Moscooter Loc: Sunset Beach, N.C.

We're an old couple and like to get out a few times a year. Live in No. Carolina on the coast. Want to get out of the chilly winter weather for a while.

We did big Lake O down there a few yrs ago for close to a month. Had a great time. Hoping to connect with some big bass and maybe some nice crappie too on our trip.

Any info on Lake Istokpoga would be welcome. I seem to have accumulated way too much tackle over the years and will be trying to pare it down to a manageable amount before we head out. Have a 17' Bass Tracker which works OK, but really miss the big Skeeter I had back in the 80's.

bassman57 Loc: Kinston, NC

Welcome Mo, best of luck when you go!! Surely, someone will help you out shortly! Include your location on your profile, I'm from Kinston!!

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

Welcome to the Forum, scooter, lots of members from FL. on here, but most of them are taking a nap right now. They will help you out, they are good people.

Moscooter Loc: Sunset Beach, N.C.

We live in Sunset Beach which is on the coast line about 7 miles above the So. Carolina State Line via Calabash. Getting ready to make sure things are "water/road ready" for the trip. Last time we took the boat out, I got to a lake in Western No. Carolina and when I tried to back off the boat trailer, I quickly found out the steering was "locked".

Had to unbolt the steering rod/arm and lube it up and reconnect and was good to go. Seems like it is always something especially when you only get out there two or three times per year.

bottomcoon Loc: Tahlequah, oklahoma

Welcome M & your mrs too. Pardner, I don't know the 1st thing about the lake you're heading to in Florida. I do know about all the things that can go wrong with a boat & equipment. A man can't spend enough time in a day keeping something from going haywire. Good luck on your trip.

Raw Dawg Ron Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

Look out for the scrub jays! Rare bird native to Lake Wales Ridge area. Shallow lake try to locate deep pockets and old creek bottoms. Have not fished there but have used little grape worms with bright colored curly tails that work well in dark water. Warmouth bass eat-em up. Tight Lines

Maximo Loc: Jupiter, Fl

Fished Lake Istokpoga as well as Lake June and Lake Jackson while we were evacuating for Dorian. Istokpoga appears to be the most promising. Good boat ramps and great pier.

dafjib Loc: Asheville ,N.C.

HImy name is Dan ,I had a house on lake I . for years .Its a great lake for big bass,brim,and most others. I ha vent been there for a long time ,but there use to be 2 fish camps just off the main rd. But google the. lake and you will see a big island in the middle of the lake with a cut through the middle and some small islands .Fish around the edges of any of them .I liked to use live shiners ,but lures work too. Talk to anyone at the fish camps and they can help you . But the best thing to do is get a local guide for a half day ,they could show you the whole lake in a short time ,and go on your own from there .If you want to know more message me back . Seabring is a nice town to see ,and you can get what you need there ,about 20 mi. from lake.

fishrmans Loc: Waushara Cnty Wisconsin and Port Charlotte Fl

lake istokpoga
Friday, July 21, 2017
★☆☆☆☆
“This lake used to be a wonder for fish and waterfowl. A decade of hydrilla spraying has ended that. Long time local residents report catch rates now one fifth of what they were a decade ago. Many have complained but the spraying continues.”
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- Jack Jones
what happened to the vegation
lake istokpoga
Thursday, July 20, 2017
★☆☆☆☆
“Fishing on this lake used to be great; but know the state has killed most of the vegetation in the lake. This winter of 2017 fishing sucked.”
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Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

Lake Istokpoga Bass Fishing.🎣🐠


https://centralfloridabassguides.com/lakes/lake-istokpoga/


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fishrmans Loc: Waushara Cnty Wisconsin and Port Charlotte Fl

Was there 2 weeks ago and stopped at fish bones for bait and he told us to not even waste our time in that lake right now because of the lack of vegitation. Said we would do better fishing one of the other lakes. Good luck.

BILLBYRD1 Loc: Prattville Al

Welcome Mo from Alabama Bill

dafjib Loc: Asheville ,N.C.

That sucks I had a place in Istopoga shores ,in the 70s-90s and the fishing was great . the veg. got bad in the 90s but you could still run the lake . I guess if you leave it to the Govt. like everything else ,they will screw it up ! Do you still live out there ? I wanted to go back down,but if the fishing sucks what is the use . Please let me know what is going on .

fishrmans Loc: Waushara Cnty Wisconsin and Port Charlotte Fl

I live in Port Charlotte. Only 50 or so miles away. I had heard it was a very good bass and crappie lake, so we thought it would be worth checking out. Not good news. Hopefully things will improve again cause it is a beautiful lake. You know how it is.....if it’s already good the Florida wildlife and natural resources can always make it a lot better...right ?

Moscooter Loc: Sunset Beach, N.C.

Just returned home from two weeks at Itakpoga. The info as to the Hydrilla kill off and much tougher fishing is indeed true. I stayed at the Lake Istokpoga Marina and RV camp. The residents there were mostly all pissed off as to the way in which the Florida NR or whatever they call themselves..........handled the kill off of vegetation. Many of them attended a meeting with the NR folks and got no real or reasonable responses. When asked by the crowd if any the officials had even been on the lake..........None had.

Local residents viewed during the spraying series from boats, that when the crew ran out of places to spray directly onto vegetation, that they then.......(since their spray tanks were not empty) just sprayed the remainder of the liquid straight into the lake.

Some out there fishing were indeed able to catch a few, (we did too). But the numbers of bass and crappie and the sizes as I understood it were not at all as it was a few years ago. From what I was told, this is NOT an isolated lake with this problem. The NR resources have used helicopters and spray boats to iradicate hydrilla in the vast majority of the big bass lakes in all of Florida.

How soon and or when/if there is some recovery is an open question.