Saltwater Orlando Fishing Report from Spotted Tail

Saltwater Orlando Fishing Report from Spotted Tail

mosquito lagoon fishing report

Can’t get enough of this sticker…

Things seem to be looking up in the fishing world. We didn’t catch a lot of fish this week, but finding them became a lot easier.

On Monday Rob Boman and David Cline joined me for a day’s fishing on Mosquito Lagoon. We saw two schools of redfish right away. They were spooky enough that we could not get a cast to either. We continued on our way.

Spot number two yielded nothing. We did not see a fish there.

At the third spot we kept blowing out fish. Dave got a redfish on a RipTide Weedless Shrimp. Went through again. No bites. Staked out the boat and tossed a couple mullet chunks out. Rob got a 16 inch trout, released it.

Tried another spot. There were a lot of fish there, both trout and reds. They did not want to eat our offerings, and we did not get a bite. Yes, we were changing lures. No, it did not seem to matter. On the way out I spotted a school of reds lying at the edge of the flat. We had several good casts to them and Dave had one nail the weedless shrimp. It was a n-n-n-nice fish, 28 inches of glorious copper-colored Scianops. We released it.

Have you ever heard that saying, “Don’t leave fish to find fish”? These fish weren’t biting so I went to another spot where I had seen fish last week. There were hardly any there. Given time to think about it, and getting close to the end of the day, I went back to the previous spot. They still weren’t biting very well, but Rob got a 20 inch red on a four inch DOA CAL jerkbait. So, it had been a slow, tough day, but we saw quite a few fish. I thought things were finally looking better as I loaded the boat.

Dave was kind enough to send me this email- “Thank you for the great day fishing.  You put us on all kinds of fish and that is all a person can ever ask for.  I like that you bypass all the latest doo dads and fishing gadgets/gimmicks and concentrate on hardcore fishing.   I think we did pretty well considering the lockjaw that seemed to be so prevalent.  Robbie and I learned a lot too.”

Thank you Dave, for the kind words.

 

Tuesday Patrick Phillips joined me for some fly fishing, also on Mosquito Lagoon. We brought waders with us. I parked the boat and we got out and waded for a while. I can’t say fishing was hot but we got three trout and a red between us, on a gurgler and a streamer.

The wading was not fun because the bottom was gooshy. We got back in the boat and fished from it the rest of the day. Patrick had a lot of shots from both trout and reds. They sneered at everything we tried. The last fly he tried was a crab pattern. The final cast of the day was into a school of reds. They blew out.

So once again, the fish were there, but getting a bite was a tough proposition. But we were in fish the entire time.

black drum

A gratuitous black drum photo.

Wednesday I went kayaking on the Banana River Lagoon, all by my lonesome. I do some of my best work when I’m alone. Not this day. I found several schools of huge black drum. I only tried two flies, the wool crab and the black bunny leech. I easily had 100 great shots, but got only one bite, on a brown and olive green wool crab.

I hooked the fish solidly. I could not break it out of the school. My line went slack and I pulled the now fly-less leader in. It was broken cleanly, not at a knot, a mystery break. I speculate another fish swam into it, but really don’t know what happened.

All I know is I only saw a few trout, a couple dink reds, and excepting two puffers did not get another bite. The day was magnificent, the water clean. The fish caused some frustration, but it was an awesome paddle.

Should have gone fishing Thursday, didn’t.

Friday and Saturday I had no work and the weather wasn’t nice, didn’t fish.

The St. Johns River is still very high. Saturday’s rain won’t help it drop. Reports of scattered shad catches are coming in, but I’ve heard this year we have a shad walk, not a shad run.

And that is this week’s Saltwater 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 2015. All rights are reserved.

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The House at the End of the Earth

The House at the End of the Earth

This story was just published in Chance Encounters- Travel Tales From Around the World.

Chance Encounters

My tent squats low on a gravel bar. Its green nylon contrasts sharply with the surrounding vegetation. The tent fly flaps gently while I tie a new fly on.

I consider how hard it’s been to reach this spot. It had taken days, including rides on two airplanes, two busses, and a boat, two overnight stays, and several hours of hiking, carrying a damnably heavy pack up through this exquisite valley. As the rod begins to load with the motions of the day’s first casts, it looks like it has been well worth all the trouble.

The sun shines, struggling to melt the ice and snow clinging to the peaks above. The valley is stunning. That sky! This stream! Those mountains! It’s easy enough to imagine that no one has ever been up on those peaks. There are no footprints through that snow, summer though it is.

The river is cold, pure, deep. It sings a lovely song. When the light is right and a current window opens, I can see trout holding behind the boulders.

The only footprints I saw on the trail were made by horses, sheep, and cattle. The last house I passed, a lovely little cottage surrounded by fuscia and foxgloves, is miles behind me. I have seen no one. I again cast my Wooly Worm into the unfished stream, in this apparently uninhabited valley. I think to myself that in all likelihood these fish have never seen a fly before.

I enjoy the repetitious rhythm of cast-drift-mend, cast-drift-mend, interrupted occasionally by a strike. The browns are slightly more sluggish than the rainbows, but both fish are wild creatures, fat, strong, and stunningly beautiful. They gaze at me piercingly as I hold and unhook them. They seem relieved when they are placed back into the water. So far they’ve all been pretty average, size-wise, but I am looking forward optimistically to hooking a five pounder.

Heck, why stop at five? A ten pounder, even better! Unpressured, unsophisticated fish, in a river like this, pouring into the nearby sea, there must be scads of ten pound trout here! I want one!

Suddenly, a shout comes from right behind me. “Hola! Como esta?” Badly startled, I whip around to see what this invasion of my private Nirvana might mean. It’s a rider, a young man, sitting on a large and very fast looking horse, not six feet away. I had not heard them approach over the song of the river.

De donde es Usted?” he asks. “Soy Americano. Estoy aqui para pescar.” “Where are you from?” he wants to know. “I’m an American. I came here to fish,” I answer. And I think to myself, “And you just scared the hell out of me. Could you go away now and let me fish, please?”

I want my solitude to come back. But the rider is not done with me, oh no.

He wants to converse with me. But my Spanish isn’t good, and I want to fish. There is a ten pound trout here somewhere, and I want to find it. My time is short. So with all due respect, Mr. Horseman, could you go away, right now, please?

No. He wants to converse. Although I don’t understand much of what he says, one thing I do understand is that a good sized chunk of this valley is the property of he and his brother, and I am trespassing on it. So I stand there quietly, uncertain what to say or do next.

Mi nombre es Hernan Fernandez. Mi hermano esta en Puerto Montt. Megusta Usted dormir en mi casa esta noche.” Said with a smile.

I stand there silent for a moment, dumbfounded. Then some semblance of manners creeps into my consciousness, and I walk over and shake his hand. I hear myself saying, “Mucho gusto, Hernan, e muchas gracias.”

This is my reward for trespassing! I’ve just been invited to spend the night in the home of Hernan Fernandez!

It causes a dilemma, though. I don’t want to spend the night in his home. I don’t want to be an ambassador. I want to fish. I want to spend another night in my tent, in my sleeping bag. I want to fish again tomorrow morning, before I have to leave. My mind races as I try to think of a diplomatic way to turn down his generous offer. Of course, none comes. Like it or not, I am spending the night at Chez Hernan.

He left then. I thought for a moment maybe I’d just stay where I was. But he soon came back with his fishing tackle- a small silver spinner tied to a length of monofilament, wrapped around a tin can. We fish together for a while, me with my fly rod, he with his can, from two different worlds, not saying much, catching and killing a few trout. They aren’t quite as unfished as I had thought.

Hernan cleans the fish at the river’s edge. He gives me directions to his house, then leaves. After a few moments I reluctantly pack my sleeping bag, strike the tent, and break down my tackle. I hoist my backpack, and go looking for this house at the end of the earth.

 

Hernan is lighting two kerosene lamps when I arrive. He gives me a tour of his home. It doesn’t take long. There are only two rooms, very Spartan. One room has a beautiful wood stove, a handmade table, and two handmade wooden chairs. The obligatory calendars featuring naked women hang, two for each wall. The other room has two beds. From the rafters hang every kind of tack imaginable- saddles, bridles, collars, reins, hobbles, buckets, ropes, and a whole lot of other farming-looking stuff with which I am totally unfamiliar.

The house is small, and clean enough, and warm, and nicely lit. It looks altogether like quite a nice place to live, as long as you don’t need a TV and a dishwasher and all that sort of thing. I still want to be in my tent, but the feeling is starting to soften a bit.

It is getting dark. We are both hungry. We sit down at the table. Hernan takes out some bread and butter and cheese. I supply peanut butter and honey and dried fruit. As we eat a simple dinner he tells me he and his brother are farmers. He is 17 years old. His brother is 21. They have 16 cows, and horses, goats, sheep, various fowl, a garden, pasture, woods, and of course the river.

He wants to know about me. I tell him I am an American. I live in Brazil, and I am a schoolteacher there. I have come to this valley on my summer vacation to fly fish for trout. I intend to hike back to Bariloche.

I have enough trouble conversing in English. This language barrier is altogether too big. It is very hard work holding up my end of the conversation.

 

As we talk and eat, dusk comes on. Inside the house it begins to rain ants.

 

At first there are only a few. But as it gets darker the ants become more numerous, big ones, flying around and crawling on everything. They become impossible to ignore.

Hernan says, “Estes formigos san muy perigosos.” Certain I have misunderstood him, I ask him to repeat himself. “Mas despacio, por favor.” “More slowly, please.” He repeats himself, word for word, very slowly and very clearly. There is no mistaking his meaning. “These ants are very dangerous.”

I want to know why. He says, in Spanish, “They crawl into your ear.”

I know a little entomology. I teach biology. I have never before heard of ants taking refuge in a human ear. As a gringo ambassador to this man’s home I can’t tell him, “You’re full of shit!” So I ask him diplomatically if he knows anyone this has happened to.

Si, un chico, abajo el valle.” “Yes, a little boy down the valley.” “What happened to him?” I want to know. “The ant had to be removed surgically,” he says.

 

I am trapped by good manners and circumstance in a small house full of large flying ants that want to eat their way into my brain. It’s a hell of a long way to a doctor. I have a perfectly good tent that will keep the ants off of me, out of my ears. The accursed, aforementioned good manners prevent me from using it. I grit my teeth, and resolve to make the best of the situation.

Hernan and I finish dinner with somewhat diminishing conversation. All my brain power is being used to wonder how I’m going to keep the ants out of my ears. There’s not enough brain left to translate too.

After dark, without electricity, Hernan and his brother always go to bed early. They’re farmers, and their long days start at dawn. I soon find myself preparing to lie down in the brother’s bed.

The bed, to my surprise and relief, is absolutely heavenly. The sheets are clean, even though they’re made out of flour sacks. The mattress, the comforter, and the pillow, are all stuffed with goose down. It’s like lying on a cloud, as delicious as a bed could be. But this cloud lacks a silver lining. This cloud is lined with ants.

All night long, every time I start to doze off, ants crawl on me. I awake with a start, and begin slapping. I can’t sleep, afraid one will crawl into my ear. Then I don’t feel one for a while, and exhausted from travel, hiking, and fishing, I doze off again. Another ant wakes me, and the process repeats. Just to make things even more interesting, my throat is sore because I’m getting sick.

It’s a slightly torturous infinite loop. Dawn is a long, long time coming.

Dawn does finally show. Except for the dead ones, of which there are plenty, the ants are gone. We eat some breakfast, bread and peanut butter and unpasteurized milk. I pack my belongings. I take some photos of Hernan. I thank him profusely for his hospitality. I shoulder my too-heavy backpack. We say good bye.

I feel fortunate, surviving the ants. Thinking of the ten pound trout I’m not going to find here, I begin the long walk back to Bariloche.

-John Kumiski

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

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Skipped a Week Orlando Fishing Report

Skipped a Week Orlando Fishing Report

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers. Thank you all for your support this year!

Last week’s skip was not intentional. I fished Thursday and Friday, had a yard sale Saturday, and fished Sunday. The report just didn’t happen.

Thursday’s fishing was a solo scouting trip to Mosquito Lagoon. Starting late, the Mitzi didn’t hit the water until after 11. I checked six spots and found fish in four of them, catching two slot reds and a flounder, all on a DOA Shrimp.

Friday I went with Tom Van Horn. We checked some different spots and didn’t find much until we went to one of my fishy spots from the previous day. Tom got a couple reds and a beautiful 25 inch trout, again all on a DOA Shrimp.

The yard sale was a success. I sold $100 worth of stuff I didn’t use any more, met some of the neighbors, and tied a couple dozen flies.

Sunday Michael Edwards and his friend Mitch joined me for a day’s fly fishing on Mosquito Lagoon. It was cold on that first boat ride but generally the weather was spectacular. Those fish I found Thursday? Mostly MIA. Michael got a low-end slot red in the first spot we tried. Mitch had a bite late in the afternoon that he unfortunately popped off on the strike. In between we either saw very spooky big trout (LOTS of them) that would not bite, or hardly anything at all. I for one was very disappointed.

Orlando Fishing Report

Here’s my water chariot, complete with surrounding litter.

Tuesday the weather looked awesome, as did the water level and the water temperature. Although it’s still got a ways to go, the water level is finally starting to get to get near normal winter levels!

The water levels at the Hauler Canal this week.

The water levels at the Haulover Canal this week.

I took a solo kayak trip to the Banana River Lagoon. It took me quite a while to find some fish. Once I did it was pretty hot with the nice trout and the slot reds for a couple of hours, mostly on a black redfish worm.

Orlando fishing report

One of several nice trout that took the redfish worm.

 

Orlando Fishing Report

Forgot to mention I got this little feller. There were lots of them around.

Thursday I made another trip, intending to look for big fish. Again there was a lengthy search mission, but I found a school of black drum and released five between fifteen and thirty pounds. They were eating pretty good. All of the took a black bunny leech. On the way back to the car I got four slot reds, too. Awesome day. The sunset was arguably the most spectacular of the year, but hard to photograph while driving at 70 MPH.

Orlando Fishing Report

It’s hard to photograph these when you’re by yourself.

That, my friends, is the Skipped a Week 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 2014. All rights are reserved.

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  • All I Want for FISHMAS: Day 2-3

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

– – – – –

Kumiski is having a two-yard sale on December 13. See the partial list of items here…

– – – – –

Mike Conneen started the entire affair with an email. It had been way too long since I had participated in a real adventure.

This is where the adventure started.

This is where the adventure started.

Monday morning found us launching kayaks at Coot Bay Pond. Our destination was Cape Sable. Our goals were similar but different. Mike wanted a 30 inch snook, and to catch a fish with a fly rod (something he had never done). I wanted a seatrout, a redfish, a snook, a tarpon, and a crevalle jack, all on fly.

Mike carried two spinning rods and one fly rod. I had a six-weight only.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

I brought some luck, too!

We’d been out maybe an hour when I spotted a snook layed up in ten inches of water. The gurgler landed about a foot in front of it. I popped it once and the fish was on! Releasing that fish was very satisfying, and an auspicious beginning to our trip.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

This snook really took the gurgler.

I blew out every other fish I saw in that bay.

In the meantime Mike had jumped three baby tarpon, using a DOA Tiny TerrorEyz.

The bay ended and we paddled through an overgrown tidal creek into another bay. A hard wind was blowing from the east. Fortunately we were heading west. The wind and waves precluded any fishing here, though.

We passed through another creek into a small pond. The water was murky and I blew up every fish I saw. I couldn’t see them until I was on top of them. Mike cast blindly, without success.

Mike hit a snoozing crocodile with his kayak. Ten feet of panicked reptile threw water and mud in every direction. Was that mud on the seat of Mike’s pants?

Soon enough we were more concerned with navigation than fishing. The sun was low in the sky and we did not want to spend the night in the kayaks. With the help of his telephone Mike found us a small patch of dry land just as dark was settling in. My dinner was a granola bar and an orange.

In the morning a five foot shark found my kayak to be an object of his curiosity. At least I could see him coming.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

One shark, coming right up.

We came to a place where there were at least a dozen large crocs all laying around. Our appearance sent several scurrying into the water. Some just remained where they were, unconcerned. We took some photos.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

These guys were not concerned by our presence. If I were them I wouldn’t be, either.

crocs too

The current was flowing hard the wrong way at the next creek we came to. We ate lunch, then Mike took a cast with the Tiny TerrorEyz. BAM! Nice snook. He got five on six casts. I got a jack and a small snook, but no way could I keep up with Mr. On Fire. He got at least a dozen fish, maybe more. Then the current slacked off, and we paddled down the creek.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

He got some bigger ones. They were beautiful, healthy fish.

We camped that night and the next on Cape Sable.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

It was low tide at sunrise.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

The ibis enjoy the low water.

In the morning we paddled back to the snook spot. I got a small redfish on a pink Clouser Minnow, as well as a couple snook. Mike did even better than the previous day. He had his 30 inch snook right by the kayak, where it broke off. But he pulled the fly rod out, hooking two snook with it. The first broke off. The second he boated and released. How many people can say their first fish on fly was a snook?

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

This ugly pink fishair fly got me quite a few fish.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

The first fish Mike caught with a fly rod was this snook.

That night we were sitting at a small campfire made of very dead mangrove branches. I mentioned that old mangrove wood frequently contained scorpions. Later that night while trying to sleep, Mike felt something crawling on his back. When he went to grab it, it stung him twice, once on the back and once on his hand. It was a scorpion, which had apparently climbed into his clothes while he tended the fire. After killing it he packed up his gear, not wanting to risk a second encounter with another beastie. I heard him making noise and got up to see what he was doing. Once informed, I packed up too.

We launched the kayaks just after midnight, paddling under a nearly full moon the 11 miles back to Flamingo. It was beautiful out there, a great tactic for beating the east wind that just didn’t quit while the sun shone. After the moon set we had an hour of spectacular star gazing, complete with meteors and satellites. I do not know the words to describe just how fantastic that hour was.

Fortunately Mike did not swell up like a balloon or suffer any other lasting effects from his scorpion encounter.

As it got light we fished in the dredge hole behind the Flamingo Campground, catching several jacks and ladyfish. Some big tarpon rolled but did not bite our offerings.

We spent Thursday in Flamingo unpacking, cleaning, and repacking, preparing for Phase Two.

Friday morning we launched the kayaks at West Lake, heading to Shark Point. We travelled through a series of lakes, ponds, and tidal creeks. Fishing was slow, although Mike jumped a baby tarpon on the Tiny TerrorEyz.

Once we reached Garfield Bight, Mike proceeded to just crush the snook. I had three great shots at redfish. All three spooked off the fly.

We camped on the Shark Point chickee. Don’t go there if you have a guano allergy.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

The chickee was covered in bird droppings.

Saturday offered the best weather of the week, a light east wind instead of the 20 knots we had experienced the rest of the week. We gently floated across Snake Bight, getting shots at spooky snook and redfish the whole way. I got one snook. Mike hooked three reds on a shad tail, catching one. At the Snake Bight channel I hooked, and lost, another snook. We were back in Flamingo at 3 PM, and back in Palm Bay at 9. I pulled in to my yard about 10. I still need to empty the chariot and clean up my gear.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

Saturday’s weather was spectacular.

Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report

This was the last fish I got.

Our goals were not completely met. Mike did not get the 30 inch snook, and I did not get a seatrout or a tarpon. I suppose a return trip is in order.

That, my friends, is Flamingo Everglades Kayak Fishing Report. It was a fantastic week of fellowship and adventure.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
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 2014. All rights are reserved.

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When Are Tailing Redfish Best?

When Are Tailing Redfish Best?

tailing redfish mosquito lagoon, orlando area fishing report

This email came from a reader of my blog:

Hi John-

I’ve been a subscriber to your newsletter for about a year and it is great. Thank you for the effort.

I purchased a winter home at Lighthouse Cove two years ago and last year bought a flats boat. I am a lifelong fly fisherman from up north who has fallen in love with tailing redfish. Last winter I found a respectable number of tailers in the evenings and even managed to catch a few. We came back down two weeks ago and I have been out six times early in the mornings and have yet to see a tailer. My question is this- are evenings a better time to search for tailers?

I have caught several reds already by blind casting but I really want to cast to tailers. As you can probably tell, I am an addicted dry fly fisherman up north. Thanks again.

Mike

My answer-

First off, thank you for your question about tailing redfish and the kind words.

Concerning your question- Yes. No. Sometimes. All of the above.

It’s not winter yet. The water is still quite high (see the gauge here…). The fish may be in the same places you were finding them last winter doing the same thing, but you can’t see them because the water is too deep. Or they may not be in those places at all. Things change all the time. The fish’s location often varies by season.

In the winter (for our purposes after Thanksgiving) the days are short and the nights are long. The water temperatures are often below the 70 degrees favored by redfish. When is it warmest? Late in the afternoon. Where is it warmest? In shallow water, where tailing activity is obvious. So in the winter, evenings are often the best time to find tailers.

You didn’t ask about this, but the situation is reversed in the summer. The crack of dawn is usually best for tailers when it’s hot. The water temperature is in the 80s or even 90s and the coolest water is in the shallows before the sun comes up.

Please keep in mind the fish don’t read the books and they do what they want, not what I or you or anyone else thinks they should be doing. You will find exceptions to my generalizations. So the best time to go fishing is whenever you can, and the best time to catch fish is when they’re biting.

I hope this helps with your understanding of tailing redfish. Good luck, and let me know when the tailing activity improves, please!

 

JK

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The Mid-October Saltwater Orlando Fishing Report

The Mid-October Saltwater Orlando Fishing Report

First, upcoming events-

-October 25, Mosquito Lagoon Show and Tell Fishing Seminar. Learn more at http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

-October 26 Mosquito Lagoon On-the-Water Show and Tell Fishing Seminar, learn more at http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-on-the-water-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

The mullet are not in anywhere near as great numbers as I thought last week. Sadly.

The season’s first cold front came in over the weekend.

On Monday Rodney Smith and I went fishing out of Port Canaveral. I had a jacket on, since it was about 60 degrees when I launched the boat. The wind was about 10, NE. Our first order of business was to run north along the beach, looking for the schools of mullet I knew would be there. They weren’t. Off the cape we looked for the menhaden schools that had been there. They were gone.

Rodney started off fly fishing, using a small Clouser Minnow. He took a fish on each of his first seven casts. When that slowed we tossed jigs up into the surf line, steadily catching ladyfish, bluefish, small jacks, and a few Spanish mackerel.

After a while the smaller sized fish ceased being entertaining, so we went looking for bigger fare. Off Cocoa Beach there were some menhaden schools. They were thick, and I wanted to net some. It was too deep. My net doesn’t sink fast, and in deep water the pogies just swim out from under it when they see it coming.

We each put a finger mullet on and tossed them by the menhaden. It didn’t take long for my line to come tight. A Monster tarpon tailwalked past the boat, shaking its head, rattling its gills. The 80 pound leader, apparently damaged by a bluefish, broke.

We hooked several 50-100 pound class sharks, but had no more tarpon bites.

We checked for mullet along the beach again before we went in, but they were still not along the beach. Waaagh!

My first ebook, How to Catch Fish with the 3 Inch DOA Shrimp, is now available. Check it out at this link!  Please support your local author!

DOAShrimpCover copy

Wednesday I went to Playalinda and got my Golden Age pass , the best thing about aging. It gives you free access to all national parks and monuments for the rest of your life. I hope I live long enough to get my money’s worth from it!

I stopped at the beach and talked to some gentlemen who were fishing there. One, a fly caster from the Seattle area, had gone through lots of flies and had a blast with jacks, ladyfish, and Spanish mackerel, right from the beach.

I launched the boat at the south end of Mosquito Lagoon and explored it pretty thoroughly. In spite of the glowing reports I had been getting I saw very little and did not get a bite.

After pulling the boat I drove to Port St. John and launched in the Indian River Lagoon to check it out down there. The result was identical. In both places the water was high and dirty. If you prefer to sight fish you’re pretty much out of luck. Most years at this time the power plant is killing it but I did not see a fish or get a bite there, either.

Friday I met angler Steve Gibson and we launched the boat at Kennedy Point, intending to fish the Indian River Lagoon. We worked it hard for six hours, and Steve did get some kind of slam, getting a redfish and a snook on a Zara Spook and a seatrout on a streamer fly. We won’t go into their size, but we did not take any pictures. Suffice to say all three together would not have made much of a meal.

So although I didn’t exactly kill it this week, that is the Mid-October Saltwater Orlando Fishing Report.

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 2014. All rights are reserved.

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The Ode to Little Tunny Port Canaveral Fishing Report

The Ode to Little Tunny Port Canaveral Fishing Report

That’s right, you heard right. The secret word for tonight is mudshark little tunny! This is the Ode to Little Tunny Port Canaveral Fishing Report!

First though, the bumper sticker of the week

DSCN0817

Next, upcoming events-

-October 11th-18th Third Annual SPACE COAST SURF FISHING TOURNAMENT. Learn more by going to this link… 

-October 25, Mosquito Lagoon Show and Tell Fishing Seminar. Learn more or register at this link…

-October 26 Mosquito Lagoon On-the-Water Show and Tell Fishing Seminar. Learn more or register at this link… 

I got out on the Atlantic out of Port Canaveral three times this week and two of those days the tunny were going off like I’ve never seen anywhere- not off Jupiter, not off Cape Lookout, just insane numbers of tunny going off on little anchovy-looking fishies. The birds loved it.

port canaveral fishing report

Tunny going of outside of Port Canaveral.

 

port canaveral fishing report

There were LOTS of them!

 

port canaveral fishing report

This is such exciting fishing!

OK, so what are tunny?

Properly called Euthynnus alletteratus, tunny are the most common tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. Occurring in large schools and weighing up to 36 pounds (the current IGFA all-tackle record), it is the smallest member of the tuna family, and is one of the finest small game-fish in the Atlantic.

It’s commonly called a false albacore or, here in Florida, bonito. It is sought-after as a sport fish due to its line-stripping 20+ mph runs and hard fighting ability when hooked.

They are absolutely fantastic on a light fly rod and tons of fun with a light spin rod. There were lots of them off Brevard County beaches this week.

On Tuesday son Alex and I put in a half day, launching at the wonderful new boat ramp at Port Canaveral. The wind was light out of the west. The tunny were going CRAZY, diving birds everywhere over large schools of breaking fish. We got a bunch on craft fur minnows and DOA CAL jigs, doubling up several times. Even got a selfie of us fighting fish.

port canaveral fishing report

Alex and I doubled up, he on fly, me on spin.

We finally tore ourselves away to look for other targets. We found a large school of Spanish mackerel doing their best little tunny imitation and got several of those. They weren’t too exciting after the tunny.

Then we found some tarpon rolling. We doubled up, using live menhaden. When Alex’s fish made its first jump, at least 15 sharks came flying out of the water, all through the school of menhaden, one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen while on the water.

We could not get a bait through the sharks to the tarpon after that.

We hit a couple more tunny on the way back, and had the boat on the trailer at 1 PM.

On Wednesday my good friend Tom Van Horn joined me on the Spotted Tail, again launching at the Port. Tom had never caught a tunny on fly and wanted to get one. The fish were just as crazy as the previous day. The wind was still west but blowing with more gusto, waves slopping over the gunwales as we chased fish around. We hooked a bunch of tunny. Although we lost a bunch of flies (craft fur minnows, some tied like Clousers), the mission was accomplished.

port canaveral fishing report

Tom hooked up to a tunny. His fly rod had never had such a workout.

 

port canaveral fishing report

I made him boat his own fish so I could get this photo.

 

port canaveral fishing report

The first of several fish Tom got.

We went to where the tarpon had been the previous day. They were still there. I hooked and broke off two, then the sharks ate everything we threw out there.

We both had errands to run in the afternoon, so again were off the water at 1 PM.

Thursday morning I had my annual physical, and was not intending to fish. When I got home though, Mr. Damien Kostick had called and wanted an afternoon half-day charter. Hey, the fish are off the Port, why not?

At 11:30 we launched the Mitzi. The wind was out of the east. It was light at first but it kept increasing in velocity. It got real sloppy out there.

The tunny had apparently vacated the premises. Crap.

We went to where all the tarpon and sharks had been the past couple days. Gone. Double crap.

We ran south all the way to Satellite Beach. We saw a single tarpon free-jump. We spotted a free-swimming tripletail. Damien got one cast at it. Then it spooked and dove. Other than that and the menhaden there were no signs of fish of any kind.

Heading north again, we spotted birds working to the east. We headed out to sea. The tunny were working out there, although nothing like the previous two days.

There were enough that by being patient and working it hard we got a half dozen or so. By now it was rough enough that the waves were washing over the deck pretty freely.

port canaveral fishing report

Damien with one of his tunny.

We went back towards the beach, still hoping to see some tarpon roll. We looked well up into Canaveral Bight and saw nothing at all. The boat was on the trailer at about 530 PM.

And that is this week’s Ode to Little Tunny Port Canaveral Fishing Report.

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 2014. All rights are reserved.

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Ponce Inlet and Port Canaveral Fishing Report

Ponce Inlet and Port Canaveral Fishing Report

You know, if you’re gone from your home for three months, when you get home you might have some work to do. Yard work, painting, a new garage door opener, and more, all lots of fun. I’m not complaining. Really. ‘Cause now my garage door works and my wife is happy with her newly redone kitchen. Happy wife…

In spite of all the fun around the house, I managed to get out a few days this week. On Tuesday Scott Radloff and I launched the Mitzi near the north causeway in New Smyrna Beach. When we got to Ponce Inlet there were lots of ladyfish busting over the shoals (it was high tide) inside the inlet. We caught four and kept them for future reference. This time of year a ladyfish or two can come in real handy sometimes.

There were giant balls of glass minnows in the inlet. Nothing was molesting them that we could see.

There were birds diving all over the place outside the inlet, along with a couple of shrimp boats. There were very few fish under the birds, which I thought odd. We checked the shrimp boats. One was not under way. The other was being followed by troops of dolphins and phalanxes of sharks. We wanted to find tarpon, so we left the vicinity of the inlet and ran south down the beach to the beginning of the national seashore. We saw nothing.

We went out to sea and ran back north, to the vicinity of the inlet. Along the way we saw nothing. A couple miles out of the inlet there were diving birds, and breaking tunny under them. It was run-and-gun fishing, and many of the runs were fruitless. However, enough worked that we had a couple tunny doubles, and boated eight or so. I was using a six-weight, quite sporting. Even broke one off. Scott was using a DOA CAL jig, I a craft fur minnow.

once inlet fishing report

The tunny stretch the string…

ponce inlet and port canaveral fishing report

ponce inlet and port canaveral fishing report

This is an incredible light tackle fish.

One of the shrimpers was still there, so we hooked a couple of sharks for some savage amusement.

ponce inlet and port canaveral fishing report

Scott putting the finishing touches on a 50 pound shark.

We fished the length of the north jetty with no meaningful results, then ran through the waves in the inlet and loaded the boat. Great weather, beautiful day.

So we got tunny on our last four trips. Of course if you have a charter and he wants one you can’t get it done. On Thursday fly fisher Dr. Aubrey Thompson of Jacksonville was my guest. We went out of Port Canaveral. Based on the number of fish we caught last Friday I thought it would be a better and certainly a safer bet.

The bait was still there. A lot of the fish were not showing themselves. The ladyfish, jacks, and bluefish were all MIA. We saw quite a few and caught a few Spanish mackerel, using craft fur minnows. We saw very scattered tunny breaking, not that we ever got a good shot at them. We followed weeds for miles, and saw four tripletail, the largest of which might have gone 12 inches. Then a northeast wind freshened and blew us off the water. The whole day was about being a minute late and a dollar short. The boat was on the trailer at about 1 PM.

And that is this week’s Ponce Inlet and Port Canaveral Fishing Report.

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 2014. All rights are reserved.

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The Back in Orlando Saltwater Fishing Report

The Back in Orlando Saltwater Fishing Report, featuring ALEX!

The trip home from Alaska started at 4 AM one morning and ended at noon on the following day. Not only did we make it home just fine, but we got to visit with a dear friend along the way, and meet Ray Troll besides. Does getting from point A to point B get any better?

SO, Sunday Alex and I took the Mitzi out of Port Canaveral. We headed south along the beach. The water was muddy. The menhaden were scattered all along the beach, hard to net. Lots of glass minnows, though, and the occasional mackerel blasting through them. We got about halfway down Patrick AFB before turning out to sea.

We hadn’t gone very far out to sea when diving birds and busting fish told us the tunny were partying. We joined in, using DOA CAL jigs and tails as favors. The fish received them enthusiastically, and we caught ten or twelve. They are such awesome fish on light tackle!

orlando saltwater fishing report

Alex goes toe-to-fin with a tunny.

orlando saltwater fishing report

I shot the first one we got, but we got some significantly larger than this beauty.

Still, we wanted tarpon, so left the tunny behind and kept looking. Once we got north of the Cocoa Beach pier we started seeing sargassum, and started thinking cobia/tripletail. We found a lot of weeds but only saw one junior-sized tripletail, eight or so inches long. I was surprised and disappointed at the same time.

We looked all the way to Cape Canaveral, and did not see any tarpon. We did find three schools of jumbo crevalle, though, hooking two and boating one. We also found lots of bait with regular sized jacks, ladyfish, and bluefish blowing up on it. There are loads of bait of all kinds in Canaveral Bight.

orlando saltwater fishing report

It turned out to be pretty hefty.

 

orlando saltwater fishing report

 

orlando saltwater fishing report

Do you like your fish photos vertical or horizontal?

 

orlando saltwater fishing report

And then there’s the classic close-up. It was a real nice jack.

So we did not find any tarpon, but we did catch some fish. It was a great day out on the Atlantic.

Thursday at sunrise found Scott Radloff and I launching kayaks in the Banana River Lagoon. We were out five hours on a slick calm lagoon and had a pretty slow morning. I got two slot reds, one by blind casting and one by casting to an obvious push, both on an Electric Sushi fly. I jumped one very small tarpon on a gurgler. Scott caught a very small tarpon on a DOA Shrimp. We did not miss a strike.

The grass is all back like there was never a problem and the amount of bait is approaching mind-boggling proportions. The water is pretty dirty in most places we fished. But we did not see very many fish. It may be a few weeks before I go back.

Friday Vincent Serra joined me for a day of searching for tarpon out of Port Canaveral. My plan to run south, to Satellite Beach if necessary, fell apart as soon as we cleared the jetties. The sea was already a bit worked up, and I didn’t trust the weather to make such a long run. As it turned out we could have done it, since the weather got better during the day. When I’m responsible for someone’s safety I can’t count on that happening.

We ran north, along the beach in Canaveral Bight. Lots of bait, but no fish did we see for a while. Around Canaveral Shoals all kinds of birds were working over breaking fish. We ended up with bluefish, blue runners, little tunny, ladyfish (BIG ones), jack crevalle, and Spanish mackerel, using DOA CAL jigs, Sting Silvers, and Chug Bugs. But we only saw a solitary tarpon, which we did not hook. We went through a few lures, as you might imagine. It was good, clean fun, and another great day out-of-doors.

And that, gentle reader, is the Back in Orlando Saltwater Fishing Report.

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 2014. All rights are reserved.

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Independence Day Whale Pass Fishing Report

whale pass fishing report

These salmon don’t know they have an unsolvable problem.

Independence Day Whale Pass Fishing Report

Happy birthday, America!

Pacific salmon exhibit an incredible will to procreate.

Across the bay from the Lodge a hatchery sits atop what is, for salmon, an impassable waterfall. At the top of the falls, in addition to the hatchery, lies Neck Lake.

Now this hatchery is not run by the state of Alaska for the purpose of making more salmon for everyone. It’s run by a commercial fishing consortium interested in making a profit from an investment.

It’s my understanding that the salmon eggs used in this operation come from a river to the north of here, a long river that the fish must enter early in the season in order to get to the spawning grounds far upstream. The hatchery takes the eggs from fish from this other river, hatches and grows the alevins for a while, then puts the smolts in pens on Neck Lake.

Once the smolts are ready to return to the sea, they are released from the pens, they find their way to the waterfall, tumble down into the bay, and swim off into the sunset.

They return four years later, wanting to spawn. Ha! The joke is on you, fish.

The adult silver salmon cannot get up the falls, but they do find the fish ladder cleverly placed there by the builders of the hatchery. They climb the ladder only to end up in a large holding tank. Two or three days a week during season, depending on how many fish are present, the fish are removed from the tank, prepared for and shipped to market. Apparently they are in great demand, since they are the earliest run of silver salmon commercially available from Alaska.

These fish are the silvers we’ve been fishing for and catching since I got to Whale Pass a month ago. The run is in full swing, and lots of fishermen are over there working it now. We’re still catching lots of salmon, although it’s harder to get a bite than it was.

Daisies grow everywhere around here.

Daisies grow everywhere around here.

Although I haven’t been out, the halibut bite has been hot all week. The Wallace party from Massachusetts limited out on fish up to 40 pounds in less than one hour. There were a few Pacific cod tossed into the mix, too.

Tuesday Alex and I took a van on the back roads of Prince of Wales Island, looking for adventure in the form of fly fishing. First we stopped at Twin Island Lake. I waded out with the fly I had tied on, an Ultra Clouser. It was not the right fly. I could see trout jumping out in the lake but I did not get a bite, and ended up casting off the fly. Funny that the four pound tippet wouldn’t hold a Clouser Minnow tied on a #2 hook.

Next we stopped on upper 108 Creek. The stream passes through a cavern, and I wanted to show it to Alex. A natural run of silvers comes up this stream, goes through the cave and into the lake above. I am looking forward to seeing it.

Following this we came to a trailhead for Red Bay Lake. We hiked the trail, one of the finer walks I’ve taken in quite a while.

whale pass fishing report

Alex on the beautifully maintained trail to Red Bay Lake.

There were some big trees in there! One may have been the largest tree I have ever seen, and that includes the Amazon basin and Joyce Kilmer National Forest. I hugged one for a moment, then we continued.

The photo doesn't begin to do justice to one of the biggest trees I've eve seen.

The photo doesn’t begin to do justice to one of the biggest trees I’ve eve seen.

At the far end of the trail was a beautiful lake. Tied to a tree was a boat, with a plug and three oars. We lost no time in putting the plug in and launching the craft. The lake was full of cutthroat trout, no big ones, but fat healthy fish of 12 inches or so. Although I wish I had a rod smaller than a four-weight, it was a wonderful afternoon.

whale pass fishing report

Alex was hot to get on the oars.

 

whale pass fishing report

Even Dad got into the act.

 

whale pass fishing report

Cutthroat trout are lovely fish. I want a five pounder, though.

Finally, we stopped at Neck Lake, across from the salmon pens. There were fish rising and Alex got two little cutthroats before we hopped back in the van and returned to Whale Pass. We’d seen some wonderful new territory, caught plenty of beautiful fish. All in all it was an awesome day.

 

This flower, which I must learn the name of, was on a rock in the lake.

This flower, which I must learn the name of, was on a rock in the lake.

The past couple days I have had trout fishing trips up into Barnes Lake. While I am still figuring this fishery out the fishing has been outstanding, although we did not catch any fish over about 14 inches. Brightly colored flies in pink or orange have been working best.

whale pass fishing report

Jack tries to subdue the mighty cutthroat trout.

Spin fishermen are tossing number three spinners from Mepps and Blue Fox. Color of those has not seemed to matter.

Yesterday eleven year old Clay had a sockeye salmon smack his little spinner. After an exciting battle Clay pulled the fish up to the bank, where I grabbed it and dispatched it, definitely the fish of the day.

Eleven year old Jack got a nice cutt on a spinner at the same spot.

whale pass fishing report

Jack was successful, although the fish was released.

We all had some quality time at the tide pool where the sea stars live.

 

whale pass fishing report

Jack also got this trophy sea star, also released.

And that is this week’s Lodge at Whale Pass Fishing Report.

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 2014. All rights are reserved.

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