Though I have a penchant for fishing in destinations around the world, I didn’t have to look far to discover that some of the best crappie fishing in the United States happens on the St. Johns River in east-central Florida, particularly in West Volusia County, and its many adjacent waterways. Flowing for more than 310 miles, this slow-moving tidal river is a nutrient-filled waterway where freshwater and saltwater species thrive together making it one-stop shopping for anglers who want the best of both.
Tucked between the busy hubs of Orlando and Daytona Beach, forming part of the western boundary of West Volusia County, this river system holds its own, despite the many inland lakes and coastal fisheries nearby. The waterways around the St. Johns River are prime for trophy largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish, but I came to target the large crappie for which these waterways have also developed a solid reputation.
My host for the day is angler Liz Whitaker, a local who is admittedly still learning the ropes when it comes to targeting crappie, but whose ambition for fishing for them has already earned her a reputation as the “crappie queen” around West Volusia County.
It doesn’t take me long to discover that her local title is well-deserved as fishing with Whitaker is a full-throttle, all-grit, get-in-there-and-do-it kind of experience.
“This is my happy place,” says Whitaker talking about how much she loves being on the water.
We set out from Highland Park Fish Camp, an old-school Florida fishing camp in DeLand, for pre-dawn crappie fishing. While cruising through the channel turns on our way to Lake Woodruff we admire the nesting ospreys, the sunrise and the dramatic Spanish moss draping from the Cypress and Oak trees.
Surrounding us is the Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge. This protected environment delivers all the bonuses of nature that make fishing more than just about catching fish, although we are after that too.
As this is a new region for me fishing and it’s been a long time since I’ve targeted crappie; my first lesson from Whitaker is learning that in these parts, the species is called speckled perch, or “specks” for short.
“OK, well we’re gonna run, get ready,” says Whitaker with a chuckle and an eager edge of excitement as she pushes up the throttle on the boat.
The water on Lake Woodruff is calm today, making it nearly perfect conditions for slow trolling. Whitaker wastes no time launching rods out the front and the back to get on the early morning bite.
We laugh at the thought of multiple hookups, which can happen quickly when the bite switches on.
“I had a triple once,” she says laughing at the kind of fishing chaos that every angler dreads and wishes for at once. “I just bring a fish in, put it down, bring in another one, put it down and hope the lines don’t get tangled.”
We are fishing with 12-foot rods trolling in four-to-six feet of water, going one-mile an hour. Our bait of choice today is soft plastic swimmers rigged on a 1/16-ounce jighead. We start with some of the tried-and-true blue colors, but after a few passes with no bites, we switch it up to add some plastics with sparkles.
Our first crappie is in the boat by 8 a.m. and Whitaker clicks the fish counter with pride. We keep track of every win and make plans to take them back to the Highland Park Fish Camp to help stock the pond where for kids come to fish.
As the sun gets higher, we change up our baits again – adding brighter colors like circus orange.
The bite starts to pick up on the boat, and the fish clicker is getting a workout. Whitaker works like a master of multitasking with navigation, instruction and keeping an eye on other boats to see who is landing fish.
Our mutual energy is explosive as we enjoy the day, the camaraderie and the joy of being surrounded by nature. We take a quick detour down a channel to soak in the native wildlife like alligators, ospreys, Sandhill cranes and turtles.
Whitaker grew up crabbing and fishing on Chesapeake Bay, but she only started fishing for crappie two years ago. She is a sponge for fishing knowledge and admits that’s how she continues to learn. Whitaker says she’s never been intimidated by what she doesn’t know. She bought a boat, learned the technology and she spends every day upgrading her knowledge on gear, tactics and how to successfully target crappie with different methods.
Continual learning is how she suggests women embark on the things they do not know or want to get better at doing in the outdoors space.
“Learn, learn, learn. Watch YouTube and get good tips on how to do things like tying knots,” says Whitaker.
Whitaker even enters crappie tournaments, such as the annual Berkeley Labaw Memorial Speck Tournament held in West Volusia County in January each year. She embraces the kind of fortitude that is an inspiration to any woman who wants to enjoy fishing and the outdoors regardless of experience or even if it means doing it alone.
“Anybody can do it and learn how to drive a boat, take the safety courses and just get out and try it. You may catch some, you may not, but one day you could get a whole bunch,” says Whitaker. “I think that women should really try it. They just need to build their confidence.”
Whitaker says that that continually setting new goals also helps her grow.
“I just want to get a two-pound crappie. They’re out here because I’ve put some big ones back and they should have grown up,” she says with a laugh and a committed ambition that will get her there.
Whitaker believes in the idea of paying it forward to encourage the next generations to learn the sport. With this in mind, we take our catch for the day of six crappie and a bluegill back to release in the Highland Park Fish Camp pond. We enjoy the thought of kids catching them and finding as much joy in it as we had out on the lake.
Passing on a tradition of enjoying fishing and the outdoors to new generations is the foundation of the Highland Park Fish Camp, which is run by third-generation owner Bryn Adams.
“There’s been thousands of kids that caught their first fish here,” says Adams. “I have friends like Liz and a couple other guys that help me keep it stocked and we get a lot of kids out here after school to fish the pond. I love seeing the next generation interested in fishing.”
Adams’ grandfather started the family fish camp in 1962. As the first woman in her family to run the business, Adams admits she’s had to prove herself to keep the traditional fishing camp thriving while evolving to attract the new blends of modern families. The fish camp offers RV sites and cabins, boat rentals and guided fishing promoting a slower pace of life while enjoying the outdoors. There’s not many of these traditional Florida fish camps left. Adams has a special interest in attracting women to the camp.
“Florida is so overdeveloped, so we’ve really tried to keep this place as much as the same as we can,” says Adams. “I’ve always thought that if we could promote more women in fishing, the women and the moms are going to bring the children.”
As the morning filters into afternoon, I join Whitaker and Adams in one of the rocking chairs on the porch of the fish camp office. Soothing our appetites with delicious fried catfish sandwiches and homemade potato salad, we chat about our shared joy in inspiring women to get outdoors in the unique ways that we each do it.
We know that inspiration is sometimes just the gentle push that women need to take up fishing, hiking, camping, hunting or any outdoor pursuit that speaks to them.
The day wraps with quiet conversation, new friendships and silent reflection as we admire the lost bobbers in the trees above the pond tangled from errant casts from kids. We know that each piece of lost tackle represents new confidence for the kids, especially young girls, who will keep trying and keep getting outdoors.
It’s never too early to plan a trip to West Volusia County. Check out its website for more details.
Anietra Hamper is an award-winning outdoor journalist, author, speaker and lifelong angler who specializes in outdoor adventure and fishing for some of the largest species around the world. Having spent a career as a top-rated television news anchor and investigative reporter, Anietra brings credibility to the stories she covers with her "boots-on-the-ground" journalistic approach. Anietra is based in Gahanna, Ohio. Visit Anietra’s website at http://www.threewordpress.com/. View all posts by Anietra Hamper
