Florida Waypoint: Good Old-School Panfishing on the St. Johns River

As I made my way into the Highland Park Fish Camp tackle store, I stepped over a sleeping blonde Labrador and then stopped to watch three boys fishing for bass. An older couple sat in chairs, next to the pond, also watching the boys fish.

It wasn’t Mayberry, but it could have been. The rust was real, not faux patina. The fish and game mounts inside the store stood unapologetically. A skin mount of an impressive diamondback rattlesnake was framed and led you into the side of the store filled with white-tailed deer, ducks, a bobcat and largemouth bass. The largest bass, from a customer in 1977, had tipped the scales at 15.4 pounds.

Big bass are hard to come by these days, Bryn Adams told me while pointing out the skin-mounted bass. Bryn’s grandfather bought the fish camp in 1962. She’s the third generation in her family to run the business.

“If our customers want a realistic shot at a decent bass, we have to take them 30 minutes away to the Harris Chain of Lakes,” she said.

It’s to Bryn’s credit she’s not trying to hide the decline of the once-mighty St. Johns River bass fishery, nor is she quietly sitting by while someone else addresses the problem. Bryn is involved with a new group called the Mighty River Recovery, dedicated to bringing back the fishery on the St. Johns.

Local panfishing, at least, has been excellent in recent times. In a little over an hour fishing with guide DJ Williamson, we caught over 30 fish. Using blood worms on 8-pound spinning tackle I caught bluegill, channel catfish and shellcracker.

Later that morning as DJ cleaned our fish, I spoke with Eli Dubree, from Alamo, Georgia, who has been coming to the camp for 40 years. “We come two, sometimes three, times a year,” he said. “It’s quiet, we catch lots of fish, facilities are great, no hassles, easy access to the lakes, we love it here.”

“It’s true old Florida,” Bryn Adams says. “We’re surrounded by the 22,000-acre Lake Woodruff Wildlife Refuge. There are no homes and no development in either direction when you leave our camp by water.”

Highland Park Fish Camp made some major renovations building the cabins, 40 years ago. Since then, time has stood still—in a good way. You can still bring your own outboard engine and rent a fiberglass jon boat. However, Bryn told me that most people choose to rent one of their “complete” boat packages.

IF YOU GO

• Accommodations: One and two bedroom rustic cedar cabins. Fully furnished. Pet friendly. Two night minimum. No Wi-Fi. From $125 a night. Campground: 30 sites with full hookups. Reservations are accepted by phone only, 6 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily 1-800-525-3477
• Boat Rentals: 15-foot fiberglass boat with 15 hp; 16-foot bass boat with 50 hp; 23-foot pontoon with 50 hp; from $99 a day. Boat ramp, in-water slips and high-and-dry storage available.
• Bait & Tackle: Full tackle shop. Rod and reel rentals. Snacks, cold drinks, ice, gas, oil, and some marine supplies. Live bait: wild shiners, domestic shiners, minnows, worms and crickets.
• Bass Pond: Stocked catch-and-release bass pond. Ideal for children. Only charge is that if you use live bait, you have to buy it in the tackle store.
• Charter Fishing: DJ Williamson is one of two guides fishing out of Highland Park Fish Camp. Four-hour trip is $350 for 1-2 people; add for bait or additional anglers. Reservations by phone only.
• Dining: Want to dine-in? Cabins have a full size refrigerator, stove and microwave, plus each comes with a charcoal grill and picnic table. Deland and its many restaurants are 15 minutes away.
• Contact: Highland Park Fish Camp, 2640 W. Highland Park Road, Deland, FL 32720. Hours 6 a.m.-5 p.m., 800-525-3477, 386-734-2334; highlandparkfishcamp.com
• Mighty River Recovery: Deland, FL non-profit dedicated to ending the continued decline of Florida’s St. Johns River, while working to organize and unify outdoor enthusiasts. (386) 804-5055; mightyriverrecovery.org

---