Lake Manatee, Saturday Feb.23rd

[fishin813]

Lake Manatee Tournament
Saturday, Febr. 23rd, 2013

Lake Manatee State Park
Hwy 64 off I-75, 5 miles on left
$5.00 park fee unless Fla Park
Card Holder.

This lake is 2,850 acres of everything
a fisherman can think of in a lake or
water impoundment. It has a dam at
west end, concrete highway overpass
on east end separating upper/lower lakes. Water level is controlled year
round, it has a river snakng through it
3 creeks emptying into. Lake contains
lilly pads, kissimmee grass, some hydrilia,marsh, deep holes, sharp bends of river,brush piles, stump field
and has a depth of 2.5 ft to 51 ft deep.
Have, in past seen 10 lb weigh ins on
pre-fish days. This lake has everything in cluding a class A boat
ramp, wlong with beautiful full service
camp ground and shelter. It should be
considered a "showcase" for Florida
Parks system.

Lake has one slight draw back: You can only use trolling motors and/or motors under 20 hp on this lake. Do
not have to pull props on bigger engines, just not allowed to use them.
Several people in past have said they would not fish tournament with this
ruling, however, last December, Rick
Hartsock won event with stringer of
8 lbs, 3oz and was not more than 1,000 yrds from ramp in plain view.
Last July i saw a 9.5 pre-fish stringer
come out of the stump field 800 yrds
from ramp. Believe me there are some dandies in their. I personally
pre-fished this lake recently with a
cold front commin in and wnd beating
me half silly like bee-bee in box car.
Caught 33 fish, kept 9 in the 1.2-1.8 range. 13.5 -15" long.

Those commin to tournament: "If you
do not have a Fla. St Park Pass,stop
at main gate & call: Mike Benjamin
941 920-4778 or Harold Mcghee
813 215-9759 and we will give you
gate combination and you can pay
park fee at time of sign in.