Bienville Plantation |
||||
 Bienville Plantation Trip-March 1998 My family agrees that this was the best vacation we've ever had. Although we arrived at Bienville Plantation in White Springs, Florida during one of the worst cold snaps in recent history, we still managed to catch 35 fish in 2 days of fishing. (33 bass, 3 crappie) It was so cold, I couldn't move my fingers to crank the reel. The local news crews were out doing stories about the crazy weather. Six shirts, coats and sweaters and 2 pairs of pants weren't helping much. The wind was howling. Every time I made a cast the red-shad worm came flying back at me. And you know what? It didn't matter. Well, maybe it mattered a little, up until that first fish hit. But when I landed my first Bienville fish, a 5 lb. Largemouth, the cold went away....fast. Fish number two was over 4 lbs! Nine-plus pounds of fish in two casts.... a girl could get used to this! We stayed in a stunning new lakefront cabin, "The Eagles Perch", complete with fireplace, tile kitchen, screened porch, and a view to die for. It was beautifully decorated. High wood-beam ceilings, mounted animals on each wall...a lynx, a deer, huge bass, and more-it was a sportsman's paradise. Every morning I went outside to watch the sun rise through the pines outside the front door. Way off in the distance, I could hear the Plantation's hunting dogs baying. The hunting at Bienville is supposedly as good as the fishing. Each night we had dinner in the equally beautiful lodge...and what dinners! Fried quail, alligator nuggets, venison spaghetti, beef tenderloin, fresh crappie, and much more. The jukebox plays for free, and my young son entertained the whole place one evening by playing songs and "dancing". (You had to be there...it was hilarious). Most folks shot some pool, had a few drinks, and told "fish stories"- all true, I'm sure. As the night went on, the stories got better and better, as you can imagine. The lakes at Bienville are phosphate lakes...that is, they are pits where phosphate was mined, but have now been reclaimed and are a tremendous resource for the fisherman. Folks like me who love to fish owe a tremendous "thank-you" to the folks at Bienville and the Florida phosphate mining industry. What they have done with the "pits" is incredible. I have fished in ALOT of places, but this is one of the very best. My understanding is that the phosphate is a natural fertilizer that "supercharges" the food chain, and results in a tremendous number of pounds of bass per acre of lake. Bienville has 20,000+ plus acres of land, and over 4000 acres of lakes.
When it was time to leave for home, Justin broke into tears. He
said Bienville was even better than Disney World...the highest compliment a kid can give!
In summary, all I can say is: Watch out, Bienville.... Back to Women Outdoors
|
|
Bienville Plantation is located in historic White Springs, Florida, just 60 miles west of the Jacksonville International Airport. Located adjacent to the Suwannee River and 15 miles from the intersection of Interstate I-75 and I-10. Phone
|
||
|
|
||||
