Short Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons Report

Short Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons Report

Only a single day on the water this week, split between two locations. Thus, a Short Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons Report.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, and everyone else, too. Mother’s Day and Earth Day have something in common- every day should be mother’s day, and every day should be earth day.

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Got up early Tuesday. Launched the kayak behind the Education Center in the Wildlife Refuge, paddled out of Dummit Creek. Beautiful morning, but the water looked lifeless- no birds, hardly any bait. Once I cleared the creek the water cleared and looked good. Grass is starting to grow back there, too. But in two hours I did not see or touch a fish.

I loaded up and moved to Mosquito Lagoon.

It wasn’t exactly gangbusters there, either. I got one redfish and a nice trout on fly. Tiring of fighting the wind, I broke out the spin rod and got a handful of trout and – drum roll, please- a jack crevalle on the plastic shad. I suspected there were jacks around, as the mullet were showering sporadically. The only photo I took was of the jack, it’s become such an unusual catch in the lagoons. Maybe they’re making a comeback!

In an ongoing effort to provide entertainment to my valued readers, I’m including a bunch of paddling photos from years past. Enjoy!

Daryl “Bones” Benton, 2013 Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure. We should be  this happy every time we’re out!

 

Dee Kaminsky, 2013 Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure.

 

Peter Camuso and your reporter, Westfield River, Massachusetts, 1980.

 

Low tide on the Gulf. Photo courtesy of Mike Conneen.

 

Jim Tedesco, East Bay.

 

Your reporter, on the Gulf. Photo Courtesy Mike Conneen.

 

Jim Tedesco and your reporter, Machias River, Maine, circa 1976.

 

Nick Colantonio, 2013 Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure.

 

Maxx Kumiski, Indian River Lagoon.

 

I got this snook in a tiny Everglades creek. The next one I hooked broke my rod, then my line.

 

Brian Jaye and Maxx Kumiski, Nantahala River.

 

Mike Conneen, on the Gulf.

 

Don Causey, Everglades National Park.

 

Alex Kumiski, Everglades National Park.

 

Maxx Kumiski, Chattahootchee River.

 

Maxx tosses a nice loop, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Contrasting styles, Manatee River.

 

Tammy Wilson, Econlockhatchee River.

 

Mike Conneen, Banana River Lagoon.

 

Mike in a jack melee, Manatee River.

 

Your reporter amongst the crocodiles, Everglades National Park. Photo courtesy Mike Conneen.

 

Jack Hutson, Nantahala River.

 

Backcountry paddle, Everglades National Park.

 

Fish on, Everglades National Park. Photo courtesy of Mike Conneen.

That’s the Short Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons 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.

Storm Aftermath

Storm Aftermath

Thanks for reading this week’s post, Storm Aftermath. This was a survey week, with hope to find a fish or two. Susan was ill, which affected my liberty- I didn’t want to leave her alone while I went fishing.

For subscribers- if the photos (only one this week!) don’t load, click this link- www.spottedtail.com/blog.

Monday, though, she joined me for the preliminary survey. I needed to see how high the water was, and which boat ramps were open. We went to Kelly Park, Port Canaveral, Port St. John, Kennedy Point, Parrish Park, Biolab, and Playalinda. Playalinda was open to Parking Lot 7, meaning you couldn’t get to the boat ramp on the Mosquito Lagoon side. Everything else was open. There were surprisingly few trailers at Port Canaveral. The water looked high and brown in the lagoons.

Tuesday found me in a kayak on the high, green, and nearly opaque waters of the Indian River Lagoon, armed with both a spin and a fly rod. I saw two redfish, one tailing right against the bank (no shot) and one that I ran over. I ran over two or three black drum. I caught three small snook, one by casting a rubber shad, the other two by dragging the same lure while I paddled. I found a few baby tarpon rolling, and one bit my streamer, leading to this not very good photo-

It’s hard to fight the fish AND get the jump shot at the same time. I used my Dr. Slick pliers to unhook the beastie. When I got home, Susan was sick, and I was sorry I wasn’t there.

Friday morning Tom Van Horn picked me up and we went to Mosquito Lagoon, launching at Haulover Canal. Tom spent the summer at Katmai Lodge in Alaska, then went to Europe for a few weeks. His boat had been sitting for over three months, so of course it didn’t work right. We hid from the wind and waves behind the spoil islands while we made our way back to Haulover Canal. I cast a DOA Deadly Combo, coming up with a single, skunk-chasing 12″ seatrout. I was home at noon.

I saw very little bait anywhere, and the water doesn’t look good anywhere. Might have to try fishing somewhere else.

That’s the Storm Aftermath 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.

There’s a New Ebook on Fishing Florida’s Space Coast!

There’s a New Ebook on Fishing Florida’s Space Coast!

Fishing Florida’s Space Coast- Newly Revised Ebook Edition, By Capt. John Kumiski

Fishing Florida's Space Coast

Do you want to catch fish along Florida’s Space Coast?

This stretch of Florida’s Atlantic coast and the adjacent Indian River Lagoon system offers world class angling for redfish, black drum, spotted seatrout, tripletail, and more. In addition, snook, tarpon, cobia, Spanish and king mackerel, little tunny, jack crevalle, bluefish, barracuda, sharks, and many other species can be found in these waters at various times of the year.

Do you know how to catch them?

This ebook will make you a better fisherman. You will learn:

-How to choose rods, reels, lines, lures, baits, rigging, and techniques that work along the Space Coast.

-When to fish. The fishery changes with the seasons. This book will help you adjust your strategies.

-Where to fish. The text pinpoints hotspots all along the Space Coast and tells you where to find them with Google Maps.

 

Many of the Space Coast’s finest anglers shared secrets contained in this ebook.

This new ebook is your constant reference on how, when, and where to fish along Florida’s Space Coast. Whether you have fished here all your life, are an experienced angler fishing here for the first time, or are just getting involved in fishing, you will refer to this guidebook again and again for the information you need to be more successful.

 

The print edition sold thousands of copies!

 

Capt. John Kumiski has been guiding Space Coast fishermen for over 25 years and touches every page of this book with his wealth of knowledge and expertise.

This book will make you a better fisherman!

Fishing Florida’s Space Coast Newly Revised Ebook Edition, $4.99!

Available from Smashwords, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/490918.

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