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Beyond Borders: Diverse Careers That Embrace the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

April 15, 2024 by · 1 Comment

Beyond Borders: Diverse Careers That Embrace the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

Guest Blog by Julia Mitchell

The allure of being a digital nomad captivates many in our globally connected era. This lifestyle, blending remote work with the freedom to travel, isn’t just for tech-savvy freelancers or writers.

A variety of career paths, some quite unexpected, cater perfectly to this nomadic existence, offering both professional growth and the liberty to roam. If you’re ready to get started as a digital nomad, this guide shared by Capt. John Kumiski’s Spotted Tail Fishing And Travel can help you find your path.

Transform Fitness Passion Into Online Coaching

Embrace a career as an online fitness coach, ideal for health enthusiasts seeking a nomadic lifestyle. By obtaining relevant certifications and establishing an online presence, digital nomads can offer virtual training and lessons, personalized fitness regimes, and nutritional advice to a global clientele. This path not only feeds your passion for fitness but also allows for a flexible schedule, fitting seamlessly into the nomadic way of life.

Learn How to Code

Learning how to code is a crucial step towards securing a remote programming role, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere. By taking advantage of free online learning resources, aspiring coders can build their skills at their own pace. These platforms offer a variety of programming languages and technologies, ensuring learners can find courses that align with their career goals. Committing to a self-directed learning path can open doors to numerous opportunities in the tech industry, making it an accessible option for anyone with an internet connection and a willingness to learn.

Navigate the World of Teletherapy

As a licensed therapist or counselor, TheraPlatform notes that you can take your practice virtually, offering teletherapy services. This career choice is perfect for those who wish to provide mental health support from any corner of the world. Teletherapy not only offers flexibility and mobility but also meets the growing demand for accessible mental health services, making it a rewarding and feasible option for digital nomads.

Secure a Future in Healthcare

The field of healthcare offers immense potential for remote work. Fortunately, a healthcare degree can be earned online, which will equip you with the skills to enter a variety of roles. This career path not only promises job security but also aligns well with the digital nomad lifestyle, offering ample work opportunities around the country — check this out.

Engage in Online Teaching and Tutoring

Preply points out that the digital age has revolutionized education, opening doors for online teaching and tutoring. This career path allows digital nomads to conduct virtual classes or offer personalized tutoring to students across the globe. Whether you specialize in a specific subject or teach a language, online education provides the flexibility to work from anywhere, aligning perfectly with a nomadic lifestyle.

Explore the Past as a Digital Archaeologist

Digital archaeology, an emerging field, marries historical exploration with technology. As a digital archaeologist, you can collaborate with global organizations to analyze historical data, artifacts, and records, all while being location-independent. This career path not only feeds your curiosity about the past but also lets you travel, exploring new cultures and histories firsthand.

Capture the World as a Travel Photographer

For those with a creative eye, becoming a travel photographer is an enticing career option. This path allows you to traverse the globe, capturing stunningtlandscapes and cultural moments, and selling your work online or to travel publications. Travel photography is not just a job; it’s a journey that feeds your artistic soul while fitting perfectly into the digital nomad lifestyle.

Plan Dream Weddings Remotely

Online wedding planning is a unique career choice for digital nomads. Specialize in planning destination weddings, helping couples organize their dream day in exotic locations, all from your laptop. This career requires organizational skills, creativity, and a knack for understanding client needs, making it a fulfilling and flexible option for those who love to travel.

Embracing the digital nomad lifestyle opens up a world of opportunities beyond traditional boundaries. It’s an invitation to redefine professional success on your own terms, blending work and wanderlust. This lifestyle isn’t just about the destinations you’ll explore but the personal and professional growth that comes from stepping out of the conventional office setting. As you venture into this dynamic way of life, remember that the key to thriving as a digital nomad lies in adaptability, continuous learning, and the willingness to explore uncharted career paths.

 

Julia Mitchell, incredibly passionate about the activities that fill her days, wants to share her adoration for her favorite lifestyle topics with the world and encourage others to turn their INspiration into OUTspiration.

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Ocala Forest Fishing Report

April 13, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Ocala Forest Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Ocala Forest Fishing Report. Three windy days were spent chasing the elusive largemouth bass. I had a reader who asked me to contact him next time I went up there. I was unable to do so- forgot the name, had deleted the email. My sincere apologies.

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

Early Monday morning Caleb Vogl met me at an Ocala National Forest lake. We both had kayaks, fishing gear, and high expectations. How many times do I have to tell you to leave the expectations at home, John?? My first fish, caught on a Senko worm about ten minutes in, was a pretty nice one and the only one I photographed.

Fish certainly bring me to beautiful places.

 

Fish- beautiful. Fisherman- not so much.

Fishing was hotter and colder during the day, not that steady one-after-another that we all dream about. I got somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 fish, with exactly one on fly. Most were modest in size. The best fish of the day was about five pounds, but no photo. The wind made everything harder. The wind wouldn’t let up all week, either.

We camped at the Alexander Springs Recreation Area.

Early the next morning we launched at a different lake. Still had the wind, though! We again fished hard all day. Caleb did better than the previous day. I did not. The lunker we were searching for stayed unfound, though. There were some schooling fish intermittently, sometimes within casting range, 12-inch fish for the most part. Tired of fighting the wind, I shot a few non-fishing-related photos.

White water lily, common in warm shallow water.

 

Miniature lily pads. I need to learn the name of these.

 

Pickerelweed. I fail to see why they’re named weeds. They’re gorgeous.

Caleb left Tuesday after fishing, leaving me on my own for Wednesday. I had to go home then, so it would not be a full day effort.

There were mixed goals for Wednesday. I still wanted a shot at the lunker, but also wanted to fish the Alexander Springs Run. Why not do both?

Alexander Springs Run.

So I launched at the first lake just after sunrise, and tossed a weedless frog for 3/4 of an hour. Not a sniff. Tossed a Senko for 3/4 of an hour. Not a nibble. Got up in the shallows and tossed a gurgler on the fly rod, which produced a half-dozen small fish.

Pulled the boat and went to the spring run. The wind was ridiculous, blowing me up the stream. Still, I fly-fished with the gurgler and got another half-dozen small ones. Then it was time to leave, so I loaded up and headed home.

While I think last year’s trip was better in terms of both numbers and quality, this trip was certainly successful, and was way better than the trip in February. I would go back!

Thursday- cleanup on aisle van.

Friday- to keep the bassiness of the week intact, I went local, to the Econlockhatchee. I had made all of four or five casts when this beast inhaled the gurgler.

 

A good start to a spectacular if breezy day.

I stopped to stand up and rest my butt when I spotted a fattie about fifteen feet away. I flipped a Senko in front of him and let it drift in. I was pleasantly shocked when I saw him eat it. I suspect he was unpleasantly shocked when I set up on him.

Couldn’t believe this fish ate the bait while eyeballing me.

Got a few others, and a couple nice redbellies that hit the gurgler. They (the redbellies) are starting to bed.

The Econ has high banks, which made it at least fishable. Anywhere else I would have blown away.

Love that Econ!

And that, folks, is the Ocala Forest fishing report. Thanks again for reading!

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

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

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

Filed Under: central florida fishing report, Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , ,

Sienna Van Camper Re-Conversion

April 6, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Sienna Van Camper Re-Converion

Thank you for reading my post on the Sienna Van Camper Re-Converion. The van in question is a 2014 Toyota Sienna with about 135,000 miles on it. It’s just about broken in, I’d guess.

The original build, done in 2021. This baby is gone!

 

Susan relaxing in the original build. Main problem? You couldn’t sit up.

Motivated by Susan, I tore the original camper build apart and started from scratch. These photos show the new build.

1. From bottom left, clockwise:
– at the bottom on a vertical support is a small blue-black dot, the light switch for the “trunk.” Directly above it is a large black square, the electrical distribution panel, a.k.a. fuse box. Above that is the charge controller, which takes the raw electrical input from the solar panel (not shown) and feeds it to the battery. The fuse box and controller are mounted on the face of the main storage cabinet. Along the top is a rack, storage for linens, towels, shopping bags, etc. Along the top right side of the frame is Susan’s storage cabinet. On the bottom right is a yellow extension cord. The red and black cables are the solar panel electrical feeds. In the center is the couch/bed, shown in the couch position. You can couch out the back or in the van. All the interior lights are turned on.

2. Close-up of the fuse box and charge controller. Above the fuse box is a light switch and a 12-volt plug. You can see I’ve tossed some essentials into the cabinet. Don’t forget the loo roll. The red-orange thing below it is a knife sharpener.

3. Same shot as 2, with the panel open. There are 15 different circuits, not all in use.

4. View of the “trunk”. The usual trunk junk and the all-important battery.

5. View from passenger sliding door, from top left. Susan and I both have reading lamps. In between is the ceiling storage rack, currently just holding a couple shopping bags. The main storage cabinet’s front face has 12-volt plug, a power strip (we have an inverter that changes the 12-volt DC current to 110-volt AC current), the battery power gauge, and the switch that turns the inverter on/off. In front of that is the sink on a vanity. Extending across the van from that is the dining table, and of course, the couch/bed, still in the couch position.

6. The back windows are screened. The sink has a 5-gallon reservoir in the vanity, along with an electric pump to deliver the water (cold only). It drains (by gravity) into another 5-gallon jug. The counter top was polyurethaned to protect it (we hope) from moisture.

7. View from the couch, from left clockwise. Above the sink is a black blob, my fan. Next to it is a 12-volt plug that supplies its power, and a light switch that turns the light strip on and off. The headboard has hooks (actual fishhooks!) that keep clothes and hats off the floor. To the right of Susan’s hat and the paper towel roll is Susan’s fan with another 12-volt plug. And the table.

8. A view from the table, dominated by the guy who did all the work. He looks like he’s wondering, When did I get to be the same age as old people?? You can see Susan’s cabinet with a 12-volt plug and her reading lamp.

No holes were made in the van for this build. If this van dies, I could remove all this stuff and put it in another Sienna in a day or two, and most of that time would be spent on the wiring.

I would like to thank Eric enjoys Earth for his many design ideas that were incorporated into this build. Anyone considering a van conversion should check out Eric’s youtube channel!

And that, folks, is the Sienna Van Camper Re-Converion post. Thanks again for reading!

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

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

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

Filed Under: Sienna Van conversion · Tagged: , , ,

April Fool’s Fishing Report

April 5, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

April Fool’s Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this April Fool’s Fishing Report. No pranks were perpetrated by this reporter, nor were any played on him.

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

Monday Caleb Vogl joined me in the Bang-O-Craft for some Indian River Lagoon exploration. I was surprised in a good way at how clear the water was. Even saw some seagrass trying to grow! What we didn’t see was a ton of fish. There were some redfish at one spot we visited, enough that I was able to get two modest specimens on spin with the plastic shad, which apparently are now referred to as swimbaits. Whatever. My buddy only got a couple puffers, which made him unhappy. But Rodney Smith says there’s no such thing as a bad fish.

The Econ

 

There were a few late irises.

Tuesday I did a walk-in to the Econlockhatchee. The stumpknocker bite was hot! And mind you, I was bass fishing. The stumpies were hitting and getting hooked on plastic worms rigged with a 3/0 hook, and were some of the largest ones I’d ever seen. And a half-dozen bass ate my baits too, five nice ones up to a four-pounder, and one dinker. It was a pretty good day.

These lizard-tails made the woods smell sweet.

 

And the woods looked great, too.

The rest of the week I spent working on the van that I thought I was almost finished with. Honestly, I think I can wrap it up tomorrow. It’s wiring and plumbing I’m working on, so it could be weeks….

Last week I wrote about the recent on-line webinar, “A Conversation with Dr. Duane De Freese and Keith Winsten” which reported on the current and future state of our Indian River Lagoon. The link to see this event came today, and you can see it here-

And that, folks, is the April Fool’s fishing report. Thanks again for reading!

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

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

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

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Sienna Van conversion · Tagged: , , ,

Blown Out Fishing Report

March 30, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Blown Out Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Blown Out Fishing Report. I re-learned this week what I used to practice when guiding- don’t cancel a trip due to a weather forecast.

Monday’s weather was yucky, with winds not conducive to fishing and a spot of rain besides.

The forecast for Tuesday was similar, with strong winds predicted to be from the southeast. But the sun would be out! “If I fish in the Indian River Lagoon, the shoreline will block the wind,” I thought. I got to the fishing spot. It looked like NASA was using it for a wind tunnel test. So much for the blocked wind theory.

At another spot where I could somewhat hide from the wind I launched my kayak. Hadn’t been there in a long time. Paddled around looking for fish and fighting the wind for about two hours. Did see a blue crab, and a lot of guppies, and a few mullet. Did not see or touch a gamefish. “This is stupid,” came to mind, so I paddled back to the launch and loaded up. Hey, at least I tried.

On Tuesday or Wednesday night there was an online symposium about the IRL, much of which I attended. A recording was made, and I’m supposed to receive a link to it, but that hasn’t happened yet. I will post the link when it becomes available. The presenters seemed optimistic the situation with the lagoons was improving, and I guardedly concur. It will never go back to what it was, though.

Thursday may have been fishable, but I had an appointment right in the middle of the day.

Friday may have been fishable, but I cancelled going due to a forecast. Worked on the near-finishing touches on the van’s interior. Probably should have gone fishing- it was a beautiful day.

And that, folks, is the blown out fishing report. Sorry it’s pretty sad! Thanks again for reading!

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

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

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

Filed Under: Fishing Reports · Tagged: , ,

Spring Equinox Fishing Report

March 22, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Spring Equinox Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Spring Equinox Fishing Report. I try to fish on all the pagan holidays- the equinoxes and solstices. This particular equinox happened just before midnight on Tuesday. I fished Wednesday and Thursday.

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

On yet another glorious central Florida day, Wednesday saw me paddling solo on Mosquito Lagoon. My first fish encounter was with a small group of snook. When I cast to them, they spooked. Then they came back. I cast. They spooked. I cast and left the fly out there, waiting. They came back. I gently stripped the Clouser Minnow through them, and one ate it. The fish was cold and didn’t fight real hard, but it might have weighed four pounds. Not wanting to risk hurting the fish, it was released without a photo. Nice start to the day.

There was no one home at the next several spots. The thought came to me- If there’s no one at the next place, I’m going back to the car. Paddling is fine, but catching fish was the objective.

Approaching the next place, I spotted a red. I made a bad cast with the spin rod and spooked the fish. Before any berating could happen, there was another red. This cast was a touch too accurate, and the fish jumped. But it came right back to see what the disturbance was, and then ate the plastic shad. Aye, ’twas a handsome fish.

Put the spinner away, picked up the fly rod. There are a few fish here! Made a cast to one. It ate the Clouser Minnow! Black drum, seven or eight pounds. Nice. Release. Repeat. Release. Repeat. Release.

The blacks all looked like this one.

Say, this is some good fishing! Next fish was a fine red, even photographed it. Then, just for good measure, another black drum.

Equinox red on fly.

Looked hard for a trout all day, greedily hoping for that grand slam, but never saw one. Still, quite a satisfying outing.

Thursday, Caleb Vogl joined me for a sight-fishing mentoring session, in the Bang-O-Craft. Due to the east wind and small craft advisory, we went to the Indian River Lagoon. I honestly think it’s harder to catch fish from a motor boat than a kayak. You’re up so much higher, the fish see you coming. Caleb got three undersized trout to start the day. Then there was a long dry spell.

He’d never poled a boat before, so after a couple hours it was time for Poling 101. He picked it up fast. He was poling when I spotted a red, ridiculously far away, and made one of my best casts in a long time. The fly landed about 14 inches away from the fish, who immediately went over a took it. The fish was only four pounds or so, but still, a very satisfying catch because of the cast.

We switched places and he got a similar-sized red on a soft plastic shad, one of mine, actually. And that ended up being our tally for the day, which I was fine with.

That’s the Spring Equinox fishing report. Thanks again for reading!

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

 

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

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

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

For About Three Hours This Week, I Thought It Was the Old Days Fishing Report

March 15, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

For About Three Hours This Week, I Thought It Was the Old Days Fishing Report

Thank you for reading the For About Three Hours This Week, I Thought it was the Old Days Fishing Report. Hilarious, right? Not really, but you take it when you can get it.

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

On an amazing Tuesday weather-wise, the kayak took me to the Banana River Lagoon. I wanted a crack at the big black drum on fly. Wasn’t I surprised when they were right where I hoped they’d be! Would they bite? No.

The fish seemed to be making a circuit. While standing in the water waiting for them to come back, I looked behind me. Swimming between me and the shore was a nice redfish. I dropped a Clouser minnow in front of him, and he very cooperatively ate it. Fish was about ten pounds, too- a handsome fish. Certainly chased that skunk away!

Fish #1 was this big. File photo.

Here comes the school of black drum. I tossed the recently deflowered Clouser out in front of them, and one very cooperatively ate it. Ha! The joke was on me. Not a black drum at all, but rather a much larger redfish than the one just released.

Needless to say his thrashing kind of boogered up the rest of the fish. But I got and released that red, which was pushing 20 pounds!

Fish #2 was this big. File photo.

Several minutes of no fish followed. I was dinking the fly around when suddenly the school was right there in front of me. Since the fly was already in the water, I just gently started raising the rod. Bam! One ate it!

Ha! The joke was on me. Not a black drum at all, but rather a much larger redfish than the one just released. This one went into the backing, and put up whale-like resistance. It was pushing 30 pounds. So the black drum didn’t happen, but who cared?

Fish #3 was this big. File photo.

The school never returned, so after a while I went walking, looking for reds against the shoreline. I spotted one up ahead of me, going the same way I was. It disappeared over a patch of dark bottom. When I got close enough, the Clouser minnow flew over there. Bam! Far from a red, a snook came flying out of the water, pretty modest, maybe three pounds. A happy surprise!

The snook was this big. File photo.

On the way back to the kayak (patiently waiting, staked out all this time), there’s a monster trout, too close, maybe 15 feet away. While thinking there was no chance, I flopped that Clouser minnow out in front of it and watched him eat it. It was the best trout I’ve gotten on any tackle in a long time. That fly should go into the hall of fame.

The trout was this big. File photo.

The rest of the day produced two weener slot reds, blind-casting a DOA Shrimp. Who cared? Three trophy fish inside of an hour while wading, I’ll take that any time. And a slam besides. Awesome day.

Wednesday saw some errands, but when they were done it was early afternoon. The Econ is still too high, John, but you haven’t had that canoe out in a long time…

Next thing, I’m floating down the Econ with a fly rod. The mouse fly got one bite from a six-inch bass in about 90 minutes. It was traded to the fly box for a sexy bunny strip fly with a rattle. In another 90 minutes it produced a single spotted sunfish. This fly is tied on a 3/0 hook- that’s a pretty aggressive sunny!

I saw a monster gator, but it looked weird. When the vulture landed on it, I realized it was decomposing. Took a pic with my phone…

Then it was paddle back to the car. Promised the wife I’d be home for supper…

Thursday. Went back to the Banana River Lagoon. Could lightning strike twice? You would have thought it was a different spot. I found black drum, much more modest in size, and not schooled up. Definitely no redfish swimming with them. Got one on a Clouser Minnow, one on a yarn crab, and one on a jig. I was looking for a big black drum. I’m not complaining about three smaller ones, but while this equation makes no sense mathematically, any fisherman understands it:

1 x 30 pounds > 3 x 10 pounds

 

The one I wanted could not have been held in one hand…

Only saw a few reds, and no shots. As I was paddling back, enjoying the paddling, enjoying yet another amazing day, I reflected on how blessed I am that at 71 years old, I can still paddle and wade fish, putting in eight-hour days, in spite of that pesky (and ultimately fatal) lung condition. Yes, life is good.

And that, folks, is the For About Three Hours This Week, I Thought it was the Old Days fishing report. Thanks again for reading!

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

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

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

Filed Under: central florida fishing report, Fishing Reports, Fishing Stories, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , ,

Another Tough Week Fishing Report

March 9, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Another Tough Week Fishing Report

Thank you for reading the Another Tough Week Fishing Report. Only two days were spent fishing, because fishing is always more enjoyable when the fish participate, and they didn’t wanna play much this week.

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

A rumor came my way, something about guides posting on Facebook pictures of fish caught in Mosquito Lagoon. To which my response was, if you believe social media, most guides never have a bad day. But Monday, the weather looked not terrible, so with a late start, I took the Bang-O-Craft out for some scouting.

Found some clean water, breathtakingly clean. Found some dirty water, not very far from the clean water. Saw quite a few boats, more boats than fish, probably. Did not get a shot at a fish all day. But at the last spot, blind-casting with the spin rod and a soft plastic shad, I got a solid thump, which turned out to be a fine seatrout, 25 inches or so, the only bite in six hours. I considered trying to get a photo, but released it without removing it from the water. That fish is too valuable to risk for a photo. I’ll use a file photo!

File photo of a seatrout.

Thursday Caleb Vogl joined me for some kayak fishing on the Indian River Lagoon. Although we got a few small trout, we saw very little. After almost three hours, we pulled the boats and tried Mosquito Lagoon. Didn’t see a whole lot more there, but at least the water was cleaner. I hooked a snook (caught him) and a redfish (lost him) on  an olive slider fly. Caleb got a snook, a solid trout, and a couple snapper on spin tackle. We ended up putting in nine hours, paddling literally miles. Mucho trabajo, poco dinero…

File photo of a snook.

Both days were dee-lightful, weather-wise. But it’s a good thing I wasn’t looking for groceries.

And that, folks, is the Another Tough Week fishing report. It will be better next week! Because hope springs eternal in the heart of a fisherman! Thanks again for reading!

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

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

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

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

Bamboozled by Bass Fishing Report

March 1, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Bamboozled by Bass Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Bamboozled by Bass Fishing Report. Expectations- one thing you should never bring on a fishing trip.

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

Sunday I went to Buck Lake. I brought no expectations there, haven’t ever since the FWC went on their wild herbicide spraying spree and ruined the fishing there. But I still feel compelled to check it once or twice a year to see if it’s recovered at all. It has not. I got three dink bass and what turned out to be the fish of the week for me, a bowfin of three pounds or so. It declined to be photographed, but I have a photo of my feeble attempt. At least the weather was awesome.

Attempting to corral a mudfish. Didn’t happen.

Monday morning I drove to Ocala National Forest, which is where I carried my expectations. Having visited twice before and done well, the assumption was that history would repeat itself. Caleb Vogl came up Tuesday to fish with me. Wednesday he caught the fish of the trip, a two-and-a-half-pound largemouth. He was happy!

Caleb on Alexander Springs Run.

In three days of fishing, I got two dink bass on fly and a number of other dink bass on soft plastics. To no one’s surprise, my expectations were not met. You would think after a lifetime of fishing, I would know better.

Caleb again, with the fish of the trip, 2.5 pounds on his scale.

The coolest thing that happened? A dragonfly naiad climbed onto my boat to emerge. I photographed the beast swelling its wings next to the exuvium. It sat there until it could fly; then, ZOOM! Off it went. I had always wanted to see that.

A freshly molted dragonfly, with the discarded exuvium. Sorry about the background, but my kayak is yellow.

The trip was certainly enjoyable. The weather was wonderful, the lakes gorgeous. Got to see some stars! And Caleb is pretty entertaining! Not discouraged, I’m already planning another trip there.

And that, folks, is the Bamboozled by Bass fishing report. Thanks again for reading!

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

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

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

Filed Under: central florida destinations, Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , ,

No Fishing Report

February 23, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

No Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this No Fishing Report. Small craft advisories, cold, and workmen at my house kept me off the water. On the bright side, I did tie, and test, some new flies.

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

I watched a video in which the narrator used an offset bass worm hook to tie a fly. I was, “Why haven’t I thought of that??” I got to work, making a few bunny strip eelworms, among other things.


A trip to the local retention pond to test the fly brought an immediate strike and a small bass to hand. Well, dang! This thing seems to work!

To make this fly, you need the hook, of course, and some magnum bunny strips, and some tying thread. After that, everything is an option.

I put the hook in the vise and started the thread. The hook I used didn’t have much of a neck, so the thread was wrapped around the bend. Then, I measured the bunny strip against the hook, and used an awl to poke a hole in the strip. The hook point was then inserted through that hole. The strip was cut at the tie-in point on the neck of the hook, and then tied in. Whip finish, finis! A true five-minute fly!

To some I added bead chain eyes, or a hackle collar. To one a rattle, to one a willow-leaf spinner. I haven’t tested the variants, but intend to next week.

A half-dozen bass gurglers got tied up, too. I already know how well those work!

Saturday, I joined the Oviedo Photo Club for a field trip to the Orlando Wetlands Park. It was good. I learned some stuff and met some nice new (to me) people. And I got some photos, too. See below.

As usually happens in places like this, you can get a severe case of lens envy.

 

Red-shouldered hawk.

 

Pied-billed grebe.

 

Great blue heron, roosting.

 

Dabbling ducks.

 

A poser!

 

This is what all those guys in the first shot were shooting, a sandhill crane and its chick.

And that, folks, is the no fishing report. I promise, there will be some fishing next week. Thanks again for reading!

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

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

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

Filed Under: central florida destinations, Fishing Reports, Flies and Fly Tying · Tagged: ,
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