Text 20030, 137 rader
Skriven 2006-05-15 16:48:00 av JIM HOLSONBACK (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av BOB SAKOWSKI
Ärende: Good Morning Sunshine
=============================
-=> BOB SAKOWSKI wrote to JIM HOLSONBACK <=-

<  >
 JH> Florida strain of largemouth bass.

 BS> We have seen those as well when we go out on the
 BS> gazeebo to feed the fish & turtles.

Tpical- bream will sart hanging around a spot where they get fed
regularly. I grew up on a creek, and we used to take a couple pieces of
regular old loaf bread, break up into small pieces and throw them out on
the water.  We used to catch a lot of bream on just 'doughballs' made of
the bread, with cane poles.   Where the water is clear, the bass can
often be spotted, lurking a few feet away - probably looking for some of
the small ones to get careless.

 JH> http://www.floridafisheries.com/Fishes/index.html

 BS> I have been all over that website trying to find a
 BS> clue as to the species of the fish in question.

One thing I forgot to mention - - the colors shown there for the bream
type panfish - bluegills, red-ear sunfish (aka shellcrackers) and the
readbreast bream - -I don't think I've ever seen a real fish of those 3
types with nearly as much _red_ as shown on those artist pictures there.


 JH> Based on the location of Crowell Lake, it is
 JH> most likely a sand-bottom lake, with clear water
 JH> (at least originally).

 BS> It's clear enough to see about 3-5' down near the
 BS> shore ( the gazeebo is about 5-6' out over the lake).
 BS> As for out in the middle, according to one of my
 BS> neighbors, Crowell likely is artesian fed because
 BS> he said while out on the lake his depth finder
 BS> recorded something over 200' in a small area.

It can't be artesian fed from the Floridan Aquifer, as the
potentiometric surface of the Floridan is well below the elevation of
the ground where you are.  I forgot where I saw a map with the aquifer
potentiometric surface on it, but it was status in 2005, and put out by
the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)- if you're
interested, should be quick to find if you do a google search on
"potentiometric Floridan aquifer."  BICt from a quick look, your ground
elevation is a bit over +100' and potentiometric surface of the Floridan
there is in the range of +65'- +70'

I'd be completely amazed if Lake Crowell is anywhere near 200' deep.
Most of those lakes there like that are in shallow karst depressions
(there may well be an old sinkhole down there somewhere, usually filled
up with sand.

After a brief search on net, I found what must be from an old USGS quad
sheet, as it shows all of your area as still in citrus groves.  Back
then, your lake was at +99', while Big Sand Lake was at +94 and the
Butler Chain was at +98.  The term "spring-fed lake" may be a bit
misused or overused by real estate types.  Some spring type flow into
your lake may be possible- esp if that higher ground to your south has a
clay layer down there somewhere - - the surface of the groundwater in
the surficial aquifer may well be a bit higher than the surface of your
lake, and there could be some horizontal seepage into the lake from this
source.  My guess would be this would show up with "squishy" surface of
the ground a few feet higher than the surface of the lake,  after a
period of good rain, but after the ground in your front yard had dried
out well.  Rain there is about 50" per year - - 2004 was about 10"
higher due mainly to those 3 hurricaines in aug-sep.  2005 was about 5"
on the plus side, but so far in 2006 you have had a very dry winter and
spring,  about 7" down for the year through April.

 BS> Another reason for being artesian fed, is that there
 BS> doesn't seem to be any creeks, etc. as a source and,
 BS> during the dry period we've been experiencing, unlike
 BS> many other nearby lakes, the water level hasn't
 BS> seemed to have dropped.

The amount they drop during drought periods seems to vary a lot.
Good that your lake is pretty stable.  At some of them, docks have ended
up high and dry, with water some distance away.  Other times, lakes
levels have risen, and the walkways to the docks have ended up under
water.  Lakes with no creek as a source, and no natural water course to
overflow is pretty typical of those round-shaped karst depression lakes.
You could probably get some better information on your particular lake
by calling the local office of the South Florida Water Management
District- they should have a guy there who knows a lot more than me
about the specifics of the lakes near you.

Hee - a war story - I know a fellow (probably a greedy republican) who
got rich and bought a place on the Butler Chain, I forget, it was in
either Bay Hill or Isleworth, no less. A couple years ago the lake went
down so much he couldn't get his ski boat out of his boathouse and into
the lake.

<  >

 JH> I'd be interested to hear when you are able to
 JH> identify your mystery fish.

 BS> I will try to get some pictures and I will be happy
 BS> to let you know, John.  However given your suggestion
 BS> I would not be surprised if it turns out to be in
 BS> the Bluegill family.

Yeah.  See above about the colors. I read recently that the red color
gets more pronounced during spawning season, but again, I've never seen
a bluegill with anywhere _near_ as much red coloring as the painting
shown at the above website.  Sometimes, there is no red at all - more
like a cream-colored area on its 'chest.' One giveaway for the species
is the copper-colored area on the 'forehead' - hence the popular name
'copperhead.'

 JH> I hope you come to love your adopted state.

 BS> What's not to love?  ;)

 BS> After spending over 23 years in Oklahoma (Tulsa and
 BS> environs), the last 2 years have been fantastic.

Did you have the fun of going through Charley, Francis and Jeanne back
in '04?  That sucked bigtime.

 BS> Oh yes.  We do enjoy the fireworks of SeaWorld from
 BS> the lanai in the evening...  as the crow flies it's
 BS> about 3 miles east of us.  We also hear (but not see,
 BS> generally) the fireworks from Disney to the west.

Thanks for the tagline.  [;-D.

 BS> Stay well.

Ditto.

- - -  JimH.

... Bob Sakowski - posting from within earshot of Shamu and Fantasyland!
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