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Meh Central Florida Fishing Report

March 30, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Meh Central Florida Fishing Report and Herbicide Rant

Thank you for reading this meh central Florida fishing report and herbicide rant.

A Deal For You-
Three of my book titles are now available for five cents each, only from my website.
-Flyrodding Florida Salt
-How and Where to Catch Redfish in the Indian River Lagoon System
-Fishing Florida’s Space Coast
Shipping is still $5.95 each. The mailers cost money, the post office wants a cut, and the mail boy has to bring the package to the post office. But you can have each of these titles delivered to your door for six bucks until June 15. Act now!

T-Shirt of the Week-

 

FISHING!

Monday morning I had an appointment, so the start was quite late. The decision was to go somewhere “new,” to me at least. The destination was Fox Lake, in Titusville, the boat, the Bang-O-Craft.

The initial response was favorable. Quiet pond in a big park, lots of water lilies, nice ramp and dock, lovely. Fox Lake has a canal connecting it to South Lake. South Lake looked awesome, lots of vegetation, grackles working the lily pads. Lots of bullfrogs croaking, a sound associated with good bass fishing. I started casting a fly rod popper. Sunfish kept investigating.

In the distance I could hear an airboat, didn’t think much of it.

Casting doesn’t get the lake explored, so I went riding. I saw two airboats, spraying poison.

I shot this photo a few months ago on Rainbow River. We’re poisoning everywhere.

Disgusted, I went back to the boat ramp. Two pickups from Applied Aquatics Management were parked there. One of them had a bunch of boxes of diquat dibromide locked in a cage in the back.

In the lagoon system the algae is killing all the grass. We bemoan the fact. In the St. Johns River, South Lake, and other freshwater bodies around the state, we’re killing it on purpose. WTF??

We’ve known the following about diquat dibromide since at least 1993 (information from http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/dienochlor-glyphosate/diquat-ext.html):

Diquat dibromide is an herbicide and plant growth regulator. It is a quick-acting contact herbicide, causing injury only to the parts of the plant to which it is applied. It is nonselective, meaning that it does not spare ‘nontarget’ plants from its herbicidal effects.

Diquat dibromide is a moderately toxic chemical. It may be fatal to humans if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Concentrated solutions may cause severe irritation of the mouth, throat, esophagus and stomach followed by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe drying out of bodily tissues, gastrointestinal discomfort, chest pain, diarrhea, kidney failure, and toxic liver damage. Very large doses of the herbicide can result in convulsions and tremors.

Diquat dibromide is acutely toxic when it is absorbed through the skin and the possibility for poisoning increases with repeated exposure. Cows appear to be particularly sensitive to this herbicide.

Diquat dibromide also causes eye irritation.

EPA has required more testing on the capability of this herbicide to cause mutations, since available information is contradictory.

Diquat dibromide is slightly toxic to fish. Its toxicity to fish, and food organisms on which fish survive, has been reported in many studies.

Traces, or residues, of diquat have been found to persist in soil for many years with very little degradation. Field and laboratory tests show that diquat usually remains in the top inch of soil for long periods of time after it is applied. Groundwater quality can be affected if soil adsorption sites become totally saturated because water moving down through the soil can carry any non adsorbed herbicide into the groundwater. Diquat has been found in the bottom soil of pools and ponds four years after application.

The EPA requires a 14-day interval between treatment of water with diquat dibromide and use of treated waters for domestic, livestock, or irrigation purposes. Swimming, fishing and watering of domestic animals should not be allowed for at least 14 days after application of the herbicide to water.

Diquat contains small amounts of a highly toxic chemical impurity, ethylene dibromide (EDB).

Diquat is only one of 17 herbicides (https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/manage/control-methods/chemical-control/details-about-the-aquatic-herbicides-used-in-florida/ ) the state of Florida uses to control aquatic “weeds.” FWC in in charge of permitting the use of these chemicals. Thanks, FWC. “Control” and “elimination” are not the same thing. Why are we poisoning our fish?

Several people, including me, were out fishing while they were spraying. The St. Johns River gets huge doses of these chemicals daily. Someone is making some serious money, and we’re paying for it, in more ways than one.

Americans sure do love poison. There are aisles with nothing but in the home improvement store. We put it in our homes, our yards, our food, our water. We eat it, drink it, rub it on ourselves, smoke it. We use it to power our machines. They then give off poison exhaust. We put a LOT of poison into the environment. Is it any wonder so many of us get cancer? The surprising thing is that we all don’t get it.

Tuesday I took a kayak to the Mosquito Lagoon, spending seven glorious, sunshine-filled hours paddling, walking, and casting a plastic shad. Every once in a while a fish of some sort interrupted my daydreaming. I found some clear water, if not a lot of fish.

I got two fish on flies, even. One was a trout that may have been legal, blind casting with a Clouser Minnow. One was a slot red, one of a pair of tailers, that I got on a Homer Rhodes Shrimp Fly. The leader was in the rod when the fish took- up close and personal!

Homer Rhodes developed this fly in the 1930s. His, and the one I used, did not have lead eyes.

It wasn’t epic by any means, but I would do it again.

Wednesday, clouds, rain, wind, and lightning kept me off the water.

Thursday clouds and wind kept me off the water. Went for a bike ride with my camera.

Bronson State Forest

 

 

The trees there are awesome!

Friday the Bang-O-Craft got launched at the St. Johns River at State Road 50. I was curious to see if I could run it upstream to the Beeline. Google maps made me think I couldn’t. I made it past the powerlines at Tosahatchee. There the river braids a lot. The braid I took got too shallow, and I was forced to abandon the endeavor.

Red-winged blackbird. If someone can tell me what flower it’s sitting in I’ll gladly send you a book!

 

A “controlled burn” was going on.

 

Seven Palms shelter.

If alligators were a good indicator of environmental health the place looks really healthy. There were hundreds of them. The water, however, looked like the Banana River Lagoon looks. In other words, the water looks like s—.

Alligator, file photo

I didn’t fish much but picked up a whopper five inch bass on a small jig. Nothing I saw made me want to fish, or indicated that there might actually be fish. No aquatic plants hindered my running the boat, though.

If the wind stops blowing (not supposed to), the reports will soon be coming from near-shore Atlantic waters.

That’s this week’s Meh Central Florida Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Orlando Fishing Report, St. Johns River Fishing Report · Tagged: , , ,

Mosquito Lagoon Seminar and Fishing Report

March 24, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Mosquito Lagoon Seminar and Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Mosquito Lagoon seminar and fishing report.

I found this poster on motivation to contain some dark humor:

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For Sale– Canoe Creek racks. These heavy duty racks fit any pickup truck (except Dodge RAM with toolbox). https://orlando.craigslist.org/pts/d/oviedo-tuff-truck-rack-by-spring-creek/6791721077.html

Blog Posts This Week-
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog/an-anglers-journal-a-review/

A Ponder on Trees

Live oak tree, Bronson State Forest

I’ve been having a ponder on trees. Do trees understand their own mortality? Trees don’t have a brain, a mind. Trees are not sentient. Right? What does science say?

Science doesn’t know everything. It’s particularly weak in areas of spirituality. Where do you keep your spirit? Can science tell you? Does your pet dog have a spirit? Does a gorilla? A whale? We can’t speak to any of these familiar creatures, so much like us in so many ways, much less to something as fundamentally different to us as a tree.

Trees have hundreds of years to ponder the universe. How aware are they of their surroundings? Plants in general, and trees in particular, respond to stimuli. They take their time to do so. Trees have lots of time to respond. The oldest known living thing is a tree, a bristlecone pine, which has over 5,000 years under its belt. This much time allows for a great deal of philosophizing. This much time allows for a great deal of communication with other organisms, if they can understand the “tree talk.”

Buttress roots on a cypress tree, Hillsborough River State Park

To read the rest of this post visit http://www.spottedtail.com/blog/a-ponder-on-trees-essay-photo-essay/
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Immediately after last week’s report went out by MailChimp I had a half-dozen unsubscribes. I suspect the reason was my climate protest reporting. To which I have to say

So there.

Fishing!

Monday wind 20+
Tuesday wind 20+
Wednesday wind 20+
Didn’t get out!

Thursday two Mainiacs graced my boat. Steve and Gene both run fish hatcheries in Maine, raising trout and landlocked salmon. Steve spin fishes, Gene is a fly man. Steve had never caught a redfish before and wanted one badly. Of course Gene caught the first one. It was a little feller but it took a fly. Never a bad thing.

Steve, tossing the trademark soft plastic shad, caught trout sporadically through the day. Gene, tossing the fly, got the dink red and practiced his fly casting. Steve finally hit a redfish. It wasn’t a big one, but it was in the slot and it was his first ever. Mission accomplished!

On the last cast of the day Gene got a trout that maybe was 15” for his second fish of the day. Slow fishing it was.

Thank you for fishing with me, gentlemen!

Friday fly fisher Alan Dronko and his spin fishing friend Nils Johnson joined me. The day started very slowly but gradually improved, although like Gene the previous day Alan only convinced two fish to swipe at the fly. The second was classic fly fishing for redfish- I spotted the fish, Alan made a superior cast, twitched the fly, and in plain view the fish came up and inhaled it. The fly was a black and purple synthetic minnow, the fish was released.

Thank you for fishing with me, gentlemen!

Saturday six intrepid souls joined me for the Mosquito Lagoon show and tell seminar. Here’s what Robert had to say about it-
“I want to thank you for a great day on the Show and Tell Seminar. I can’t begin to tell you how much time and money you saved me with the information you provided. I plan on doing some kayak fishing and exploring, using this priceless information. Thank you.”

Thank you for coming to my seminar, everyone!

Sunday Matt joined me for the on-the-water version of the seminar. After coming out of Haulover Canal we ran south to Pelican Island, stopping at points of note. After briefly exploring the Whale Tail we ran up the east side all the way to Georges Bar, again stopping at all the important places. After crossing to the ICW we returned to Haulover, with stops at locations to know. Elapsed time, about four hours. And thanks to Matt for joining me.

That’s this week’s Mosquito Lagoon Seminar and Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

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

Slow Fishing Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

March 16, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Slow Fishing Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this slow fishing Mosquito Lagoon fishing report. There’s a little Econlockhatchee River tossed in, too.

Blog Posts This Week– http://www.spottedtail.com/blog/an-anglers-journal-a-review/

Upcoming-
–Mosquito Lagoon Show and Tell Seminar, March 23. An all-day fishing seminar that takes place in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, with the express goal of helping you catch more fish in the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons. For more information, http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

–On-the-Water Show and Tell Seminar, March 24. Fun, educational four-hour fishing seminar that takes place in my Mitzi on the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon, with the express goal of helping you catch more fish. For more information, http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-on-the-water-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

For Sale- Canoe Creek truck racks, fit any pickup truck (except Dodge RAM with toolbox). https://orlando.craigslist.org/pts/d/oviedo-tuff-truck-rack-by-spring-creek/6791721077.html

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Monday I went to see my doctor at the VA. She told me for my cough I should tape onion slices or garlic cloves to the soles of my feet before going to bed. What???

Tuesday I went to Mosquito Lagoon to go scouting, Beacon 42. I looked at the whitecaps and decided to go to River Breeze. I could just have gone home again. In five hours I got two bites on a plastic shad, catching a dink trout and a barely legal redfish. Under the clouds you couldn’t see much. Don’t think there was much around.

Wednesday fly caster Bill Rulen joined me for a day’s “fishing” on Mosquito Lagoon. I poled for miles, mostly trying to stay out of the wind while searching for fish that just never materialized. I saw maybe a dozen fish all day. Bill did not get a shot. Ouch.

After Wednesday’s spanking wasn’t too eager to go out on Thursday. I ran errands and did some research.

Friday there was a world-wide climate strike. I should have been there.

Friday garnered the highlight of my week. There’s a water body in Mims called Freshwater Lake. On google maps it looked hard to get to. Generally sweat equity = better fishing. I put the bicycle and a spin rod in the car and drove to the trailhead, where I wired the rod to the bicycle crossbar.

Then I went for a ride, quite a lovely one. Irises were blooming hard. I treed a raccoon. There was no road noise. I had the place to myself. The ride was awesome!

You can see a sliver of water, the lake it was.

 

What the “trail” looks like.

I found the lake but was unwilling to fight through the brush in an attempt to make a cast. Something about ticks and chiggers. Rode to the observation tower on Buck Lake, where I took my lunch.

The tower at Buck Lake.

Not too long ago Buck Lake was fantastic. Thick with aquatic vegetation, it supported lots of panfish and bass. When you visited you’d see lots of wading birds and alligators. Bullfrogs would be croaking, fish would be busting.

View from the top.

All the aquatic vegetation is gone. There are still cattails and water lilies but nothing else. From the observation tower I could see tilapia and gar, but no sunfish, wading birds, or alligators. I heard one lonely bullfrog. SJRWMD denies using herbicides there but something catastrophic has clearly occurred. I did not try casting. After lunch I returned to my car.

In the afternoon I tried shore fishing at the Econ, using plastic worms. I got hung four times in an hour or so, losing all my hooks. Got two dink bass, at least there was no skunk involved.

That’s this week’s slow fishing Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

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

Mostly Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

March 9, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Mostly Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this mostly Mosquito Lagoon fishing report. There’s a littls Spruce Creek tossed in, too.

Blog Posts This Week– An Angler’s Journal- A Review

Upcoming-
–Mosquito Lagoon Show and Tell Seminar, March 23. An all-day fishing seminar that takes place in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, with the express goal of helping you catch more fish in the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons. For more information, http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

–On-the-Water Show and Tell Seminar, March 24. Fun, educational four-hour fishing seminar that takes place in my Mitzi on the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon, with the express goal of helping you catch more fish. For more information, http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-on-the-water-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

For Sale– Canoe Creek racks, fit any pickup truck (except Dodge RAM with toolbox). https://orlando.craigslist.org/pts/d/oviedo-tuff-truck-rack-by-spring-creek/6791721077.html

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I got an email from Rick Meeks this week, who is doing fine in North Carolina. In it he said, “it has been 25 years since I left central Florida and moved to North Carolina. I have not made it back to fish the Space Coast in many years. I hear that the grass beds in the Lagoon and no motor zone have been decimated. Is that true? Is fishing still good?”

Well Rick, in the Banana River Lagoon there’s no seagrass. You can’t see the bottom. I don’t bother going there any more.

In the Indian River Lagoon there’s no seagrass. You usually can’t see the bottom. I seldom bother going there any more.

The Mosquito Lagoon has lost about 75 percent of its grass. When the water is “clean,” you can see the bottom, but it’s hard to spot what fish are there. It ain’t like it used to be.

The seagrass had several functions. It anchored the sediments in place. Now when it gets windy, the wave action stirs up the bottom and the lagoon gets all muddy.

The grass was the primary food producer in the lagoons, using sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates that kept all the invertebrates happy. The fish ate the invertebrates. There’s a lot less food, and many fewer fish now. Additionally, most of those big reds are gone.

The grass served as a nursery for baby trout, redfish, etc. No grass, no place for them to hide. My feeling is that recruitment has fallen way off. You don’t see nearly as many fish as you used to. We have lost so much…

So, “Is fishing still good?” You can still catch fish. But the expectations of getting eight or ten pound trout or 20 or 30 pound reds is no longer there.

Fishing et al–

Monday Scott Radloff joined me for some Mosquito Lagoon scouting from the Mitzi. Scott was tossing a plastic shad and had a pretty good day with it in spite of the wind- three slot reds and ten or so trout to about five pounds. My catch was much more modest.

spottedtail.com

The best fish of the day, caught and released by Scott.

Tuesday it was cold and windy. I went for a long walk at Orlando Wetlands Park.

spottedtail.com

The irising are blooming at the park.

 

spottedtail.com

This stream was loaded with fish. No, you can’t fish there.

Wednesday was colder and windier. I went for a walk on the Florida Trail.

spottedtail.com

This is the yard of a neighbor. Because nothing says “I love you” like a T-rex skeleton??

 

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The fiddleheads have unfurled.

 

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This guy was sunning himself until I showed up.

 

spottedtail.com

The remains of last season’s flowers.

Thursday I had the pleasure of fishing with Dr. Robert Fuller and Dr. Rebecca Fuller, both Ph.Ds, on Mosquito Lagoon. It was still cold and windy, although warmer than the previous two days. The water was cleaner than on Monday and we found some fish. They were not real cooperative. Rob got two bites which he turned into two slot reds. Other than good bird-watching, that was it for the day. Thank you for fishing with me, Rob and Rebecca!

spottedtail.com

Rob and his first redfish ever.

Friday Scott Radloff and I took a canoe ride on Spruce Creek. There were fishing rods involved. We got five bites. I got a 12 inch bluefish, as did Scott. Scott also got two slot reds and lost another. Although I hate writing this, Scott was using a Gulp! shrimp.

spottedtail.com

Scott and his redfish.

That’s this week’s mostly Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

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

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report and Econlockhatchee River Fishing Report

February 17, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report and Econlockhatchee River Fishing Report

This fishing report covers the Mosquito Lagoon and the Econlockhatchee River.

Picture of the Week, from my friend Kevin Linehan-

Link of the Week– A woman by the name of Laarni Tadeo sent me this link on packing for fly fishing trips- https://mightygoods.com/flyfishers-packing/
Good stuff!

Monday Tom Campbell and his friend Jack joined me for a day’s fishing from the Mitzi on Mosquito Lagoon. Jack started the day with a trout and a redfish within minutes at the first spot we stopped. Then Tom and Jack doubled up on slot reds! I’m looking at an epic day, maybe.

No, we pretty much had shot our load already. We caught plenty more fish, mostly undersized trout and a couple dink reds. But an epic day it was not, and as so often happens, all my scouted spots were dry this day. So goes life.

Tom looks happy with one of many shad he caught.

Tuesday Tom Campbell and his friend Jack joined me for a day’s shad fishing from the Mitzi on the Econlockhatchee. We got shad at the first place we stopped, and at every other spot as well. We’d fish a spot until the bite slowed, then go to another. I tandem rig the jigs. We had six or seven double hookups during the day, and probably got 30 or so shad, as well as bass, sunfish, even a crappie. Good day. Thanks for fishing with me, Tom and Jack!

Wednesday we did not fish for a couple reasons, one of which was the cold rain that fell all morning.

Thursday Tom Finger joined me for what began as Mosquito Lagoon fishing. We got there and it was all whitecaps. We reversed our field and went to CS Lee Park to fish for shad. The shad fishing had fallen off a cliff. We worked it most of the day in both the Econ and the St. Johns and only got six or seven. The best fish of the day was a big crappie from the Econ. Thanks for fishing with me, Tom!

On the way home I stopped at the Snow Hill Road bridge over the Econ and fished ten minutes. Got three shad for the best fishing of the day. ARRgghhhh.

Friday I went kayak scouting out of River Breeze. There is a lot of fishless water around there. But if you look in the right places there are trout and reds. Quite a few fish were caught, including a season’s best trout of seven or eight pounds. No photo, don’t want to hurt those girls.

Saturday Steve and Brad Myott, father and son,  joined me for some paddle fishing on Mosquito Lagoon. We paddled quite a bit. I thought the fishing better on Friday, but Steve got his personal best redfish and Brad got his personal best trout. They kept a couple slot trout for dinner, too. Beautiful day, great people. Thanks for fishing with me, gentlemen!

Steve’s redfish…

That’s this week’s Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report and Econlockhatchee River Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

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

Central Florida Fishing Report

February 10, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Central Florida Fishing Report

This is a central Florida fishing report covering the Indian River Lagoon, the Mosquito Lagoon, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Econlockhatchee River. Yeah, we got around this week.

Upcoming-
-Mosquito Lagoon Show and Tell Seminar, March 23. An all-day fishing seminars that take place in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, with the express goal of helping you catch more fish in the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons. For more information, http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

-On-the-Water Show and Tell Seminar, March 24. Fun, educational four hour fishing seminar that takes place in my Mitzi on the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon, with the express goal of helping you catch more fish. For More information, http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-on-the-water-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

Monday found me paddling on the Indian River Lagoon. It was pretty windy. I found a few redfish tailing but could not get near them. The waves made the kayak slap, and the fish all disappeared before I could get into fly casting range. Three dink trout managed to get impaled on the point of the fly’s hook, though.

Tuesday I took the Mitzi out of River Breeze to see how far south the clean water went. And, as long as there was clean water, I could do a little sight fishing, too. Find some fish for the upcoming trips, maybe. Such an idea!

I looked in a half-dozen spots, working as far south as Tiger Shoal. The water was still clean there. Fish were scarce, though. While I did see a few black drum and redfish I didn’t get a shot at them. Blind casting with the shad imitation netted me a few dink trout.

Working my way back north I fished a flat which has been a fish producer in the past. There were some redfish and decent sized trout there. I got a nice slot red and a solid 20” trout, and pooched a couple of strikes. It was a nice way to end the day.

orlando fishing charter

The best trout of the week, on a plastic shad.

Wednesday found me back at the lagoon, still scouting. At the first spot I released four slot reds. NICE! There were more there but not wanting to beat them up I left them and looked elsewhere.

A couple elsewhere spots had nothing. But then I found another batch of fish and got a half dozen or so reds and trout, all slots. Again, I left them so as not to beat them up.

orlando fishing charter

Not the biggest redfish of the day, but the spots!

At the next spot an hour plus was invested. A few dink trout were caught, and four redfish were spotted too late. Then three more slot reds came in quick succession. Then it was time to quit. It had been a very solid day, even though the fly rod was not touched. And, clean water almost everywhere I went.

Thursday Mike Conneen joined me for some near-shore Atlantic exploration. Off Cape Canaveral we got a few dink bluefish and a couple of the smallest pompano I’ve ever caught. We spent hours looking for tripletail, ending up near the steeple in Cocoa Beach. We saw thousands and thousands of cannonball jellyfish, but only one tripletail. He did not eat our offering.

orlando fishing charter

The cannonballs aren’t very sporty.

Saturday Marisol and Cheryl joined me for a shad outing on the Econlockhatchee River. Two awesome ladies who love to fish, it’s a wonderful thing! The shad were cooperative enough that we got two doubles and lots of singles, releasing a couple dozen, all on little crappie jigs.

orlando fishing charter

Cheryl got the first fish, a tiny crappie.

Great day, and thank you for fishing with me, Cheryl and Marisol!

orlando fishing charter

Marisol with one of many shad they got.

I have not heard from the publisher about my latest book. While the suspense is killing me, not hearing is usually a good thing. If you hear right away it’s because the work ain’t up to snuff. I will try to continue being patient.

That’s this week’s Central Florida Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

 

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Orlando Fishing Report, port canaveral fishing report, St. Johns River Fishing Report · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Orlando Shad and Redfish Fishing Report

February 3, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Orlando Shad and Redfish Fishing Report

We fished for shad (three days) and redfish this week, so we have an Orlando shad and redfish fishing report.

Monday the weather was too cold and windy (for me!) for fishing.

Tuesday I took the Bang-O-Craft on the St. Johns and up the Econ looking for shad. Six were caught, along with a single crappie, in six hours, all on crappie jigs. Mr. Creel Survey, at the dock, told me shad had been electroshocked in the Econ. Interesting indeed.

Wednesday the weather was awful, cold, gray, windy. I drove to the Snow Hill Road bridge and fished under it for about 45 minutes, releasing four shad and hooking and losing another. Mission accomplished!

orlando fishing report

The shad love the Al’s Goldfish.

Thursday I had a shad charter with Bob Gilbane and his brother-in-law, Dennis. We went straight up the Econ. Got only two in the first spot, three in the second. The third spot was a keeper though. We spent about four hours there, getting at least 20 fish, even a couple doubles. And TWO, count them TWO, red breasted sunfish as well! It was cold and windy but we were protected by the trees and it waren’t bad ay-tall.

Thank you for fishing with me, gentlemen! I had a great time!

Friday saw the kayak raised to the roof of the car, which then drove to River Breeze Park. Surprised and delighted to see genuinely clean water, like I thought I would never see here again. There was not a lot of grass except in really shallow spots. I paddled at least ten miles over shallow flats and through canals, and saw exactly one redfish. But in the three holes I fished there were fish. I was using a six-weight with a faux slider (Borski’s is awesome but I’m not tying anything that’s that much trouble.).

The first hole yielded two dink trout. Hey, ya gotta start somewhere.

The second hole gave up a mix of dink reds and trout, about a dozen fish.

Slider redfish!

The third hole reminded me of the old days. There were at least 40 slot reds in there, as well as a couple giant trout. The trout eluded me but I released four nice reds (one had seven spots, just lovely), and missed a half-dozen strikes. I saw every take, just awesome. No, I was not on top of my game. Yes, I may just go back next week.

That’s this week’s Orlando Shad and Redfish Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Orlando Fishing Report, St. Johns River Fishing Report · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Around Orlando Fishing Report

January 12, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Around Orlando Fishing Report

This is an around Orlando fishing report, covering the St. Johns River, the Mosquito Lagoon, and Farm 13, a rather long ride from Orlando.

While web surfing this week I chanced upon an article about the evolution of beauty by a writer named Ferris Jabr. It was brilliantly written. I give you it’s conclusion-

“If there is a universal truth about beauty — some concise and elegant concept that encompasses every variety of charm and grace in existence — we do not yet understand enough about nature to articulate it. What we call beauty is not simply one thing or another, neither wholly purposeful nor entirely random, neither merely a property nor a feeling. Beauty is a dialogue between perceiver and perceived. Beauty is the world’s answer to the audacity of a flower. It is the way a bee spills across the lip of a yawning buttercup; it is the care with which a satin bowerbird selects a hibiscus bloom; it is the impulse to recreate water lilies with oil and canvas; it is the need to place roses on a grave.”

– Ferris Jabr

If you enjoy reading the English language used well do a search on his name. His website will come up.

FISHING!

Monday
Having heard about shad in the St. Johns the Bang-O-Craft came out of seclusion and transported me to the mouth of the Econ. There were no shad. That’s not just my conclusion. There were four other boats there- no one got one. This reporter got two crappie and two bluegills in three hours.

Tuesday

orlando fishing report

Best fish of the day (of the week, actually), took a Culprit worm.

Drove to Farm 13 hoping to get some bass, and just maybe- a Lunker! You could not ask for a nicer day in January, that’s for sure. My first and biggest (no lunkers though) came on plastic worms, but I got a dozen or so, and one bluegill, on Krebs poppers tossed with a 5-weight. That’s an awesome place, but it’s too far from my house.

Wednesday
Towed the Mitzi to Beacon 42 ramp for some Mosquito Lagoon scouting. Got there late, around 10. There were two trailers in the lot. I knew then catching would not be good, but launched the boat into the VERY dirty water anyway.

Checked several favorite winter spots. All were barren with the exception of a single tailing redfish to which I did not get a cast. On the bright side I pretty much had the whole place to myself.

I kept hitting the bottom with the MinnKota. Why? I could not see the bottom. To those hoping the water would clear up when winter came, sorry, it ain’t happening.

At the last spot (why does it usually work that way?) I got a dozen or so trout and three reds. One trout was in the slot. Everything else was short. The plastic shad fights off the skunk again!

Thursday
It was cold. I stayed home and cleaned the garage. Good thing it was trash day. https://orlando.craigslist.org/pts/d/oviedo-tuff-truck-rack-by-spring-creek/6791721077.html

Friday

orlando fishing report

Shad hit the silly jigs, but not the flies.

Launched the Bang-O-Craft at Mullet Lake Park circa 10 am. By 1230 I had gotten one shad on a crappie jig. Some kind of sea monster hit one of the jigs and straightened the hook before revealing itself. Those were the only two bites.

orlando fishing report

Got a nice crappie on the jig, too.

In spite of Monday I pulled the boat and went to CS Lee Park. On my first cast I hooked a shad double, although one broke off. It was one of three doubles I would get on the spin rod. Try as I might, no shad came to the fly today. Got a crappie. Got a bluegill. But no shad. Fifteen or so shad fell for those silly jigs though.

That’s this week’s Around Orlando Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Orlando Fishing Report, St. Johns River Fishing Report · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Happy New Year Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

December 29, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

Happy New Year Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

Best wishes to all my readers for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year in this Happy New Year fishing report!

Got a few slot trout.

The Mitzi met the water twice this week, both times with Mike Alfers and Mike Alfers (father and son) aboard. The water was the still-dirty Mosquito Lagoon.

Thursday we had partly cloudy skies, south wind to about 15. Friday it was mostly cloudy, wind south to about 20, a tougher day.

I looked for tailing reds for two days and saw two. Slim pickins there. Friday we saw two reds all day. Slim pickins there, too.

Over two days we got 40 or 50 trout on plastic shad and the DOA Deadly Combo. The biggest was three pounds or so. Most would not hold batter.

Thursday we saw maybe 15 reds. I spotted one that was about 15 feet from us. Mike dropped the shad next to it and to my astonishment it ate the thing. Next, we’re measuring the beast and it’s 31 inches long, the fish of the trip by far.

Got the red on the CAL Shad.

Mike and Mike, thank you both so much for two enjoyable days!

Got a report from PDM that shad were already in the St. Johns River.

That’s the Happy New Year Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2018. All rights are reserved.

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

Merry Christmas Fishing Report

December 22, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

Merry Christmas Fishing Report

Best wishes to all my readers for a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years in this Merry Christmas fishing report!

A piece of good news came across my “desk” this week. The headline read, ‘Red Tide’ Lawsuit Launched After Feds Ignore Wildlife Harms of Lake Okeechobee Discharges. If you’re inclined to read about it, this is the link- https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/red-tide-12-19-2018.php

Fishing!

Right next to the boat ramp…

Monday I drove to Teneroc, kayak on roof. A cold front just came through. I had never been there. You know I don’t have a depth sounder. I fished two different lakes and got exactly one bite from a dink bass that jumped off.

The ramp in question.

The gentleman at the registration desk told me no one did well that day, but Tom Van Horn wanted to know how I got skunked in “the best fishing around,” as he put it. That’s fishin.

He got some bigger ones.

Tuesday Alex and I drove to Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area, two kayaks on the roof, where we met Mike Conneen, and the Queen of Farm 13, Dee Kaminski.

Long live the Queen!

The weather was awesome. The fish were biting. I got more on fly, but better average size with plastic worm. The tough decisions I have to make sometimes! That’s fishin.

There is some vegetation in the water.

 

Alex got into the act, too.

Wednesday Mr. Mitzi and I went to Mosquito Lagoon. It was good to see the old friend, even if the water still looks bad. There were redfish at the first spot I went, got one on a plastic shad. Switched to the fly rod and got one on a Seaducer and another on a slider. Went trout fishing and got many slot fish on the DOA Deadly Combo. Did not see many big trout, but that’s the worst I can say. It was a good day.

That’s the Merry Christmas Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2018. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Orlando Fishing Report, St. Johns River Fishing Report · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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