns River Basin at least twice for “rehab” at Sea World near Orlando. He has a twin named “Bartram”.

OCKLAWAHA RIVER WEST INDIAN MANATEE (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
I saw a group of 5 manatees (including #47 “Bertram”) in the Ocklawaha River near Eureka on 4-23-11, plus others since then. Manatees have to enter Rodman Pool via the CFBC thru Buckman Lock.

Hope that you enjoy the photos!

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Author: “Ocklawahaman” Paul Nosca with the assistance of Erika Ritter and Keith Alwine……

It has now been more than six months after I first reported to RiverBassin.com readers about “Florida’s Top 25 Biggest or Largest Largemouth Bass”. Since my November 2010 article, my ongoing investigative work has produced some more interesting information regarding this subject which I would now like to share with you–along with some of that previous report’s text.

So far it appears that “Ocklawahaman” alone maintains the unbiased list of the “All-Time Top-25 Biggest/Heaviest Florida Largemouth Bass Ever Caught (Or Reportedly Caught) In Florida”. I strive to list all 17-pound and heavier Florida-caught largemouth bass (past or present) from any available reports (hardcopy or online) as exactly as possible as they have been reported by others. It’s a “dirty” job but somebody has to do it without bias! Maybe at some point the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, BASS, or some trustworthy bass fishing organization will take-over this record keeping job from me–but for now it is my version of “responsible journalism” and probably ensures that RiverBassin.com readers will get to view the “list” updated periodically. Read the full story

Author: Bill Prince ….

My ten year old grandson Hunter and I were rewrapping our drag chains, used to slow our canoes for fishing purposes, with duct tape and I had mine nice & shiny with the high grade 3M brand tape when I remembered an event that I thought would be of interest to Hunter, so I thought I would share it with you as I shared it with him.

While carefully wrapping my chain, I begin by setting the stage, I was on the Upper Ocmulgee, far down the Upper Ocmulgee, if that makes sense, let’s say above Macon but below Jackson, somewhere in there. I was catching mostly largemouth throwing a magnum broke back Rebel, doing pretty good I thought, then my drag chain hung up. Read the full story

Author:  Aaron……

If you have ever floated the leaf, Chickisawhay, or any other small stream that make up the Pascagoula River, you know what spotted bass are all about.These streams are haunted with them, especially the Chickisawhay. Many lures will catch them but spinnerbaits on the smaller scale is wicked, even in the midday hours. when floating a river with moderate current, a bait that covers a lot of water is a good choice in most situations. these streams have plenty of logjams, bluffs, slack water pockets, and ledges so there’s NO lack of structure. There are many sandbars to camp on or just take a dip and cool off from the Mississippi sun. You may not catch a “wallhanger” but my average trip includes around 35 to 40 bass in an all day adventure. Most between the 10 to 16 inch range. However, my biggest spot from this watershed was on the highly overlooked leaf river, and was 4 lbs 2 oz. Oh, and pack an endless supply of skeeter’ spray.

Author - “Ocklawahaman” Paul Nosca with the assistance of Captain Erika Ritter….

IS IT REMOTELY POSSIBLE that somewhere in the south-central part of the Sooner State there could be an Oklahoma version of a Shangri-La for stream anglers? A clear-water, free-flowing, spring-fed paradise for river fishers who enjoy wading and bank-walking where there are so many waterfalls over limestone ledges that about the only boat traffic you’ll ever see are college kids floating on air mattresses in the crystalline pools during the hot Texoma summer? Cool, tumbling waters containing 3 black bass and at least 3 bream species, plus 2 kinds of catfish along with a wintertime bonus of rainbow trout? Could this “Okie oasis” possibly have free campsites and plenty of swimming holes to boot?

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Author - “Ocklawahaman” Paul Nosca with the assistance of Captain Erika Ritter…..

IF a school of largemouth bass guards the Pearly Gates of Heaven, this old boy knows that he is definitely in a whole heap of trouble! Although I’ve never owned or fished from a “bassboat” since I started “bassing” in 1965, I have caught and probably kept more largemouth bass than all other fish species combined. Hopefully any possible “bigmouth” sentries on-duty “upstairs” will mercifully recall that “Ocklawahaman”, using man-power not horse-power, bamboozled all those bass sportingly into his grasp with artificial lures and then released the overwhelming majority of them (to live another day). Read the full story

Author: Ocklawahaman” Paul Nosca with the assistance of Captain Erika Ritter ….

For more than 7 decades during the 20th Century the “WICHITA SPOTTED BASS” was arguably the rarest known form of black bass (family Centrarchidae, genus Micropterus species) in the world. 445 specimens had been collected between 1906 and 1928 from their “native” West Cache Creek, Oklahoma stream basin–but none since that later year. Dams had been built across that creek in several areas since then for lake recreation and to ensure drinking water sources for a federal wildlife refuge’s hoofed animal population. Was an “endemic” riverine bass extirpated because too much of its free-flowing stream environment was converted into a lacustrine one that restricted its ability to migrate for survival during southwest Oklahoma’s severe droughts? “Ocklawahaman”, obeying orders from “Uncle Sam”, was in the “right place” to conduct an independent investigation “back then” of the status of the “WICHITA SPOTTED BASS”. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (Lawton office) provided information “back then” about the most promising segments to search for specimens–along with their belief “that the Wichita spotted bass is probably no longer present” in West Cache Creek. They would have wanted to know if I was able to collect any specimens “back then” of this presumed extinct black bass variety called the “WICHITA SPOTTED BASS”. Read the full story

Author: “Ocklawahaman” Paul Nosca with the assistance of Captain Erika Ritter…..

All the way back on March 2nd and October 17th of 1975, the Ocala Star-Banner newspaper reported about the catching of a “monster” largemouth bass from the Ocklawaha River (near Moss Bluff) of Marion County, Florida. Mr. Thomas A. Johnson caught the reportedly 21-pound 3-ounce (38.25-inch long) bass on January 2nd, 1975, using a live shiner for bait. The entire newspaper article texts are reprinted at the bottom of this article for your easier reading. Read the full story