RussMatt games will be played at a variety of facilities in Central Florida. Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven (former spring training site of the Cleveland Indians), Lake Myrtle Sports Park, FL. Henley Field (former Tigers major league spring training stadium), Polk Community College, Southeastern University, Webber International University, Warner University, Pat Thomas Stadium and some of the area’s top high school fields.

RussMatt games will be played at a variety of facilities in Central Florida. Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven (former spring training site of the Cleveland Indians), Lake Myrtle Sports Park, FL. Henley Field (former Tigers major league spring training stadium), Polk Community College, Southeastern University, Webber International University, Warner University, Pat Thomas Stadium and some of the area’s top high school fields.

RussMatt games will be played at a variety of facilities in Central Florida.  Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven (former spring training site of the Cleveland Indians), Lake Myrtle Sports Park, FL. Henley Field (former Tigers major league spring training stadium), Polk Community College, Southeastern University, Webber International University, Warner University, Pat Thomas Stadium and some of the area’s top high school fields.

Below is the schedule for Friday, March 5 – Monday, March 8, 2010

NSA National Softball Association
Dates: 2/19 – 2/21
Venue:Diamond Plex
- This NSA event will be hosting 25 youth softball teams 8 years old to 18.
- For more information on this event please visit www.floridansa.com or www.centralfloridasports.com

Florida Youth Soccer Association (FYSA) Region Cup
Dates: 2/19 – 2/20
Venue: Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, Simmers Young Park
- This FYSA event will host 87 soccer teams and will bring in over 1200 spectators to Polk County. Divisions that will be played this weekend are U11 Boys at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex and U13 boys at Simmers Young Park
 For more information on FYSA events please visit www.fysa.com and for local sporting events and news check out www.centralfloridasports.com 

The 2010 Florida Open Pistol Tournament
Dates: 2/19 – 2/20
Venue:Universal Shooting Academy, 4300 CR 630 E Frostproof, FL
- The annual Florida Open Pistol Shooting Tournament is held every February in Frostproof, Florida and hosted by the Universal Shooting Academy. Champion shooter, Frank Garcia, is the Match Director, as well as the host of the competition. 300+ shooters will compete in the “Twelfth” annual Florida Open in 2010.
- For more information on this event please visit www.frankgarciausa.com or www.centralfloridasports.com

For McGrady, it looks like it is down to the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks as they both have put in offers to the Houston Rockets for the two-time NBA scoring champions and seven-time All Star. It has been a rocky season in Houston for the Auburndale native and a change of scenery could be just what he needs to get back to the top of the NBA scoring plateau.

For Stoudemire, the former Lake Wales High School standout, the options are still pretty wide open and it seems hard to predict where he will land; if he even ends up being traded at all. One of the bigger names that is out there is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have been rumored to have their eyes on the 2003 Rookie of the Year and five-time All Star. Adding him to the mix with LeBron and Shaq could be what the Cavs need to take them to the next level and win the NBA Championship.

It will be interesting to see where these two Polk County stars land. Stay tuned over the next 24 hours to find out; it won’t be hard to miss, because both trades will be considered front page news.

 Both bass and bass fishermen remain in staging areas due to the cold. For fishermen it’s the couch, for fish it’s deeper water. Until the water temperature rises from the low 50’s up to the mid 60’s this “staging pattern” will continue. The spawn, which is normally half over by now, has not even really got started good yet. Fishing remains extremely tough for now. A few good warm days should send the bass into a spawning frenzy as they are about to pop. Crankbaits and Texas/Carolina rigs should give way to flippin’ sticks and sight fishing soon. Try spinnerbaits, rattlebaits, and jerkbaits in shad/shiner colors early around shoreline areas, then switch over to flippin Texas rigged soft plastics around cattails, reeds, pads, and grass. 

On top of cold fronts coming down one after another we also are plagued by low water levels. Many ramps are unusable and most canals are too shallow to navigate through. Lakefront homeowners however must not notice this as they continue to pump out who knows how much water from the lakes every day. If this is not enough of a challenge for fishermen to overcome, throw in the fact that hardly a blade of grass remains in our lakes due to relentless chemical treatments of aquatic vegetation which affects the entire food chain from grass shrimp to bass. Also the dying vegetation decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen from the water which may even lead to fish kills. Whereas living vegetation increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water and serves as a natural filter for our lakes and also keeps the water clear. As dead vegetation breaks down it turns into a mucky mess that you can’t keep off your baits or hooks. The water goes from clear to puke green. The fish wander around with no submerged cover to relate to and become much harder to locate and catch. Hydrilla has been around for a long time now and it’s not going away. Even after millions of dollars are spent to treat hydrilla, it still eventually comes back. Instead of wiping it out completely, why can’t we just try controlling it? That way everybody wins. Aquatic weed control companies still get to make some money, fish populations can thrive, and we and our future generations can enjoy some fantastic fishing. The local economy would also benefit as people outside of our area would show up in large numbers and spend lots of dollars. It sickens me to watch what was one of the best areas in the world for bass fishing go down the tubes for reasons that CAN be controlled.
Kissimmee Chain
 
 Up and down would describe the fishing on the Kissimmee chain during this crazy weather we’re having. A consistent pattern is virtually impossible to find. The lakes are changing on a weekly basis due to weed control and weather. Even shiner fishermen are struggling to stay on fish. Healthy green hydrilla is becoming hard to find along with clean water. High winds have muddied up the already cold water making for some very tough fishing conditions. If you don’t like the lakes now just wait a week and come back, they’ll change again.
 Check inside pads, flags, and reeds for spawners. Search for clean water hard bottom areas. Cast or flip junebug or black/blue soft plastics around isolated patches of cover 1 – 4 ft. Also topwater frogs, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and swimbaits worth a shot. During colder weather try flippin’ craws or other plastics around heavy matted vegetation with 1 – 1 1/2 oz weights. Offshore hydrilla beds are still holding some big fish. Try rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, or jerkbaits over the grass. Stick with shad/shiner colors. Tons of empty beds but check back regularly as 75 % or more of bass population has not spawned yet and they may move up overnight. Remember to get a few quick photos and return the fish back quickly to it’s bed unharmed so that it may pass those genes along.

Central Florida, where you’ll find beautiful lakes, great bass fishing and Monte Goodman. Monte has made a career of doing what he enjoys and does best as a professional bass guide and successful tournament angler. Guiding and fishing competitively for the past 15 years has given him the experience, skill and knowledge it takes to be a great fisherman. Monte is also a vocal advocate of Florida’s habitat and conservation efforts, supports and practices “catch and release” himself and encourages others to do the same. A member of tournament trails such as FLW, FOMNTT, BFL, and B.A.S.S just to name a few. Credited with well over a hundred local tournament wins, was back to back Angler of the Year in the largest B.A.S.S. affiliated club in the world, and has won numerous Big Bass honors. Monte’s ability to adapt, his versatility and lengthy resume has earned him a reputation anyone would be proud of.

Tickets for Detroit Tigers Spring Training games are also currently on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the Joker Marchant Stadium Box office, Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased online through the Detroit Tigers website at www.Tigers.comor by phone at (866) 66-TIGER (84437). Joker Marchant Stadium is located at 2301 Lakeland Hills Boulevard in Lakeland.  For more information, please contact the Tigers at (863) 686-8075.

AAU Amateur Athletic Union – Youth Baseball
Dates: 2/5 – 2/7
Venue:Westside/Southwest, Chain of Lakes Complex, Lake Myrtle Sports Complex
- This AAU event will be hosting 60 teams and bring in over 700 spectators to Polk County
- For more information on this AAU event please visit www.aausports.org or www.centrafloridasports.com

Independent Softball Association (ISA) Men’s Super Saturday
Dates: 2/6 – 2/7
Venue:Bartow 555 Softball Complex
- The ISA Men’s Super Saturday will bring 20 teams into Polk County for this two day event
- For more information on ISA events please visit www.isasoftball.com or for local events and news check out www.centralfloridasports.com

Smoke on the Water – BBQ competition
Dates: 2/6
Venue:2400 Havendale Blvd. Winter Haven, FL
- Smoke on the water will bring 77 competitive BBQ teams to Winter Haven as part of the FL BBQ Triple Crown Event. Come out and enjoy some great BBQ with the family.
- For more information Contact Frank Csomos at 863-287-3075 or visit www.boysandgirlsbbq.com and for local sporting events and news check out www.centralfloridasports.com

Admission to the game is free, but a suggested donation of $2 will be collected at the front gate for the Detroit Tigers Foundation of Florida, which benefits local youth sports organizations and local charities.

The Lakeland Pig Festival will also be taking place at Tigertown January 29 and 30, so plan on catching the game and then filling up on some great BBQ.  What started as a small festival in 1997 has evolved into a festival with over 300 BBQ teams and over 30,000 in attendance.  For more information contact pigfest@jlgl.org.

Tickets for Detroit Tigers Spring Training games are currently on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the Joker Marchant Stadium Box office, Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased online through the Detroit Tigers website at www.Tigers.comor by phone at (866) 66-TIGER (84437). Joker Marchant Stadium is located at 2301 Lakeland Hills Boulevard in Lakeland.  For more information, please contact the Tigers at (863) 686-8075.

American Pro Rodeo Classic
Dates: 1/29 -1/30
Venue:Lakeland Center – 700 W Lemon St.  Lakeland, FL 33815
- American Pro Rodeo Classic will make its 7th year here in Polk County at the Lakeland Center. The rodeo brings national attention to Polk for this two day rodeo event. For all American Pro Rodeo Classic information at the Lakeland Center please visit www.lakelandprorodeo.com and for local sporting events check out www.centralfloridasports.com

ISA Independent Softball Association – Winter Nationals
Dates: 1/29 – 1/31
Venue:Diamond Plex Softball in Winter Haven, Auburndale Softball Complex and Southwest/Westside in Lakeland
- The Independent Softball Association will be hosting its final week of Winter National’s competition here in Polk County. This weekend will showcase 68 teams competing in several different divisions; Men’s D, Elite, and Co Ed.
- For more information on ISA events please visit www.isasoftball.com and for local sporting events and news check out www.centralfloridasports.com

 Citrus Classic – 5k and 3mile walk run & Kindergarten Dash
Dates: 1/30
Venue: Lake Myrtle Sports Complex
- Come celebrate wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Whether you are an avid runner or simply choose to walk, come join us for great fun, T-shirts, awards, and trophies at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. All Proceeds from the Citrus Classic race will benefit the patients served by the Winter Haven Hospital Bostick Heart Center
- For more information on this event please call 863-291-6705. For local update and sporting news check out www.centralfloridasports.com