Orion Red

Great intel... thanks pal... I'll give it a go! (Yes, meant 15-Feb, not 15-Jan).

Spending the week of 15-Jan-2026 camping at Ocean Pond Lake in Northeast, FL near the town of Sanderson. Anybody have familiarity with the that lake they can share, i.e., decent bass lake or don't bother. If don't bother, got any suggestions for kayak fishing in the vicinity? I'm strictly a catch, photo, release fisherman.

Ohio River at the mouth of the Blue River at the Leavenworth, IN ramp in early-to-mid November is where smallmouth stack up; throw a jig.

If you happen to fish out of a kayak, don't sleep on Elkhorn Creek over near Frankfort / Lexington, an hour from Louisville. It has both smallmouth & largemouth. It doesn't get all of the fishing pressure that the typical lake impoundments do. Mainly because can't be accessed by bass boats. Throw bait resembling small crawfish; Nedrig works well. Good place to launch is near Midway, KY at the LG&E/KU Energy substation on US421. There is a gravel parking lot adjacent at coordinates 38.140707, -84.644753 that they typically allow kayakers to utilize.

Thanks, yes, I picked up a hard bound copy from local Forestry office in Silver Springs, It is helpful info.

Thanks NF Mike… on satellite the area around Crooked Lake looks promising with a number of small lakes that look secluded… upon arrival I’ll spend 1 day just driving around to recon.

Anybody familiar with these 3 small impoundments in Ocala National Forest -> Wildcat, Buck, or Doe Lake? Worth a shot, or don't waste my time?

Spending 2 weeks in Ocala National Forest in Jan 2025, looking for suggestions on small lakes or streams, off-the-beaten path types; hidden gem without all the fishing pressure.