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Second Road Trip Report and Photo Essay

February 29, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Second Road Trip Report and Photo Essay

What an incredible week.

Thank you for reading my second road trip report. Traveling across America with my son Maxx! Still no fishing, so I hope it’s worth your time!

Monday Maxx and I left Amarillo. Before heading west we made a detour to visit Palo Duro Canyon, the country’s second largest canyon, in a state park south of Amarillo.

We all love maps!

 

In the canyon.

 

A view along our hike.

 

Another view during the hike.

 

Yucca plants thrive all through the southwest.

 

View from the top- of the canyon.

 

These dried flowers were all over the canyon.

 

The walk made Betty a little thirsty. Photo by Maxx Kumiski.

We drove through and then took the dogs for a walk. Pretty spectacular way to spend a morning, any time.

We then headed back to I-40, hoping to make Albuquerque. The sky was cloudless most of the way, but the wind was howling. We’re carrying a canoe. Several times we had to stop and tighten the tie-down lines, something I rarely need to do. We made it to Albuquerque without any major incidents, though.

Dinner was at a mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant. There are 215 Mexican restaurants in Albuquerque! The menu was in Spanish, the proprietors from Oaxaca. I had a chicken breast in mole sauce, it was the best I’ve had. Hooray for mom and pop!

Tuesday morning we went to the Petroglyph National Monument and took a brisk (temperature-wise) hike with the dogs, checking out the basalt boulders along the way.

Some of the hundreds of petroglyphs we saw.

 

The trail we took overlooks Albuquerque.

 

More petroglyphs…

 

Maxx photographed some, too.

Hundreds of years ago native Americans etched hundreds of figures onto some of the rock faces here. They were most likely not thinking of me coming along with a camera. Along the way we saw a few jackrabbits and several road runners. Neither of us had ever seen one, pretty neat.

Then it was back into the car. Poor Bruce is still in the cat carrier. He uses us for bounce toys while we try to sleep, though.

In the afternoon we stopped at Petrified Forest National Park. It was cold, about 40 degrees. It was windy, 25 with gusts. In spite of this we went on another hike with the dogs into the Blue Mesa Badlands.

Maxx photographs a fossilized tree trunk.

 

Everyone is looking pretty chill-ly.

 

Here’s a fossil log, about to take a tumble.

We were looking at fossil logs of trees that grew during the Triassic. If we weren’t freezing our buns off it would have been super enjoyable. As it was it was still very cool. I’d like to return when the weather was nicer.

Wednesday turned out to be quite the interesting day. First we stopped at Jim Gray’s Petrified Wood Company  in Holbrook, Arizona. It ought to be called the Petrified Wood Superstore. It’s a museum, art gallery, furniture store, and rock shop all rolled into one. You can spend a few cents or tens of thousands of dollars here, on the coolest stuff you will ever see. If you can’t check out the store, check out the photos.

Gray’s had hundreds of fossil logs like this.

 

He also has furniture of all kinds, made with petrified wood.

 

Fossil fish, anyone?

 

This was in the restroom, over the urinal. Good way to get your attention!

After that we drove west, stopping at the meteor crater west of Flagstaff. Admission for an adult is $22. Twenty-two bucks to see a hole in the ground? Heck yes, and well worth it, too. Again, it’s a museum. And the crater almost defies description. I was not prepared for how vast it was.

The meteor that did this was 150 feet in diameter. The hole is almost a mile across.

 

The view from the crater’s edge, looking the other way. Lots of empty space out in Arizona!

Then it was back in the car, heading west.

At Kingman we got off I-40 and took Route 66, stopping at Oatman, an old gold mining town gone tourist trap. It’s a tourist trap done right, a town with both character and burros, lots of burros.

Atman is also known as Jackass Junction because of the burros.

 

We didn’t eat there!

 

You can buy burro food if you want to make friends.

 

Then it was back in the car to Needles, California. We crossed the Colorado River and now are in the Golden State. The price of gasoline jumped almost two dollars a gallon.

Thursday we traversed the Mojave Desert National Monument, stopping briefly at Kelso Dunes and then again at Teutonia Peak, up which we hiked. The cacti and Joshua trees were magnificent. They thrive in such a tough environment, and they are beautiful besides.

At Kelso Dunes. Photo by Maxx Kumiski.

 

A view in the Mojave Desert. Photo by Maxx Kumiski.

 

I do not know what kind of cactus this is. Photo by Maxx Kumiski.

 

We hiked through a Joshua tree “forest”.

 

The rosette at the end of the Jshua tree branch reminds me of Spanish bayonet, to which it is related,

When we finished our hike we drove to Bakersfield and then to Porterville, arriving at about 2000 hours, pretty beat. We spent the night there.

Friday we took the day off from driving and went hiking off of CA 190, in Giant Sequoia National Monument. Those trees are the most majestic and magnificent things I have ever seen. I cannot believe anyone would cut them down. People who would do that worship money way more than they worship God.

I’m inside a tree. Photo by Maxx Kumiski.

 

The monument is in the Sierra Nevada. There are lots of streams, some with trout.

 

A fallen redwood makes a handy bridge.

 

I love the reflections, I love the music, I love these streams!

 

This is a giant sequoia.

 

This is a more giant sequoia, the fifth largest tree on earth.

 

 

The Stagg Tree has way more than character- a detail of the bark.

We went to see the Stagg Tree, the fifth largest tree on the planet, estimated to be 3000 years old. I don’t know how to photograph something like that, that begins to do it justice, particularly with the little point-and-shoot camera I’m carrying on this trip. I hugged the giant for a long time, tears running from my eyes. It was quite literally a religious experience. I am not worthy…

We dined at a little Vietnamese restaurant. The ambiance was not there, but the food was delicious, outstanding, something we needed after the past couple dinners!

And that’s my second road trip report and photo essay. Thanks for reading it!

Life is great and I love my work!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

First Road Trip Report and Photo Essay

February 24, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

First Road Trip Report and Photo Essay

Thank you for reading my first road trip report. No fishing, so I hope it’s worth your time!

Last Wednesday I flew Frontier from Orlando to Hartford. My ticket was $59. My carry on was $40. And they got me there on time.

Maxx and the dogs in his empty apartment.

Son Maxx picked me up at Bradley International. We spent some time on finishing emptying the apartment, and then packed the car. Thursday morning we put Bruce (the cat) in his carrier, put him, Carlo, and Betty (the dogs) in the back seat, tied the Old Town to the roof, and hit the road. Our destination is San Francisco. Maxx is changing jobs.

Carlo

 

Betty

It’s winter in the northeast. The temperature is cold, the roads are crowded, and we just drove the first and second day, making Harrisonburg, Virginia the first day, and Dickson, Tennessee the second. Snow dusted the ground a good portion of the way. Even here in Tennessee the temperature is in the 20s as I write this.

Carlo and Betty in the very full car.

 

Poor Bruce has to ride in the cat carrier.

We need to eat dinner each night. I typed into the search box “best restaurant harrisonburg va”. The first place on the list was Boboko, an Indonesian eatery. Neither Maxx nor I knew anything about Indonesian food, but that’s where we ate. It was great. I would eat there all the time if I lived near there.

Good to see Isaac, Tina, and Booker get some recognition by the state of Tennessee.

We did the same thing in Dickson. We ended up at Back Alley Barbecue, an independent. Two sassy women working there, great food, back home ambiance, we hit two in a row. I’m kind of looking forward to tomorrow night. Our goal is Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Taking a break in Arkansas.

Saturday- we drove fairly uneventfully across Arkansas, crossing the state line into Oklahoma late in the afternoon. Maxx drove, I should say. He’s done all the driving. I sightsee and nod out, as I see fit. Except for being cooped up in the car all day it’s pretty relaxing.

We had a little rain today.

We stopped in Sallisaw, stayed at pet-friendly and relatively inexpensive Motel 6. Every night so far, actually. We found an independent Mexican restaurant, El Toro. It was good, clean, authentic feeling, friendly, another good choice.

Middle America- I love the openness.

Today we drove to Amarillo. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it’s a dump. Sorry, Amarillo.

At Cadillac Ranch.

We visited the Cadillac Ranch. It was fun. We got cans of paint and sprayed randomly. I took some pictures. I realized on the way to dinner Cadillac Ranch would be super entertaining if we spray-painted the cars of the other visitors. I don’t need or want any police encounters, though.

The Cadilacs have seen better days.

 

Maxx and the pups.

 

A bit of a rainbow at the ranch.

 

Restaurant choices here were limited on a Sunday evening. We were not thrilled with our choice, but it wasn’t bad. It just felt very chain-y. We both prefer those mom-and-pop places.

And that’s my first road trip report and photo essay. Thanks for reading it!

Life is great and I love my work!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing! Or drive across the country!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

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Flamingo Paddle Fishing Report

January 25, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Flamingo Paddle Fishing Report (with a bit about St. Johns Shad)

Thank you for reading this Flamingo Paddle Fishing Report. Nothing like the Everglades, although getting to or from Flamingo is becoming a traffic nightmare.

After picking up my wilderness permit from the rangers Monday morning I loaded up the Bang-O-Craft and headed to Cape Sable. My plan was east cape two nights and middle cape two nights. The weather had other ideas.

The kayak and the Bang-O-Craft!

I had to stay east of east cape because of the wind and waves. Fortunately the kayak served as a dinghy so I could anchor the boat off the beach a way, which kept it from getting pummeled.

The waves meant the boat needed to be off the beach.

 

The Bang-O-Craft, happily at anchor.

I had some time to walk the beach. The shells are amazing! The amount of plastic there, especially abandoned commercial fish gear, is close to appalling.

 

 

 

 

A shorty snook, the first of many, and a hockey-puck jack fell for my little jig that evening. After darkness fell I stayed up long enough to enjoy the stars a bit and see two satellites. Beat from a long day, I soon crashed.

As soon as it got light I was up, eating fast and loading up for the day’s fishing. After anchoring the johnboat I started paddling. I planned the trip to take advantage of the incoming tide. No one told the water. I fought current the entire way. Crocodiles of all sizes jumped off the bank upon my approach. Between the crocodiles and the pterodactyl-like blue herons it felt a little like Jurassic Park. Even sounded like it- Scraw! Scraw! Scraw! Did not see a Tyranosaur, though.

Jursassic Park, Or Everglades National Park?

I couldn’t tell if the wind caused it or not, but the water was dirty. Between that and the wind, sight fishing with a fly rod, what I hoped to do, was impossible. Perhaps a half-dozen nice snook were spotted, all after blowing out. A single redfish tail went up and right back down again. The fly rod remained untouched. By lunchtime no bites had happened.

After lunch the current of the now incoming tide pushed me between two islands. Blind casting a DOA Shrimp produced the first bite of the day, a dinker snook. I got a dozen or so there, one after another, before realizing I was in the nursery. I went hunting again.

I found nothing but large reptiles (Where’s Steve Irwin when you need him?) until I got another dinker snook blind casting a small jig with a chartreuse twisty tail. At this point it was getting on in the afternoon. I waited at that spot for the tide to turn, catching small snook, until deciding to paddle against the current again to get back to the johnboat. You would think there would be a decent snook in there, but no, all little guys. Oh, and a solitary, lost, seatrout.

The stars again were spectacular, the Milky Way in as much glory as you’ll get in south Florida, and three satellites to boot. Venus was visible as soon as the sun set. The first stars to appear were Rigel, Aldebaran, and Sirius. Orion soon blazed. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/01/betelgeuse-supernova/605251/?utm_source=pocket-newtab The gems of stargazing, to me, are meteors, but not one did I see this trip.

The cold sent me to bed after a while. I struggled to stay warm all night.

The next morning the wind was still blowing hard. Florida Bay looked like a wavy bowl of mud. It was cold. My fishing spot didn’t work, and the weather kept me from trying much else. I loaded up and went back to Flamingo. I’d check the weather and if it were to stay the same, well, I would hit the road.

Forecast for the next day, north at 5-10. I got a campsite at Flamingo Campground. Once again the stars were awesome. Eight satellites!

In the fog I packed up, launched the boat, and headed out. After anchoring I negotiated a tiny creek in the kayak. The creek was full of fallen trees, and lots of snook. I was optimistic the lake would be good.

Another dinker snook!

Where the creek entered the lake I tried a cast. Bam! Dinker snook. I tried the fly rod with a streamer. Every cast. A snook on every cast! It wasn’t heavenly. They were all dinkers. Again I was in the nursery. I went looking for real ones.

I poled and paddled around the entire lee shore of the lake and did not see a fish. I paddled the length of the lake, back to the creek mouth. The dinkers were still there, no big boys.

The spin rod I brought has a history. I purchased the rod, a whippy fiberglass cheapy, at Lechmere Sales in Cambridge, right after I got my driver’s license. After stripping all the hardware off I wrapped new guides on the blank and put a new handle on, and mounted a Mitchell 308 loaded with four pound monofilament on it. With that rod I fished for bass and pickerel, and sunfish and crappie and perch, and stocked brown and rainbow and wild brook trout. And carp. Let’s not forget them.

Let’s not forget the carp. The author, circa 1969.

It didn’t get used at all for a long time and for years hung on our wall as “art”. Since our kids moved out we’ve been changing things around in the house. The old rod found its way back into my arsenal recently. I mounted a Shimano Nasci 1000 with 10-pound braid on it. That’s what I was using on this trip.

It wasn’t what I would have chosen to battle snook in a tiny creek loaded with lumber. But no way could I fly cast I there, so I went for it. The lure was the good old plastic shad.

The first several fish were dinkers. Then a real one hit.

The fish were in a lot of lumber.

The fish went around a mangrove root. The line was stuck in the little mussels on the root. I opened the bail while I worked the boat around the fallen wood to actually get at the place the line was caught and after fumbling around for a while got it free. The rod was passed around the root, the bail closed, the line tightened. The fish was still on.

There was more, similar stupid stuff, but I ended up getting the fish, by miles the best of the trip. I laughed like a maniac after releasing it, the whole thing was so crazy.

I cast the shad again. A bigger snook hit it. He did not mess around, immediately wrapping the line around a sunken branch and breaking off.

I considered re-rigging but that would have resulted in more fish with jewelry- no way could I get them out of that jungle. I paddled back to the johnboat, ran back to Flamingo, loaded up, and hit the road.

I left Flamingo at about 1440. I don’t want to say it was the ride from Hell, but it rained hard a good part of the way and I did not get home until 2200. The Florida Turnpike Authority ought to be ashamed of charging people to use that road.

St. Johns River addendum- last weekend I went to the St. Johns to try the noodle rod on shad. It got a workout! Fishing wasn’t hot, but it was pretty steady. About a dozen shad were released in about four hours, with lost fish and missed strikes of course. The rig used is pictured.

 

And that’s my Flamingo Paddle fishing report. I had a great time! Thanks for reading it!

Life is great and I love my work!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , ,

Everglades Solo Paddle Fishing Report and Photo Essay

December 20, 2019 by · 2 Comments

Everglades Solo Paddle Fishing Report

Wishing a most blessed Christmas to everyone.

Thank you for reading this Everglades Solo Paddle Fishing Report. It’s going to read like a full length magazine article so you might want to save it for when you’re at work. 🙂

Launched the kayak at the Everglades City Ranger Station about 11 am Sunday morning. I hoped to catch the last of the outgoing tide out to the Gulf, but I hit the nose of the incoming tide and had to paddle against it for a way. It hadn’t started running hard yet. The weather was amazing.

Don’t know what it’s trying to do. This is the beauty you see while paddling.

My plan was to camp two or three nights at Rabbit Key and two or three nights at Jewell Key, fish, watch stars, play harmonica, and be alone with my thoughts for a few days. It was a great plan.

Someone was watching over me.

While paddling I dragged a plastic shad behind the boat. Something hit it. A few minutes later I was surprised by a large Spanish mackerel, a beautiful fish. Wasn’t going to attempt to one-hand it for a photo!

Hit a young snook off a root wad, another that was banging bait. Reached Rabbit Key without further incident. The old campsite wasn’t there, a hurricane victim. I found quite a lovely alternate.

Home sweet home, Rabbit Key.

One of the best things about kayak camping is I can afford the finest of unspoiled waterfront properties, if only for a few days. Hit a small jack from my front porch.

My front yard at sunset.

I watched the sun set and darkness fall. Watching darkness fall is the best thing you can do while it happens, every single day. It’s magical. None of us do it enough. I spotted two satellites while admiring the Milky Way. Tired from a long day of travel, I then turned in.

It took me a while to get going in the morning. I headed to Rabbit Key Grasses, wondering if there was still grass (none I found). The path I intended to take was unavailable to me as it was lacking water, it being low tide. A small tidal stream drained a huge, dry flat with lots of birds on it. I thought the stream should be a fish bowl but, no bites. I saw a few black drum. Some big sharks swam in water that didn’t cover them, the sunlight glinting off their back and dorsal fins. They are so supple, so beautiful.

The fish is ON!

Once the water started rising I found myself standing and more or less poling in skinny water. Happily surprising me, a redfish cruised. I tossed the shad in front of it. A very satisfying eat happened. Wished I had the fly rod ready but was certainly happy the way things turned out.

This red nailed a plastic shad.

Saw a few other reds but no shots. Hit a few small trout on the way back.

Watched and savored darkness falling again. I was able to stay up for a while this evening. Saw three more satellites. Distant lightning dotted the horizon. Incoming clouds finally broke up the sky show.

Dawn view.

I woke up at 5 AM and started packing, not without enjoying a different sky. Orion was on the western horizon. A meteor fell out of Gemini and looked like it might hit me. The third-quarter moon was in Leo. It was so nice. Getting to see things like this is one of the main draws of making these trips. The fish are a bonus, man!

This trout hit a trolled shad just as the sun rose.

By 630, everything packed and breakfast eaten, I was off to Jewell Key, dragging the shad again. As the sun breached the horizon a trout nailed the shad. The fish was only about 18 inches long but was the best one I would get.

Said sunrise.

A short while later a serious tarpon rolled, only 30 feet away. Fortunately, he did not eat the shad.

A serious tarpon rolled, 30 feet away.

Soon after this a bluefish whacked the shad. I had another specie.

The wind came up to about 12 mph. It was not an impediment to my progress.

I stopped on a long bar.

I stopped on a long bar. The current flowed strongly, out towards the Gulf. I thought there should be some hungry fish there. There were, but only hockey-puck-sized jacks and some blue runners. Got some of each on an olive Clouser minnow. A shark threatened a couple as I played them, but it failed to commit.

Same bar, different view.

When I got to Jewell Key there was a young guy there who had paddled out for the day. I introduced myself. He said to me, “My parents were hippies. They named me Orion.” I told him I liked the name, and had admired his namesake constellation that very morning. I told him they could have chosen worse, like Zeus or Odin. Then again, I don’t have to deal with Orion.

A canoe with three young guys paddled up. Three guys with camping gear in a 17 foot canoe was quite a feat of packing, methinks. Now I had neighbors. Hardly saw them, they were awesome.

Morning glories in my yard on Jewell Key.

I set up my camp and went fishing, Gulf-side on Jewell Key. Between the wind, current, and waves I could only fish by wading. It was too rough and windy to fly cast so I flung a shad, on a light jig head, over and over again, out into the Gulf. It was a manly thing to do.

Generally it was pretty slow but there were two flurries that produced fast action for about 15 minutes each. Redfish, trout, jacks, and ladyfish fell for my deception. A mangrove snapper was fooled too. He got in the rocks and damaged my leader before I could work him out. I stupidly did not retie the leader. Yes, I absolutely should know better.

Shortly afterwards a large snook took the bait in plain view. I hardly felt the leader break, it happened so fast. Completely deserved it.

Typical mangrove forest in Everglades National Park.

Late in the afternoon the water got too deep for comfort. Back at camp there was a new neighbor, a solo paddler who may have been around my age. Quite a nice guy with an “American normal” kind of name, Paul. We chatted a bit, then I made my dinner and enjoyed it.

I spotted a fleet in the distance. After a few minutes it was clear they were headed our way. The sun was close to horizon- would they make it to land before it set?

Nine or ten tired, hungry paddlers from the University of Tennessee joined us that evening. Setting up camp, cooking, eating, and cleaning up were higher on their agenda than watching night fall. Woe is me- their flashlights disturbed my views. I managed to survive. Lightning flashed on the horizon. I even saw a satellite and a meteor before Orion rose, at which time I turned in.

Pounding rain and winds woke me later. It was like a fire hose blasting at my tent! I pulled my fly shut, fairly astonished how heavy and loud the rain was. The wind pulled out the stake that was holding down the fly. Water began joining me in the tent. Somehow my bedding stayed dry. After at least an hour the rain subsided to a gentle mist. I slept until daylight.

I got up, ate breakfast, and went fishing. A ladyfish school ran into me. That was entertaining.

Got a nice red, even more entertaining. Several trout and another red followed.

By now it was time to go back to camp and clean up the mess. The sun was even poking out a bit.

The canoeists and solo paddler were gone. The Volunteers were just launching. If no one else came I’d have the place to myself. I had already decided to go home the next morning.

Getting everything dry and tidy took a couple hours. For my afternoon fishing shift the winds were light. It would be fly casting only.

I started with a pink Clouser minnow, flinging it as far as I could into the Gulf. No sight-fishing here!

This red took 30 minutes of casting.

It took 30 minutes, but finally a bite. A solid redfish, about four pounds. Smile on John’s face!

Little feller snook!

Minutes later, a bite. Little feller snook!

If I catch a trout I’ll have some kind of slam. Trout, where are you?

Another bite. Hockey-puck jack.

This was an aggressive little fish.

 

So was this!

I switched flies, putting on the only Hootchie fly I still had. It fooled a variety of fish species- redfish, ladyfish, snapper, baby jewfish, and some solid jacks. On my last cast, as I was reeling up the line, a fish crushed the fly and ran into my backing for the first time on the trip. It was a jack of five pounds or so.

This jack went into the backing.

On the way back to camp I realized the wind had increased in intensity. I’d been fishing on the protected side of the island.

That evening solid overcast prevented stargazing, so I made a small fire, and of course watched darkness fall. My tent rattled and shook all night long. I was glad I had weighted the stakes down with chunks of wormrock. I did not sleep well, and got up when it got light.

I planned on leaving. Doing so would have been foolhardy. I don’t need NOAA to recognize a small craft advisory. Until the wind died back some I was stuck. I packed what I could and went on standby.

The back yard on Jewell Key,

Around noon I realized the tent wasn’t shaking as bad. My intended route did not look like a wedding cake any more. Paddling into the wind that was left would be hard, but it was no longer dangerous. I packed up.

I thought the tide was about dead low when I left. It wasn’t. I kept hoping the nose of the incoming would catch up to me. It didn’t. It was fight wind and tide the entire way. Even when it started raining I still loved every stroke.

Trips like this make me realize what an insignificant mote I am in the grand design. It’s one of the reasons I need to keep making them.

When I got to the ramp, its end was 10 or 15 feet from the water. Wading through knee-deep black ooze, I was able to drag my vessel to terra firma. Loading up, cleaning up, and driving got me home about 10 PM.

Spent most of Friday catching up, cleaning up, and getting my gear ready for the next trip. I wonder where it will be? It will have a tough act to follow after this one, which was deeply fulfilling, one of my best.

Thanks for making it through the Everglades Solo Paddle Fishing Report!

Life is great and I love my work!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

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

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Fishing Stories, Paddle Fishing Florida, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

White Mountains Report and Photo Essay

October 12, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Covered bridge spanning Swift River.

White Mountains Report and Photo Essay

Susan and I travelled to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to catch the fall color. We have an unusual White Mountains report. Not any fish, but lots of colorful photos!

Cannon Mountain in Franconia Notch.

Richie (Susan’s brother) and I went fishing on the Concord River Sunday morning. I have had wonderful days there in the past. This wasn’t one of them. We hit it for three hours. We did not see a fish, get a bite, or see any fish-eating birds other than a single blue heron. We were off the water by noon.

Storefront in Portsmouth.

Monday we went to Portsmouth, NH. It’s touristy but really well done. Flowers and colorful plants everywhere, nice shops, nice restaurants, lots of history with shipbuilding and whaling, whale watching if you want, worth the trip if you’re near there.

On the main street in Portsmouth.

Tuesday Susan and I drove to Lincoln and went for a 7 mile hike on the Wilderness Trail, going as far as Franconia Falls. It was like walking through a kaleidoscope! Multi-colored leaves thick on the ground. Multi-colored leaves thick on the trees. Vivid colors, greens, browns, reds, golds, yellows, oranges, incredible.

East branch of the Pemigewasset River.

 

It was like walking through a kaleidoscope.

 

Susan enjoys the walk in the woods.

 

Incredible color surrounded us.

 

Wednesday we went to Bald Mountain and Artist’s Bluff, taking another hike. From the top of Bald Mountain we had a clear view of Mount Lafayette. The air sat still, the sun shone warmly. We loafed on the mountaintop enjoying the view, the weather, and each other’s company.

On the way up!

 

On the summit of Bald Mountain. Mount Lafayete dominates the horizon.

 

Folks take their hiking seriously in these parts.

When we finally hiked back to the car we drove to Bethlehem, where we had a fantastic dinner at the Cold Mountain Café. We dined in Bethlehem! It was a fantastic day.

Sumac leaves get ready for winter.

Thursday morning we got up early by vacation standards. There was frost on the car. We drove to Littleton, where breakfast was supplied by the Crumb Bar. If you are in this part of the world that is a must stop.

Striped maple leaves along the trail.

We then drove through Crawford Notch, stopping at the base of Mount Willard. Forty degrees at the start of this mile and a half ascent. It was cloudy and the wind was blowing. So we did not lounge around on the summit for hours! The views down Crawford Notch, of the southern Presidential Range, and Mount Willey, were tremendous, though.

Railroad station at the Mount Willard trailhead.

 

The view down Crawford Notch. Webster Cliffs off to left.

We poked our way back, taking the Kancamagus Highway, enjoying every minute of the drive, until we hit the interstate. New Hampshire portion of vacation over.

Surf casting with fly rod at Winthrop Beach was on the agenda for Friday evening/Saturday morning. A northeaster that produced 40 plus MPH winds and 10 foot waves put the kabosh on that plan.

On October 28 Fishing Florida by Paddle will be available. Click this link for more information!

That’s this week’s White Mountains 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: Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , ,

Massachusetts Fishing Report

October 5, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Massachusetts Fishing Report

Susan and I are in the commonwealth of Massachusetts, thus the Massachusetts fishing report.

Sumac leaves.

Monday afternoon I was looking for a place to go fly fishing in freshwater. I visited Wedge Pond in Arlington, Horn Pond in Woburn, the Merrimac River in Lowell, and the Concord River in several different towns. No access without a boat. I don’t have a boat here.

In Viet Nam Veterans Park in Billerica there is a small pond. I got a single fish, a banded sunfish. It was a small but beautiful fish, the first of that species that I have caught. It kept the skunk away!

Ripening pokeberries.

Then I spent some time photographing autumn in New England.

Tuesday morning I got up early and drove to Plum Island, hoping for giant stripers and bluefish. I went to the Merrimac River mouth. The tide was low but still outgoing. There was one other fisherman there, a spin fisher tossing a Hopkins spoon. He got nothing, the same as I. There was no bait or activity.

I walked to the jetty and clambered up. Using the jetty as a vantage I observed my surroundings. The ocean had significant surf, but all the birds were sitting on the beach. The river mouth lacked bait or any signs of life. I got in the car and drove to the south end of the island, through the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Milkweed pods releasing seeds.

By now the water was moving the other way. I walked to the east side of the island, where the surf was manageable, and started casting a Clouser Minnow. After at least thirty minutes of casting wasn’t I surprised by a strike! A small schoolie striper- skunk’s off!

Three more bass and a shad were caught and released and a couple strikes missed before such bite as there was stopped.

While taking lunch I considered the options. A decision was made to stay to wait for the outgoing tide and try it again.

More fishermen came once the tide began its ebb, all tossing spin tackle. We all worked it hard. I left at 430 without touching another fish. No one else hit anything either. A full day of fishing did not yield a giant fish of any kind, but four bass is so much better than nothing. I enjoyed watching nearly a full tidal cycle!

Thursday night I spoke to the United Fly Tyers of Bedford about fly fishing opportunities in Florida. It’s a great group of folks and I appreciate them hosting me!

On October 28 Fishing Florida by Paddle will be available. Click this link for more information!

That’s this week’s Massachusetts 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, travel blog · Tagged: , ,

Housatonic River Fishing Report

September 27, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Housatonic River Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Housatonic River Fishing Report.

On Tuesday Susan and I caught a jet aircraft and flew to Hartford, Connecticut. Son Maxx is living in Shelton and we are visiting.

Maxx is a member of the Freedom Boat Club. Wednesday morning we went to Stratford, where Maxx got a boat for us. We went out on the Housatonic River. At first birds dove lazily, and a fish busted here and there. We worked pretty hard, Maxx with a jig, I with a large bendback. We got nothing for over an hour. During that time I noticed the baitfish were quite small, so I switched to a Clouser minnow.

Maxx got a bluefish, Florida-sized. It spit out a half-dozen glass minnows. The switch to the Clouser was a good thing.

We were near the river mouth when we could not help but notice a large group of birds diving, anything but lazily. Fish were working under them! We idled over.

Maxx tossed a jig- WHAM!

It was shallow. You could see the fish cruising over the bottom, even away from where all the surface activity was. I cast the Clouser out- WHAM! Maxx tossed the jig- WHAM! Double hookup on schoolie stripers.

The Clouser worked well.

For close to an hour it was fish after fish. Then the tide got too low. We were in danger of getting stuck, too, so we had to leave anyway.

Susan looks on as a shmooze for the photo.

We fished around the mouth of the river and caught fish steadily if not one after the next, both stripers and bluefish. The fish weren’t big but there was action, all you could ask for on a gorgeous fall day.

Apples- autumn in New England.

Thursday we went to Lyman orchards apple picking. Yeah, autumn in New England, awesome! When we were finished apple picking, we went to the orchard’s store. I bought an apple pie, even more awesome!

There were LOTS of apples!

The next few reports may be thin, and they will come out of New England.

Catalina and Maxx fight over an apple!

I have a new book coming out! Please tell your friends! It’s a guide book to fishing Florida by paddle craft. Click this link for more information!

That’s this week’s Housatonic 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, travel blog, Uncategorized · Tagged: , , ,

Tiger Key Fishing Report and Photo Essay

April 20, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Tiger Key Fishing Report

A blessed Easter to everyone. Thank you for reading this Tiger Key fishing report.

FANTASTIC OFFER
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!

FISHING!

MONday
Last week I wrote- “Thursday loaded up the expedition kayak (Ocean Kayak Prowler 15) and went to Spruce Creek, which is not much of an expedition.” Monday I took it on an expedition, maybe short, but an expedition none the less. Drove to Everglades City, leaving mi casa at 0400, arriving 1000. Self-issuing camping permit in hand, I loaded up the boat with food, gear, and tackle (fly only) and paddled eight miles out to Tiger Key.

The wind was honkin pretty good out of the northwest and the water, near the top of the tide, was riled up. I did not see any fish other than black mullet on the way out, and did not get a bite after setting up camp. Did not hit it hard, was fairly drained from all the travel.

Campsite, Tiger Key. Nice.

I could not help but notice the army of fiddler crabs, way more than I’ve ever seen anywhere. Why is nothing snacking on them?

Good thing these guys don’t attack people. There were thousands of them.

Tuesday
Beautiful weather! No bugs! Southeast wind made fishing the outside of the islands the thing to do. Cast right off the campsite before breakfast or coffee, getting two small jacks and two small ladyfish on the Bouncer shrimp. Would have liked something sexier but these days be happy with what you get, John!

That’s quite a modest jack. First fish of the trip, though.

After a quick breakfast bite went boating- not far! Saw a place that said, Fish here! So I did. Second cast garnered a strike, a snooklet. Released him after a quick photo and went back to casting. A few casts later hooked a snook that was four pounds, maybe a little more. He went through the #20 Seaguar. Put on an Electric Sushi, 2/0.

The snooklet spit on my lens.  🙁

 

 

Everything was sized modestly.

Before the bite stopped there I’d gotten a redfish (small) and 10 or so trout in the slot. Spent the rest of the day hunting for fish that I didn’t find. There was no bait anywhere. Saw a single snook on top of a bar, did not get a shot. Saw one shark on the same bar. Blind-cast in places that screamed, Fish here! Did not touch a fish all day until I went back to the morning spot, where a half-dozen more trout fell to the Sushi fly.

After supper got another jack fishing by the campsite, for a nice circular ending to the day. Stayed up barely long enough to see some of my favorite constellations, tough under an almost-full moon. Slept well.

Beseeching the fish gods to toss me some crumbs.

Wednesday
Thinking that the outside didn’t work too well, went looking inside. Had a low outgoing tide to start, perfect for hunting shallow bays. Those bays had a few black mullet and the tiniest of fry minnows and nothing else.

There were lots of ospreys, good to see!

The only birds around were ospreys. There were no ibis (didn’t see one in four days!) and very few herons or egrets. No bait, no birds, no fish. I’m going back to where I got the fish yesterday.

Another snooklet.

Once there I had the same conditions as the previous day. Again, a snooklet attacked the Sushi fly almost immediately. A while later I got another. A while later I got another rat red. Then nothing. I stayed longer than I should have, hoping the trout would show. They didn’t. I hopped in the boat and went hunting again.

I worked another point real hard and again got nothing until a flounder took pity on me. It wasn’t much of a fish, but it was a fish.

Deciding a picnic on Picnic Key would be appropriate, I paddled over there. The beach is long and beautiful. The sun was high, the water clear. I walked toward the far end, high on the beach, hoping to spot a snook or redfish.

The beach at Picnic Key, home of the mighty houndfish.

When I got to the far end I reversed field. To my amazement, where there was nothing a few minutes earlier there was a fish. But it was almost bright green! What was it?

I cast too far in front. Hoping the fish would move toward me I let the fly sit there. The fish was not moving. When I tried to recover the fly it was discovered it had found a root. Pulling it off the root did not bother the fish, but it did bend the hook. While straightening it I broke the barb off.

The next cast landed a foot in front of the fish. He immediately came over to check. One twitch and BAM! It was a houndfish. He almost beached himself when he jumped, a pretty spectacular 1.27 seconds. Then the barbless hook came free. I suspect they’re hard to hook anyway, what with the bony beak.

While I was picnicking a guide boat with four tourists came to look for shells and whatnot. The captain was a crusty Chokoloskee Island native, knew Edgar Watson’s son. While we chatted he said something which was pretty obvious to someone who’s fished Florida for very long- “There sure ain’t as many fish as there used to be.”

No fish here.

I checked three more islands, saw a single redfish on two big stingrays. Did not get a shot.

No fish here, either.

The day was getting old when I went back to my “spot.” A few trout had come in, got a half-dozen to three pounds. One, once hooked, came in, did not fight until I tried to grab him. Then he thrashed like crazy. “Fish, please don’t do that, you’ll attract a shark.” No sooner did I release him than a six foot bull swam by a rod length away. It wasn’t a soil-your-shorts moment but it could have easily turned into one.

Did I have nice weather or what??

This evening had no breeze. The no-see-ums were a minor annoyance. I didn’t use bug spray once the entire trip, choosing in this instance to retire early.

Thursday
Got up at first light, had breakfast, broke camp and packed up, paddled back to Everglades City, getting there at 1000. Loaded up the chariot and drove home, thinking about no ibis, no gulls (NO GULLS), no bait, can I go to a planet that’s not being ravaged please?

That’s this week’s Tiger Key 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, Paddle Fishing Florida, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Charlotte County Fishing Report and Photo Essay

October 6, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

Charlotte County Fishing Report and Photo Essay

We travelled to Charlotte County this week and did some fish-catching. We have a Charlotte County Fishing Report for you!

Upcoming Events-

Paddle Fishing Central Florida Fishing Report
-Aloha Protect Our Waters Fundraiser! It should be called th FUN-raiser- Mai-tais, tropical cuisine, and live music highlight this event. There might be some well-known fishing personalities, too. All funds raised help support Anglers for Conservation’s youth fishing education programs. Oct 14, 3-6 PM. For more information visit www.anglersforconservation.org/pow . I hope to see you there!

-MINWR Show and Tell Fishing Seminar. Oct. 27, 830 AM. In this all-day seminar I SHOW you where to fish, and TELL you how to be succesful. For more information visit http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

-Mosquito Lagoon On-the-Water Show and Tell Seminar. Oct. 28. In this four hour seminar I take you out in my skiff and show you all my secrets. For more information visit http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-on-the-water-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

Fishing!

Monday I had to visit the chiropractor. He did not fix the problem and it colored the rest of my week.

Tuesday I got up in what seemed the middle of the night and drove to Port Charlotte. Old friend George Allen had moved there from Orlando and I was going to visit.

charlotte county fishing report

I’ll be hornswoggled.

We went out in George’s 26 foot Sea Hunt, cruising out to Charlote Harbor. I had zero expectations, never having fished the area before. Zero is what we got, too, until we saw a few tarpon roll. We cast a couple of pinfish out and I’ll be horn-swoggled, we got a bite. I fought the 60-70 pound fish up to the boat, where it posed for a photo. After that, even though tarpon rolled all around us, it was a hot sailcat bite. After that first fish, who cared? The back was fine so far. Thank you, George!

charlotte county fishing report

The pond at Deer Prairie Creek Preserve.

Wednesday I went to visit Deer Prairie Creek Preserve. A small dam on Deer Prairie Creek backs up a small pond. I opted to fish here instead of below the dam. That was perhaps a mistake, but I will visit the area again and hit the lower creek.

charlotte county fishing report

You’ll see lots of signs like this one.

The upper creek was gorgeous. As the morning passed the songs of birds gave way to the humming of cicadas. If you listened you could hear traffic sounds, but they were distant and easy to ignore.

charlotte county fishing report

I paddled upstream until it became obvious that if I went farther turning around would be difficult. The stream was too overgrown in most places to fly fish. I wished more than once I’d brought a UL spin outfit.

charlotte county fishing report

 

charlotte county fishing report

The creek was too overgrown to fly fish in many places.

The four-weight did come in handy though. Once the creek started opening up the fish started hitting my popper. The first was a feisty little bass, quickly followed by a garfish. After five bass and a stumpknocker the back was bothering me too much to fish any more. Loading the boat back onto the car was an exercise in slow and painful.

charlotte county fishing report

Bass on popper, always fun!

 

charlotte county fishing report

Stumpknockers are as aggressive as they are beautiful.

I visited Snook Haven for lunch. It’s an old-Florida style fish camp on the Myakka River, and is definitely worth a visit. The river is over its banks and is not fishing well right now, not that I tried.

We had dinner that evening at Carmelo’s  in Punta Gorda. Five stars and two thumbs up!

charlotte county fishing report

Logan casting to rolling tarpon.

Thursday morning I met Logan Totten http://flykayaker.com in Englewood. In the dark he drove me somewhere onto the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park . The sun was not up yet when we launched the kayaks into a small pond.

charlotte county fishing report

we dragged the boats into another pond.

After crossing the pond we dragged the boats into a second pond and began fishing. Baby tarpon rolled around us. In spite of several fly changes baby tarpon did not bite. A few Mayan cichlids did, so no skunking for us! Logan led me through a mangrove tunnel (I love doing stuff like that!) into another pond. Again, rolling tarpon, no biters.

charlotte county fishing report

Logan, still casting.

We eventually went back through the tunnel into the second pond. More Mayan cichlids and a few small snook. Tarpon still not cooperating.

charlotte county fishing report

Score!

We dragged the boats back to first pond, paddled back to his truck, loaded up, and went to another pond. Tarpon rolled all over it. We took two drifts across without a bite and called it. Tarpon of any size can be so ornery…

charlotte county fishing report

Another snook, a mini- model.

Thank you, Logan! I loved the adventure! You get the JK stamp of approval!

charlotte county fishing report

Upper Myakka Lake. The water is high.

Friday was return home day. I stopped at Myakka River State Park  on a fact-finding mission for future reference. It’s beautiful there! As stated earlier, the river is over its banks. That and the fact my back was still bothering me kept me from going paddling. It was still so tempting…

charlotte county fishing report

Myakka paddle notes, at the canoe livery there.

My take on Charlotte County is that there is a lot of kayak fishing to be done there. Charlotte Harbor has all kinds of saltwater fish. In addition there are all the small natural ponds, with tarpon, snook, cichlids, etc. There are the Myakka and Peace Rivers and their tributaries, and loads of canals (peacock bass and snakeheads in addition to native species) and retention ponds. West Wall Outfitters in Port Charlotte is the place to stop for information and last minute tackle needs.

And that is the Charlotte County 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, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Mosquito Lagoon/Pine Island Sound Fishing Report

April 28, 2018 by · 1 Comment

Mosquito Lagoon/Pine Island Sound Fishing Report

This is a Mosquito Lagoon/Pine Island Sound fishing report. Nothing philosophical to be said this week…

Monday Tammy and I went out on the Indian River Lagoon for scouting purposes. It was windy. The water was not completely gross, a plus. I got one bite from a puffer, who chewed up my plastic shad.

The cinnamon rolls at Sunrise Bread Company were delicious.

Wednesday Bob Duport, from Western Mountains Fly Fishing, joined me for some Mosquito Lagoon fly fishing. We saw some fish here and there. All fled at our appearance. Bob finally got a good shot at a redfish, which was very interested in the fly. I don’t know if the fish missed the fly or Bob missed the fish, but at any rate we did not get it, and Mr. Skunk was all over us. Bob, thanks for fishing with me and for your good humor.

mosquito lagoon fishing

I even had Bob get out and wade fish. Didn’t help.

Thursday morning dark and early I hopped in the chariot and drove to Pineland, where I met son Alex. We paddled our kayaks out onto Pine Island Sound on a fantastic day weather-wise. We were casting soft plastics, picking up a skater trout here and there. A hardhead cat ate my lure. We got a couple ladyfish. I stood up and started sight fishing.

pine island sound fishing

Alex with one of the better trout we got while kayak fishing.

A mile or two of shoreline yielded four redfish and two small snook. I didn’t catch them or even get a shot. That’s what I saw.

pine island sound fishing

I caught this mighty cobia

We fished potholes for a while. More trout, two exciting sailcats, and a small cobia (the fish of the day) was the result. We were off the water about 4 pm.

pine island sound fishing

It was a mighty SMALL cobia.

Friday we got a rental boat from Freedom Boat Club at Pineland Marina. I’ve always thought Lee County boaters were the world’s rudest, and Friday strongly reinforced that opinion. We were anchored at a tarpon spot when this geek motored up to us a cast away, shut off his motor, pulled out a fly rod, dropped the trolling motor, and started fishing. I know I don’t own the place, but would he want that done to him?? There were several other examples that I won’t go into.

We did see some very unhappy tarpon. We caught a couple lizardfish, a couple blue runners, several ladyfish, quite a few bluefish, and several seatrout, two of which were handsome. We were done before 2 pm, after which I drove home again.

And that is the Mosquito Lagoon/Pine Island Sound fishing report!

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.

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