The newest fishable bodies of water in the community are on their way to becoming fishing hotspots. With the construction of new communities down south, Villagers wishing to cast their rods and reels close to home now have additional options. These venues contribute to a community that already has plenty of fishing possibilities, which helps fuel an industry that generates $7.2 billion in economic effect in Florida. Recreation Director John Rohan attributes the increased popularity of fishing in the community to the numerous bodies of water available to residents. The Villages Recreation and Parks Department worked with The Villages Freshwater Fishing Club leaders to promote and expand catch-and-release fishing in the community’s retention ponds.
This collaboration, he said, would allow “the creative use of our water retention basins that manage our storm-water” to function as recreational fishing places.
According to the recreation department, people can fish in any natural or artificial lake, canal or stream in The Villages that does not cross over or trespass on private property or golf courses. The recreation department now lists three fishable bodies of water south of SR 44: a pond adjacent to the Fenney Putt and Play, a pond outside the Everglades Regional Recreation Complex and a pond near the Riverbend Recreation Center.
Jamie Fowler may frequently be spotted fishing on the shore and in the water aboard his kayak at the pond near the Everglades. His effectiveness with both strategies varies depending on the water conditions.
“We fish right there by Everglades,” he said. “There’s a couple of little ponds where they may have had a fish transferred from one pond to another at the (Marsh Bend) Pitch and Putt. Most of them have been largemouth bass.”
Fowler, of the Village of Hawkins, goes fishing almost every day for an hour or two. The waters near his house allow him to enjoy fishing without having to travel far.
Water bodies in and around The Villages are well-known for their fishing possibilities for two reasons: the recreation department’s stockpiling of fishable water bodies with hatchery-raised fish and the community’s fishing rules, which allow only catch-and-release fishing.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), catch-and-release permits fish to grow and evolve into the bigger, trophy-sized fish that many fishermen seek. It also preserves the wellbeing of fish populations and the bodies of water in which they live.
Fish stocking occurs after fisheries biologists analyze the fish populations in water bodies, what fishermen capture, the state of the environment and the community’s wants, which helps the FWC determine when and where stockings should occur, according to Rick Stout, director of the Florida Bass Conservation Center.
During the 2020-21 fiscal year, the FWC’s two state hatcheries raised just under 3 million fish, including 2,750 bluegill fingerlings, more than 83,000 largemouth bass and more than 230,000 channel catfish stocked in Sumter County.
According to the FWC, it takes time for the results of these processes to make a body of water an ideal fishing spot because the fish need time to grow larger.
Rohan stated that recreation personnel are constantly updating and adding fishable locations across the town.
And, according to Randy DiSanto, president of The Villages Freshwater Fishing Club, club members down south, including Fowler, are checking out places down south that might be future fishing destinations.
“With that being a big area, there’s a lot of potential ponds where you’d be able to fish,” he said.
DiSanto, of the Village of Summerhill, is the only person who fishes in The Villages’ ponds. He believes that more fishable waters south of SR 44 will keep up with the growing community interest in fishing.
“Obviously, it means many more places to fish,” he said. “It broadens the scope of the fishing here.”
Perhaps the emergence of one water body near the southernmost area of The Villages can serve as a foreshadowing of what is to come.
Lake Deaton, located just south of The Villages on SR 44, has grown in popularity as a bass fishing destination in recent months.
Several Villages Freshwater Fishing Club fishermen enjoyed success in Lake Deaton last year during the fishing season.