Little
Ol' Lake Called Pasadena
Published: June 20, 2005
DADE CITY … I like dirt roads. To me, they represent a road less
traveled, which invariably leads one to wander to a place whose charms
are known only to those willing to ingest a little dust and endure a
few bone-jarring ruts. Such is the road that leads to Lake Pasadena
RV Park and Fish Camp.
To the misdirected, such a place might appear nothing more than a ramshackle
collection of house trailers and clapboard. Yet to those who find sanctuary
in the peaceful pursuit of largemouth bass and ravenous panfish, it
is a rustic paradise, set like a gemstone on the north shore of glistening,
unspoiled Lake Pasadena.
It is one of those little hideaways that embody the law of promise
beyond the pavement.
The Bass Boss
Bonnie Holderman was on her way out as I guided my Jeep into the small
grass parking lot next to one of the fish camp's three boat ramps. Tan,
blond and petite, Holderman has managed the park and fish camp since
moving here from Michigan in 2003.
Wielding a half-acre smile and engaging unbridled enthusiasm, Holderman
is dockmaster, landscaper and handyman of this rural fishing enclave.
""This is where I'm supposed to be,' she said, lighting a
Marlboro and looking out over the lake. ""To me, this is heaven.'
Holderman doesn't fish, preferring instead to assist those who do,
whether by directing them to the lake's most productive spots or fattening
the bluegill that swarm around the dock in pursuit of their daily ration
of bread she casts out for them.
The grounds of the fish camp are cramped, which leaves very little
room for parking. Before Holderman began her tenure, there was room
for only 10 vehicles and trailers.
""I mowed out a little and finally added six more spaces,'
she said. ""That's usually plenty during the week, but on
the weekends it's still first-come, first-served. There's a line of
boats waiting for a parking space almost every Saturday.'
Those lucky enough to get on the lake usually are well served. Polaroids
of massive largemouth bass, their dimensions eclipsed only by the smiles
of their captors, fill every inch of a bulletin board in the camp office.
Thirteen-pounders abound in this pictorial trophy case. Many of them,
Holderman says, were reeled in from the 20-foot holes known to lie beneath
the lake's shimmering surface.
The camp represents the sole public access to Lake Pasadena, a pristine
freshwater habitat hosting virtually every freshwater species native
to Florida.
Because of the limited parking, it is primarily the province of the
park's residents, all of whom Holderman knows on a first-name basis.
One such resident is Aubrey Sellers, the lake's resident master of the
bluegill.
His Fill Of 'Gills
One could argue if it wasn't for Sellers' catch-and-release ethos,
the lake would be devoid of panfish.
He has caught as many as 70 in a three-hour outing. Although not averse
to landing the occasional lunker largemouth … his largest was a
7-pounder … Sellers is most often found trolling among the grassy
shores of the lake, entertaining the blue-gilled denizens of Lake Pasadena
with an ultralight lure.
""I'd give the world to see more people catch and release,'
said the lanky, bearded fisherman. ""Most people who catch
fish out here take 'em home. I release all of mine.'
That said, Sellers climbed into his boat, pulled down the brim of his
ballcap and trolled silently toward an island of grass. As he made his
way, a glint of silver metal jumped from his rod to land before the
masses, offered with the confidence this challenge would be accepted.
Acres Of Angling
Lake Pasadena lies southwest of the intersection of Fort King Road
and Clinton Avenue. Guarded by the rolling bluffs that undulate between
Zephyrhills and Dade City, it is as picturesque as it is productive.
Spared … at least so far … from urban sprawl and high-density
residential development, the lake's shore is bordered by stands of oak,
pond cypress and pastureland. To anglers, these natural features represent
excellent cover for fish.
Spanning 373 acres, the sprawling lake is actually referred to as two
separate entities … the east lake and west lake.
The east lake is a dogleg body, laced with cattails and cypress stands.
The west lake is populated with thick colonies of lily pads and grass.
When the water level is relatively high, as it is now, the lake reaches
to the south to join with Buddy Lake, a connection adding 100 acres
of fishing pleasure.
Boaters should beware of a fence that lies beneath the Buddy-Pasadena
boundary. Erected in drier times, the fence is intact, but a route over
it exists in the form of a narrow channel through a shallow, grassy
flat.
Locals recommend you gain some familiarity with the lake before attempting
the passage, as a 1-foot drop in the water level can bring serious consequences
to an outboard motor's lower unit.
Familiarity with the lake is just one of the reasons I was delighted
to be in the company of fly-fishing guru Jim Swann of Dade City. We
recently agreed to meet at the fish camp at 6 p.m. for an evening of
deploying fly rod and spinning reel while roaming the waters of Lake
Pasadena.
Sights And Bites
Lake Pasadena is one of Swann's favorite lakes. Its limited access
and massive size translate to low fishing pressure and certain success
for those he guides onto the lake.
""Every time you're out here it's like having the whole lake
to yourself,' Swann said. ""We're definitely going to catch
some fish today.'
We headed south, skirting several grass islands and tuffets before
ferreting out the entrance to the Buddy Lake channel. Within minutes,
we broke out of the channel and onto Lake Pasadena's high-water appendage.
Our fly casts snaked out to present Swann's hand-tied bugs to whatever
lurked beneath the surface. Swann dazzled me with his casts, achieving
super-human distances that frequently yielded a surprised bluegill or
surly largemouth.
As I tried in vain to match him, I couldn't help being distracted by
a sky streaked in the brilliant hues of a setting sun. Rich pink and
luminous gold floated atop an iced-tea lake, broken only by the finny
splashes of another Swann success.
Fortune smiled upon me only after I set down the fly rod in lieu of
a spinning reel. As lures go, the beetle spinner is an irresistible
attraction and was the catalyst for several nice catches.
We sat among the cool silence of the evening, broken only by the splash
of feeding fish and the insistent croaking of the frogs. We shadowed
the banks of the lake, probing the cover with our casts.
""It's a battle of intelligence,' said Swann, musing on the
decidedly existential nature of fishing. ""We're looking for
the dumb ones.'
As the number of bites began to drop off, I wondered aloud if we hadn't
drifted into the area of the lake where the really smart ones hang out.
As we floated amid the colors of another perfect Pasco summer evening
… muggy, mosquito-infested and devoid of honking horns, air conditioning
and television … I was reminded of a passage from polar explorer
Ashley Cherry-Gerrard's book, ""The Worst Journey in the World.'
The luxuries of civilization satisfy only those wants that they themselves
create.
Such luxuries have yet to come to Lake Pasadena. For now, all that
exist are friendship, nature and the camaraderie of anglers fishing
a pretty lake in a pretty place.
Mike DeWitt can be reached at mikedewitt@tampabay.rr.com.
Swann's FlyFishing
Outfitters - 13650
US Hwy 98 Bypass - Dade City FL 33525
Call (352)567-6029
Store Hours: 9am - 6pm Monday - Friday and 9am - 3pm Saturday
"From Hackles to Poppers!"
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