Fishing News, Fishing Report

Fishing News, Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this week’s Fishing Report. Got out three days this week, all solo trips by kayak. Tried to find new places to fish. Hard to do- I’ve been at it a long time!
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Fly Tying

Last week I wrote, “I … got ready to tie up some delicious offerings for fish.” The results of that little tying spurt are shown below.

A deliciousness of electric sushi.

The pattern, originated by the late Mike Martinek, is called Electric Sushi. I am a huge fan! You can see the tying directions at this link- http://www.spottedtail.com/tying-the-electric-sushi-fly/

Reds like sushi.

 

Trout do, too.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve been writing recently about the redfish worm and the fuzzy or wooly redfish worm. It’s a great fly! I haven’t shown a photo in a long time. Picture below, wooly on top, plain on bottom. Not a lot of difference.

hook- mustad 3407 #4
eye- small or micro lead dumbell, or bead chain, or plastic, depending on desired sink rate.
tail- I prefer arctic fox but will use marabou or a bunny strip. I prefer black, but use whatever.
body- medium ice chenille or cactus chenille. again, I prefer black.
hackle (if desired)- grizzly neck hackle, tied Palmer.

The redfish worm is one of my favorite drum flies, too.

Buena suerte! Boa sorte!
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Fishing News- Haulover Canal Gauge

For years this blog has related water levels in the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon to the USGS Gauge at the Haulover Canal. The URL, and the gauge format on the webpage, for that gauge is changing. The new URL is https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/02248380/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D

As I write this, the gauge reads well over 1.0. Every whole number equals a foot of water. I like for the gauge to read at 0.5 or below. I’ve seen it above 3.0 (after a hurricane) and below 0.0 (bars exposed everywhere). That webpage is an extremely useful tool for planning fishing trips in those lagoons!
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The MULLET RUN

Anyone have any news???

Will we ever see this again?

FISHING (and other) Report

Monday
Went paddling on high, murky water Mosquito Lagoon. Found a flowing culvert, where two trout, a snook, and a redfish fell for my flies. That was a good find! Ran over a couple fish, but it was very hard to see anything, in spite of the extraordinary weather. The water will most likely be high into December, maybe January. I doubt that I’ll ever see it clean again.

Culvert trout on Clouser minnow.

 

And the redfish! Note how murky the water is.

Tuesday
Susan and I visited the Orlando Museum of Art to see an exhibit of Clyde Butcher’s work. Highly recommended!!! One of my favorite Butcher photos is of the beach at Cayo Costa. I learned on Tuesday he waited there for a month to get the light he wanted. Waugh!

An example of the master’s work…

Wednesday
Dentist. News could have been better. Losing a tooth. 🙁

Visited Dr. David Demetree, chiropractor. Always feel a lot better when I leave there!

Visited the new digs of Mud Hole Tackle.

Put a new heating element in our clothes dryer.

Not a very exciting day.

Thursday
Went paddling on the high and murky Indian River Lagoon, place I had not visited in quite a long time. Looked for new nooks and crannies, got a trout and a little snook on fly.

Friday
Went paddling on the high and murky Indian River Lagoon. Again looked for new nooks and crannies. Relearned something I already knew from hard experience- first boat through a narrow spot gets all the spider webs. Got a couple trout and a small black drum on the rubber shad. Lightening chased me off.

No one likes getting one of these in the face.

Don’t know that I found new spots but had fun looking!

That’s what I got. Thank you again for reading this Fishing Report. Life is great and I love all my readers!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go hiking! Take a walk! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Everglades National Park Report and Photo Essay

Everglades National Park Report and Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this Everglades National Park report and photo essay. I’m afraid it may be rather lengthy.

To paraphrase Lynyrd Skynyrd- They call me Mr. Cold Front…

Drove down to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City on Saturday to pick up our backcountry permit. Met my associate in mild insanity, Mike Conneen, Sunday morning. He was accompanied by River the Wonder Service Dog. I had hoped to launch the boats by 7 AM so as to catch the last of the outgoing tide to Jewell Key. HA! We paddled against the current the entire way. It was still a lovely paddle with great weather.

Mike and River, on the way to Jewell Key.

After unloading our vessels and setting up our new temporary home, we went on a fishing expedition. The Gulf side of Jewell Key boasts an extensive live worm rock reef. While I enjoy sight-fishing over the reef, when we got there the tide was too high for this. Blind-casting with a plastic shad netted me several trout and ladyfish and a redfish. Mike prefers a Vudu Shrimp, the new weedless version. He got what I got and a few snook too.

Trout…

 

…and redfish made up my catch.

Late in the afternoon, on the falling tide, I switched to the fly rod. Using a plain chartreuse and white Clouser minnow I got more trout and ladyfish and a snook too, giving me what turned out to be my only slam of the trip. It was beautiful out there. I fished until after sunset.

Got one on!

 

And then it was released.

Monday morning it was blowing like snot, coming off the Gulf. We fished on the inside, the lee side, of several islands, with a few small fish to show for it. Mike wanted to range further. I thought it was a bad idea with a front on the way. We worked our way back to camp.

Here comes the front.

 

Here we are waiting for it.

 

Got some nap time in.

 

My tent kept the water outside, where it belongs.

Good thing, too. The front blew in with hard wind and heavy rain. It continued to rain on and off into the evening. We spent a lot of time in our tents.

Surprisingly, Tuesday morning was not that cold, although it blew like snot. I left Mike and River in camp and went walking the now uncovered reef, intending to cast from the edge.

The uncovered by low tide worm rock reef.

There were a lot of raccoons working that reef.

Silly raccoon, thought it was hiding.

One would expect that when a human being approached a raccoon on a wide open area, the raccoon would flee for the woods. Certainly, many of them did exactly this. But several just kept doing what they were doing. When I got close, they would attempt to “hide” in the rocks. It was hilarious. Watching where I was walking, I nearly stepped on one. Had I been carrying a decent camera, some fine raccoon photos might have been had. As it is I used the point and shoot to get a few snapshotty pics.

The rising of the Beaver Moon.

That evening the Beaver Moon rose. We got to watch an awesome sunset, then an awesome moonrise, within an hour of each other. Jewell Key allows one to do both, which is very accommodating on its part.

Sunrise from Jewell Key. Thank you, God, for another glorious day!

Wednesday morning was cold. The wind still blew, too. Mike and River spent the entire day in camp. I spent the entire day walking the reef. Fishing was hard- remember the cold front? I did kill two trout that we fried up for dinner. They were SO delicious!

Mike and River spent the day in camp.

More sunset watching and moonrise watching happened. Some stargazing got thrown into the mix, too.

The sun has set on another day.

For me, fishing is the prime reason for making a trip like this. But enjoying the sunrise, watching the birds, the dolphins, the raccoons, stargazing, all of that stuff is at least as important as fishing. I enjoy moving my boat by my own power. I just love the elemental nature of moving and camping out in remote areas!

Watching the birds, a wonderful way to spend some time.

We decided that, rather than getting up before sunrise on Friday and fighting the outgoing tide to get back to Everglades City, we would leave at the bottom of the tide on Thursday and fish the incoming all the way back. It was a good strategy for the well-rested Mike, who got a nice red and a nice snook, too!

Mike and River collaborated to get this snook.

After loading up we had dinner at the restaurant-that-used-to-be-the-Oar-House. Then we hit the road. I pulled into my driveway at 9 PM. My messy car and gear are sitting out there right now, waiting for the clean-up.

All things considered, it was a pretty spectacular trip.

Thank you for reading this Everglades National Park report and photo essay blog!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or paddle!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Everglades Solo Paddle Fishing Report and Photo Essay

Everglades Solo Paddle Fishing Report

Wishing a most blessed Christmas to everyone.

Thank you for reading this Everglades Solo Paddle Fishing Report. It’s going to read like a full length magazine article so you might want to save it for when you’re at work. 🙂

Launched the kayak at the Everglades City Ranger Station about 11 am Sunday morning. I hoped to catch the last of the outgoing tide out to the Gulf, but I hit the nose of the incoming tide and had to paddle against it for a way. It hadn’t started running hard yet. The weather was amazing.

Don’t know what it’s trying to do. This is the beauty you see while paddling.

My plan was to camp two or three nights at Rabbit Key and two or three nights at Jewell Key, fish, watch stars, play harmonica, and be alone with my thoughts for a few days. It was a great plan.

Someone was watching over me.

While paddling I dragged a plastic shad behind the boat. Something hit it. A few minutes later I was surprised by a large Spanish mackerel, a beautiful fish. Wasn’t going to attempt to one-hand it for a photo!

Hit a young snook off a root wad, another that was banging bait. Reached Rabbit Key without further incident. The old campsite wasn’t there, a hurricane victim. I found quite a lovely alternate.

Home sweet home, Rabbit Key.

One of the best things about kayak camping is I can afford the finest of unspoiled waterfront properties, if only for a few days. Hit a small jack from my front porch.

My front yard at sunset.

I watched the sun set and darkness fall. Watching darkness fall is the best thing you can do while it happens, every single day. It’s magical. None of us do it enough. I spotted two satellites while admiring the Milky Way. Tired from a long day of travel, I then turned in.

It took me a while to get going in the morning. I headed to Rabbit Key Grasses, wondering if there was still grass (none I found). The path I intended to take was unavailable to me as it was lacking water, it being low tide. A small tidal stream drained a huge, dry flat with lots of birds on it. I thought the stream should be a fish bowl but, no bites. I saw a few black drum. Some big sharks swam in water that didn’t cover them, the sunlight glinting off their back and dorsal fins. They are so supple, so beautiful.

The fish is ON!

Once the water started rising I found myself standing and more or less poling in skinny water. Happily surprising me, a redfish cruised. I tossed the shad in front of it. A very satisfying eat happened. Wished I had the fly rod ready but was certainly happy the way things turned out.

This red nailed a plastic shad.

Saw a few other reds but no shots. Hit a few small trout on the way back.

Watched and savored darkness falling again. I was able to stay up for a while this evening. Saw three more satellites. Distant lightning dotted the horizon. Incoming clouds finally broke up the sky show.

Dawn view.

I woke up at 5 AM and started packing, not without enjoying a different sky. Orion was on the western horizon. A meteor fell out of Gemini and looked like it might hit me. The third-quarter moon was in Leo. It was so nice. Getting to see things like this is one of the main draws of making these trips. The fish are a bonus, man!

This trout hit a trolled shad just as the sun rose.

By 630, everything packed and breakfast eaten, I was off to Jewell Key, dragging the shad again. As the sun breached the horizon a trout nailed the shad. The fish was only about 18 inches long but was the best one I would get.

Said sunrise.

A short while later a serious tarpon rolled, only 30 feet away. Fortunately, he did not eat the shad.

A serious tarpon rolled, 30 feet away.

Soon after this a bluefish whacked the shad. I had another specie.

The wind came up to about 12 mph. It was not an impediment to my progress.

I stopped on a long bar.

I stopped on a long bar. The current flowed strongly, out towards the Gulf. I thought there should be some hungry fish there. There were, but only hockey-puck-sized jacks and some blue runners. Got some of each on an olive Clouser minnow. A shark threatened a couple as I played them, but it failed to commit.

Same bar, different view.

When I got to Jewell Key there was a young guy there who had paddled out for the day. I introduced myself. He said to me, “My parents were hippies. They named me Orion.” I told him I liked the name, and had admired his namesake constellation that very morning. I told him they could have chosen worse, like Zeus or Odin. Then again, I don’t have to deal with Orion.

A canoe with three young guys paddled up. Three guys with camping gear in a 17 foot canoe was quite a feat of packing, methinks. Now I had neighbors. Hardly saw them, they were awesome.

Morning glories in my yard on Jewell Key.

I set up my camp and went fishing, Gulf-side on Jewell Key. Between the wind, current, and waves I could only fish by wading. It was too rough and windy to fly cast so I flung a shad, on a light jig head, over and over again, out into the Gulf. It was a manly thing to do.

Generally it was pretty slow but there were two flurries that produced fast action for about 15 minutes each. Redfish, trout, jacks, and ladyfish fell for my deception. A mangrove snapper was fooled too. He got in the rocks and damaged my leader before I could work him out. I stupidly did not retie the leader. Yes, I absolutely should know better.

Shortly afterwards a large snook took the bait in plain view. I hardly felt the leader break, it happened so fast. Completely deserved it.

Typical mangrove forest in Everglades National Park.

Late in the afternoon the water got too deep for comfort. Back at camp there was a new neighbor, a solo paddler who may have been around my age. Quite a nice guy with an “American normal” kind of name, Paul. We chatted a bit, then I made my dinner and enjoyed it.

I spotted a fleet in the distance. After a few minutes it was clear they were headed our way. The sun was close to horizon- would they make it to land before it set?

Nine or ten tired, hungry paddlers from the University of Tennessee joined us that evening. Setting up camp, cooking, eating, and cleaning up were higher on their agenda than watching night fall. Woe is me- their flashlights disturbed my views. I managed to survive. Lightning flashed on the horizon. I even saw a satellite and a meteor before Orion rose, at which time I turned in.

Pounding rain and winds woke me later. It was like a fire hose blasting at my tent! I pulled my fly shut, fairly astonished how heavy and loud the rain was. The wind pulled out the stake that was holding down the fly. Water began joining me in the tent. Somehow my bedding stayed dry. After at least an hour the rain subsided to a gentle mist. I slept until daylight.

I got up, ate breakfast, and went fishing. A ladyfish school ran into me. That was entertaining.

Got a nice red, even more entertaining. Several trout and another red followed.

By now it was time to go back to camp and clean up the mess. The sun was even poking out a bit.

The canoeists and solo paddler were gone. The Volunteers were just launching. If no one else came I’d have the place to myself. I had already decided to go home the next morning.

Getting everything dry and tidy took a couple hours. For my afternoon fishing shift the winds were light. It would be fly casting only.

I started with a pink Clouser minnow, flinging it as far as I could into the Gulf. No sight-fishing here!

This red took 30 minutes of casting.

It took 30 minutes, but finally a bite. A solid redfish, about four pounds. Smile on John’s face!

Little feller snook!

Minutes later, a bite. Little feller snook!

If I catch a trout I’ll have some kind of slam. Trout, where are you?

Another bite. Hockey-puck jack.

This was an aggressive little fish.

 

So was this!

I switched flies, putting on the only Hootchie fly I still had. It fooled a variety of fish species- redfish, ladyfish, snapper, baby jewfish, and some solid jacks. On my last cast, as I was reeling up the line, a fish crushed the fly and ran into my backing for the first time on the trip. It was a jack of five pounds or so.

This jack went into the backing.

On the way back to camp I realized the wind had increased in intensity. I’d been fishing on the protected side of the island.

That evening solid overcast prevented stargazing, so I made a small fire, and of course watched darkness fall. My tent rattled and shook all night long. I was glad I had weighted the stakes down with chunks of wormrock. I did not sleep well, and got up when it got light.

I planned on leaving. Doing so would have been foolhardy. I don’t need NOAA to recognize a small craft advisory. Until the wind died back some I was stuck. I packed what I could and went on standby.

The back yard on Jewell Key,

Around noon I realized the tent wasn’t shaking as bad. My intended route did not look like a wedding cake any more. Paddling into the wind that was left would be hard, but it was no longer dangerous. I packed up.

I thought the tide was about dead low when I left. It wasn’t. I kept hoping the nose of the incoming would catch up to me. It didn’t. It was fight wind and tide the entire way. Even when it started raining I still loved every stroke.

Trips like this make me realize what an insignificant mote I am in the grand design. It’s one of the reasons I need to keep making them.

When I got to the ramp, its end was 10 or 15 feet from the water. Wading through knee-deep black ooze, I was able to drag my vessel to terra firma. Loading up, cleaning up, and driving got me home about 10 PM.

Spent most of Friday catching up, cleaning up, and getting my gear ready for the next trip. I wonder where it will be? It will have a tough act to follow after this one, which was deeply fulfilling, one of my best.

Thanks for making it through the Everglades Solo Paddle Fishing Report!

Life is great and I love my work!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

An Angler’s Journal- A Review

An Angler’s Journal- A Review

My friend Rodney can tell you what he caught on this date 10 years ago, where he caught it, how he caught it, what the weather was like, where the barometer and moon phase were, and more. I’ve never had the self-discipline to record all that information- until now.

An Angler’s Journal (Quiet Fox Designs, 160 pages, paperback, $12.95) provides me with a space for everything a fisherman needs to remember in one organized place, including locations, companions, weather, equipment and lures used, and size, number, and species caught. The illustrations are beautiful.

The main feature of the journal is the expedition log. Every new entry in the log has two pages. On the first you record key facts about your trip- date, time, weather, air and water temperature, where you fished, who you fished with, fish caught and how you caught them, and any other information you care to add. The second page has space where you can draw or place a picture of your fishing spot. You can annotate this picture with important information like water depth, current flow, water temperature, shoals, hot spots, etc. When you’re finished you have a comprehensive record of your fishing trip.

The journal also contains a life list, and has plenty of space for photos of your catch and your friend’s.

When the journal is full, you’ll have a wealth of data to refer to on future trips, and a scrapbook of your favorite angling memories. Keeping a log book is an essential part of successful fishing. An Angler’s Journal is a great piece of equipment– you won’t find a better log book.

-John Kumiski

Mixed Bag New Year’s Orlando Fishing Report

Mixed Bag New Year’s Orlando Fishing Report

We fished the Mosquito Lagoon one day, and the St. Johns River two days, and the Banana River Lagoon one day. Of course results were a mixed bag. And Sunday is New Year’s Day! So we have a mixed bag New Year’s Orlando fishing report!

Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2017!

Monday around noon I went launched the Bang-O-Craft on the St. Johns. Son Alex and John Napolitano were with me. It was warm and sunny and every airboat in Florida seemed to be there. Fish were popping fry minnows all over the river.

orlando fishing report

Alex casting on the Econ.

At the mouth of the Econ there was a paddling fly caster who steadily caught 12 inch bass on a small white streamer. Since there were three of us we refrained from joining him and went farther up the Econ. We found breaking fish up there but they weren’t taking our flies very well. John and I each got a crappie.

orlando fishing report

Crappie on the fry.

When we went back down the river the other angler had left. We took his spot. Fish were breaking steadily. Using a fry fly I did some damage! Bluegills, bass, and my first shad of this season all succumbed to the fry fly’s charms.

orlando fishing report

Even the shad take the fry.

When the action slowed we went down the river, where we found another spot with breaking fish. Again, the fry fly did some damage, taking some reasonably large bass. The other fly that worked extremely well was a #10 white Gurgler, a silly little fly. The fish liked it, though!

orlando fishing report

A finished fry.

Fry Fly
hook- Daiichi X510, #10
thread- Danville flat waxed nylon, white
wing- craft fur, light grey, light tan, or cream
eye- Witchcraft 3-D, 5 mm

Start the thread. Cut off a clump of craft fur and pick out most of the fluff. Tie it on to the hook, smooth the head, and whip finish.

Glue the eyes on with Zap a Dap a Goo or Duco cement. After the glue dries, coat the head with Softex.

Since the fly is small, you’ll catch some very small fish with it. Some surprisingly large fish will take it, too. The hook is on 3x thick wire, so it will hold a good fish without issues.

orlando fishing report

Drying, not frying.

You can see how to tie a gurgler here http://www.spottedtail.com/how-to-tie-a-gurgler/. Since the #10 is so small I use hackle fibers for the tail and the tying thread for the body- simple!

On Tuesday Greg Scible and Caleb Cousins joined me for some Mosquito Lagoon light tackle action. Unfortunately the action part was fairly slow- a couple trout and small reds. We started fishing the spots that had been so good to me last week- not so good this day. We tried Deadly Combo-ing for trout. We got a few fish but again, pretty slow.

orlando fishing report

Pvt. Caleb Cousins got this redfish while home on leave.

We checked out a couple spots where I had found fish last week. Caleb got a slot red on a DOA CAL Shad. We Deadly Comboed again and got a few short trout. We tried soaking cut mullet in two spots where this worked wonderfully last week. Not even a catfish this day. I cranked the motor to move, and it pooped out. It would not start again.

I had them start fishing while I thought about the problem. They started hitting trout immediately, again on the Deadly Combo. Most were short, but a few were slot fish.

In the meantime I checked the in-line fuel filter. It looked fine, but there must have been some debris in it. When I reassembled it, the boat ran fine. We kept fishing though, and got a bunch of trout.

We ended the day with six reds and about 30 trout, not bad for a slow day.

Wednesday at 8 AM I met Paul MacInnis at the Space Center Badging Station. He got me a visitor’s badge and off we went to the Banana River Lagoon. We had perfect paddling weather- no wind, no clouds. We paddled a long way before we found any fish, though.

The fish we found was a school of large black drum. They were way more interested in each other than in our flies, as we did not get bit.

We got a few small trout, though.

We found some smaller drum. I got one about seven pounds or so on a crab pattern.

I later got a small, beautiful, nine-spot redfish on the same fly. Paul got a fish here and there too.

Some kind of rooted vegetation is beginning to grow on the otherwise barren sand bottom there, and the water is quite clear in most places. Perhaps it was just an off day, but it was pretty slow fishing-wise.

Thursday afternoon I went back to the St. Johns, by myself, by kayak. A short distance from the boat ramp there were breaking fish. My first two casts, on the little gurgler, each garnered strikes from 12 inch largemouths. Before leaving that spot three strikes were missed and two more bass released.

orlando fishing report

Bass on fry. Not a bad schooling bass, ay-tall!

The spots that had been so hot on Monday were not on Thursday. Apparently the fish are following the moving bait.

No shad or crappie were caught, but bluegills and a couple more bass rounded out the catch. All fish were released to make more fish for the future.

Thursday night a cold front came through, putting the kabosh on any thoughts of fishing Friday.

So that is the Mixed Bag New Years Orlando Fishing Report! Have a great holiday!!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2016. All rights are reserved.

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Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon Redfish- A New Reality

orlando fishing report

The fly in question? A black redfish worm.

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon Redfish- A New Reality

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon Redfish- A New Reality

Mosquito Lagoon was long justly famous for its clear water and abundant fish- redfish, seatrout, black drum, and several other species. Anglers used a variety of techniques to catch these fish, but for kayaking fly fishers the main draw was the ability to sight fish the critters, even while sitting in a kayak.

The landscape began to change in 2011.

During the summer of 2011 an algae bloom appeared. It quickly spread. Soon the water in the lagoon became a sickening brown color. If you put your hand in the water, it disappeared. Unless a fish stuck a body part out of the water, you had no idea it was there.

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon redfish

You can see the shallow water is not crystal clear. Again, the fly is black.

Winter came, and the bloom cleared.

It came back during the summer of 2012, and cleared again when winter came.

It came back during the summer of 2013, and cleared again when winter came.

It came back during the summer of 2014. Winter came. The water did not clear. It has been disgustingly dirty ever since. Friends of mine have said, “I can’t wait for the water to clear.” Well, yeah, but I think they’re being optimistic. None of the conditions that led to these blooms has been changed (and it’s a complex set of circumstances), so why should the water clear?

Perhaps I’m being pessimistic, but I think brown, dirty water is the new norm here. Adapt or get skunked.

The dirty water has had a cascade effect. Light cannot penetrate the water, so a lot of the seagrass has died. Seagrasses fed the entire ecosystem, so my fear is that the productivity of the system, its ability to produce finfish, has been seriously compromised. There ain’t as many fish, because there ain’t as much fish food.

If you kayak fish with a fly rod, there are fewer fish to find, and it’s gotten much harder to find them. What to do? What to do???

You could, of course, take your game elsewhere. Undoubtedly some fishermen have. Those of us who live here are loathe to take such a drastic step. No, we adapt. This piece examines how to do so.

In a nutshell, what the entrepid paddling hackle heaver needs to do is concentrate his (or her) effort at shallow spots that have lots of light-colored bottom. If you can wade there that’s a huge plus. Places that fit this description include Tiger Shoal, Georges Bar, and many of the spoil islands. There are many other places, and some time spent studying Google Maps will pay dividends when you’re out paddling.

If the water is low (0.5′ or less on this gauge http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?02248380) that’s a really huge plus. The deeper the water is, the tougher seeing the fish will be. The converse is true, too. Low water is one of your biggest allies.

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon redfish

What you look for has not changed.

What you’re looking for hasn’t changed. Tails, wakes, busts, laid-up or finning fish, concentrations of birds or bait, all can lead to a pay-off. My preference is to find an area that has fish, then abandon ship and do my hunting on foot. Your conversion rate will be higher by doing this.

If there’s any silver lining to the dirty water situation, it’s that the fish can’t see you either. On a recent trip I got three reds. My longest cast was about 20 feet.

For reds and drum you still want flies that sink. My favorite color is basic black. It seems to be visible in the murk.

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon redfish

Black flies work well…

Your casts will have to be more aggressive. Any fly not in the immediate vicinity of the fish’s head will just not be seen, much less taken. Don’t be afraid to lay it on them!

Seatrout, frequently tough to sight fish even when the water was clean, seem much less abundant now. I have yet to figure them out. When that happens I will write another article.

While this piece is about the Mosquito Lagoon, the Indian River and Banana River Lagoons have the same problems. Indeed, the problems may be worse in those lagoons. Last winter the Banana River Lagoon had an enormous fish kill between SR 528 and the Pineda Causeway.

In the Mosquito Lagoon that hasn’t happened, and in the Mosquito Lagoon there are at least some seagrass beds that remain. All that having been said, there are still fish in both those lagoons, and they can certainly be caught on fly tackle. Again, look for shallow areas with light colored bottoms so you have a chance to see any fish that may be present.

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon redfish

…but other colors will work too.

So while we can hope that the good old days of plentiful fish and clean water aren’t gone, hoping does not put fish on the end of the line. Get paddling, look for fish in those shallow spots, and some good things will happen. That’s Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon Redfish- A New Reality.

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2016. All rights are reserved.

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Lone Ranger Orlando Fishing Report

Lone Ranger Orlando Fishing Report

Somewhat self-fishly, I fished alone every day this week. Thus the Lone Ranger Orlando Fishing report.
I fish alone, yeah, with nobody else.
You know when I fish alone, I prefer to be by myself!
My apologies to George Thorogood.

Fishing alone lets me try new techniques and places I probably wouldn’t try if someone else was with me. So this week was an opportunity for personal growth. Yeah, that’s it.

My old EZ Loader trailer has been rebuilt. It is now for sale. Details at this link- http://www.spottedtail.com/sale-rebuilt-aluminum-ez-loader-trailer/

Some fascinating reading about dinosaurs here-

orlando fishing report

I would love to tie some flies with these feathers!

Who doesn’t love reading about dinosaurs? I would like to tie some flies with dinosaur feathers. Probably won’t happen…

Monday, went out in the Mitzi on the mightly Atlantic. I wanted two things- Spanish mackerel for my aunt and a neighbor, and tarpon for me. Got the macks, at least. There was a load of them out there. Yes, the Sting Silver from Haw River Tackle is probably the best mackerel lure on the planet.

I did see one tarpon roll- talk about the Lone Ranger! My booby prize was a mongo crevalle jack that crushed a DOA Bait Buster. I got to try my new fighting belt, it worked quite nicely. It was an awesome day that I enjoyed tremendously.

orlando fishing report

This fishie crushed a deep running Bait Buster.

Tuesday morning found the kayak on the Econlockhatchee. Of course I was expecting it to be as good as the last time I was there and of course it was not. Five hours, five small bass, a missed strike or two, and again, one redbelly that managed to impale itself on the bass bug. The river looked great, running low and clear. It was an awesome day that I enjoyed tremendously.

Wednesday found the kayak on the Mosquito Lagoon. It had been wet all of five minutes when my somewhat disbelieving eyes spotted a pod of eight or ten redfish, tailing. The cast, the bite, the 16 inch trout that spooked all the other fish.

A few minutes later a pair of tails appeared, but disappeared before a cast could happen. Splash! Crash! Something chasing a shrimp. The fly (a rootbeer colored Sparkle Crab) fell there and an 18 inch trout bit. So I’ve been out ten minutes and have already released two fish. Before lunch I would release four reds, all in the slot, all sight fished.

After lunch six or seven more would get released, with a couple at the top of the slot, excellent fishing. Plus there were missed strikes and blown shots. It was going on! I got to that wonderful point where you say, “I do not want to fish anymore.” And I passed up a bunch of shots paddling back to the launch. It was an awesome day that I enjoyed tremendously.

orlando fishing report

For the fly tyers, here’s a photo of the very simple Sparkle Crab.

Thursday, doing something I don’t often do. I went to Playalinda hoping to pull a fish or two out of the surf. This involves walking the beach, as far into the water as I’m comfortable going, and casting a pair of bucktail jigs (rigged tandem) into the waves.

The surf was high enough that conditions were marginal. So was the fishing. In a little over an hour I had jumped a single bluefish.

Since I had the kayak and a fly rod, I went to a different spot in the Mosquito Lagoon than the previous day. Of course I was expecting it to be as good as the last time I was there and of course it was not. There were fewer fish and they seemed more spooky. But eight or ten decent shots came my way, and two handsome, seven pound redfish were released, still on the same Sparkle Crab. It was an awesome day that I enjoyed tremendously.

Friday I went to my favorite spot on the St. Johns River. Before launching the kayak I knew it would be tough fishing- there was no fishy activity going on. The bullfrogs were ribbeting, the birds were chirping and scolding, the coots were being goofy as always- but no fish. I never thought I would get skunked there, but that’s exactly what happened. I was out of there before noon. I had the whole place to myself, and it was still an awesome day that I enjoyed tremendously.

orlando fishing report

Hard to believe you could get skunked in a place like this, but there you go.

So fishing was a mixed bag this week, and I learned a few new things. The weather was great all week. I am so lucky to be able to do what I do.

Still have open days this month. Give me a call if you want to go fishing!

And that is the Lone Ranger Orlando fishing report from Spotted Tail.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2016. All rights are reserved.

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  • Study To Investigate If Fish Contribute To Algae Blooms In The Indian River Lagoon

Two Days Kayaking Orlando Fishing Report

Two Days Kayaking Orlando Fishing Report

We had two beautiful days this week, sandwiched between days that were good for web-surfing. I went kayak fly fishing on those two days- the two days kayaking Orlando fishing report.

Interesting Reads for No-Fishing Days
-Could the Internet Out-Evolve Humanity? A thought-provoking essay on our love affair with devices: http://www.iflscience.com/technology/not-so-science-fiction-after-all-internet-could-out-evolve-humanity

-Got Sunscreen? The Melanoma Foundation wants to keep you from getting skin cancer. They say, Practice Safe Skin! And to help, they are giving away sunscreen dispensers, putting their money where their mouths are. Learn more at http://mfne.org/practice-safe-skin/

-The FWC Confirming Spawning Redfish. Redfish spawn in east central Florida’s lagoons. And the FWC is collecting evidence! It’s an interesting read- http://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fish/red-drum/telemetry/

Fishing!
Atrocious weather on Monday kept me home. Tuesday afternoon was cold and windy, Since I had to get out I mounted the bicycle and went for a lovely ride in the woods, flushing a flock of about a dozen turkeys. I’d never seen them all fly off before, pretty amazing stuff.

Wednesday found me launching the kayak in the Indian River Lagoon. The birds (and the day itself) were fantastic, coots and eagles and ibis and herons and egrets and more. The fish, well, not so much, but I did get a trout and a redfish using a black bucktail bendback.

Orlando Fishing report

The trout on the black bucktail bendback.

Still, days like that are worth being out fishing on even if the fish don’t bite so well. The fish were gorgeous, too.

orlando fishing report

File photo of a redfish like the one I caught. Who knows? Maybe it’s the same fish.

Thursday morning I launched at River Breeze. The water is still too high for really successful kayak fishing, but the water is clean up there for the most part!

Orlando Fishing report

Remember this? It’s seagrass, and there is still some growing near Oak Hill.

Although cloudier than the previous day it was pretty spectacular again. Between 9 AM and about 230 PM I ran over a dozen or so fish, had a couple half-baked shots, and got one rat red. Between 230 and 4, when I packed it in, I had shots at a couple tailers, got three nice reds and a half dozen trout to four pounds.

Orlando Fishing report

This was the last and nicest fish of the day.

Those cold days are always better in the afternoon. If I didn’t have to cook supper I would have stayed until dark.

Orlando Fishing report

This sweetheart took a surface fly, a white Gurgler. The gill tear was a pre-existing condition. The fish swam off apparently none the worse for our encounter.

I had been working on an article about Bouncer flies for Fly Tyer magazine. The nasty weather Friday let me finish it and get it sent off.

And that is the Two Days Kayaking Orlando Fishing Report.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2016. All rights are reserved.

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Two Bites Orlando Fishing Report

Two Bites Orlando Fishing Report

Kayak fishing two days this week I managed two bites, thus the Two Bites Orlando FIshing Report.

Those readers who do not subscribe and have wondered where I’ve been, my last two reports came from Louisiana and can be accessed here: –http://www.spottedtail.com/blog/venice-la-fishing-report-and-photo-essay/

http://www.spottedtail.com/blog/the-rest-of-the-kayaking-louisiana-fishing-report-a-photo-essay/

Lots of photos, not much text.

Upcoming Events

-Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival- the largest birding and wildlife festival in the United States! January 20-25 at Eastern Florida State College – Titusville campus, 1311 North US 1, Titusville. http://www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org

Fishing!

Mike Conneen and I got back from Louisiana Sunday night. Unpacking etc. took place Monday. Photo work and thank yous took place Tuesday. Errands happened Wednesday. There were more errandy things to do Thursday, but it was so nice out I tossed a kayak on the roof of the van and went to the Indian River Lagoon.

Fishing was not hot. I saw a handful of fish. Incredibly, one was tailing and rooting around. Using advanced hoping-for-the-best skills, I tossed a black bendback out where I guessed the fish would be. It was quite a surprise when the line came tight!

A bigger surprise was the size of the fish. It was pushing 20 pounds, a real nice fish. Welcome home!

orlando fishing report

A nice result for one cast.

After a couple photos the fish swam off.

I made one cast, and got one fish. A good afternoon’s work!

After more errands on Friday I decided to try fishing out of River Breeze on Saturday. The water is still a foot higher than I like it, and it’s still real dirty. Expectations were low.

A total of seven redfish were seen, most close enough to be touched by the paddle. I got one shot and hooked and caught the fish. The fly was a Bouncer Fly, shown to me last summer in Alaska by the developer, Steve Duckett. This red was much more modest size-wise than Thursday’s fish but almost as satisfying emotionally. Again, a couple photos and off it went.

orlando fishing report

Battling the beast.

I made one cast, and got one fish. A good afternoon’s work!

orlando fishing report

The Bouncer Fly, a great idea I did not think of.

And that is the Two Bites Orlando Fishing Report.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2015. All rights are reserved.

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  • Fish Pop in Ocean Drop 50% from 1970

Florida Saltwater Flies- Packing for a Trip to Florida

Florida Saltwater Flies- Packing for a Trip to Florida

Here in central Florida we find many species of fish- redfish, snook, seatrout, tarpon, snapper, moonfish, jacks, it’s a long list. Since you’re traveling, you don’t have room to bring a ton of tackle. I hope the list below reflects an exercise in minimalism for Florida saltwater flies.

The fish you’ll be encountering eat three things for the most part- smaller fish, shrimp, and crabs. The flies carried should reflect this. Additionally, some attractor-style flies like spoonflies and poppers should be carried, too.

Try to fit all the terminal tackle into a single Simms Dry Creek Waist Pack . In the pocket of the pack put the following items:

– a couple of finger guards

– a Dr. Slick hook file

– a stick of sunscreen for the lips.

Inside the pack put the following:

-fluorocarbon leader wheels in 12, 15, 20, and 30 pound test

– a package of Knot 2 Kinky leader wire . You never know when this might be needed

– a dehooker

– a Gerber Multitool  or equivalent

– a small bag with a half dozen small white shrimp flies for nighttime dock fishing. If you get a chance you will be ready.

– a one quart ziplock back containing a couple dozen synthetic minnow fly patterns, similar to Puglisi style flies, in sizes from #4 to #2/0, many with weedguards, some tied as bendbacks.

An example of a minnow fly. Lefty’s Deceiver will work, too.

 

A flock of faux fishies.

– a small Plano box jammed with flies, including-

*3 Dupre spoonflies

Jim Dupre's Spoonfly.

* a half dozen Merkin-style (or other) crabs, size #4, with weedguards

A gaggle of Merkins.

*several Clouser Minnows in various colors and sizes (#4-1), with weedguards

Clouser minnows of many color combos work well.

*several black bunny leeches, #2, with weedguards

The bunny leech or bunny booger, a deadly fly.

* several Borski-style Sliders, size #4 and 2, in various colors and weights, with weedguards;

My version of a slider.

* a few Trout Bites or other style bendback, size #4 and 2

The Trout Bite on top, and a synthetic minnow below.

* a few Rattle Rousers, size #4, great for dirty water

Rattle Rousers, weighted and not.

* a selection of poppers and gurglers. Baby tarpon love small gurglers!

My version of Gartside's Gurgler.

If you have space, a few fry minnow patterns will be great for freshwater fishing and baby tarpon.

A craft fur fry minnow.

With this kit, you could fish saltwater anywhere north of Key Largo and would be prepared for most of what you would encounter.

So we have discussed Florida Saltwater Flies- Packing for a Trip to Florida. In your Florida fishing fantasy, what different stuff would you bring?

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

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