The 74-mile-long Ocklawaha River is a central Florida treasure. It starts at George Kirkpatrick Dam (formerly called Rodman Dam) and eventually ends at the St Johns River. The central portion of the Ocklawaha forms the western and northern boundaries of the Ocala National Forest.

First, let’s clear up a common misconception. There are no alligator gar in central Florida.

I’ve always called it the big flush. It’s also called the squeegee, the drain and other such names. They all refer to the same phenomenon that leads to fantastic light tackle fishing on the St Johns River.

Fortune favors the angler who is willing to do what others won’t, the one who forgoes ease and convenience to reach places others are unwilling to go

If you fish the flats in east central Florida you’ve likely encountered black drum. Little slot sized drum up to big brutes that weigh 25 pounds or more inhabit our shallows year around, although they are a little less prevalent in the summer. Black drum are crustacean eaters. Toss a shrimp, chunk of crab or piece of clam in their path and they are probably going to eat. The real challenge comes when you try to catch them on artificials.

I was one of the lucky folks who got to kayak fish Headwaters before the launch ramp opened up. We didn’t know it was called Headwaters back then. We just called it Fellsmere Reservoir. I fished it almost every weekend and I would usually see the same people every time I was there.

I’ve been wanting to catch a Smallmouth bass for decades. Had I know there was good smallie fishing in South Carolina, an easy day’s drive from my central Florida home, I would’ve scratched that species off the bucket list long ago.

It was easily the most dangerous fishing I had ever done. Large Pacific swells crashed against the rocks. Farther offshore those swells were no big deal – just a gentle rise and fall. Inshore, waves rebounding off the cliffs combined with incoming swells created unpredictable, turbulent seas. The trick was to get my kayak close enough to cast a popper among the rocks while staying far enough away that a rogue wave wouldn’t wash me into the impact zone.

There are perks from writing for publications like Spacefish. I took advantage of those perks when I fished as a media representative in the ICAST Cup last week. As a saltwater guy, it is always a blast and quite the learning experience to spend time on the water with the bass pros.