Aquatic Vegetation Spraying

[SteveGibson]

When we arrived at the ramp at the Nine Mile Canal at North Port, FL, this morning, we noticed a lot of dead foilage, hyacinths and other vegetation. That could only mean thing: They sprayed.

When this happens, fishing is usually off for several days. It doesn't kill bass, bluegill or other freshwater fish, but it does something to slow their feeding.

For the first half of the day, I caught three very small bass, one bluegill and two stumpknocker. Things picked up in the afternoon, but most of the fish were small. I did manage a 4-pound LMB and hefty bluegill on my Myakka Minnow. I addded 30-40 bluegill, shellcracker and stumpknocker on a No. 12 nymph under a strike indicator.

While we were fishing, two guys in an airboat approached and began spraying. I paddled over and asked why they were spraying.

"To kill aquatic vegeatation."

I said, "Nothing's alive; you don't need to kill it."

I then asked, "How often do you spray?"

One of them said, "Not as often as I'd like."

They told me they worked for the City of North Port .

Wonder if I can get the spraying schedule from the city? Then I'd know when not to go.

[John Cachel]

Good idea to know when is Spraying time so you don't waste of your time fishing!
In Illinois, not many lakes get spraying and we have some grass carp for control the weeds!