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John N. Felsher's Bass Fishing Adventures
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Lake Woodruff: Like going back in
time to the old Florida wilderness
time to the old Florida wilderness
TOP: Daniel Felsher
shows off a large
bass he caught while
fishing a backwater
between Lake
Woodruff and the St.
Johns River near
Deland, Florida.
RIGHT: Ron Rawlins
of Highland Park
Fish Camp shows off
a couple largemouth
bass he caught near
his camp off Lake
Woodruff, a
backwater off the St.
Johns River near
Deland, Florida.
shows off a large
bass he caught while
fishing a backwater
between Lake
Woodruff and the St.
Johns River near
Deland, Florida.
RIGHT: Ron Rawlins
of Highland Park
Fish Camp shows off
a couple largemouth
bass he caught near
his camp off Lake
Woodruff, a
backwater off the St.
Johns River near
Deland, Florida.
Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge stretches over 21,552 acres of
wilderness and also seems to span the bridges of time.
This expanse of swamps and waterways about 5 miles northwest of Deland
looks little changed from when the Seminoles freely roamed these lands.
Polished ebony sloughs and sparkling springs connect the 2,200-acre Lake
Woodruff, the 1,800-acre Lake Dexter and myriad other waterways to the bass-
laden waters of the St. Johns River.
“This area is a rare gem in the middle of a rapidly growing central Florida,”
said Ron Rawlins. “That dark, tannin-stained water and cypress trees festooned
with Spanish moss gives the area an air of mystery.”
After retiring from the Army in 1962, Ron’s father, Derris L. Rawlins, bought
Highland Park Fish Camp on Norris Dead River, a misnamed stream that
connects the St. Johns to Lake Woodruff at the edge of what became the refuge
two years later. In 1970, Derris died, leaving the 30-acre camp in the care of
Ron, then 22, and his brother, Rick, then 21. Today, the Rawlins brothers rent
boats, cabins and camping slots at the edge bass paradise.
“We get a number of bass over 10 pounds each year with some in the 12-
pound range,” Ron said. “The camp record is 15.25. We don’t get as many
true giants as we used to, but it’s not uncommon to catch 10 to 20 bass between
2 and 12 pounds in a day.”
Early in the morning, topwaters, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits attract lunker
largemouths in the weedy flats of Lake Woodruff. Anglers occasionally see
schools of 1- to 4-pound bass chasing shad over aquatic vegetation in water 2
to 4 feet deep. As the broiling summer sun heats the water, bass seek shade
under floating vegetation mats. Anglers can work the edges of nearly
impenetrable salad canopies with soft-plastics, jigs or buzzing frogs.
To consistently catch monster bass, though, throw wild golden river shiners,
some up to 11 inches long. With mouths like 5-gallon buckets capable of
swallowing almost anything, huge bass generally prefer to gulp one big, easy
meal than chase a bunch of small baits.
“Shiners are wild, natural forage and rank among a bass’s favorite foods,”
Ron explained. “Even if a bass is not actively feeding, a wild shiner could trigger
a reflex strike. We never know what’s on the other end when the float goes
under. Each hit could produce the biggest bass of one’s life.”
Rawlins typically attaches a 5- to 8-inch shiner to a 3/0 weedless hook
dangled about 24 to 30 inches below a float. Toss the bait as close to thick
vegetation as possible. Wild shiners naturally seek shelter under floating weeds
– exactly where giant bass lurk! Keep the shiner near thick cover, but not
actually in it. A bass might ease out from under the canopy to slurp a morsel too
tempting to ignore.
“When a golden river shiner runs under cover, good things can happen,”
Ron emphasized. “Bass get under that floating cover to hide from predators
and ambush prey. If there’s a bass there, he’ll get him. With big shiners, we’re
fishing for big fish, not big numbers.”
When fishing large shiners, anglers may suffer through long periods of abject
boredom punctuated by moments of sheer exhilaration. When a shiner grows
agitated, boredom vanishes in a place any cast could produce a double-digit
wall-hanger. Often, a shiner attempts to flee across the surface with a
bucketmouth in hot pursuit. Sometimes, the bass explodes on the bait almost as
it would strike a topwater or buzzbait.
“Sometimes, a shiner gets excited, making little turns or jumps,” Ron said.
“Any abrupt movement or if it looks skittish might indicate a bass looking it over.
Most of the time, we see that we’re going to get a hit before we actually get one.
When a big bass blows a hole in the vegetation like a bowling ball hitting the
water, that’s really exciting!”
When a bass takes a big shiner, remember the patience is a virtue! Quite
often, a bass does not take a shiner in one gulp. Frequently, it hits prey,
stunning or killing it, before swallowing it. Moreover, a bass must swallow a
baitfish headfirst to keep from choking on extended fins. Allow the bass to
position the shiner in its mouth before swallowing it.
When the bobber goes down, reel in all the slack and feel for the fish on the
other end of the line. Determine where the bass wants to go and set the hook
as it moves away from the boat to avoid jerking the bait from its mouth.
Sometimes, the bass pulls out line in short spurts before swallowing the shiner.
With a little practice, anglers get the feel of it.
For booking trips, call 800-525-3477 or 386-734-2334. On line, see www.
hpfishcamp.com.
wilderness and also seems to span the bridges of time.
This expanse of swamps and waterways about 5 miles northwest of Deland
looks little changed from when the Seminoles freely roamed these lands.
Polished ebony sloughs and sparkling springs connect the 2,200-acre Lake
Woodruff, the 1,800-acre Lake Dexter and myriad other waterways to the bass-
laden waters of the St. Johns River.
“This area is a rare gem in the middle of a rapidly growing central Florida,”
said Ron Rawlins. “That dark, tannin-stained water and cypress trees festooned
with Spanish moss gives the area an air of mystery.”
After retiring from the Army in 1962, Ron’s father, Derris L. Rawlins, bought
Highland Park Fish Camp on Norris Dead River, a misnamed stream that
connects the St. Johns to Lake Woodruff at the edge of what became the refuge
two years later. In 1970, Derris died, leaving the 30-acre camp in the care of
Ron, then 22, and his brother, Rick, then 21. Today, the Rawlins brothers rent
boats, cabins and camping slots at the edge bass paradise.
“We get a number of bass over 10 pounds each year with some in the 12-
pound range,” Ron said. “The camp record is 15.25. We don’t get as many
true giants as we used to, but it’s not uncommon to catch 10 to 20 bass between
2 and 12 pounds in a day.”
Early in the morning, topwaters, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits attract lunker
largemouths in the weedy flats of Lake Woodruff. Anglers occasionally see
schools of 1- to 4-pound bass chasing shad over aquatic vegetation in water 2
to 4 feet deep. As the broiling summer sun heats the water, bass seek shade
under floating vegetation mats. Anglers can work the edges of nearly
impenetrable salad canopies with soft-plastics, jigs or buzzing frogs.
To consistently catch monster bass, though, throw wild golden river shiners,
some up to 11 inches long. With mouths like 5-gallon buckets capable of
swallowing almost anything, huge bass generally prefer to gulp one big, easy
meal than chase a bunch of small baits.
“Shiners are wild, natural forage and rank among a bass’s favorite foods,”
Ron explained. “Even if a bass is not actively feeding, a wild shiner could trigger
a reflex strike. We never know what’s on the other end when the float goes
under. Each hit could produce the biggest bass of one’s life.”
Rawlins typically attaches a 5- to 8-inch shiner to a 3/0 weedless hook
dangled about 24 to 30 inches below a float. Toss the bait as close to thick
vegetation as possible. Wild shiners naturally seek shelter under floating weeds
– exactly where giant bass lurk! Keep the shiner near thick cover, but not
actually in it. A bass might ease out from under the canopy to slurp a morsel too
tempting to ignore.
“When a golden river shiner runs under cover, good things can happen,”
Ron emphasized. “Bass get under that floating cover to hide from predators
and ambush prey. If there’s a bass there, he’ll get him. With big shiners, we’re
fishing for big fish, not big numbers.”
When fishing large shiners, anglers may suffer through long periods of abject
boredom punctuated by moments of sheer exhilaration. When a shiner grows
agitated, boredom vanishes in a place any cast could produce a double-digit
wall-hanger. Often, a shiner attempts to flee across the surface with a
bucketmouth in hot pursuit. Sometimes, the bass explodes on the bait almost as
it would strike a topwater or buzzbait.
“Sometimes, a shiner gets excited, making little turns or jumps,” Ron said.
“Any abrupt movement or if it looks skittish might indicate a bass looking it over.
Most of the time, we see that we’re going to get a hit before we actually get one.
When a big bass blows a hole in the vegetation like a bowling ball hitting the
water, that’s really exciting!”
When a bass takes a big shiner, remember the patience is a virtue! Quite
often, a bass does not take a shiner in one gulp. Frequently, it hits prey,
stunning or killing it, before swallowing it. Moreover, a bass must swallow a
baitfish headfirst to keep from choking on extended fins. Allow the bass to
position the shiner in its mouth before swallowing it.
When the bobber goes down, reel in all the slack and feel for the fish on the
other end of the line. Determine where the bass wants to go and set the hook
as it moves away from the boat to avoid jerking the bait from its mouth.
Sometimes, the bass pulls out line in short spurts before swallowing the shiner.
With a little practice, anglers get the feel of it.
For booking trips, call 800-525-3477 or 386-734-2334. On line, see www.
hpfishcamp.com.
