Rodman Reservoir Guide

WHERE:

Located in north-central Florida, Rodman Reservoir was created in 1968 by the Army Corps of Engineers on the Ocklawaha River south of Palatka in Putnam and Marion Counties and connects to the St. Johns River. 1:45 from Jacksonville International Airport and 1:30 from Daytona Beach International.

WHAT:

Rodman Reservoir offered some of the best bass fishing in the area in recent years.

Floating cover and submersed vegetation, dead-standing timber, and tree stumps provide excellent shelter for trophy Florida largemouth bass.

The Reservoir is fed by and contains many natural springs, making water visibility often 8′ to 12′ or greater.

HOW:

Carolina-rigged soft plastics and deep diving crank baits are baits of choice. Anglers may also try drifting or trolling live shiners in the stump fields on both sides of the barge canal in the pool area. Artificial lures such as spinner baits and soft jerk baits retrieved along the stumps should also provide some action. In the Orange Springs area, live shiners floated under overhanging vegetation in the river channel often produce some hefty largemouth bass. Deep diving crank baits fished along the river channel and flipping craws or lizards in the vegetation are also worth trying.

Check out the Baitstick Box – Florida to get all the basics needed for a day on the water at Rodman Reservoir. Experienced anglers and professional guides have weighed in on the gear inside the Baitstick Box. Seasoned anglers can resupply with essentials and new anglers can fish a lake right out of the box.

All fishing is local and Baitstick is committed to bringing you products to make your next fishing trip the best trip.

WHEN:

Drawdowns are conducted every three to four years on the reservoir for aquatic plant control and fish and wildlife habitat enhancement. Water levels are sometimes dropped 7-9 feet below normal between December and March, concentrating fish stocks and making fishing especially productive.

Typically, the largemouth bass spawn begins in mid-January and runs through May, depending on water temperatures.

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