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The Equinox Report

March 22, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

The Equinox Report

Thank you for reading this Equinox Report. I only got to fish Wednesday- not even on the equinox! As windy as it’s been all week, I was lucky to fish at all. All the photos this week are file photos. I didn’t take the camera out all week.

And now the length of daylight exceeds the length of darkness, at least until September…

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Monday I got to take a lung function test. These are not a favorite, and it is my sincere wish that none of my readers ever have to take one.

Tuesday required a follow-up visit to the pulmonologist to discuss the function test. It was hardly different than the previous one, which is good. The visit completely tied up my day, but both Monday and Tuesday were windy anyway.

Wednesday I met Mike Conneen and River at the Mosquito Lagoon for some kayak fishing. While I was driving there the car thermometer registered 37 degrees! But there wasn’t much wind, and there were no clouds, and the sun was warm even if the air wasn’t.

Mike, River, and a redfish.

Fishing was slow all morning, and Mike and I split up. After eating lunch I was paddling and looking, and nearly ran over what had to be the stupidest redfish in the lagoon. After passing it, I turned around to look for it, a ploy that almost never works. But this time, the fish was still there, tilted down, apparently looking at or for something on the bottom. I cast and the fish took the fly. But I missed it. As I pulled the fly for another cast, the fish chased it almost to my bright yellow boat.

That certainly should have been the end, but the fish turned around and casually started swimming away. Leader butt in the rod, I just flopped the fly out there again and the fish nailed it, and this time it stuck. It wasn’t a big fish by any means, 22 inches or so, between two and three years old. I kissed it, unhooked it, and released it, amazed I had gotten it. Dumb, dumb fish.

Tammy, the inimitable.

The next fish was a couple hours later, also a redfish, but a larger one. Again, the leader butt was in the rod, and I watched the eat move (couldn’t see the fly). When I got the fish to the boat, instead of using the dehooker, I used a pair of forceps. Just as I was about to grab the fly, the fish shook. The leader got caught in the scissors part of the forceps which cleanly cut the tippet, and the fish made off with a new piece of jewelry, that it probably didn’t want and which I certainly didn’t intend to give.

Laurel, on a charter a long time ago.

The last fish of the day was tailing when I saw it. Then it started swimming on a course parallel to mine. Again, it was close and the leader butt was in the rod. I flopped the fly out there. Never felt the take. I saw the leader moving sideways and set. Fought the fish to the boat and it shook the hook, so no forceps accident there, good thing. Then I went back to the boat ramp.

Ken the Professional Fish Model.

I hadn’t gotten a fish with the leader in the rod in quite a while, and then got three that way in one day. Kind of amazing, and certainly great luck was involved.

Thursday and Friday were both real breezy again. The A/C in the van went out, so that gave me something to research. Hope it doesn’t cost thousands to fix!

That’s my Equinox Report. As always, thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go bicycling! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2025. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report · Tagged: , ,

Beware the Ides of March Report

March 7, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

Beware the Ides of March Report

Thank you for reading this Beware the Ides of March Report. Fished two days, took pictures part of another one.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Monday found me launching the kayak at the Snow Hill Road Econlockhatchee launch. I floated downstream casting a mouse gurgler fly and hooked two bass before the bridge was out of sight. Then, I couldn’t buy another bite. The switch to the spin rod was eventually made.

A black shad Culprit worm was the bait of choice for a long while. It got bit sporadically, by junior-league-sized bass. The best one was the first one I got, on the fly, and he was only 13 or 14 inches.

The river looked strangely quiet. There were no alligators (!). There were very few fish in the water that I could see. In five hours I saw a single, small catfish and a single Plecostamus, and one small school of mullet. Not a single bass did these eyeballs spot.

What there was, was a lot of chainsaw-cut branches. Some over-zealous individual(s) cut away lots of blowdowns to make the river accessible to motor vessels. To my way of thinking, more traffic = fewer fish. Or perhaps it was that day, or me. Either way, I don’t think I’ll be visiting that stretch again any time soon.

Purple gallinule

 

soft-shell turtle

 

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 

common moorhen

 

humans with cameras

 

pileated woodpecker

 

great egret

 

american alligator

Tuesday, 20-knot winds. Visited the Wetlands Park for about an hour, and learned birds don’t much like the wind, either. I still shot close to 300 frames, with my old, three-frame-per-second camera (The expensive new ones can do thirty.). The Park is going off, bird-wise, though. Lots of nesting birds, sandhill crane colts, etc. Good time to visit now.

Wednesday, had a meeting. Tied up a windy rainy day, so no problem there.

Thursday, 20-knot winds. Tied some flies.

Friday, an incredibly nice day, found me in the kayak, wearing waders on Mosquito Lagoon. I paddled quite a distance before getting a bite from anything other than a puffer. That last spot gave up a dozen trout and five or so reds, all fairly modest in size, all on the plastic shad. One or two trout may have exceeded 20 inches.

News Flash! People are boneheads! While I was standing there, a school of redfish swam almost right into me. As this was happening, four goobers in a big jonboat pulled up about 50 feet away, blowing all the fish out. They never knew. One guy put down the trolling motor and another said, “Don’t get too close to that guy [meaning me].” Too late, but thanks!

On the way back to the put-in I waded a sandy spot with the fly rod and one of the flies I’d tied the previous day. A redfish (maybe two?) swam by. I put the fly on him, he didn’t bite it. There must have been two, though, because the line came tight and minutes later I was releasing a red that was four or five pounds, best fish of the day. Never took the camera out.

Ten minutes later the boat was atop the van, and I was outta there!

That’s my Beware the Ides of March Report. As always, thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go bicycling! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2025. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , ,

Fished One Day Report

February 21, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

Fished One Day Report

Thank you for reading this Fished One Day Report. That day was Tuesday. I probably should have gone Monday, too, but let the chance pass. The rest of the week was tied up with errands or less-than-optimal weather.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Econ Update

Last week, writing about the Econ, I wrote, “I need to call Oviedo. No one answered, so I just sent an email.” A response came back, the same day! I reprint it here in its entirety-

Good evening, yes there was a sewer line break that could have potentially impacted the Econ River. The signs posted are a precautionary measure and the city continues to do water sampling for e. coli impact. The line has been fixed but as a precautionary measure we will continue to sample the water so the signs stay in place until we finish sampling for two more weeks. Again, this is a precautionary measure that we do anytime a water body could have been impacted for the safety of residents and visitors.

Regards
Amanda Kortus, CFM

I drove over the 419 bridge this afternoon. The poop sign was gone and folks were launching paddle vessels. Guess we’re good to go.

Tuesday’s Fishing

Went kayaking on Mosquito Lagoon. Went from partly cloudy to completely overcast, but the wind was light. Found reds, one here, one there. They either trashed the fly or fled in terror, so I got a few. Also got one slot trout on a plastic shad at the end of the day.

Your reporter has a copy of George Leonard Herter’s Professional Guide’s Manual that he bought from Herter’s some time in the 1960s. Weeks like this one, where not much fishing gets done, will see some content from this and other old books being used in this blog, pieces similar to the one reprinted below…

LUNAR PHASES, BAROMETRIC PRESSURES AND WATER TEMPERATURES

Contrary to common belief, the various phases of the moon have very little effect on fishes feeding habits. Reports from groups of ichthyologists state that fish strike when they are hungry or excited, regardless of the position of the moon. However, tides do affect the feeding of certain salt-water fish which follow the rising tide into the shallows.

Likewise, barometric pressure has very little to do with fish habits. According to the same groups of ichthyologists, feeding habits of fish are not determined by barometric pressure, although fishing after a hard rain will sometimes produce better fishing because of natural foods which have been washed into the lake by the rain.

On the other hand, water temperatures have a great deal to do with fishing. A water temperature indicator is a must to any fisherman. When the water is cold for a fish, it will lie dormant and feeding activity will be reduced to a minimum. When the right temperature range is found, fish tend to be active in feeding and better fishing will result. The best fishing temperatures for various fresh-water fish are listed below:

Atlantic Salmon, Trout .. 55-70degs. F
Chinook Salmon………….50-60 degs. F
Lake Trout ………………….40-50 degs.F
Pickerel……………………….60-75 degs. F
Landlocked Salmon……..40-55 degs. F
Pike, Muskellunge………..60-70 degs. F
Smallmouth Bass ……,….60-70 degs. F
Walleye ……… …………….55-65 dees. F
Largemouth Bass ………..65-75 degs. F
Yellow Perch ………………65-75 degs. F

What do you think? Do you agree with Mr. Herter’s assertions?

Saturday

Went on an Oviedo Photo Club field trip to the Southern Oaks Training Center in Sorrento. They train standardbred horses there. A little out of my line, but with challenge comes growth. Anyway, here are a few photos from the place.

 

 

 

That’s my Fished One Day Report. As always, thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go bicycling! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2025. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Fishing Stories, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , ,

Down and Up and Down Report

February 1, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

Down and Up and Down Report

Thank you for reading this Down and Up and Down Report. Got out three days this week before a bug got me- then I really was down. Doc says I should be OK by Monday.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

I have, for your perusal (and hopefully action) a pair of petitions to consider. The first-

-The largest money lender in Africa, Standard Bank, and Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) will fund a 1,443-kilometer crude oil pipeline that will cross Tanzania and Uganda. A large number of people will be displaced and wetlands, water sources, and protected ecosystems in Tanzania and Uganda would be in jeopardy. See the petition here…

Stop Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining in Tennessee’s Protected Forests
Mountaintop removal coal mining is a destructive practice that devastates our landscapes, contaminates our water, and harms our wildlife. In Tennessee, Hurricane Creek Mining LLC is seeking a permit to mine 650 acres of protected forest. How protected is the forest if it can get strip-mined? When is the last time anyone you know used coal??? See the petition here… 

OK, FISHING!

Son Maxx and his lovely bride were supposed to visit. After we spent the day waiting, they called and said they were coming Tuesday. So we got to wait Tuesday, too.

Wednesday

Maxx and Cat and I took the Bang-O-Craft out onto Mosquito Lagoon. Rejoiced in the fact the water is ridiculously clean. But no fish, no fish, no fish, ran a few over, ran a bunch over, then found a school of black drum with a few reds mixed in. They behaved like they have been pounded for a while, and we did not get a bite in spite of several excellent shots. A skunk, for sure.

Thursday

I took the kayak out on Mosquito Lagoon. You would have thought it was a different planet. Tailing fish much of the day, and mostly willing eaters on the fly. Which was good, since it made up for both Wednesday and…

Friday

I took the kayak out on the Banana River Lagoon. I saw exactly six redfish in six miles of paddling. If you see one fish per mile, your catch rate is going to be small. Didn’t get a shot- another skunk.

Maxx said I should have gone back to Mosquito Lagoon. I don’t think it’s good policy to beat up the same fish day after day. It teaches them hook avoidance.

So it was truly Down and Up and Down. As always, thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2025. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , ,

Boring Week Report

January 19, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

Boring Week Report

Thank you for reading this Boring Week Report. It won’t take long to read. Hey, they happen to everyone, right?

The weather the early part of the week was not fisherman friendly. While walking along the Econlockhatchee on Thursday, I could not help but notice that the water level looked good for floating it. With rain forecast this coming week, that will most likely change.

Friday morning found me at River Breeze, meeting Kevin Parry for a paddle trip. After my last trip there a couple months ago, I wrote, “It will be a while before I go there again.” To which I say, after this trip, “Ditto.” We saw maybe eight fish between us, and did not get a bite, all while paddling five or six miles of water. Although the water looked, and the weather was, great!

The forecast for this week includes a combination of cold temperatures, wind, clouds, and rain. It’s raining as I type this. So next week’s report may well be boring too.

That’s the Boring Week Report. As always, thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2025. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: ,

Ree-Dik-You-Loess Report

January 11, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

Ree-Dik-You-Loess Report

Thank you for reading this Ree-Dik-You-Loess Report. While it was like winter around here this week, I got out two days, one to the Florida Trail and one to Mosquito Lagoon.

Thank you to those of you who responded to my new slideshow posted at https://johnkumiski.com. I realized that if you look with a mobile device, the show isn’t obvious. The first photo is of a sunrise, very pink and purple. If you scroll on that photo, the next one appears as if by magic!

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Monday and Tuesday

found me working on a website and pulling ferns. The forecast for Wednesday made me want to go for a walk, to get out of the house.

Wednesday

Susan gave me a ride to the Curryville Road trailhead for the Florida Trail. I brought a camera, figuring to get some photos along with a much-needed walk. From that trailhead back to my house is around two miles or a bit more. It was so nice out- I thought quite often that I should have gone fishing. Anyway, here are a few photos from the walk. If you want more, there’s a slideshow at https://johnkumiski.com/a-short-walk-on-the-florida-trail/

A January oak leaf on the FT.

 

Mills Creek

 

 

Swampy spot along the trail. The FT has a lot of these, and the trail frequently goes right through them.

 

Palmetto fibers.

 

Marsh fern

 

Pollen cones on a sand pine. Yes, they are dropping pollen.

Thursday-

more website work. And the forecast for Friday changed for the better! There was still website work to do, and ferns to pull up, but a decision was made to go fishing. Neither the website nor the ferns were going anywhere.

Friday

morning found me riding the chariot, heading east, carrying the kayak on top, to Mosquito Lagoon. The thermometer read 39 degrees when I left the house, around 0830.

The lagoon was almost slick calm, and the sky was cloudless. Could be a good day.

Got nothing at the first spot.

The second offered me a shot at a nice red, and I converted with an olive over white Clouser Minnow. A second, smaller red fell for it shortly after.

 

My first victim, released of course.

By now I could see pretty well. There were six or eight more fish there, and they were spooking off the splash of the fly. I changed to an unweighted fly. Then they spooked off its movement. When this happens, you can either keep changing flies, trying to find the magic fly, or leave fish that are clearly not interested in eating to try to find some other, more cooperative ones. This is what I did.

It was a good call.

The next fish was easily 15 pounds. It got into my backing- twice. Wow, that hasn’t happened for a long time! And he had friends, from dinky 18-inchers up to ten pounds or so, and some trout too. They were all hungry and aggressive. It was Ree-Dik-You-Loess.

The fish of the day.

 

These guys crashed the party, too.

When the bite finally slowed, I had to drink water, pee, and eat some lunch. It was after 1 PM. While eating lunch, thinking about my next move, I realized my day was over. I had a good paddle back to the put-in, an hour’s drive, and it was my night to cook.

It’s kind of weird to realize that on January 10, I may have had the best day of fishing I’ll have all year. Hey, take ’em when you get ’em, and be glad you hit it right.

That’s the Ree-Dik-You-Loess Report. As always, thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2025. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , , , ,

One Mosquito Lagoon Day Report

December 21, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

One Mosquito Lagoon Day Report

Thank you for reading this One Mosquito Lagoon Day Report. Shaky weather and errands important and less so kept me off the water the rest of the week.

For all you pagans, Saturday 12/21 marks the solstice. Start partying! The days will get longer from now until June!

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Rodney the Cover Boy.

The inadequate eulogy to Rodney was posted, but the photos are fun.

I had to get blood work done Monday, and ran errands a good part of the day afterwards, trying to get them all done. Did not succeed.

Tuesday I loaded up the kayak and drove to Mosquito Lagoon. It was a beautiful day, just a touch breezy. The first spot produced a fat, top-of-the-slot trout on the second cast with the spin rod, 3″ shad. Immediately switched to the fly pole, got two more trout and a red blind-casting with a red-over-white Clouser Minnow, which was the fly du jour. I was wading here and at all the other spots but one. Bite stopped- on to the next spot.

The next spot coughed up four equally nice trout, all on fly. Bite stopped- keep moving.

The next place was fished from the kayak with the spin rod. Five trout, all larger than their predecessors.

The next place did not produce a thing. But the one after that produced a flounder, a ladyfish, a solid redfish and a small puffer.

The final spot gave up a half-dozen trout. So far, the day is pretty awesome.

I tried sight-fishing from the kayak on the way back, saw five reds, did not come close to getting a shot at any of them. But had zero reason to complain. The boat was loaded up around 1530.

That’s the One Mosquito Lagoon Day Report. As always, thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida destinations, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , ,

Two Days on Mosquito Lagoon Report

November 29, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Two Days on Mosquito Lagoon Report, and the last TAF Update

Thank you for reading this Two Days on Mosquito Lagoon Report, and the last TAF Update. I fished Monday and Wednesday. Tuesday we had the tree work done, in order to maintain the domestic tranquility. Thanksgiving we ate excessively, like good Americans! The Assistance Fund got some more donations, and the fund-raiser is over!

There will not be a report next week. Sorry.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please. And speaking of photos- these are from my files, since I didn’t carry a camera this week, again.

A huge THANK YOU to all TAF donors, by name and in no particular order-

-Laura Rice
-Ed Perry
-Dean Altenhofen
-Anonymous
-Walt Sheppard
-Earl Gillespie
-Ken Shannon
-Emily Nelson
-Kelly Holz
-Curtis Duffield
-Michelle Wilm
-Anonymous
-Marcia Foosaner
-Nicholas Colantonio
-Stephen Truscott
-Stephen Butrym
-Jorge Hidalgo
-John Harrison
-Henrique DePaiva
-Anonymous
-Anonymous
-Lisa Pello
-Anonymous
-Lynda Wehmeyer
-James Roberts
-Ralph Tedesco
-Cheryl Kumiski
-Lars Lutton
-Lori Markoff
-Thomas Van Horn
-Jim Tedesco
-Roger Cook

This is quite a list, a bunch of generous, selfless people. We have raised $3,828,00 over 33 donations, 77 percent of my goal, and thank you, thank you, thank you again! Great job!

I didn’t reach my $5000 goal with the fundraiser, but I’d never done a fundraiser and didn’t really think I could reach it. I aimed high! The late advertising executive Leo Burnett had a famous quote- “If you reach for the stars, you might not make it, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.” Thanks to all the donors for keeping me out of the mud.

Fishing

Monday

Went kayaking on Mosquito Lagoon. In the morning it was chilly. I wore my old beater waders. They leaked, badly. I’m experimenting by coating them with Flex-Seal. If it doesn’t work, in the trash they go!

My first fish was a mangrove snapper, a rather unusual catch from Mosquito Lagoon. It, and the several fish that followed, took a grizzly Seaducer. What were those fish, you ask? I will tell you! Two crevalle jacks, (rather small), two spotted seatrout (decent ones, high slot), a snook (dinker) and a puffer. All at the first spot! I’m out less than an hour and already have five species, all on fly.

Several more trout and two more puffers took that fly. The last puffer was more than it could take, and it now lives in the dead fly bag.

On my spin rod I had the amputated DOA Shrimp you may have read about in the last report. That bait fooled several more trout, a reasonably-sized snook (22″ or so), two redfish, and a ladyfish, I wanted a black drum for some kind of bizarre ultimate slam, but never saw one. Another puffer pretty much finished the amputated DOA Shrimp. Boat was loaded around 1500.

The baits of choice on Monday. Pretty motley, but the fish didn’t care.

The weather was fantastic, lots of fish were caught, an altogether wonderful day.

Wanted to fish Tuesday, but, the tree crew. Awesome weather, again.

This guy was VERY athletic.

Wednesday

Caleb Vogl joined me, same place on Mosquito Lagoon. Again, the weather was fantastic. I didn’t wear waders because the Flex-Seal experiment had not concluded.

The first fish I saw was a tailing red. When I cast to it, my backcast wrapped around Caleb’s rod. Why he was in my back pocket was unclear. I may have been a little grouchy about it. He got me untangled eventually, and to my amazement the fish was still there! I laid a cast on him, he ate, and was released a few minutes later. It was the only fish I got on fly, mostly because I didn’t use the fly rod again.

The spin rod had a DOA Bait Buster tied onto the leader. My next fish was a fat trout that ate it. After that I switched to a DOA Shrimp. That lure should go into the lure hall of fame. It fooled a dozen or so trout that all hovered around 20 inches, a 22 inch snook, and 15 or so jacks. At the one spot they were camped at, they were thick enough I got one on almost every cast until the novelty of “a fish on every cast” wore off. And the puffers mangled it, of course. Boat was loaded about 1430.

That’s the Two Days on Mosquito Lagoon Report. As always, thanks for reading!

Again, no report next week!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report · Tagged: , ,

Two Days, Two Lagoons Report

November 23, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Two Days, Two Lagoons Report, and a Penultimate TAF Update

Thank you for reading this Two Days, Two Lagoons Report, and a Penultimate TAF Update. I fished Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday we had someone come look at our trees- they need some trimming. The rest of the week was way too blowy for realistic fishing. The Assistance Fund got some more donations!

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please. And speaking of photos- these are from my files, since I didn’t carry a camera this week.

And lest I forget, wonderful wishes from me to thee for a perfect Thanksgiving.

A huge THANK YOU to all TAF donors, by name and in no particular order-

-Laura Rice
-Ed Perry
-Dean Altenhofen
-Anonymous
-Walt Sheppard
-Earl Gillespie
-Ken Shannon
-Emily Nelson
-Kelly Holz
-Curtis Duffield
-Michelle Wilm
-Anonymous
-Marcia Foosaner
-Nicholas Colantonio
-Stephen Truscott
-Stephen Butrym
-Jorge Hidalgo
-John Harrison
-Henrique DePaiva
-Anonymous
-Anonymous
-Lisa Pello
-Anonymous
-Lynda Wehmeyer
-James Roberts
-Ralph Tedesco
-Cheryl Kumiski
-Lars Lutton
-Lori Markoff
-Thomas Van Horn

This is quite a list, a bunch of generous, selfless people. We have raised $3,398.60 over 30 donations, 68 percent of my goal, and thank you, thank you, thank you again! Great job!

The fundraiser link if you’re motivated to donate (Please!)- https://giving.tafcares.org/-/NVCCHJED?member=SPEXUGER The fundraiser ends November 24, so it’s not too late to donate. If you do it right now!

As a reminder, the Assistance Fund helps underinsured people living with life-threatening, chronic, illness obtain treatment and medicine by providing financial assistance for their copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, and other health-related expenses.
————————————————–

Fishing

Monday

Three trout were fatties like this.

I drove the kayak to, what for me, was a new spot on the Mosquito Lagoon, launching at about 0730. It was pretty good! The first fish I got, on the Culprit Mullet, was a trout about 18 inches. Then I saw a tail, briefly. A cast resulted in a strike and a top-of-the-slot redfish.

After that it was all trout, including three beautiful fish in the 25-inch range, one on a fly rod popper. The final fish was a slot red that hit a gold spoon. The way the puffers are, hard baits are the only way to go unless you own a lure company. The boat was loaded up about 1530.

Spoon-fed red!

Tuesday

found me launching the kayak in the Indian River Lagoon, at a spot I hadn’t seen in quite a while. There were redfish there, but they wouldn’t eat. In the morning it was too cloudy to see much. I would cast over an area, not get anything, then paddle over it and move three or four fish. This happened repeatedly. Frustrating! I tried soft plastics (puffers, puffers, puffers), a spoon, a fly rod popper, even a MirroLure, the first time in years I’ve used one of those. Nothing worked.

I tried a glow-in-the-dark DOA Shrimp, and got a snooklet. Then a monster trout ate it, right by the boat. Splashed water all over me, he did.

It’s nice when they pull drag, pull the kayak around.

Then another baby snook ate it- a monster trout followed him up to the boat. Maybe he was looking at the little snook as a snack? Then a puffer amputated the tail of the shrimp. I kept throwing it and got a slot trout. I put a smoke-colored DOA Shrimp on once the sun came out. A puffer amputated the tail. I kept throwing it. Now I could see the fish. I made good casts to four, who all snubbed me. I finally got one to bite the half-shrimp, and he came unbuttoned after about two seconds. And that was it, fish-wise. The boat was loaded up about 1330.

That’s the Two Days, Two Lagoons Report, and a Penultimate TAF Update. As always, thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , ,

North IRL System Report

November 1, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

North IRL System Report and a TAF Update

Thank you for reading this North IRL System Report and a TAF Update. I fished one day in the Indian River Lagoon and two days in the Mosquito Lagoon, by kayak. The Assistance Fund also got some more donations, thank you very much.

Also, Julia Mitchell has another excellent guest blog on Living as a Digital Nomad!

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

A huge THANK YOU to all the donors to The Assistance Fund, by name and in no particular order-

-Laura Rice
-Ed Perry
-Dean Altenhofen
-Anonymous
-Walt Sheppard
-Earl Gillespie
-Ken Shannon
-Emily Nelson
-Kelly Holz
-Curtis Duffield
-Michelle Wilm
-Anonymous
-Marcia Foosaner
-Nicholas Colantonio
-Stephen Truscott
-Stephen Butrym
-Jorge Hidalgo
-John Harrison

We have raised $1,650.60 over 18 donations, 33 percent of my goal, and thank you, thank you, thank you again! Great job!

The fundraiser link if you’re motivated to donate (Please!)- https://giving.tafcares.org/-/NVCCHJED?member=SPEXUGER

As a reminder, the Assistance Fund helps underinsured people living with life-threatening, chronic, illness obtain treatment and medicine by providing financial assistance for their copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, and other health-related expenses.

The updates will continue every week until the fundraiser ends (at Thanksgiving), and of course if you’ve considered donating, it’s not too late!

———————————————————–

OK, Fishing!

I wish I had better news.

Tuesday

found me paddling on the Indian River Lagoon. The water was high and brown. There were quite a few mullet around, and occasionally something large would blow up on them. I tried my 3″ shad, a DOA Bait Buster, and what is for me a new lure, the 4″ Culprit Mullet. I fooled a juvenile snook with the shad and got a ladyfish on a Clouser Minnow, and missed a couple half-hearted bites. Whatever was blowing up on that bait ignored my offerings completely.

After pulling the kayak out (it got pretty windy, a theme that continued through the week), I drove down Route 3, checking spots for future reference. At one, I couldn’t help but notice what looked like baby tarpon rolling. I pulled out the fly pole, put on a little Crease Fly (thank you, Joe Blados!) and proceeded to catch three baby tarpon in succession, then missed several more. A fun (for me, not the fish) 30 minutes that salvaged the day. But I did not find any spots that looked more fishy than anything I’d seen earlier that day.

The Crease Fly, invented by Joe Blados. Mine look somewhat less polished.

Something I re-observed about tarpon-
Tarpon of any size that have not been fished are very aggressive. It doesn’t take them long to smarten up! The three I caught were my first three bites. After that, the bites were more hesitant, and then they stopped altogether. All in about 30 minutes! I’ve noticed this before in similar situations. Perhaps they communicate with each other somehow, possibly chemically, or perhaps you just catch the aggressive ones and the rest are more timid. Generally, if you move a short distance, the same pattern repeats.

Yeah, they were babies.

Wednesday

I launched at River Breeze. While driving over there, I was fairly enamored over the lovely, razor-thin crescent of the nearly new moon, just beautiful. Upon arriving at the lagoon, I was also struck by the richness of the bird life. But the water was high and brown. I paddled about five miles in four hours, only seeing a single redfish. The most exciting thing that happened was an osprey swooped down on that Culprit Mullet, thinking about diving on it, as I retrieved it. Fortunately he pulled up when he was about a foot off the water- I don’t want to have to unhook any birds of prey!

Sadly, no bites happened to disturb the bird-watching. When the wind started pushing near 20, I bagged it, a total skunking with nary a nibble.

Thursday

was blowing hard from the get-go. I did not fish.

Friday

found me paddling and wading at Mosquito Lagoon. I went to the shallowest place I could find, and unbelievably there were some fish there. The first fish I saw elicited both disbelief and elation, especially when it took the slider. The scene repeated twice, and I got another red and a beautiful, fat trout by blind casting with a Clouser Minnow. Then the wind started honking, and I loaded up after enjoying much better fishing than expected.

More than I expected…

 

…especially when he showed up.

The NOAA forecast for Monday through Wednesday here is east at 15-20 knots. May not be fishing much!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , , , , ,
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