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The Caleb Vogl Fishing Report

May 31, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

The Caleb Vogl Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Caleb Vogl Fishing Report. Caleb and I fished together twice this week, all the fishing I did. So the photos have someone other than me in them.

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

Tuesday

We went down the Econ. The gauge read 1.1 feet- it was almost too low. There was a lot of getting out and walking the boat, and going over, under, or around obstructions. Caleb said, “I thought we were going on a float trip!” That’s what he gets for making assumptions.

I don’t often wish I shot video, but for this I wish I did.

 

 

 

 

I threw a gurgler for over an hour, with a single, modest bass to show for it. Then I picked up the spin rod and made one cast with a Culprit worm, and got this-

A short time later, Caleb got this, also on a Culprit worm–

 

Don’t know how he fooled the spotted gar. It was the first he’d caught, ever.

The fly rod stayed mostly put away for the rest of the trip, which was, in spite of the low water, quite lovely. We both got several bass, and it took all day!

Wednesday

We visited the Banana River Lagoon, starting just after sunrise. Lots of paddling to start, then I got three reds bang-bang-bang in quick succession, the last on an electric chicken-colored electric sushi streamer. It was pretty electric! That fly also produced a jack crevalle, a leatherjack Oligoplites saurus (a fish I dislike handling), and a fat seatrout. I got a few other reds sight-casting with a soft plastic shad. Caleb, a spinfisher, got some snook instead of a leatherjack. Other than that he got all the types of fish I did, making a slam for the lad- snook, trout, reds, with a jack crevalle chaser. Then a hard north wind came up and blew us back to the launch.

Caleb held the fish for me to photograph, but it jumped out of his hands before I could squeeze the shutter button.

Friday

my bride and I visited Playalinda. No fishing tackle or cameras! There were fishermen on both sides of us, ten rods out altogether. Only a few small fish were caught. A fresh east wind had the waves rolling in, but also kept us cool all morning, which was beautiful.

That’s the Caleb Vogl fishing report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go to the beach! 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: , , , , ,

Memorial Day Weekend Fishing Report

May 24, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Memorial Day Weekend Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Memorial Day Weekend Fishing Report. This is one of my least favorite weekends of the year. Instead of ruminating on the sacrifices of millions that allow us to live a life of freedom, too many Americans will be drinking to excess and acting stupid. Pardon my venting, please. And also, take a few moments this weekend to think about all the folks who died or lost limbs and their sanity protecting our freedoms. And, for your own safety, stay off the roads as much as you can, too.

Please accept my apologies for using the same scruffy model over and over. I couldn’t get a picture of anyone else, for reasons given below.

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

Monday

Went to the Banana River Lagoon, which is looking shockingly good. Clean water, healthy grass. In some places there were clouds of what I thought were glass minnows. Not surprisingly, that’s where I saw most of the bigger fish. While I missed three strikes on a fly rod popper and did not catch a fish with the long rod, I did get this beast on a Bass Assassin-

Got some trout (one real nice one) and several redfish too, for an inshore slam. Good day.

Wednesday

I was the guest of Mr. Mike Danagher on his Hell’s Bay Marquesa. Ooh-la-la, quite the boat. We fly-fished in the Indian River Lagoon. My only bite was from a small tarpon, which I didn’t even put in the air. Contact time was approximately 0.227 seconds.

The high point of the day, for Mike at least, happened thusly. I was poling the boat. Mike spotted, and cast to, a pair of fish. One bit, a solid seatrout, around 22 inches. I got my camera out. Mike said, “I have a Boga Grip.” I said, “Fingers!” Mike said, “How about the net?” I said, “Fingers!” He made another comment about the Boga-Grip. I again said, “Fingers!” He pulled the fish up to the boat. I grabbed it and lifted.

Two things happened simultaneously- the hook fell out, and the fish wiggled out of my hands, hit the gunwale, and slid back into the water. I thought Mike might go in too, he was laughing so hard. It was the only fish we got. So no photo, because my fingers failed this time. Thanks for the trip, Mike, and for being a good sport.

Thursday

I went paddle fishing on Mosquito Lagoon. Wow, the mosquitos certainly showed up at the boat ramp! Thought I made a wrong turn and ended up in Flamingo.

I had shots at three separate tailing reds first thing, and managed to catch the third one on a fly I haven’t used in years, the Mosquito Lagoon Special. I finally figured out how to put a weedguard on it.

Got another red, pretty respectable one, and a snook too, on another fly I haven’t used in a long time, the Son of Clouser. Another glorious if somewhat warm day. Water is pretty high now.

 

 

Mosquito Lagoon Special, and Son of Clouser.

Saturday

Joined a group of paddlers on Shingle Creek. Always wanted to go there, but Kissimmee was too much deterrent. The drive to and from there wasn’t fun, but the creek was lovely and the folks I paddled with were wonderful.

Looking for woodpeckers.

 

View from the canoe.

 

 

Approaching a low bridge…

 

…and under…

 

…and getting repositioned…

 

…and through!

That’s the Memorial Day Weekend 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 · Tagged: , , ,

A Tale of Two Fishing Trips

February 2, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

A Tale of Two Fishing Trips

Thank you for reading this Tale of Two Fishing Trips. With the weather around here, you’d think it was winter or something. Wah-wah, woe is me- at least there’s no snow.

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

The astute reader may remember that, about a month ago, I mentioned seeing sponges growing in Mosquito Lagoon. Since I was there Thursday, and since the sponges were still there, and since I had a point-and-shoot camera with me, Boom! Here’s your sponge photo:

A small, not-very-pretty sponge, growing in Mosquito Lagoon. My guess is it filters 25-30 gallons of water a day. Give me more!

A biological database I visited says sponges are superior water filters- up to 24,000 liters of seawater per day for a 1-kg sponge! Guess my guess was low.

Wanted to fish Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures and winds nixed those ideas. Worked on the van conversion, building a couch/bed, nearly done with the frame. I’m pretty happy with the way it’s turning out so far. If anyone out there knows of someone who does upholstery for boats in the central Florida area, I would love to hear from you.

In the bed position.

 

In the couch position.

Wednesday’s forecast was NW at 5-10, high about 65 degrees. I went to the Banana River Lagoon, launching the kayak at 8 am. In two hours saw one fish, by running it over, of course. A few minutes later there was a tiny “blip” on the surface. It was a red, swimming in shallow water, it’s fins intermittently disturbing the water’s surface. I tossed a plastic shad in front of it and the bait was crushed. Pretty nice to get the fish on the first shot of the day!

Nice skunk chaser!

A while later a similar scene played out again, with the same result. Feeling pretty good, it was time to use the fly pole.

I waded to three different tailing fish and spooked all three. Did not get a red on a fly that day. However…

…I found some black drum tailing. They were not bitey on my fly. A cruising single followed it (a wool crab). I was able to convince him to take it and I got it, about a 15-pound fish. I was wading away from the boat (and camera), no photo. It was just released when there was a viscerally loud, low-frequency rumble. The rocket was already a mile up. As I was wading, away from the boat, no photo. But as the earth rumbled I had the thought, “The fish ain’t gonna like this.” Spectacular day for a launch close-up, though!

Hardly any shots at fish forthcoming after the launch. Loaded up the boat about 1630.

Thursday, after the enjoyment of a pulmonary function test, I deluded myself into thinking it was a nice day, so I loaded up and drove to Mosquito Lagoon, launching the kayak at about 1230. On arrival I nearly turned around and went home. It was cold and windy out of the northeast, the lagoon with a nice patina of whitecaps. Already there, I went fishing.

In 10 minutes I had a redfish, then another. Switching to the fly rod, I got reds to 24″ and slot trout steadily at the first spot until it was worn out.

Slot trout, steadily.

Except for two puffers I got on fly, the second spot was barren.

The third spot again gave up numerous under-slot reds and slot trout. It took me an hour to paddle back, going with the wind, and I saw nothing the entire way. The leader on my fly rod needs replacement from all the knots I put into it casting into that breeze. We were on the road home about 1730, heat on the entire way back. My waders may have developed a couple leaks?

And that, folks, is A Tale of Two Fishing Trips. Thanks again for reading!

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

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

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

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