After 8 months of being closed, the navigational lock between Lake Tohopekaliga and Lake Cypress, also known as the S-61 Lock and the Southport Lock, has reopened to the boating public. Work isn't complete yet, but the SFWMD has honored fishermen by allowing boats through it anyway. This means you'll be able to go to Lake Toho during the Lake Cypress tournament on January 30th. You can read more about the refurbishment effort in the SFWMD press release.

The LERA Bass Club held its December tournament at the Alligator Chain on the 19th. The post-frontal conditions made the fishing tough, but Jimmy Blount of Rockledge and Richard Boogaerts of Cocoa were not dismayed. They brought two fish to the scales that weighed a total of 5.88 pounds to win the tournament. With this victory, Blount/Boogaerts have taken over the points lead for the Bassmaster's title. Blount's 4.58 pounder was the tournament's big bass and the 3rd biggest fish of all time to be weighed at a LERA Bass Club tournament at the Alligator Chain. Alan Elder of Melbourne and Wayne Smith of Palm Bay took second place with 2 fish weighing a total of 4.11 pounds. Third place went to Larry Cruce of Titusville and Tim Iler of Port St. John with 1 fish weighing 2.25 pounds.

FLW Outdoors recently created the Wounded Heroes Fishing program to connect wounded veterans with volunteers for a day of fishing on the water. Show your appreciation to our service members by sharing a day with a local veteran that neither of you will soon forget. Sign up at the FLW Outdoors website and they'll set you up with a local veteran.

By far, the highlight of the day was seeing B.A.S.S. professional angler Charlie Hartley at the boat ramp after the tournament. He asked how much weight it took to win and after he found out, he said, "I think I would have actually won that one!". That guy is awesome! We're rooting for you Charlie!

As for the tournament, it was pathetic. Bob Barnette and Dwayne Haga bested the field with 3 little fish weighing a grand total of 4.21 pounds. That's right. We held a tournament on West Lake Toho and it only took 4.21 pounds to win. Mike Calloway took second by himself with 3.99 pounds and Tim Iler and his son Joe took 3rd with 3.74 pounds. Ed Brewer earned big bass honors with a 2.53 pound giant.

It seemed as though short fish were everywhere and the majority of bass over 14" in Lake Washington dressed up as mud fish and gar for Halloween at the LERA Bass Club's second tournament of the season. The team of Jimmy Blount of Rockledge and Richard Boogaerts of Cocoa weren't tricked. They managed to bring 4 fish to the scales totaling 9.38 pounds to win the tournament. Blount's 3.34 pounder was the big bass of the tournament. Second place was earned by Alan Elder of Melbourne and Wayne Smith of Palm Bay with 3 fish for 5.42 pounds. The Semonski brothers, Cliff of Oak Hill and Glen of Plant City, finished third with 4.70 pounds in 2 fish.

Bob Barnette and Dwayne Haga's monthly Lake Poinsett tournament series is restarting this Sunday, October 10 out of the Lone Cabbage ramp on the south side of 520. It's a two person team format with tournaments held on the 2nd Sunday of every month. $50/boat is all it takes to get in and that money is entirely paid back to the winners. The tournament runs from sunrise to 2:00 pm and it's open to everyone. If you'd like more information, use the contact form and I'll get you in touch with Bob.

The LERA Bass Club kicked off its 2010-2011 season with at the love bug infested Lake Kissimmee on September 26, 2010. Bob Barnette of Port St. John and Dwayne Haga of Titusville won the event with 15.41 pounds. Their bag included Haga's 6.96 that took big bass honors for the tournament. Second place went to Alan Elder of Melbourne who sacked 12.27 pounds by himself. Larry Cruce of Titusville and Tim Iler of Port St. John took third with 9.20 pounds.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has developed the first draft of a long term black bass management plan and is looking for feedback on it. The plan is critical to the future of the freshwater fisheries in the state of Florida and you are encouraged to participate by reading the plan and taking the survey. If you are a lazy bastard, you don't have to read the plan because all the information is in the survey and you can only answer the questions you care about and skip everything else.

The full 2010/2011 LERA Bass Club tournament schedule is now set and various electronic versions of it are available on the schedule page. The season starts September 26th on Lake Kissimmee. Now is a great time to join the club!

The 2009-2010 season ended with the Classic on August 29 at East Lake Tohopekaliga. The team of Larry Cruce of Titusville and Tim Iler of Port St. John won with an impressive total weight of 16.31 pounds. Their weight included a 4.75 pounder caught by Cruce which took big bass honors for the tournament. The father-son team of Clyde Taylor and Raymond Taylor of Palm Bay qualified for the Classic via the Wild Card and took full advantage of the opportunity by catching 13.08 pounds to earn a 2nd place finish. The recently crowned 2009-2010 LERA Bass Club Bassmasters of the Year, Ralph Litton of Vero Beach and Steve Bistarkey of Palm Bay, took third with 11.65 pounds.