The little largemouth stream of central Florida. The Withlacoochee is not the most famous river in Florida, but features some of the best chances to land a lunker in the Sunshine State.
Originating in the Green Swamp, the Withlacoochee flows north through Dunnellon and into the Gulf of Mexico near Yankeetown. It also has a major impoundment, forming Lake Rousseau just west of Dunnellon.
This river and Lake Rousseau are one of the "Bass Professor" Doug Hannon's favorite places to target 10-plus-pound bass.
From Hannon's Favorite Places to Find Big Bass on GoFISHn: "The Withlacoochee River here in Florida is one of my
favorite spots to go. It's short, only about 100 miles long, so there's
nothing really to pollute. There are huge fish in there. I also like
Lake Rousseau just to the West of
Dunellon. This
is the first Army Corp of Engineers dam and is a great bass lake."
Where the Withlacoochee empties into the Gulf, the Withlacoochee Bay is a great place to find reds and trout.
From Florida Sportsman:
It’s easier if we just call them the Ws. If you’re like most Florida
residents, you probably have no clue where the Withlacoochee and
Waccasassa bays are—let alone how to pronounce their Indian names. But
for the anglers who regularly fish these rich, uncrowded waters, that’s
just fine.
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