You are here: Home / Archives for Bass fishing

Econlockhatchee and Other Stuff Fishing Report

November 10, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Econlockhatchee and Other Stuff Fishing Report

Thanks for reading my Econlockhatchee and Other Stuff Fishing Report. Oh yes, it’s been quite a week, with a trip up a mountain, a trip across the country, and a trip down the Econ.

All you veterans, thanks for serving. I hope you’re taking advantage of your Veterans Administration benefits.

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

————————————–

First, some local news. Host Gator has been hosting my websites (spottedtail.com, johnkumiski.com, spottedtail.com/blog) since 2011. Before I left for California, I received an invoice from them for the next three years- $539 and change. When I was selling fishing charters, and selling books, paying the bill made sense. Now I collect Social Security and have a mostly fixed income. The website no longer makes me any money. Paying that fat bill isn’t a good financial decision for what is now in essence a public service.

The upshot is, on November 25, all the material on those sites goes up in cybersmoke. I hope to keep blogging but have not found a host yet, something else for me to do this week. Or maybe the blog ends too. We’ll see, I suppose.

OK, I think I found a new host. Will update all of you next week.

—————————————

Tuesday

The mountain summit is inside this 1930s CCC building.

Maxx and I went up Mount Diablo, quite a famous mountain to geologists, mapmakers, and surveyors. The summit is used as the reference datum for land surveying in much of northern California and Nevada.

We did nothing more than check out the views and the wind caves, walking and jumping around the place as needed. It was a beautiful day in an awesome place, and I hope to bring my bride there, sooner rather than later.

 

Tuesday night I took a red-eye out of San Francisco, on which I actually slept some. Wednesday was mostly rest and recovery.

Thursday

Nice fatty, best of the day. Almost crashed and burned between the current, the fish, and the fallen trees.

A splendid day found me in the canoe, floating down the Econ. Although I got a single, modest bass on fly, there was zero surface activity. Most of my fishing was with a Culprit worm. The fish seemed to like it.

A couple of the many alligators out enjoying the weather. Speaking of fatties.

Friday and Saturday

I’m booked solid with honey-dos and errands. I am ripping the camper part of my van apart and starting a major upgrade. I hope to blog about it! 🙂

That’s the Econlockhatchee and Other Stuff Fishing Report. Thanks for reading!

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

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

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, travel blog · Tagged: , ,

Indian River Lagoon and Econlockhatchee Report

May 19, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Indian River Lagoon and Econlockhatchee Report

Few things in life get a fly fisher more worked up than seeing tarpon rolling all over the place. Except hooking a couple, of course! Welcome to this week’s Indian River Lagoon and Econlockhatchee Report.

A walking, bank-fishing Econ trip with a spin rod started the week. I’d love to fish that stretch of river with a fly pole, but I lack that kind of skill. The fish were biting well, the song birds were singing, the Cooper’s hawks were shrieking, and I got some photos of otters. Fantastic day!

 

 

 

Next, Mike and River joined me for some Indian River Lagoon quality time. Redfish, black drum, and seatrout fell for our offerings. Water looked pretty good. That invasive exotic, grassy-looking stuff is taking over the bottom, though. We have a new exotic mussel, too. If they were larger, I’d eat them.

 

I returned to the scene of the crime a couple days later, hoping to cash in on what I’d learned from the day with Mike. That’s when I found the tarpon rolling! I hooked two, one on a streamer that jumped off, one on a gurgler that I unhooked and released. I got five other species (seatrout, jack crevalle, ladyfish, black drum, and redfish) for a total of six altogether. What was weird is, I got only one of each! All but the red were caught on fly.

 

Some serious jacks were showering mullet. It looked like the good old days! I love the jacks, I hope they stay around until after the mullet run.

Our governor and legislature keep passing one horrible, hateful, hurtful, and un-Christ-like law after another. It’s making me sick.

That’s the Indian River Lagoon and Econlockhatchee Report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

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

The Canoe is Finished

April 21, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

The Canoe is Finished

The canoe is finished. Except for minor tweaks. And I took it out and caught some fish from it!

Subscribers- if the photos don’t load, please visit https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/. And please, bookmark the page!!!

The weather at the beginning of the week didn’t make anyone want to go fishing. I went to Publix and got a copy of this year’s “Kayak Fishing Fun.” There was an article in there by John Kumiski about a dog who goes fishing. Cute.

The boat before coating with polyurethane.

I worked on the canoe, enough that I could water-test it and then go fishing. That was after I spent a couple hours casting flies at my local retention pond, catching several big bluegills and small bass.

The water test.

I water-tested the canoe in the same place, with both single-blade and double-blade paddles. It’s tippier than my kayaks, but oh, so much easier to carry when it’s out of the water! It paddles very nicely, and is faster than the kayaks, too. And it looks fantastic.

I took it out on the Econ Thursday afternoon. I had a bass within five minutes. Several bass (no big ones) and stumpknockers were fooled by my bugs. The new canoe performed well- I think I’ll keep it!

The first fish from the new boat! You can see the frame reflected in my sunglasses.

I’ll be using it some more over the next few days.

Friday Dean Altenhofen came by. We spent the afternoon in kayaks on the Indian River Lagoon, where this snook met up with a black-and-purple streamer:

A man and his snook.

Dean had never caught a largemouth bass before (they are not common nor desirable in Oregon, apparently) so we paddled (and dragged) the Econ on Saturday. It was not a hot bite.

The new boat, ready for its first real test.

We saw fish the whole way but had a heck of a time getting any bites. Dean, however did get the bass.

Hooked up.

 

Not huge, but respectable.

As I type this, Dean is winging his way home. Bon voyage, Dean, and thanks for coming!

The canoe got stuck on submerged stumps, and had other misadventures. If you examined it now, you would never know it. To say I’m pleased with the way it came out would be a massive understatement.

And that’s the canoe is finished report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , ,

Fished a Day Report

April 1, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Fished a Day Report

Regular readers of this blog know I have been working on building a canoe. I took Monday off from canoe building and used it to go fishing. I fished a day! So we have a fished a day report.

And what a day it was! Spectacular weather, the river to myself, and fish that were pretty cooperative. I started with spin tackle (the fish don’t seem to want to come up until the day warms) and finished strong with a fly rod popper. I lost my well-used fly rod mouse to a monster gar that somehow got hooked when he ate it, then proceeded to show me his impressive dimensions, then proceeded to pop my leader like sewing thread.

First fish of the day.

Got a few sunfish, too. No line-breakers there.

Wildlife observed included wading birds, turtles, alligators, swallow-tailed kites (a favorite), and this guy, who I believe thought he was hiding:

The rest of the week I worked on the canoe, except for the day this went on:

A new drain field for our septic system, in progress.

For interested parties, you can see the details of the canoe-building here:
https://builds.capefalconkayaks.com/2023/04/jks-central-florida-canoe-build-chapter-4-completing-the-frame/

Here a photo of your blogger with his finished canoe frame-

Skinning the boat will happen towards the end of nest week, I suspect.

And that’s the Fished a Day report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports · Tagged: , , , , ,

Fished Around Central Florida Report

March 10, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Fished Around Central Florida Report

Thanks for reading this Fished Around Central Florida Report. Was fortunate enough to get out four days, and visited the dermatologist again. The weather maintains a fantastic level between fabulous and awesome.

Subscribers, if the photos don’t load, please visit my blog at https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/

Saturday

 

Bob Hosking and I went to the Econlockhatchee. It being Saturday, I was expecting a plastic horde, but we had the place to ourselves. We got quite a few fish, and while there were no monsters, a couple four-pounders came to hand. Bob used a plastic worm. I used a fly rod mouse and a Senko. It didn’t seem to make much difference.

Bob, average-sized Econ bass.

 

Monday

noting the water was low, I visited the Banana River Lagoon. The water makes up for its low level with a distinct lack of clarity. I got a nice trout blind-casting the Senko, and a couple shoreline redfish (the only way I could have seen them) on a black Clouser Minnow. Don’t need to go back for a while.

The fish threw saltwater all over my camera.

Tuesday

I tried Mosquito Lagoon again. I could copy and paste what I just wrote about the Banana River Lagoon. Low, dirty water, the only fish I could see were on the shoreline. Incredibly, managed three reds on fly. Took zero photos, somewhat of a relief, actually.

Thursday

Took a solo Econlockhatchee trip. It’s been good, the water is at the right level. Flies and soft plastics are what I’ve been using. Saw lots of gatorsaurusses.

 

Friday

my PA (I feel like we’re developing a relationship at this point) at the dermatologist froze another pre-cancerous lesion off my face. That’s what I get for spending so much of my life in the sunshine.

That’s the Fished Around Central Florida Report report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

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

Off the Injured List

March 3, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Off the Injured List

Thanks for reading off the injured list. As Mel Brooks would say, It’s good to have two functioning hands! Happy to be ambulatory, I fished six days in a row.

Subscribers, if the photos don’t load, please visit my blog at https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/

Friday

I launched at CS Lee Park on the St. Johns River to test the transom. What a difference! And, once there, it only made sense to try and catch some shad. There weren’t many around. Mine was the only boat there. Two shad came to hand in four hours. Got some nice crappie and a fat redbelly, too, all on crappie jigs.

Saturday

I went scouting out of River Breeze, using the jonboat. Although I got a nice red and a couple trout, I found a lot of places to not go back to for a while.

Sunday

Bob Hosking and I went to Mosquito Lagoon in the Bang-O-Craft. The water is getting dirty and fishing was slow. We got a small snook and two marginal seatrout between us in almost six hours. Sadly, the fish abandoned all the places where I’d been getting them prior to the surgery.   🙁

Monday

I took the stitches out of my thumb. Not sure if paddling was a good idea yet, I went walking along the Econlockhatchee, alternating tossing a plastic shad and a Senko-style bait. The fish weren’t suicidal, but I got five or six bass, smallish ones, in four hours. A lovely afternoon it was!

Tuesday

On a gurgler dressed like a mouse…

Susan dropped me and my kayak off at the Econlockhatchee, armed with both fly and spin rods. Both worked well! The bass averaged a pound to two, with a couple heftier ones to keep it spicy.

 

Which view do you prefer?

The gatorsauruses kept it REAL spicy. When I got to the take-out Susan came and picked me up. Yes, I am lucky. It helps we live nearby. When the water runs low and clear, the Econ is such a lovely stream.

Wednesday

was a Mosquito Lagoon kayak day. I saw only four redfish all day, hooking, and losing, the last one. Just when things were looking bleak a black drum tailed. There weren’t a lot of them, just enough to keep me entertained. Had good shots at six, caught and released two.

 

Thursday

Redbelly on the mouse gurgler. Must have been HUNGRY.

I returned to the Econlockhatchee, hitting a different section. No gators! Got a channel cat on a Senko, a first for me. Also got a sunfish slam on fly. And the usual largemouth bass assortment, some (the biggest) on spin, most on fly.

 

The weather was awesome all week, the fish mostly bit, and both my hands work again. Life is great!

That’s the off the injured list report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports · Tagged: , , , , ,

Central Florida Fishing and More Report

February 18, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Central Florida Fishing and More Report

Thanks for viewing this Central Florida Fishing and More Report. I thought I was to see the doctor on Monday, hoping to get off probation then. Imaging my dismay when I realized my appointment wasn’t until Wednesday, and I didn’t get off probation fully anyway. No paddling for another couple weeks.

Subscribers, if the photos (not many this week, and all file photos) don’t load, please visit my blog at https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/

Sunday-

I went walking with Bob Hosking at the Black Bear Wilderness Area in Sanford. Not to be picky, but there are no wilderness areas that are only 1600 acres. Let’s not dilute the meaning of the word “wilderness”. If I can hear internal combustion, if there are boardwalks, it ain’t wilderness! Anyway, nice enough walk. Didn’t see any black bears, but did see several black feral hogs. Lots of songbirds, too.

Monday-

After the seven-mile walk I was a little gimpy, and just took it easy.

Tuesday-

The weather was fantastic. I’m going fishing! Took a spin rod and walked along the Econ, tossing a 3″ plastic shad. My third cast landed in a branch on the far side, one lure down. Rust shaken, I got serious and managed to take four bass, none very large. I then tried under the Snow Hill Road bridge for shad, without any luck.

Wednesday-

I saw the surgeon. She liked the way I was healing, but I can’t immerse the hand in bacteria-laden waters for two more weeks. I never thought much of Vibrio, anyway…

Thursday-

Took the Bang-O-Craft onto the St. Johns for a feasibility test. Got one big redbelly, two nice shad, and a half-dozen crappie on crappie jigs in four hours. Test passed!

 

Friday-

Took the Bang-O-Craft to Mosquito Lagoon  to see if the fish I had been catching almost three weeks ago were still there. As best as I could tell, they were not, although there were boats on a couple of my spots. The water is much cloudier than it was, too. My spin reel was seized up, so it was fly only. I had several shots at shoreline reds, and actually hooked one. Final tally was one red and one trout, both blind-casting while wading.

I also realized the Bang-O-Craft needs transom-replacement surgery, and soon. Not surprising, it’s close to 40 years old.

I also finally got the cedar boards I need to start building my canoe, which hopefully I can start soon.

That’s the Central Florida Fishing and More Report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

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

A Fishing Smorgasbord Report

October 22, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

A Fishing Smorgasbord Report

Thanks for reading this week’s post, A Fishing Smorgasbord. Definitely fished around this week.

Please check out Patrick Young’s guest post on how to turn a business trip into a vacation here…

For subscribers- if the photos don’t load, click this link- www.spottedtail.com/blog.

Last week I ended my post with this- “Might have to try fishing somewhere else.” I did. Sunday I drove up to Little Talbot Island State Park, to do some fishing in the spectacular salt marshes around there. Last time I was there it was borderline fantastic.

A tiny piece of the spectacular salt marsh around Jacksonville.

When I reached my campsite, I stepped out of the car, and thought maybe I’d gone to Flamingo by mistake. Yeah, the mosquitos were bad. Immediate gratification from the bugs, not what I wanted.

In the morning I launched the kayak at close to dead low tide, going straight to my best spot. I worked it hard, getting a single bite, a fine enough seatrout. Thought I should continue down the creek and see what was to be seen.

My one trout on fly. Got a twin on the rubber shad, too.

Nothing was to be seen, at least in the way of fish.

Floated back up to the Good Spot, tossing the shad now. Got one more trout.

Continued floating up the creek. Found a spot thick with bait. Heard a fish pop here and there in the marsh grass. Actually saw a redfish near some oysters, but it disappeared into the murky water before I could act. Now at the top of the tide, I paddled back to the put in and put out.

Went to the beach, brought a fishing rod. The water was really dirty, didn’t make a cast. A big storm was on the horizon. The bugs were awful, so was the fishing, and a big storm was on the way. Cutting my losses, I got on I-95 and headed home.

Tuesday was clean-up and put things away, other errands, some writing.

Wednesday saw me tow the Bang-O-Craft to Port St. John. A cold front had come through. There ought to be some fish at the power plant.

Wind was supposed to be northwest. It was stronger than I expected, but I thought I’d be OK and launched anyway.

Second power plant fish, on fly.

Joke was on me. Power plant is shut down, undergoing some kind of construction. I went around the end of the berm, figured the back side would be calm. Not only was it calm, but there were some fish there too!

Third power plant fish, on fly!

On a Clouser Minnow I got a brace of slot trout, a slot red (if reds were open, which they are not), a snooklet, and a fat, ugly sailcat. Then I got a bigger redfish and several skater trout with the spin rod.

Another power plant fish, on fly! Note the heavily slimed leader.

 

And a final power plant fish, this one with a spin rod.

Then I had to get back to the ramp. The wind had shifted more north and gotten stronger, and there was solid, white-cappy chop. A rolly, spray-y and slow ride back to the ramp. If two guys at the ramp hadn’t helped me load the boat onto the trailer, I’d probably still be there. Thank you, good samaritans!

Thursday I got an hour or so in at the retention pond near my house. Bluegills, four of them, on a foam spider. When the bass hit, I popped it off. That was it!

One of several.

Friday I tried the Indian River Lagoon again. I saw a few redfish by running them over (no shots). I found some rolling tarpon. Thought myself blessed to be fishing for bass one day and tarpon the next. Got one to bite on the first cast, on an Electric Sushi. Changed flies three or four times in the next two hours I threw to them, could not get another take. Got a ladyfish to chase the skunk, though.

That’s the A Fishing Smorgasbord post. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2022. All rights are reserved.

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

A Week on My Own in Maine

September 24, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

A Week on My Own in Maine- A Photo Essay

Happy autumn! The equinox was this week. Thanks for reading this week’s post, A Week on My Own in Maine. I fished four days this week. It would have been more, but the weather… I don’t like fishing in cold, or the rain, or least of all, the cold rain.  Subscribers- if the photos don’t load, click this link- www.spottedtail.com/blog.

Maryann left on Sunday. I suggested Susan go with her, and I’d meet them the following Sunday. After they left, I thought I’d try to do some trout fishing. Off I went to the Wild River, hoping for a crack at some native brookies.

No fish here, other than guppies.

 

The river resembled an irrigated rock garden. I found what’s probably the deepest pool in the river- no sign of fish, and I could see every pebble on the bottom. The Wild flows into the Androscoggin. I was only a few miles away, so…

I met a local guy there who convinced me to gear up. I spent a couple hours swinging a streamer in a stretch about a quarter mile long, not a touch. The two other local fly casters there had just as many bites as me.

The fallfish, scorned by anglers all through New England. There’s no such thing as a bad fish.

I drove past Lovell to try my luck at Swan’s Falls on the Saco. I caught two fish there, fallfish, the largest specie in the minnow family. Not a trout or a bass, but a fish that took a fly and pulled drag- I’ll take it.

An old favorite, the chain pickerel.

Monday

The forecast was for a high of 54, with rain. Not a day I want to be out paddling, so I wadered up and fished the old channel of the Saco with a spin rod. Two more fallfish and a chain pickerel, and two pickerel cut me off. I was not skunked. The heavens opened up around 1400, so I bagged it.

Tuesday

The Saco went up four feet.

The rain continued all night. The Saco went up four feet! I probably should have gone whitewater paddling, but decided to go to Kezar Pond. At the old Saco, the current had reversed and was flowing hard into the pond. With visions of hordes of fish waiting for the smorgasbord, I rode the current the mile there, knowing getting back would be hard.

Hemlock Bridge, where I put in.

 

Kezar Pond. I’d like to fish it when conditions are good!

Fifty-two degrees and cloudy does not good bass fishing make. The hordes of fish weren’t there. I got two pickerel bites, missed one and was cut off by the other. On the windy side of the lake, with rain threatening and the river continuing to rise, and not much fish action, I decided discretion was the better part and paddled the mile back.

Kezar River Mill Pond.

I went to the Kezar River Reserve to check it out. Ended up going for a long walk and picking some boletus mushrooms that I ate for dinner.

Yummy stuff here!

Wednesday

Horseshoe Pond.

 

Same place, different view.

 

Best fish I got there.

 

We’re a little aggressive, aren’t we??

 

Sign at the boat ramp.

 

Snake at the boat ramp.

I found my way to Horseshoe Pond. A more scenic body of water is hard to imagine, but the fish weren’t on. I fished the entire way around, getting one small smallmouth and three tiny ones, all on surface flies. No bites on any soft plastics.

After wrapping it up at Horseshoe, I tried Kezar Lake. The biggest chain pickerel of the trip struck a Culprit worm on the first cast. I badly wanted a picture, but didn’t want to hurt the fish, or end up bleeding, so no photo. I fished hard until after a spectacular sunset, getting only one small bass on a popping bug.

Thursday

Moose Pond, near Bridgton.

 

Turkeys playing in the rain.

 

Rainbow rather than sunset.

The equinox fell on Thursday. It dawned raining hard. I did some writing, packing, fly tying, and cooking. The rain stopped about 1500. After returning the kayak to its owner, I put the solar panel back on the roof. There was heavy mist in the mountains- pictures were taken. Instead of the sunset pictures I wanted, I got a rainbow!

Friday

View on the hike.

 

Walks in the woods are good for the soul.

The wind howled around the house all night. It was 43 degrees when I got up. Susan was supposed to come back this day. I went for a light hike. When I got back to the Pond House I learned that she’d been delayed, so I went for a different light hike.

Boletus.

 

Coral mushroom.

 

Chanterelle.

 

Amanita muscaria. Don’t eat this one!!!

It quickly turned into a foraging trip when I found some chanterelles. Boletus, puffballs, and coral mushrooms were added to the bag. I’ll be eating them for breakfast with some eggs in a few minutes.

That’s the A Week on My Own in Maine post. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2022. All rights are reserved.

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

Another Econlockhatchee Fishing Report

June 2, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

Another Econlockhatchee Fishing Report

Thanks for reading another Econlockhatchee fishing report. We’re early this week because I’ll be on the road.

Not a dragonfly, a black swallowtail works pickerelweed blossoms.

Sunday morning found me at Orlando Wetlands Park to chase dragonflies with a camera. Although the website says they open at 0800, the sign on the gate says they open at sunrise. In case you want to get there for the morning light. Anyway, there were loads of dragonflies.

Needham’s skimmer, male.

 

Needham’s skimmer, female. Viva le difference!

 

Four-spotted pennant, male.

 

Last one, four spotted pennant, female.

Memorial Day I did what I usually do- stayed home and hid. The plan worked perfectly.

Tuesday morning Susan dropped me, a fly rod, a camera, and the kayak off at the Econ, a little after 0800. The gauge read 1.9 feet. I mostly just floated and enjoyed the day, doing lots of wading, catching a few bass (no big ones) on a mouse fly, and taking pictures, until 1300. Then, supposed to meet Susan at 1500, I paddled like I meant it, for two-and-a-half hours. I was a little late…

Ebony jeweling, female. Didn’t see any males.

Wednesday I dropped myself off at the Econ, same kit as the previous day. I only took a few pictures though, mostly spending my time fly fishing. I lost the mouse in a bush, lost another surface fly on a strike, had a popper body come off the hook (need to talk to my fly tyer about that), and tried a streamer for a while.

The disintegrating popper. Next fish blew it up.

The streamer was tied for the Ocala trip, was supposed to imitate a golden shiner. I don’t think it looked at all like a shiner. Neither did some of the bass I saw follow it without taking.

The “golden shiner” electric sushi streamer.

But quite a few bass (no big ones) did take it, and the redbellies loved it. You wouldn’t think a redbelly could get a size 1 hook in its mouth, but there ya go.

Amazing cypress tree, probably the most unusual one on the river.

 

Buttonbush blossom. Smells the roses!

Thursday (as I write this) I ran errands and packed. I’ll be off in the morning, going to chase some trout with Tammy. I’m not a good trout fisherman, but I am bringing some camera gear.

That’s the early another Econlockhatchee Fishing report. Thanks for reading!

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

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

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2022. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida destinations, central florida fishing report, Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , , ,
Next Page »