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Bass Fishing Forecast for April

Schooling bass fishing action is still here! Early morning top water action is usually off the hook. Even as the day warms up, you will still be able to get some top water action going. The spinner bait bite is a good bet for catching bass throughout the day, as well as using rattle traps and steel shad. This time of year is great bass fishing for everyone. Air temperatures are perfect, not too cool, and not too warm and water temperatures are very stable, making the bass fishing action good.

Lake Toho will see a lot of boat traffic, as everyone is really having a great time catching bass, and for those who just want to relax, the shiner bite is always good, but keep in mind you don’t always get to just relax, because the bass will be hammering those shiners!

One of our go to lures will be the steel shad. This lure has caught a ton of bass for us, and some quality bass up to five pounds. For those still searching for that trophy bass some big largemouth bass can be caught on buzz baits, spinner baits and rattle traps.

Butler Chain, save our water

Would sewer switch preserve Butler lakes?

I found this article from the Orlando Sentinel. I think its time we all take a good look at our waters, not only here in Florida but everywhere, and start thinking is it really worth it to allow developers to build around lakes. Maybe there needs to be an increased buffer along with no more septic tanks around lakes. Here is the article.

July 29, 2007|By Rich Mckay, Sentinel Staff Writer
Years back, the water in the Butler Chain of Lakes was gin-and-tonic clear.

Sport fishermen could look 15 feet straight down and watch fat bass hunt through eelgrass.

Today the 11-lake chain in southwest Orange County rates among the cleanest in the state, but the water’s clarity has diminished. That has the county’s environmental officials worried.

A recent $250,000 study still under review by Orange County’s Environmental Protection Division found pockets of algae-feeding phosphorus at levels 30 times greater than water scientists recommend.

Leaking septic systems, nutrients from lawn fertilizers and stormwater runoff are cited by county scientists as likely sources of the phosphorus. If too much of it gets into the lakes, then algae will bloom, killing fish and toppling the balanced ecosystem.

Once-clear Lake Apopka was doomed to its rancid fate in large part because of phosphorus and other nutrients from sewage and fertilizers.

No one swims there. Clarity is measured in inches. And its few inhabitants are bottom-feeding fish that can thrive in oxygen-deprived waters, Orange County officials say.

To avoid that fate, the Butler study calls for Windermere’s 2,400 residents to all switch from septic to sanitary sewer.

But if political and financial woes faced by communities in similar situations — the Wekiva River basin, Port Orange in Volusia County and Key West — are an indicator of what lies ahead, Windermere is in for a long fight.

A pivotal point is the price of converting to municipal sewer or a different sort of septic-tank system.

The cost for a homeowner to change from septic to sewer in Orange County is about $2,000 per home, said James Michael, the owner of Patriot Plumbing. County hookup fees would add about $3,000.

But Windermere resident Jim Clark, who heads the town’s ad hoc committee to study the septic issue, said money is not the concern.

“I live right on Lake Butler,” Clark said. “If we need to fix something, we’ll write a check and do it. But the more we look into it, the more we find that septic works pretty darn good.”

Residents point fingers

But a growing body of evidence points to septic as part of the trouble. The Butler study by former University of Florida professor Harvey Harper was designed to measure what elements are in the water, not to trace the origin. Yet Harper said you don’t have to be a detective to see the obvious.

“Septic is the logical source,” he said.

Harper and Orange County environment officials say stormwater runoff is a source, as is development, which can unlock phosphorus naturally present in the ground.

Many residents point their fingers at the large golf courses outside Windermere that border the lake chain.

But Joseph Bow, the greens superintendent for Windermere Country Club, said that’s not true.

“If there’s phosphorus going into the water, it isn’t coming from us,” Bow said.

He said most of the fertilizer they use doesn’t contain phosphorus.

He said the South Florida Water Management District strictly monitors the golf course, and he keeps detailed records of every chemical and fertilizer they use.

Bow puts the blame back on the residents’ use of fertilizer on their lawns.

“A homeowner might just buy anything off the shelf and not be careful,” he said.

Windermere resident Vera Carter doesn’t deny that townsfolk could do more to protect the lakes, including switching to sewer.

She points out that Windermere includes just 16 percent of the shoreline of the Butler Chain.

“Everyone has to do this, or we’ll just be wasting our money,” she said.

Differing opinions

A switch from septic to sanitary sewer could burden the town with a tab of $20 million or more. Windermere’s annual budget is $3.5 million. And each household would have to pay about $5,000 to have its septic system properly abandoned and to hook onto sewer.

Clark knows high-tech systems can clean septic discharge very well, but many of those involve multiple filters, electric pumps and many more parts that can break down.

“Septic is simple,” he said.

Windermere resident Lori Bradford is the president of the advocacy group Butler Chain Concerned Citizens Association Inc. She said it might be more than one thing hurting the lakes, but that doesn’t mean everyone shouldn’t do all that can be done.

“We’re all in the same boat,” she said. “We live here.”

But the town isn’t of one mind. Longtime resident Karen Fay, who lives on Windermere’s Wauseon Bay and has just installed a new septic system, said the town is slow to change.

“Well, you know what they say, if it ain’t broke . . . “

Butler Chain

About Windermere and the Butler Chain

Posted by Hojin on August 20, 2007

Most first time visitors to the area may say that it is a little further away from everything than Dr. Phillips, but for luxury living at its best, look no further than the Town of Windermere. Pristine sand bottom lakes surround this small West Orange community. Boaters and Bass fisherman will love the system of canals that connects eleven lakes known as the Butler Chain of Lakes comprised of Lake Down, Little Lake Down, Wauseon Bay, Lake Butler, Lake Louise, Lake Isleworth, Lake Chase, Lake Pocket, Lake Tibet, Lake Sheen, and Fish Lake. The most popular types of boats to navigate the chain are ski boats, pontoon boats, and bass fishing boats. Lake Butler is the largest lake in the chain and houses a island bird sanctuary commonly referred to as “Bird Island” which many boaters use as a gathering place. A large blue pontoon boat covered in speakers, coolers, and of course a grill named “Grillin and Chillin” is a fixture there on most popular weekends and holidays. Some popular neighborhoods on the Butler Chain include Isleworth, Lake Butler Sound, Kelso, Keene’s Pointe, Windermere Downs, Marina Bay, Osprey Isle, Tibet Pointe, Bay Hill, Emerson Pointe, Cypress Isle, Cypress Point, and Chaine du Lac.

Lake Down is the northernmost lake but when the water levels become too low or high it becomes difficult to make it through the canal to the rest of the chain depending on the type of boat you’re in. Lake Tibet is the second largest lake in the chain and the Bay Hill marina offers a place to buy gas while on the chain. Another place to get gas on the chain is the Orange County Sportsman’s Club on Lake Sheen. A Sportsmans’s Club membership is a sought after commodity in Southwest Orlando because it’s only just a few hundred bucks a year and you get 2 boat ramps, boat storage, clubhouse, and a beach for your weekend boating excursions. The waiting list for membership typically runs at least two years but like many clubs, knowing the right person could expedite the process. To join the legions of boaters waiting to join, membership information can be obtained at 407-876-2010. The only public access to the Butler Chain is at the R.D. Keene Park located on Chase Road in Windermere and during the summer months the 47 parking spaces fill up by the early morning hours. The Lake Down ramp does provide another place for access but there’s no place to park so what’s the point.

Probably the least desirable lake on the Butler Chain, if there is such a thing, is Wauseon Bay because much of the lake is a no wake zone. Dont’ get me wrong, I would take a house on Wauseon Bay in a second. Heck, I’ll take one on one of the canals. The water on this chain are crystal clear and are spring fed. Most lakes in Central Florida such as the Clermont Chain, Conway Chain, Winter Park Chain, Harris Chain, and Lake Toho tend to have bathwater temperatures during the summer months but the water in the Butler Chain remains cool even in the peak summer months. The only complaint I have about the Butler Chain of Lakes is that I can’t afford a house on it but other than that, boat houses on docks are no longer allowed and the pre-existing boat houses have been grandfathered in.

The depth, temperatures, and water clarity also contribute in making the Butler Chain one of the best for bass fishing. It’s a little less renowned than nearby East Lake Toho, but the locals know that the Butler Chain is pretty comparable and a heck of a lot easier to fish. Bass tend to congregate tightly during the cold winter months at the ledges of drop offs which can go as deep as 41 feet then migrate to offshore submerged grass beds in 10 to 20 feet of water. Spring brings spawning season and the best time of the year for bass fishing where bass bed in shallow water which can be a foot or less. There’s so many different types of structures to fish here and most of them are easy to access. Jigging a gold spoon works well in fishing deep water holes like the one on Little Lake Down and popular baits for fishing various structures on the lakes include: Gary Yamamoto Senkos, Zoom Trick Worms, Zoom Flukes, White Willow Leaf Spinnerbaits, and various swim baits suited for really clear water. I really like the chartreuse shad color on my crankbaits and slashbaits and the watermelon color with red or black flecks work well for Senkos and Trick Worms. Fishing on the Butler Chain is a lot more pleasant during the weekdays with far less boaters crowding the waters. The fish bite all year round, but your best chance to catch the bass of a lifetime is during the Spring spawning season. Tim Fey, a resident of SW Orlando, is a well known guide along these waters who authors Bass Fishing Florida, a great resource for finding out what lures are working where.

This chain of lakes makes waterfront living in Windermere the premier location to live in Southwest Orlando. Windermere was given its name from Dr. Stanley Scott, whose father purchased 160 acres in this picturesque location in 1885. Dr. Scott built his home on the shore of Lake Butler, and it is believed by many that he named this town after England’s Lake Windermere. A book entitled Windermere Among the Lakes by Carl D. Patterson, Jr. published in 2005 creates the most detailed account of Windermere’s history.

Today, more than 2,300 people inhabit the Town of Windermere. The community, however, has not based its success on how rapidly it grows, but on how natural and pleasant a community in which it is to reside. Windermere tries to focus on preserving the town’s natural state and strong community atmosphere. The town’s quality of life is its most distinguishing feature. In fact, many of the town streets remain unpaved to continue their commitment to retain the pristine nature of the chain of lakes. The only paved street is 2nd Avenue which leads to Bumby Point, a peninsula that lies between Wauseon Bay and Lake Butler.

For luxury living with a small-town feel, you can’t beat the Town of Windermere. The Windermere Police Department, although comprised of I believe just 3 officers, have a reputation in the area for handing out speeding tickets for going even a mile an hour over the speed limit so beware. They’re probably bored from the lack of crime so I guess I can’t blame them. Other than that, the dirt roads, small town feel, and the canopy of age old oaks makes Windermere a really neat place to call home.

Lake Toho

Butler Chain of Lakes

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