River Voices Story One - Hooked on the St. Johns

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Photo of Adam Delaney looking at minnows

Adam Delaney: We're going to be fishing with live bait today so we are going to get some of these bullhead minnows out of this tank here. They're fast little critters, so you kind of have to chase them down.

Photo of Adam Delaney on dock

Narrator: Fishing guide Adam Delaney is preparing for a day of bass fishing, a sport that each year has a major impact on Florida's economy. It lets Delaney both support his family, and do what he loves.

Photo of Adam Delaney

Adam Delaney: There's nothing better than taking people out and watching them catch fish. I have a lot of children who go out with their parents and those are always great trips.

Photo of fishing boat on Lake George

Narrator: Lake George is Florida's bass fishing Mecca. This bay-sized bulge in the St. Johns River draws people from across the country in search of lunker bass.

Photo of Adam Delaney talking

Adam Delaney: You never know what you are going to catch on a day of fishing. That's why they call it fishing and not catching. So, we'll just have to see. I won't ever guarantee big fish. I have enough faith in my ability to guarantee fish, but I won't guarantee big fish. They just have to happen.

Photo of Lily Pads

Narrator: And great bass happen here because this section of the river features ideal habitat for largemouth bass and other fish. Extensive grass beds, essential breeding grounds for bass, line the perimeter of Lake George. Several springs feed into the St. Johns here and the west side of the river is sheltered from development by hundreds of thousands of acres of protected swamp and forestlands. It doesn't take long for Delaney to fulfill his guarantee of fish.

Photo of Adam Delaney and friend fishing

Adam Delaney: You're ok. Go ahead and take your slack up. Ok. Hit him hard. Alright that's a nice fish.

Photo of Adam Delaney

Adam Delaney: There's not a lot of places that you can go and catch half a dozen or eight quality bass. And we've got one of the prettiest settings you could ever ask to fish in. It's just a fantastic area and there are plenty of fish a lot bigger than this one. Let's just see if we can't get one of those real big ones.

Photo of Georgetown Marina sign

Narrator: Freshwater fishing in Florida contributes some two billion dollars to the state's economy. And in the St. Johns River basin the economic impact reaches into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Photo of bass boats

Adam Delaney: The bass fishing industry in this area in Putnam County means everything. It's our number one tourist attraction. People come here from up north and all over the country for the bass fishing.

Photo of crab fisherman

Narrator: Commercial fishermen also make a living harvesting blue crabs, catfish and shrimp on the St. Johns. But it all depends on the river's health. And that's something Delaney knows is threatened by pollution and can't be taken for granted.

Photo of swimmers

Adam Delaney: If the quality of the water isn't maintained on this river system the fishing is going to go down. The tourism is going to go down. The economy is going to fall and there just won't be the traffic through this area, because the river is our main attraction. We have a lot of people who come here not for fishing but for the environment, swimming, water skiing and just playing in the outdoors. If the river quality goes down enough to affect the fishing, I wouldn't want to be swimming in it. And it's going to affect everybody that enjoys this river system in this area.

Aerial view of housing development

Narrator: Even though this part of the river is fairly well protected Delaney knows development pressures and pollution from runoff cast a dark shadow on the river's future.

Photo of Adam Delaney

Adam Delaney: That's what we've got to start thinking about. What does the future hold even when we're gone. What are our kids and grandkids and so on going to have to look forward to.

Photo of fisherman

Narrator: But for now, with bright skies and hungry fish waiting, Delaney is looking forward to outsmarting one more fish.

Photo of fish on fishing line

Adam Delaney: Good deal! Looks like a nice fish. Oh, yeah. That's a real nice fish

The Water's Journey: The River Returns film
is an original film by Karst Productions, Inc.
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All Photos © 2005 Russell Sparkman/Fusionspark Media, Inc., unless otherwise noted.