Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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The passing of the season's first tropical system left precious little rain in area gauges, so water levels in area lakes are continuing to suffer, with some still headed lower. Fishing remains in a transitional time until the summer monsoon rains start in earnest.. The upper Kissimmee chain, including Lake Hatchineha, is VERY low. A few bluegill are being caught there by marker ten, and a few bass are being caught on frogs on outside edges early. On Lake Walk-in-Water, the...
Although the 2022 Hurricane season officially begins Wednesday, some models are already showing a threat to Florida. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami are now allowing a 60 percent chance that a tropical storm will form in the southern Gulf of Mexico or western Caribbean in the next five days, and most models show any system there moving in a general north-eastward direction. Some show a weak and diffuse low-pressure area, but others are predicting a rapid...
The gradual expansion of the Lake Wales Business Community is receiving another boost as the Dyer Auto Group prepares to open their new Chevrolet dealership on US 27 North across from Eagle Ridge Mall. Dyer's new $5 million dealership is a significant expansion from their current location two miles south, according to General Manager David Dlugokecki. The new location will also allow the family-owned business to co-locate their two local new-car dealerships. Dyer Kia moved int...
Not too many anglers were out last week due to the high winds we have experienced, but now that calmer weather has arrived, the fish and fishers are active again. On Lake Walk-in-Water, bluegill and shellcracker are still biting in the lily pads on crickets. With the full moon coming this weekend you can expect one more good wave of bass up in shallow water. On Lake Hatchineha, it's a good idea to try the east side of the lake for shell crackers in the pads. Bass can be found...
With warming weather and recent rains, fishing patterns keep changing. Keep checking back for the latest updates. On big Lake Walk-in-the-Water, bluegill and shell cracker are still being caught on red worms and crickets in the lily pads and grass. Bass are schooling on shad in the grass first thing in the morning. Try throwing a white horny toad lure around the grass margins. On Lake Hatchineha, a few local anglers are still catching specks at day light in Gator Cove using...
As the weather changes, so does the fishing, so stay informed about what's biting, and where you can find them! On Lake Walk-in-the-Water, there's action with blue gill and shell cracker, which are being caught in the pads. Some speckled perch are still being caught in the grass first thing in the morning. Bass up to 8.5 pounds are being caught in the reeds on a popping frog and Senko. On Lake Hatchineha, specks are still being caught in Gator Cove around scattered hydrilla on...
Highlands Hammock State Park has a full lineup of activities and special events for the month of March including nature hikes, "Firefly Nights" tram tours, and a Music in the Park concert. On March 14, park visitors may join Park Services Specialist (PSS) Carla Sherwin on a "Hiking the Hammock" walk which offers the unique opportunity of exploring some restricted areas. This "off the beaten path" trek runs down Cottage Road through cypress swamp and emerges into pine flatwoods...
The weather forecast this week is for continued warm weather and a chance of showers and thunderstorms until Saturday, when it's predicted to get dangerously gusty on area lakes. Please use caution as you boat about. On Lake Walk-in-the-Water, folks are starting to catch bluegill and shell cracker in the grass and pads on red worms and wigglers. Bass are starting to move to more isolated cover, so try using a redbug trick worm working it slow. For Lake Hatchineha, if you are...
Editor's Note: We would like to share photos of you with your big catch! f you have tips or photos you care to share, please email them directly to [email protected]. Warmer weather is raising water temperatures on area lakes just as bass are starting to spawn, so many fish are mobile right now. Fishing on Lake Walk-in-the-Water seems to be producing specks at night under lights, using minnows drifting. Bass fishing picked up a little last week with the moon, so try...
A festive February evening and pleasant weather drew hundreds of pedestrians to fill the sidewalks of downtown for the Lake Wales Mainstreet Winedown event. Some two dozen businesses opened their doors to the after-dark social event, offering complementary hors d'oeuvres and beverages to guests who purchased the $20 tickets. Patrons and supporters of Main Street enjoyed a wide range of tasty delights, including shrimp cocktails, pasta dishes, chocolates, a wide variety of...
Lake Wales area residents are being offered a hands-on habitat restoration activity which will see the planting of 5,000 young Long Leaf pines at the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest. The effort is being sponsored by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Division and their Ridge Rangers volunteer program. The purpose is to reintroduce native Long Leaf pines, in an effort to restore native and globally threatened habitats of the Lake Wales Ridge. Mature Longleaf pines provide essential...
Editor's Note: Controlled burns and selective logging have been employed on certain Florida properties including many environmental preserves. The proven technique is now being adopted for wider use) The Biden administration has announced that it is using $3 billion from last year's infrastructure law to revamp the federal approach to wildfire management, introducing a 10-year plan to deal with the large swaths of the West scientists consider most at risk of destructive...
Construction of the first of two new bridges designed to carry traffic on SR 60 over US 27 took a major step forward over the weekend despite a spate of inclement weather. Crews managed to lift fifteen steel I-beams weighing nearly 30 tons each, placing and securing them to massive concrete bases during a 54-hour window created by the temporary closing of US 27. Numerous police officers were on duty at traffic chokepoints. Heavy rains early Sunday, about 40 hours into the...
With growth in Lake Wales expected to accelerate in coming years, Lake Wales Airport is staying ahead of the curve, and plans are being laid for further improvements, according to Airport Manager Amanda Kirby. Working from her on-site office, which doubles as a conference room for contractors working on the several construction projects recently completed or ongoing, Kirby has overseen the greatest surge in improvements ever noted at the local airfield. Kirby has served as...
There's some action to be found on area lakes despite the unseasonable warmth this holiday period. Start your New Year out right with a fun advneture in pursuit of the perfect catch. Here are some of the specific lures that area fishermen are using with success around southeast Polk waters. On Lake Walk-in-the-water try trolling with a "shinee hinee" in orange and chartreuse in 6ft of water for the big specks. The bass are starting to move up into the shallows. Try keying in...
In a long-awaited development, Lake Wales is slated to begin receiving direct fiber-optics residential Internet service beginning in 2022. Fiber optics uses light rather than electrical impulses to transmit data, resulting in much faster speeds and higher data volumes. The new infrastructure is expected to provide an economic boost to the city as more people seek to work from home. A multi-million-dollar investment by Frontier Communications will employ "a small army of...
Christmas is a time for celebrating the season and a time for cutting down trees – and that holiday tradition sometimes leads to discussions about what's best for the environment: Is it greener to buy a real tree or a fake tree, or abstain altogether? UNH forest resources specialist Steven Roberge explained some of the factors he weighs in determining whether cutting a tree is an environmental boon or bust. The first caveat, according to Roberge: It's not as simple as you migh...
Changing weather and unseasonable warmth has made the fishing a bit unpredictable this season, but there's still plenty of action if you know where to look. On big Lake Walk-in-water, specks are moving into the grass first thing in the morning and late in evening. Go after them with minnows and a slip bobber. Bass are starting to move up into shallow water. Key in on pads and reeds throwing a spinnerbait or a watermelon red senko. For Lake Hatchineha try drifting jigs and...
The first time I met Martine de Wit, she was dressed in scrubs, ready to step into a laboratory containing eight dead manatees. Her job, and that of the dozen people assisting her in this St. Petersburg lab behind Eckerd College, was to find out what killed them - sort of a "CSI: Sea Cow," but without any rock stars screaming over the opening credits. These eight deaths weren't much of a mystery. Seven were victims of a lingering red tide algae bloom, while the eighth...
Do you like the neighborhood where you live? I sure like mine. My wife and I bought a 1926 Craftsman fixer-upper in St. Petersburg back in the mid-1990s, and we've been here ever since. We love the brick streets, the shady oaks, and the down-the-block proximity of a waterfront park. Our neighbors are pretty cool, too. They include a scientist, a professor, a couple of actors, a newspaper editor, a liquor store manager, and a lawyer (in court she may be a bulldog but in person...
Blacksmiths, crafters, and thousands of their admirers turned out for the annual Pioneer Days today in Lake Wales. The event, sponsored by the Lake Wales History Museum, runs through the weekend. Great weather seemed to draw out the crowds for the event, and they found lots to do and admire, with demonstrations of lots of pioneer crafts from broom-making to canoe carving. Antique tractors and cars, plenty of live music, a dozen food trucks, a beer garden and the annual...
The more things change, the more they stay the same! One result from the TrophyCatch Hall of Fame 100 survey not shown above is that the plastic worm caught more HOF bass than any other lure! Despite newer lures and the fact that bass have been seeing plastic worms for over 150 years, the plastic worm is still a top bass producer. And for good reason. First, worms are easily rigged weedless, letting you reach bass a crankbait can't touch. They're also fairly economical, so whe...
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Division of Law Enforcement reminds boaters to exercise caution and practice safe boating during the Labor Day holiday weekend, traditionally a time of increased boating traffic on waterways. Boaters are reminded not to operate vessels under the influence. In addition to decreasing the operator's ability to make sound judgments, the consumption of alcohol also negatively affects the ability of passengers to respond...
Sharon Ann Bass of Frostproof passed away Monday, September 6, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales surrounded by her loving family. She was born June 26, 1962 in Frostproof. Sharon was a Utilities Billing Manager for the City of Frostproof. She loved spending time with her granddaughter and was an amazing grandmother to her. She enjoyed going to the beach and sitting in the sun and warm weather whenever possible. Sharon loved cats, and her purses and shoes and shopping for more....
The City of Lake Wales Recreation Team is inviting families to a free Lake Night Cinema on Saturday, Sept. 4. Weather permitting, the movie "The Goonies" will be shown beginning at dusk at Lake Wailes park. Food trucks and other activities are planned starting at 6 p.m. The date was changed to avoid conflict with Lake Wales Highlander Football. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. Updates will be posted on the Lake Wales Recreation Facebook page. For more...
