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Flies for Goodnews River King Salmon

September 29, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Flies for King Salmon

This is the first in a series about flies used on the Goodnews River, Alaska.

Goodnews River king salmon typically rest in seam water that’s six to eight feet deep. There’s always a strong current. If you want to catch one with a fly rod you usually need a fast sinking fly line and a fast sinking fly.

Before my first trip there Bob Stearns allayed my fears about what to tie by telling me, “Those fish have never seen a fly before, never seen a fisherman. They will eat almost any well-presented fly.” Of course he was right. Most of the time the fish are way less fussy than the fisherman, and a heavy Clouser Minnow will often work as well as anything else.

That having been said, the old standard fly was a cerise-colored bunny leech tied on a size two Mustad 36890 hook, with a 1/30th ounce or heavier lead eye.

Bunny Leeches

Pink (cerise, actually) bunny leeches ready for deployment.

KingSalmonBunnyLeech

This hen king salmon took one of those simple bunny leeches.

Articulated flies (see how to tie one here) have become all the rage since I started working at the Goodnews River Lodge six seasons back. They take longer to tie but help prevent short strikes. You can tie big, crazy flies this way. For weight some tyers use lead eyes, others use tungsten cone-shaped beads. Both work, so use whichever you prefer.

ArticulatedFly-KingSalmon

This articulated fly, tied with both rabbit and Arctic fox zonker strips, was eaten by a king salmon.

On the Goodnews only single hook artificials are allowed, so you must break off the bend and point of the forward hook. Use an inexpensive iron for this work (I use a 2/0 Mustad 3407). Alternatively, purchase a special hookless hook made specifically for tying articulated flies.

Most guides at Goodnews like an octopus-style hook for the trailer, with sizes ranging from 4 to 1/0, the tyer’s personal choice. A larger hook is less likely to fail under duress. Some of us dress it, others leave it naked, again, a matter of preference.

KingSalmonArticulatedFly

Another king salmon falls for an articulated fly.

Effective colors include cerise, purple, hot pink, black, blue, orange, chartreuse, and combinations of these. Flash material is in good taste, and a rattle is easily tied in on the forward hook before tying in the dressing.

That is all you need to know about tying Flies for King Salmon.

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2012. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: Fishing Tips, Flies and Fly Tying, Goodnews River- Alaska Fishing Report · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Book Review- Knowing Bass

June 10, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Knowing Bass- The Scientific Approach to Catching More Fish by Keith Jones, Ph.D.; hardcover, 298 pages, Lyons Press, 2002 (released as a paperback in 2005).

Knowing Bass has been sitting on my bookshelf for years. Desperation for something to read made me finally crack it. I was a moron to not read it sooner. This book is wonderful.

Dr. Jones, whose research brought you Power Bait and Gulp, studies fish with religious zealotry. Every page explodes with his passion for the subject. If you have any background in the sciences and you have any interest in fish and fishing, you will find this book lively and readable, hard to put down, even.

Disclaimer- If you have a science phobia you’ll hate it.

Bass are pretty far down the list of my interests in fishing. In spite of that this book fascinated me. For example, I always knew fish were capable of learning. It never occurred to me that anyone had measured the speed at which different species learn. According to the study cited in the book, largemouth bass are pretty dumb compared to striped bass and carp.

Dr. Jones goes into great detail about the sensory system of the bass and how the fish uses that system to find food and avoid danger. Adult bass are hard-wired to prefer minnow prey of three to four inches long- darker on the back, lighter on the bottom. They can learn to prefer other things and are always opportunistic, but they come “out-of-the-box” with a preference for small fish.

In spite of the fact they are primarily sight feeders, bass have smells and tastes they like a great deal, and others they dislike tremendously. They can detect minute vibrations in the water. Some attract them, other scare them badly.

Anyone who fishes much knows the water temperature is very important to whatever species you’re targeting. The pH of the water, something most fishermen never even consider, is almost as important as the temperature to a bass.

Do fish feel pain? I’ve written a blog about my feelings on this. Dr. Jones pretty much validates everything I had to say about the topic and then some.

The book goes on in this same vein. It is very thorough.

This book is not an instructional tome on how to fish for bass. Beginning fishermen (or those with science phobias) may not get much out of it. It won’t tell you which lures to use in what circumstances. If that’s what you want, look elsewhere. There are plenty of instructional bass fishing books.

But, if you want to understand how the environment affects the individual fish, if you want to better understand how the fish responds to various stimuli, if you want to get a better feel for what the fish might be doing in any given situation, then this is a great book. Regardless of what kind of fish are your favorites, the book offers great insights into how they work. It’s going into my reference library- I’m sure I’ll be reading it again.

John Kumiski

Home- Spotted Tail Outdoors and Travel


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Filed Under: book reviews, Fishing Product News and Reviews, opinion · Tagged: , , , ,

Secret Spots

May 10, 2012 by · 2 Comments

redfishMost fishermen have secret spots, ones they don’t even tell their best friends about. I have a couple myself. They’re really not secrets, as I see other fishermen there sometimes, but I certainly don’t go around advertising them. Mine provide me with a little oasis of quiet when I get to go out fishing by myself.

I went to one the other day. I took the kayak. I hadn’t been there since last spring and so wasn’t sure what I would find. What I found was six fine redfish tailing.

The first fish was clearly a nice one. Fly fishing from a kayak demands precise boat positioning in order to garner success, so I first got upwind and up-sun of the fish. Once in position I made my cast. The first missed, but he charged the second and nailed it. Bingo! The fish weighed about 15 pounds, the nicest one I’d gotten in months. I’d been out only 15 minutes and the day was already an outstanding success.

The next four shots were not as fruitful. The fish either spooked off the fly or ignored me completely. Finally another fish took the fly. He ran through some weeds, which collected on my line. I don’t know if that had anything to do with the loud CRACK that scared the daylights out of me, but next thing all I had in my hand was the butt of the rod. The rest had broken off and slid down the line.

Although I got the fish, my fishing for the day was done. Just as well. It’s one of my secret spots. I treasure it, and I certainly don’t want to abuse it.

 

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com 

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Filed Under: Fishing Stories, opinion · Tagged: , , , , , ,

How to Use a DeHooker

April 2, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

We fishermen use incredible technology. Lightweight tubular rods, finely machined reels, strong, thin, invisible lines, it goes on and on.

A dehooker is a simple device, a piece of wire with a hook or loop on one end and a handle on the other. It can be easily overlooked among all the other more impressive tools you have. Don’t overlook the dehooker. It does more for your safety and the fish’s post-release survival than almost any other tool you have.

A dehooker is easy to use. You simply get the hook/loop on the dehooker on the fishhook’s bend, then flip the hook upside down. Gravity now works to pull the fish off of your hook. If the fish is at all reluctant, a shake or two almost always does the trick. This video will show you how it’s done.

I’ve watched fisherman catch dink trout after dink trout, grabbing them with a towel, unhooking, and then releasing them. Bad for the fish, this removes their layer of protective slime, making them susceptible to infection.

When a catfish or stingray is caught, grabbing it with a towel, or a bare hand, is at best a risky proposition. With the dehooker handling any fish you don’t want to touch, including said dink trout, ladyfish, crevalle, sharks, etc., is completely unnecessary.

Where I work in Alaska we do lots of catch and release fishing. Most of my colleagues net the fish (not good for the fish) and bring it in the boat. There it beats itself against the metal deck until the guide can get a pair of pliers on the hook and dislodge it. Then he’s got to pick the fish up and put it back in the water. Lots of handling, lots of trauma, all unnecessary.

I just get the dehooker on the hook, flip it upside down, and give a shake. The fish never comes out of the water and my fisherman is back in business almost immediately. Much better for the released fish, too!

There are several companies making dehookers. If you have rudimentary skills with tools it’s pretty easy to make one yourself. All of them work on lip-hooked fish. When the hook is down in the esophagus though, the ARC Dehooker is the best one.
My favorite one, which I believe is longer available, is the XTools Dehooker. It has a built-in float so if it gets pulled out of your hand, a not infrequent occurrence, it doesn’t plummet straight to the bottom.

If you use leaders lighter than 15 pound test AND you catch fish that are too big to just pick up by lifting the leader, you are going to break off some fish with the dehooker. That problem has a simple solution- use 15 pound test (or stronger) leader. Then the problem disappears.

Learn how to use a dehooker. They’re simple, inexpensive, highly effective. Every boat should have at least one.

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

Filed Under: Fishing Product News and Reviews, Fishing Tips · Tagged: , , , ,

Is This The Future of Fishing?

February 5, 2012 by · 6 Comments

I wrote this back in 2007. It’s even more valid now.

An outfit called Osceola Outback Adventures now offers fishing for great barramundi, and I’m talking Holopaw, Florida here, not Australia. They say with pride, “This is the only place in North America where you can catch barramundi!”

I visited the barramundi ponds yesterday. There were two small, rectangular ponds that had been dug out with a backhoe. There were fish, lots of them, quite willing to eat lures, too. There were rods and reels. There was novelty. I’d never seen a barramundi before. They’re beautiful creatures, muscular and strong. There was entertainment. The fish, although only running eight to ten pounds at the moment (they’ll get much larger), fight hard and jump like crazed ladyfish. They are as game a fish as one could ask for. If you were going to design a fish you’d be hard pressed to do a better job.

But something about the experience bothered me, just a tiny bit. The nagging sense of irritation in the back of my mind was similar to that your foot gets when you get a diminutive pebble in your shoe. The experience, although undeniably fun, just didn’t fit me quite right.

Then I had a minor flash of insight. When you go fishing, you understand that you may not catch anything. You may not even see a fish. While fishing undeniably requires skill, luck is important, too. A terrible angler can have a great day, and a highly skilled angler can get skunked. “All men are equal in the eyes of a fish,” as Harry Truman once said.

The barramundi ponds remove luck and skill from the equation. Ten thousand aggressive fish scour the entire water column, jammed into two small ponds. If you cast a bait out there, you will catch a fish. You may not get one every cast, but you will get one on many of your casts. It’s a great place to bring the kids, just for that reason.

What bothered me, then? It’s not fishing as I know it. It’s sure thing, captive audience, pay-for-fishing, fishing. Is this a bad thing?

I have fished in Florida for more than 20 years. Back in 1985 you could launch your boat at 8:00 AM on a Saturday at any boat ramp you cared to (except when the clammers were working the Indian River) and could get a parking spot. You could go to almost any fishing spot you wanted to and would not be met by the two or even three boats that were there already. Obnoxious boaters would not be burning down a flat that people in 10 or 12 other boats were fishing.

There weren’t as many people here then. And there were a lot fewer boats.

I like solitude when I fish. It pains me to go fishing on weekends now. The water is crowded.

Rock concerts should be crowded. The county fair should be crowded. Parades should be crowded. Baseball and football stadiums should be crowded. Fishing spots? They should not be crowded. For me, fishing in a crowd causes stress and is not enjoyable. For me, fishing in a crowd is a bad thing.

At the barramundi ponds you pay, you fish, you catch fish. There are no crowds. It may not be fishing as I know it but it definitely has value.

Builders build golf courses like crazy but no one is making any new lagoons, or rivers. They can dig new ponds, though. They can stock them with thousands of fish. They can require us to pay before we fish them.

Only you can decide if this is good or bad for you. I can see more and more folks pursuing businesses like Osceola Outback, though, especially as our natural waterways get ever more crowded. I can see more and more sportsmen using them.

I’m beginning to experience some existential dread about this. Is pay-for-fish the future of fishing?

Please, let me know your thoughts on this.

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2012. All rights are reserved.

 

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Filed Under: Fishing News, opinion · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Broken Gear? Call Customer Service

February 1, 2012 by · 2 Comments

We outdoorsmen types abuse our gear. Heck, most of us didn’t buy it to look at it. And if you abuse something long enough, it breaks.

Then what do you do?

The answer for many is, go buy another one. But wait! Maybe, if you send it back to Customer Service, they will repair or replace it.

Last month I returned a number of items. To wit:

-A Simms Dry Creek waistpack. The old one had completely fallen apart. The zippers had seized up. It was toasted. Done. Simms did not replace it, but they did give me $60 credit toward a replacement. The new one cost me $40 instead of $100.

-my Tilley Hat. Tilley Hats are guaranteed for life. You have to pay return shipping, about eight bucks. I wore my beautiful, new Tilley Hat yesterday. Tilley has awesome products and awesome customer service.

-a Scientific Angler System 2 fly reel. This reel is at least 20 years old and was beat, completely non-functioning. SA charged me $20 and replaced the drag mechanism and spindle. Great customer service.

-a Shimano Spheros reel. I get about two years out of one of these reels. Then the bail gets arthritis. Then the bail seizes up completely. Sometimes Shimano fixes it. Sometimes they replace it. Either way, awesome customer service.

-A St. Croix fly rod. The old rod was at least 20 years old. They replaced it with a nice new Avid four piece for $50.

-two Temple Fork fly rods. TFO requires $25 per return. I had the new replacement rods three days later. Awesome customer service.

-a Redington fly rod and a pair of Redington waders. Thirty bucks per item. Just got the new waders, Palix River waders, retail for $150. Haven’t heard about the rod, but I suspect it will be coming along shortly. 2/3- it came today. Good customer service!

-a Patagonia raincoat and Patagonia waders. Both these items were five years old, and had been to Alaska several times. In other words, they got some hard miles put on them. I’m waiting to hear the verdict on these. 2/3- Patagonia called me today to tell me the gear is worn out and the warranty won’t cover it. They would not offer a discount on replacement. Patagonia stuff is very nice, but very expensive. I’ll think long and hard before I buy any more.

My Hodgman waders are also out of warranty and leaking like a sieve. Today Hodgman offered me a 45% replacement discount.

New stuff is nice. It’s nicer when you don’t have to pay list price.

If you have broken gear hanging around, call customer service and see what they’ll do for you. You may be pleasantly surprised.

And please let us know about customer service you have had, both good and bad.

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2012. All rights are reserved.

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Keep Your Expensive Gear Dry!

December 27, 2011 by · 1 Comment

Boats float on water. Water in general and saltwater in particular ruins our stuff, especially stuff like sandwiches, cell phones, and cameras. If your sandwich gets soggy you’re out a lunch, but if your phone or camera gets wet you’re out a hundred or more dollars and perhaps an important safety device. Keeping things dry aboard any boat, and especially a small boat like a canoe or kayak, is not just an academic exercise. It’s important.

You’ll find a variety of things to keep your belongings dry, particularly if you use some imagination, and what you choose will depend on your budget, your boat, what you need to keep dry, and how long you intend to stay out. Just to keep this piece manageable, we’ll only discuss day trips here. Camping trips, especially long ones, require a separate treatment.

We can divide portable dry storage containers into three main categories: waterproof bags, waterproof boxes, and waterproof packs. The easiest bag to use is any kind of plain plastic bag. The main advantage to these is they’re cheap and readily available. Their main disadvantage is a simple one. They don’t work very well. Water has soaked things I’ve had in ziplock bags many times. They’re not to be trusted except to keep minor splashes off of things.

A proper waterproof bag is a rubberized cloth or heavy plastic sack with some combination of a folding top and snaps or straps. You put your items in the bag, fold the top over two or three times, and strap or snap it down. These bags come in various sizes and they work well. I imagine if the bag was completely submerged they would leak, but I’ve used them for years in all kinds of boats without a problem. They take the shape (more or less) of the items inside and the space they’re given, and are a good choice for any small boat applications.

Waterproof boxes also work well, and are fairly inexpensive. The classic waterproof box is similar to an ammo box, except the waterproof boxes are made of plastic and usually have a gasket to seal the water out. A cam-action latch closes the box firmly. These boxes are fairly small but easily fit items like car keys, wallet, phone, and a small point and shoot camera.

A cooler is a type of box, but is only moderately good as a dry box. When it rains, coolers get water in them, and your stuff gets wet. A small, six-pack sized zip-top soft cooler may work well if you give an added layer of plastic like a ziplock bag. If this combo gets dunked though, it may fail to keep your belongings dry.

If you have larger items you might consider a bucket with a snap-on lid. For years I have used a bucket picked up at a Dunkin Donuts store to carry my cameras, sometimes several thousand dollars worth, on all kinds of boats. It was a very good investment, not too stylish perhaps, but very functional. It doesn’t fit well in a lot of places, though.

Most photographers use a specialized camera box called a Pelican Case to carry their equipment. Pelican Cases are professional devices and work exactly as they are supposed to. Their only disadvantages are the initial expense, and they are a little pricey, and the fact that they look and carry something like a briefcase. You can’t carry a Pelican Case and fish at the same time. But you could back your pickup truck over one and your cameras would still be fine.

If you fish out of a boat and like to wade, carrying a camera with you and keeping it dry becomes a problem. The Dry Creek Backpack from Simms solves it. This excellent piece of equipment is the size and shape of a standard daypack, and has the daypack’s shoulder straps so you can carry it on your back, but has the material and tie down straps and snaps of a waterproof bag. You can put whatever you want in this pack, and even if you fall down in the water your stuff will stay dry. As with all of Simms products it’s made to the highest quality standards and will last for years. You can see the Dry Creek Backpack at www.simmsfishing.com.

The fact is, most of us need and will use a variety of the methods used here. If you spend much time around the water in small boats, it can’t be helped.

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com 

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.

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Fantastic! Orlando Fishing

December 12, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Orlando! Most folks equate a trip to central Florida with Mickey Mouse and Shamu. These attractions and quite a few others make Orlando one of the world’s foremost tourist destinations.

There’s fantastic fishing around Orlando. Central Florida’s coastal areas supply some of the finest saltwater fishing Florida has to offer, and many of the area’s lakes and rivers supply world-class bass fishing. While the kids frolic with Goofy and Donald Duck, Dad can be hooked up with anything from a five pound largemouth to a 150 pound tarpon. Brief descriptions of the various options available to the visiting angler follow.

GREATER ORLANDO FISHING OPPORTUNITIES

Disney World itself is in the bass fishing business. Guided bass fishing trips are available on Disney’s Bay Lakes at by-the-hour rates. Angling pressure is light, and the action is generally fast with many sizable bass caught. Dave Burkhardt fishes here regularly. He told me it’s the only place you’ll ever catch bass that have these funny little mouse ears!

One of the best kept bass fishing secrets near Orlando is the Clermont chain of lakes. Twelve lakes connected by canals are so clean that they’ve been designated an outstanding Florida waterway supply plenty of room to fish and explore. In addition to the bass, bream and crappie are available. The scenery and wildlife are both wonderful, and are well worth the trip.

orlando fishing, orlando bass fishing

Bass like this one are common catches around Orlando.

East and West Lake Toho are well known for their fishing. Kissimmee sits right on West Lake.

The St. John’s River and its tributaries offer wonderful areas to fish. The river basin covers a lot of area to the east of Orlando. Largemouth bass provide a dependable year-round fishery, and there are all types of fish holding structure. There are several species of sunfish, locally called “brim.” During the winter, crappie supply plenty of action.

During January, February, and March light tackle fishing for shad is a very popular sport on the St. John’s River in the Sanford area.

FLORIDA WEST COAST FISHING
During May and June fly fishermen pay congregate at Homosassa, sightfishing  the crystalline waters for the greatest flyrod gamefish known to the inshore angler- the mighty tarpon. A few years back one of them caught the Big Mamoo, a 200 pound monster. Other fishermen want to duplicate the feat.

Orlando fishing, orlando tarpon fishing

Tarpon like this are available all along the Gulf Coast. Homosassa offers the biggest.

Homosassa has other fishing available. Redfish, seatrout, Spanish mackerel, cobia, and more are all available, some species year-round.

Homosassa lies to the west of Orlando. From Orlando driving time is about two hours.

FLORIDA EAST COAST FISHING
Central Florida’s east coast is where the visiting angler can really find him or herself some quality saltwater angling, often without the services of a guide. Sebastian Inlet State Park is regarded by many as the premier snook hole in the entire country. Jetty fishermen fling all types of lures as well as live bait to catch the linesiders, which often exceed twenty pounds.

Redfish, bluefish, tarpon, flounder, and seatrout are other species taken from the jetties, the adjacent beaches, or the flats on the Indian River Lagoon side of the inlet, where waders can have a blast, too. Sebastian Inlet is about an hour and a half’s drive from Orlando.

Those who like to surf fish can find beach access and some excellent fishing in the vicinity of Sebastian Inlet. Closer to Orlando both Satellite Beach and Playalinda Beach in the Canaveral National Seashore offer outstanding angling for the beach angler. Redfish, pompano, flounder, bluefish, and whiting are most often caught from Playalinda’s twenty plus miles of undeveloped, pristine beach. At Satellite Beach, snook, pompano, sheepshead, whiting, and sometimes Spanish mackerel and tarpon are all caught in the surf. Since these are public beaches, early in the morning on weekdays will  supply the least interference from surfers, bikinis, and other distractions.

Those wanting offshore fishing can find it at Port Canaveral or Ponce Inlet. Charter boats from the Port fish nearshore for kingfish, cobia, tripletail, and tarpon, while those venturing further out find action from dolphin, wahoo, sailfish, and even marlin. The same type of action is available from Ponce Inlet. Also, at both locations bottom fishing for grouper and snapper is available from either charter or partyboats. Finally, both the Port and Ponce Inlet have long rock jetties which attract all of the typical inshore fishes, and the fishermen who chase them.

My favorite area to fish is in the Indian River Lagoon System. The Lagoon, over 150 miles long, stretches from Ponce Inlet down to St. Lucie Inlet. The System’s three main components are the Mosquito Lagoon, the Indian RiverLagoon, and the Banana River Lagoon, which are separated from the waters of the Atlantic by a thin strip of sandy coastal barrier.

One unique thing about fishing in this system- unless you are near an inlet, tides have almost no effect on the fishing. There is no tidal water movement. You just go fishing!

There are many areas around Titusville for wading anglers to get access to some beautiful grassflats covered with crystal clear water and some excellent sightfishing for redfish which average up to ten pounds. Most of these are either in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge or the Canaveral National Seashore.

orlando redfish, orlando redfish trips, wading for redfish

Wading in the Mosquito Lagoon produced this redfish.

Dike roads in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge open up miles of wadable flats to the visiting angler. It’s entirely possible to fish both the beach and the Mosquito Lagoon in the same day. Information about the location of these dike roads is available from the Refuge headquarters, located on SR 402 east of Titusville.

In both Titusville and Cocoa you can rent kayaks and go paddle fishing on any of the three lagoons. And plenty of fishing guides offer their services here too.

Driving time to most east coast fishing areas is about an hour.

Why doesn’t Orlando have a reputation as a fishing destination? World class fishing awaits. The next time your family coerces you into visiting Disney World, bring your tackle and check it out. You will be most pleasantly surprised at Orlando’s fantastic fishing.

John Kumiski

Home- Spotted Tail Outdoors and Travel

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.

 

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Indian River Lagoon Water Slowly Clearing- Indian River Lagoon Fishing Report

December 10, 2011 by ·

The Report from Spotted Tail 12/11/11

The Mailbox-

-Got this email from Rick Roberts: “This University of Florida Fisheries Management Grad Student Project is gathering information with the goal of developing new strategies for the management of of the Florida Gulf Coast snook fishery. Your participation in the following survey is requested. Here’s the chance to take part in the future of fisheries management click this link to answer these important questions.”
http://www.snookfoundation.org/news/research/492-ufl-students-developing-snook-vision-.html

-Mike Adamson sent this email in response to last week’s report: “I usually take my first NMZ trip just after Thanksgiving and usually with great anticipation. On Friday I went all the way to Buck Creek in 15 mph out of the N on Friday. Traveled up on the middle of the outer bar and back along the shoreline. This was a great paddle in bad water.
“Much like your exploration, the water had about 6” visibility and the fish were scarce. Almost no bait except for one spot N of the bent tower on the outer bar. Spooked 3 fish all day. No tails or fins.”

When it comes to fishing misery loves company.

Thursday night Mosquito Creek Outdoors hosted a Crappie and Shad fishing seminar. The information exchange was phenomenal. A website called www.crappie.com has most of the information you need if you’re interested in catching specks.
The captain’s meeting for the annual shad and crappie derby is at MCO this upcoming Thursday night (December15). There will be refreshments and prizes. Hope to see you there.

Dr. George got this nice redfish in the Indian River Lagoon.

Most of my week was spent moving my website to a new server. Only on Friday did I manage to get out, accompanied by Dr. George Yarko. Tom Van Horn gave me an Indian River Lagoon tip, which I wanted to check.

It was a beautiful day, with a light wind out of the east. The water is still dirty, but less so than it was. Hopefully as water temperatures drop the water will continue to clear.

We did not find any 40 pound redfish, but fish to 30 inches were prowling near the shoreline. We got five or six, all on chunks of ladyfish. I cleaned one. It had a small fish, either a small mullet or large mud minnow, in its stomach.

He followed up the first redfish with this nice pair.

I also got a decent trout, about 20 inches long, using a DOA Deadly Combo.

While I hope to get out more this week coming, there is much more website work to do.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- go fishing!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.

 

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Florida Fishing Tip: Fluorocarbon versus Nylon Monofilament Fishing Leaders- Which Works Better?

December 6, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

In a side-by-side taste test, fish preferred fluoro to nylon at least four-to-one.

This week’s Florida fishing tip is about leader material.

Fluorocarbon leader material hit the market about 15 years ago. Frankly I thought it was a scam. Looks just like nylon monofilament leader. Costs 10 times more. Couldn’t be worth the price difference. Or so I thought.

Through my writing some fluorocarbon leader material found its free sample way into my hands. My friend Rick DePaiva and I guided for false albacore in North Carolina that fall, out of Capt. Joe Shute’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Beach. We’d sometimes use frozen glass minnows to chum the tunny up around the boat. I got the idea to do some testing.

When I had two anglers in the boat I would rig one with a 12 pound nylon leader material tippet. I’d rig the other with a 12 pound fluorocarbon leader material tippet. They’d both be using the same fly pattern.

The fluoro guy would outfish the nylon guy four or five to one.

I would switch the nylon guy’s tippet to a fluoro tippet. The strikes would immediately even out.

I conducted this side-by-side test five or six times and got the same results each time. At that point the experiment ended. It was obvious that although the fluoro and nylon looked the same to me, it was clearly different to the fishies.

I’ve used fluorocarbon for my leader material, both fly and spin, ever since.

I’ve tried various brands. Some are terrible. My current favorites are Seaguar and TripleFish. I carry leader wheels in pound test ranging from 10 pound to 80 pound, which pretty much covers any situation in which I may find myself in saltwater.

All the knots are pretty much the same. Fluoro is a little stiffer, and I think more abrasion resistant than nylon.

If you’re using nylon and think you should be getting more strikes, give fluorocarbon a try. I hope you found this Florida fishing tip useful!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.

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