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Lake Talquin offers striped bass
fishing in the Sunshine State
fishing in the Sunshine State
Russell Bergantino shows off a striped bass he caught while fishing a
creek off Lake Talquin near Quincy, Fla.
creek off Lake Talquin near Quincy, Fla.
Lake Talquin holds the best striped bass waters completely within
Florida. Native to salt water, stripers move up freshwater rivers to spawn
because the eggs must tumble, suspended in current, at certain
temperatures for a time to stay viable.
With little spawning occurring naturally, Florida biologists raise stripers
in hatcheries and release them into selected waters. They get their brood
stock from Lake Talquin. Created in 1927 with a dam spanning the
Ochlockonee River, Lake Talquin spreads through 8,800 acres near
Quincy, Fla., west of Tallahassee. In fact, the name comes from a
contraction of “Tallahassee” and “Quincy.” Talquin stripers generally run
about 10 to 20 pounds, but some exceed 30 pounds. A few top the 40-
pound mark.
As a reservoir instead of a natural lake like in most of Florida, Talquin
holds some of the deepest water in the low-lying state. Some holes in the
old river channel drop to more than 40 feet deep in places, especially near
the dam. In addition, several spring-fed creeks enter the reservoir. All year
long, these springs seep cool water, which stripers require.
Whenever water temperatures increase above 80 to 82 degrees,
stripers start going into stress, said David Yeager, a Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist. Temperatures above that could
kill them. In the spring, Talquin stripers enter the tributaries in an attempt to
spawn and stay near the refreshing springs or drop into deep water to
escape high temperatures, but roam the lake during the winter.
“On Talquin, it’s mainly a winter fishery,” said J.R. Mundinger of Lake
Talquin Trophy Guide Service. “If I only had one month to fish for stripers
on Lake Talquin, it would be January. Starting in mid-October, when water
temperatures dive below the mid 70s, stripers start schooling and chasing
shad. On an overcast December day with little wind, we can chase stripers
all over the lake and catch them with topwaters. By February, water gets
really cold and stripers start migrating back into the creeks since the spring-
fed creeks are a bit warmer.”
Stripers seldom stray far from threadfin shad. Mundinger looks for
stripers chasing shad off points or along the deep river channel edges.
When not seeing surface activity, he searches for large blips or shad
concentrations over holes with his electronics. He also trolls along main
channels with deep-running crankbaits.
“Main lake points and channels are always a good place to look for
stripers,” Mundinger explained. “At lot depends upon where the shad
position themselves. If the shad are 8 feet deep or less, I fish topwaters or
shallow-running crankbaits. If the shad are deeper than 8 feet deep, I go to
a larger crankbait in chrome or white. Trolling a 3/4-ounce chrome and
black Rat-L-Trap at about 2 miles per hour near the dam is an ideal way to
spend an afternoon. I’ve had stripers on the line that I couldn’t turn -- and I
use pretty stout tackle!”
After finding stripers concentrated in deep water, Mundinger pulls out
the chrome jigging spoons or a 1/2-ounce Road Runner. For targeting fish
hanging over a channel edge or sitting near the bottom in a deep hole,
drop a 1/4- to 3/4-ounce slab spoon to the bottom. Fluttering down with
sunlight glinting off the shiny metal, a chrome spoon closely mimics a
wounded shad. After the spoon hits bottom, crank the reel two or three
turns to keep the bait just a few feet off the lakebed. Jig the bait up
vigorously, but let it drop naturally. Fish frequently grab a bait as it falls.
Anglers can also tempt stripers with live shad, said guide Matt
Bergantino. Around weedy cover in the upper reaches of creek channels or
lily pads growing on humps close to major channels, dangle a threadfin
under a bobber set about three feet deep. Anglers might also let shad run
on a free line. In deeper water, attach a live shad to a Carolina rig with a
slip sinker fished near the bottom.
Some people also fish the Ochlockonee River below the Talquin dam.
The Ochlockonee originates in Worth County, Ga., and flows through
Talquin State Forest. South of the lake, it flows through Apalachicola
National Forest before dumping into Ochlockonee Bay, an arm off the Gulf
of Mexico. Limited natural reproduction does occur in the river as gulf-run
stripers spawn below the Talquin dam each spring.
For booking trips, call Mundinger at 850-567-8131 or Bergantino at
850-566-1737. For food and lodging on Lake Talquin, call the Whippoorwill
Sportsman’s Lodge at 850-875-2605.
Florida. Native to salt water, stripers move up freshwater rivers to spawn
because the eggs must tumble, suspended in current, at certain
temperatures for a time to stay viable.
With little spawning occurring naturally, Florida biologists raise stripers
in hatcheries and release them into selected waters. They get their brood
stock from Lake Talquin. Created in 1927 with a dam spanning the
Ochlockonee River, Lake Talquin spreads through 8,800 acres near
Quincy, Fla., west of Tallahassee. In fact, the name comes from a
contraction of “Tallahassee” and “Quincy.” Talquin stripers generally run
about 10 to 20 pounds, but some exceed 30 pounds. A few top the 40-
pound mark.
As a reservoir instead of a natural lake like in most of Florida, Talquin
holds some of the deepest water in the low-lying state. Some holes in the
old river channel drop to more than 40 feet deep in places, especially near
the dam. In addition, several spring-fed creeks enter the reservoir. All year
long, these springs seep cool water, which stripers require.
Whenever water temperatures increase above 80 to 82 degrees,
stripers start going into stress, said David Yeager, a Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist. Temperatures above that could
kill them. In the spring, Talquin stripers enter the tributaries in an attempt to
spawn and stay near the refreshing springs or drop into deep water to
escape high temperatures, but roam the lake during the winter.
“On Talquin, it’s mainly a winter fishery,” said J.R. Mundinger of Lake
Talquin Trophy Guide Service. “If I only had one month to fish for stripers
on Lake Talquin, it would be January. Starting in mid-October, when water
temperatures dive below the mid 70s, stripers start schooling and chasing
shad. On an overcast December day with little wind, we can chase stripers
all over the lake and catch them with topwaters. By February, water gets
really cold and stripers start migrating back into the creeks since the spring-
fed creeks are a bit warmer.”
Stripers seldom stray far from threadfin shad. Mundinger looks for
stripers chasing shad off points or along the deep river channel edges.
When not seeing surface activity, he searches for large blips or shad
concentrations over holes with his electronics. He also trolls along main
channels with deep-running crankbaits.
“Main lake points and channels are always a good place to look for
stripers,” Mundinger explained. “At lot depends upon where the shad
position themselves. If the shad are 8 feet deep or less, I fish topwaters or
shallow-running crankbaits. If the shad are deeper than 8 feet deep, I go to
a larger crankbait in chrome or white. Trolling a 3/4-ounce chrome and
black Rat-L-Trap at about 2 miles per hour near the dam is an ideal way to
spend an afternoon. I’ve had stripers on the line that I couldn’t turn -- and I
use pretty stout tackle!”
After finding stripers concentrated in deep water, Mundinger pulls out
the chrome jigging spoons or a 1/2-ounce Road Runner. For targeting fish
hanging over a channel edge or sitting near the bottom in a deep hole,
drop a 1/4- to 3/4-ounce slab spoon to the bottom. Fluttering down with
sunlight glinting off the shiny metal, a chrome spoon closely mimics a
wounded shad. After the spoon hits bottom, crank the reel two or three
turns to keep the bait just a few feet off the lakebed. Jig the bait up
vigorously, but let it drop naturally. Fish frequently grab a bait as it falls.
Anglers can also tempt stripers with live shad, said guide Matt
Bergantino. Around weedy cover in the upper reaches of creek channels or
lily pads growing on humps close to major channels, dangle a threadfin
under a bobber set about three feet deep. Anglers might also let shad run
on a free line. In deeper water, attach a live shad to a Carolina rig with a
slip sinker fished near the bottom.
Some people also fish the Ochlockonee River below the Talquin dam.
The Ochlockonee originates in Worth County, Ga., and flows through
Talquin State Forest. South of the lake, it flows through Apalachicola
National Forest before dumping into Ochlockonee Bay, an arm off the Gulf
of Mexico. Limited natural reproduction does occur in the river as gulf-run
stripers spawn below the Talquin dam each spring.
For booking trips, call Mundinger at 850-567-8131 or Bergantino at
850-566-1737. For food and lodging on Lake Talquin, call the Whippoorwill
Sportsman’s Lodge at 850-875-2605.
