News Release

October 25, 2010
Media contact: Joy Hill, 352-258-3426;
Patricia Behnke, 850-251-2130

• Frequently Asked Questions

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will hold a public meeting to discuss the changes for hydrilla management on Lake Toho for the winter of 2010-2011. The meeting will be Friday, Nov. 5, from 6-8 p.m., at the Osceola County Commission Chambers in the Administrative Building at 1 Courthouse Square, Kissimmee.

Staff from both the FWC and the USFWS will present information on the upcoming hydrilla treatment plan to manage the nonnative plant. A preview of the evening’s public meeting will be offered in the same location from 3-4 p.m. for government officials interested in the topic.

“Lake Toho contains large amounts of hydrilla, which can cause navigation problems and limit access to boaters,” said Bill Caton, the FWC’s Invasive Plant Section leader. “This plant also provides an abundant food source and habitat used by a nonnative species of apple snail that lives in the lake.”

(more…)

To conserve and improve Florida’s premier freshwater fisheries for residents and visitors, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has been working with the public to develop a long-term Black Bass Management Plan. The FWC seeks public review and comment on the first draft of the Plan to contribute your input, go to MyFWC.com/BassPlan_survey.

Conserving and managing freshwater fish in Florida represents more than good fishing and eating. The economy benefits as well because Florida produces many of the world’s best bass fisheries. Bass anglers spend more than 14 million days each year here and generate $1.25 billion for the state’s economy. (more…)

Bob Wattendorf, a fisheries biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), recently received the “Conservation Educator of the Year” award from the Florida Wildlife Federation.

In 2008, Wattendorf initiated an effort to bring together a statewide coalition of agencies, universities and businesses to encourage families and children to participate in nature-based recreation.  The collaborative effort resulted in formation of Get Outdoors Florida! (www.GetOutdoorsFlorida.org), a coalition of more than 100 active partners, including major state and federal agencies and diverse groups interested in offsetting the problems associated with “nature-deficit disorder,” a term coined by Richard Louv in his book “Last Child in the Woods.”

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and his Cabinet recognized the Get Outdoors Florida! Coalition in 2009, when they signed a resolution recognizing the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights for Florida.  The coalition, integrated into the Children and Nature Network, is working to extend the reach of such programs as President Barack Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative (www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors), and first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Outside (www.LetsMove.gov) program to combat obesity.

“Conservation education today is all about integrating efforts to introduce newcomers to the beauty and value of an active, nature-based lifestyle,” Wattendorf said.

Researchers have documented the health, education and societal problems associated with too much time spent indoors and dealing with electronic media. Research now shows that embracing a lifestyle change — spending more time outdoors in nature, whether, fishing, birding, paddling, gardening or just hiking in the woods — leads to a happier, healthier and smarter population (www.childrenandnature.org).

During his 31-year career with the FWC, Wattendorf has served to promote Florida as the Fishing Capital of the World, worked with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation to bring about best practices for “Boating, Fishing and Aquatic Resources Stewardship Education” and helped craft the “Federal Aid Supplement for Aquatic Education Programs.”

The Florida Wildlife Federation is a nonprofit conservation education organization composed of thousands of concerned Floridians and people from all walks of life who have a common interest in preserving, managing and improving Florida’s fish, wildlife, soil, water and plant life. As the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, it has been helping Florida’s wildlife since 1937.

In presenting the award on behalf of the Federation, Preston Robertson, vice president for conservation, praised Wattendorf “for his tremendous efforts on behalf of conservation and the need to get Floridians outside and into the natural world.”

Till next time tight lines and good fishing….
From Staff Writer BASSonline – fishing@bassonline.com
BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS

FWC-News Release

June 11, 2010

Bass anglers on Florida’s renowned Lake Tohopekaliga (Toho for short) have hit the jackpot – again. Anglers are catching their limits of trophy-size largemouth bass with astounding regularity, as the lake proves and improves its reputation as one of the top-five destinations in the world for those who seek the ultimate bass-fishing experience.

During the past several weeks, local tournament anglers have discovered a veritable bonanza of trophy-size bass, as catch rates continue to heat up.  One possible reason, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists, is that the extended cold winter delayed spawning and post-spawn feeding activity.

Last weekend’s Toho Open, a one-day tournament, saw the fifth-place finisher catch a five-fish limit tipping the scales at 31 pounds, while the winners,  Jerry Williams and Jessie Windsor of Orlando,  netted more than 38 pounds.  Mark Detweiler at Big Toho Marina in Kissimmee reported that at local tournaments hosted there on Wednesday nights, participants boasted winning totals in excess of 20 pounds.

“Big bass have shown themselves in ever-increasing numbers since last fall.  I’ve been fishing here since 1983 and I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s mind-boggling,” said Terry Segraves, a well-respected professional angler who lives in Kissimmee and serves as a tourism spokesman for the area.

According to local experts like Segraves, patterning the big fish is not difficult.  Early morning anglers are finding schooling fish in the 1- to 2-pound range, with some much bigger fish mixed in those schools.  However, the really big fish are feeding on the edges of the deep grass beds after the sun comes up.  Typically, anglers catch the big fish a few hours after sunrise and a few hours before sunset, as is the case here. However, what is unusual is that they’re also catching big stringers of trophies throughout the day.

FWC fishery biologist and avid bass angler Marty Mann believes the great trophy fishing is the result of the agency’s aggressive management of Lake Toho, the birthplace of the first large-scale drawdown (1971) to improve of fish and wildlife habitat. In 2004, the FWC conducted its most recent in a series of drawdown projects on Lake Toho.

“One of the biggest problems for sportfish is decaying plant and animal materials that build up on the bottom of a lake over time. These sediments cover and suffocate the eggs of sportfish and rob oxygen from the water as they decay,” said Mann.

Improvements to fish habitat are accomplished by lowering the lake to expose mucky sediments to sunlight and air, thus allowing sediments to consolidate into a hard substrate.  In some places, crews scrape dried sediments and truck them to disposal areas.  The result is a clean, hard, sandy bottom.  Once the water level returns to normal, the hard bottom provides quality spawning areas for sportfish and a substrate that promotes the growth of beneficial aquatic plants, where bass can feed and grow to trophy size.

Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Tom Lang welcomed the news that the fish are biting.  “For our visitors looking for memory-making experiences to punctuate their vacation or holidays, this is good news.  We recommend they get here fast, because you never know when the tide may turn with the fish.”

For more information on bass fishing in Osceola County’s Lake Tohopekaliga, go to the Freshwater Fishing area of MyFWC.com/Fishing and select Fishing Sites and Forecasts, or contact the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau at VisitKissimmee.com.

BassOnline.com is Florida’s Largest Freshwater Guide Service and Outfitter, specializing in Florida bass fishing on Florida lakes, canals and rivers.
To learn more about Florida bass fishing, visit Bass Fishing Blog. Also visit or sister website Florida Bass Fishing, Lake Okeechobee Fishing, Bass Fishing Florida, Florida Peacock Bass, Everglades Fishing

News Release

June 8, 2010
Contact: Gabriella B. Ferraro, 772-215-9459
Coleen Curran (SMI Cold Therapy), 704-900-7275

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has teamed up with the “Wounded Warrior Project” to recognize the service of our nation’s injured war veterans. The FWC presented war veterans with five-year fishing-license bonus packages containing items donated by the freshwater fishing industry.

The FWC’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management presented the promotional package of tackle samples, fishing publications and discount coupons to each of the Wounded Warrior Project veterans as part of its current promotion of 5-year freshwater fishing licenses. For information on that, visit MyFWC.com/License.

The Wounded Warrior Project is taking U.S. war veterans on fishing excursions on Lake Okeechobee. A pair of Iraqi war veterans went fishing June 7 and 8, guided by a professional bass angler, and caught more than 60 bass. During a two-day excursion last month, another pair of Iraqi war veterans caught approximately 50 bass.  Two more fishing trips are planned for August and October.

The trip was sponsored by SMI Cold Therapy of Butler, Pa., a manufacturer of cold-therapy products and services for post-operative patient care in hospitals and surgery centers, and byBassOnline.com, Florida’s largest freshwater guide service and outfitter for bass fishing on Florida lakes, canals and rivers.

BassOnline.com is Florida’s Largest Freshwater Guide Service and Outfitter, specializing in Florida bass fishing on Florida lakes, canals and rivers.
To learn more about Florida bass fishing, visit Bass Fishing Blog. Also visit or sister website Florida Bass Fishing, Lake Okeechobee Fishing, Bass Fishing Florida, Florida Peacock Bass, Everglades Fishing