Fly Fish Banana River Black Drum

November 20, 2013 by john kumiski · 1 Comment

Fly Fish Banana River Black Drum

It’s getting to be that time of year!

Black drum run big. If you Fly Fish Banana River Black Drum they’ll probably be the largest tailing fish to which you’ll ever cast a fly.

When you’re in the water up to your hips and that broom-sized tail pops up, I don’t care where you’ve been or what you’ve caught. Adrenaline is going to rush. The mouth will dry right up. It’s exciting fishing.

The requisite fly selection for black drum is small. Flies need to sink like an anvil. A black, size 2 Clouser Minnow with a weedguard or a dark crab pattern such as a Merkin are the best choices.

You need a seven- or eight-weight outfit with a floating line, plenty of backing, and a 10 foot leader with a 15 pound tippet, almost impossible to break.

Paddle up into the Banana River Lagoon’s federal manatee refuge (locally called the no motor zone) searching for them. Either a canoe or a kayak will work. Use the boat to find the fish, then wade.

The best weather is a cool, sunny day with a light north or northwest wind. The best time of year runs roughly from Thanksgiving to Easter.

You won’t find them on the shoreline. Look out on the deeper part of the flat, even at or off its edge. Expect that some days you won’t see any.

While tailers are what everyone wants to see, drum don’t always tail. Many times you’ll see cruising fish. They will still take a well presented fly.

Sometimes you find the drum as scattered singles. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a herd. Anytime you find some, be happy about it. Make the best of whatever situation comes along.

How far will you have to paddle? Some days only a few miles gets the job done. Other days you might have to go all the way up to the NASA Causeway, a round trip of more than 10 miles.

To read the rest of this article, visit this link…

Life is short. Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

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

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Filed Under: Fishing Tips, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: Banana River, Black drum, fly fishing, orlando fishing, orlando fishing charter

The First Annual Spotted Tail Christmas Giving Guide

November 2, 2013 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

The First Annual Spotted Tail Christmas Giving Guide

My idea of Christmas shopping is googling what I want and then paying for it with a credit card or paypal. So The First Annual Spotted Tail Christmas Giving Guide will have lots of links.

A fishing trip with Capt. John Kumiski makes a spectacular gift, and yes, we supply gift certificates. Or you may prefer a gift certificate to one of our popular fishing seminars.

For the well-read fisherman, books by Capt. John Kumiski are a thoughtful gift that will keep on giving. They are on sale until Christmas, too. I will even sign them!

For the fisherman with a camera, a lens cleaning kit is very useful. For dSLRs a sensor cleaning kit will make all those ugly spots go away.

For the fisherman without a camera, the Nikon AW-100 is waterproof to 30 feet and makes excellent images for a point-and-shoot. It also has video capabilities.

What paddling fisherman couldn’t use a nicer paddle? Bending Branches makes some of the nicest paddles around.

If the fisherman on your list likes to eat fish, he may have to clean one once in a while. A nice filet knife and the best way to keep it sharp will be useful for a long time. A Kevlar glove makes fish cleaning chores much safer.

Going to a tackle store and buying a bunch of stuff for your fisherman is not a good idea. Going into his tackle box, writing down the names of several items he has in there, and buying some of those on-line is an excellent idea.

Accessories make the fisherman. All fisherman need pliers, nippers, and clamps. Dr. Slick makes the nicest ones available.

A dehooker is an always-useful tool for the fisherman, too.

Any outdoorsman needs a way to carry water. The Vapur flexible one-liter Element bottle folds up once empty.

Christmas happens during the winter. Your fisherman might need to stay warm and dry. Raingear from Simms is always in excellent taste. They make a complete line of clothing for the fisherman, too, not just rainwear.

Glacier Gloves, made from neoprene, keep the hands going even when it’s cold and wet.

Many outdoorsmen find coffee an indispensible part of their morning. Stanley’s vacuum bottle carries the goods better than anything else.

Outdoorsmen also need sun protection.

The Tilley Hat is the finest headgear I have ever used and it looks good besides.

The Buff is all the rage with flats fishers nowadays, with good reason. Who needs skin cancer?

And for those skin areas not under cover of the Tilley or the Buff, Smartshield sunblock is my favorite- non-greasy, non-pasty, and extremely effective.

So with a wide range of prices, every outdoorsman on your list will find something useful in the First Annual Spotted Tail Christmas Giving Guide.

Have the merriest of Christmases!

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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Filed Under: Fishing Product News and Reviews, Fishing Tips, opinion, outdoor photography tips · Tagged: Christmas, fishing, fishing tips, florida fishing tips, fly fishing

Mosquito Lagoon Redfish Fishing Report

September 14, 2013 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Mosquito Lagoon Redfish Fishing Report

Oh yeah, it’s GREAT to be home! Fishing has been outstanding, too!

Upcoming Events– Mosquito Lagoon Show and Tell Fishing Seminar, October 26
Mosquito Lagoon On-the-Water Show and Tell Seminar, October 27
Indian River Paddle Adventure starts December 1

Before the local report, an Alaska fishing story, my favorite from the season just past. No names have been changed to protect anyone.

The lodge had a guest named Ray. Nice enough guy. Apparently the IGFA just opened a new class of world records based solely on length. Ray wanted to get a record dolly varden, and needed a fish of only 24 inches. For this quest he brought a 12-weight. No, I don’t get it either, but I took him dolly fishing one day and he threw it all day. Must have a huge arm. Anyway…

He used said 12-weight for silver salmon one day. In spite of the tackle a silver somehow got into his backing. He had had the line rigged at a Bass Pro Shop. No, I don’t get it either. Of course the backing and fly line separated. He lost the line, in spite of spending quite a bit of time looking for it. At Goodnews 12-weight fly lines are not something we keep in stock, so the 12-weight rod was out of business for a while.

Later that same day another guest who we will call Gary caught Ray’s line. The fish who had done the damage was still attached to it. Gary caught that too. But when he got back to camp he did not tell Ray about it. No, mum was the word.

Every Tuesday night the Lodge has a little awards ceremony. The guys who get the biggest fish don’t get awards. The guys who get the most fish don’t get awards. The guys who fall into the river, they get awards. The guy who breaks the most fishing rods, he gets an award. You get an award if you manage to catch a dead salmon, or a rock. So you know when Tuesday night came rolling around, Ray got an award, and he finally got his fly line back. To say he was surprised would be a large understatement. There was a lot of laughter. A very funny, very entertaining episode it was.

But I digress from the business of writing about the fishing here.

Tuesday I put the Mitzi in the St. Johns for a water test. Steering worked, bilge pump worked, anchor light worked, all systems go. I wanted to visit Mosquito Lagoon on Wednesday but my son needed my car to get to school- his car was in the garage. So I didn’t get out until Thursday.

I did not get a bite on my first cast. After that it was pretty much wide open.

I found slot reds finning at the surface and popping baits as the opportunity arose. I tossed a 5.5 inch DOA CAL twice and a fish whacked the bait on the second cast. Another whacked it on the fourth cast. I lost track of my casts pretty quickly but I had a third fish before five minutes of fishing had elapsed.

This fish nailed the lure on the second cast.

I strung up that fangled fly-pole thang, tied on a grizzly seaducer. The fly hit the water and a fish nailed it, first cast.

My first cast with a fly resulted in this little feller.

Damn, it’s good to be home.

The sun cleared an offshore cloud and the surface activity at that spot stopped immediately. Within 300 yards I had found a 200 fish school of 15 to 20 pound reds. My first cast spooked them. I just backed off and let them calm down. A fatty whacked the fly on the next cast. I watched it all, very cool. After releasing the fatty I hooked and lost another.

The fish got bigger quickly…

At this point I decided I had come to look around and had only worked one half-mile-long stretch of water. It was time to look around.

I found a school of big redfish. I threw a four inch DOA CAL jerkbait at them and Mamoo ate it. I was calm enough to photograph myself. I wanted to try with a fly but I lost them while tussling with Mamoo. The wind had come up enough that I couldn’t find them again.

…and the last fish was the fish of the day.

It was raining all around me. Having had quite the morning already I decided to bail. The boat was loaded before noon.

On Friday Dr. George Yarko and Dr. Dave Nickerson joined me, again on Mosquito Lagoon. I was expecting a repeat of the previous day’s success.

How foolish of me.

The fish were not behaving the same, nor were they in the same places. We burned some fuel searching, and finally located a school of redfish.

None of them bit. They quickly vacated the place once they realized we were there.

Dave managed to catch the only tailer we saw, a beautiful 27 inch redfish, using a 5.5 inch DOA CAL jerkbait. George got a handsome 22 inch seatrout using a DOA Airhead. We got some other minor stuff not worth reporting.

Dr. Nickerson got the only tailer we found…

…a lovely 27 inch fish.

It was a lot of work for only two fish. On the other hand we have all had worse days. The weather had been superb and everyone except perhaps me was quite satisfied.

That is this week’s exciting version of the Mosquito Lagoon Redfish Fishing Report.

Bonus Report! Port Canaveral, Saturday 9/14

George Yarko and I launched the Mitzi at about 8 AM, ran south along the beach to Patrick AFB. The menhaden were solid from the pier south, as many as I have ever seen. We did not see any other kind of fish, which was very surprising and very disappointing.

At Patrick we took a left and headed out about three miles, then headed north. We saw one small pod of tunny briefly. There was lots of sargassum out there but no fish that we found. We continued north all the way to Cape Canaveral. We saw a small pod of breaking fish, Spanish mackerel. I got one on a Sting Silver. George got a bluefish on a DOA CAL jig. We did not see any other fish around the Cape or the shoal.

On the way back south down the beach we saw several schools of mullet, some quite large. No other fish. Near the port entrance there was a school of menhaden. I cast our last one to them and hooked a shark of maybe 30 pounds.

The weather was spectacular and it was great being out but fishing was disappointing. We met a guy at the boat ramp who had gotten one fish, a fat tripletail. At least someone got one!

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 2013. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Orlando Fishing Report · Tagged: DOA Lures, fishing, fishing story, florida fishing, fly fishing, Mosquito Lagoon, mosquito lagoon fishing report, mosquito lagoon fishing seminar, Mosquito Lagoon redfish, Orlando Area Fishing Report, orlando fishing, orlando fishing charter, orlando fishing report, redfish

Goodnews River Fishing Report

August 5, 2013 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Another Goodnews River Fishing Report

Silver Salmon Coming on Strong; Technical Difficulties

First, the technical dificulties, of which there are two. The power inverter on the generator here at Goodnews River Lodge crapped out this week. We only have power for essentials, of which our router is not. So this report may be posted late, or not at all.

Also, my i-photo program has been acting strangely, not accepting new photos. So if the report does get posted it may be photo-less. We’ll see how it progresses today.

Silver salmon! I got my first of the season the other night on the six-weight and was stunned once again at what hot fish they are. More and more enter the river every day. Several boats have already had 20-plus fish days. Effective flies include any weighted flies containing the colors of pink, orange, purple, and/or chartreuse, usually on a size 2 or 1 hook. Effective hardware include the ever -effective Pixie spoon, 1/2 ounce, the Mepps Flying C spinner, or my own favorite, a 1/2 ounce DOA CAL jighead with a pink, chartreuse, or nite-glow soft plastic twisty tail.

This silver was the first salmon PG had ever caught.

Jess got her first silver salmon on the fly.

Dollies are coming up the river by the thousands, but not with the size reported last week. These fish are much smaller. Still, with a four-weight and a gurgler you can have an afternoon’s worth of very genteel fishing and catch 30 or 40 fish.

The chum salmon are almost spawned out already and dead fish are everywhere. Dave Kane got five rainbow trout in less than two hours on a flesh fly while fishing the Middle Fork with me this past week. On one hand it seems a bit strange to use a fly that imitates a free-drifting piece of dead salmon. On the other hand trout and big dollies eat the heck out of them. I guess I’ll keep tying them on.

Dave used a flesh fly to fool this nice rainbow trout.

No weird fishing stuff happened this week, although Clint and Garrett McCoy both got red sockeye salmon on flies yesterday, both fairly hooked. Good going, gentlemen!

Garrett fights a sockeye salmon.

Garrett, with the fish. Nice color!

And that is this week’s Goodnews River 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 2013. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Goodnews River- Alaska Fishing Report · Tagged: adventure fishing, Alaska fishing, Alaska fishing report, DOA Lures, Dolly varden fishing, fly fishing, Goodnews River, salmon fishing

Bonefishing Crooked Island, Bahamas

June 2, 2013 by john kumiski · 1 Comment

Bonefishing Crooked Island, Bahamas

A Guest Blog by Michelle M. Yelton

Guide Shakey shows off a bonefish.

Shakey. The name, not the fly-fishing. The fishing is spot on. Standing atop a powder white flat seasoned with a gray-toned rock bottom, Shakey points his finger with the confidence of a military sniper and commands, “ten o’clock, 30 feet, cast it now.”

To the untrained eye, even donning a pair of polarized lenses, one might think Shakey is off. But, he couldn’t be more precise. Hidden in clear sight is a bounty of bonefish.

To someone listening in, one might mistake Shakey for an intense gym trainer.

“Cast it again! Now, now! Go! Aww, shit, you missed it. Dropped it too hard. Try again, man.”

It’s no wonder these stunning fish, nearly transparent and adorned with sterling silver tiger stripes, are also known as the “ghosts of the flats.” It’s the unlikely scenario where camouflage meets pristine beauty giving fly fisherman and guides the challenge of first spotting, then landing one.

But after 18 years as a fly-fishing guide on the Crooked Island of the Bahamas, make no mistake, Shakey’s eyes and judgment are not a reflection of his nickname.

Born Elton McKinney, Shakey remembers the first time he witnessed the sport of fly fishing.

“In 1994 this guy came to the island to fly fish, and I thought it was the craziest thing I’d ever seen,” Shakey recalls. “But after watching him a while, I asked him to teach me.”

That was just the beginning. His family thought he was foolish for spending gas money to boat around the islands looking for bonefish, but Shakey knew he discovered a gem that could profoundly impact his town’s economy.

“I told them to relax; that this was my money and my time. Knowledge is power and I just keep pushing on.”

And he was right. Before guiding for bonefish, Shakey and his father hauled in bonefish commercially. Once Shakey realized the fish had more potential as a tourism draw, he took action to stop that practice.

“After I started guiding I told my old man, ‘We aren’t hauling no more bonefish,'” said Shakey. “And he wasn’t happy about that. Then, I went to the police and told them these fish mean more to us than the nets, and the police agreed with that.”

Shakey and his team of seven anglers guide all year round. While prime season is October through May, the fishing is still worthwhile the entire year. Trips can be booked through Crooked Island Lodge.

Lodging
A group of four-room bungalows that a few yards from the beach complete with restaurant, gift shop and bar make up Crooked Island Lodge. Built in the late 1960s, the rustic and serene lodge offers the only commercial lodging option on the island. Accommodations are air-conditioned and comfortably simple, yet a good night’s sleep is never a challenge with the rocking cadence of ocean waves right outside your window. Maxing out at 12 rooms, action and adventure are only found on the water. On land, it’s all about relaxation whether it is lying beachside underneath shaded hammocks or strolling the immaculate shoreline.

Activities
In addition to the excellent fly-fishing, there are a variety of incredible spots for diving, deep sea fishing, swimming and snorkeling. Better yet, hire a guide boat or rent kayaks and head across the bay to the old, abandoned lighthouse. While there, learn how to catch conch or spear fresh lobster, and watch in awe as the guide transforms it into a gourmet seaside meal with just a knife, some foil and a hand-built fire. For an added treat while fly-fishing, ask Shakey to make the dolphins jump.

Dining
Meals are cooked to order three times a day at Crooked Island Lodge, and lunch coolers are packed for excursions. Dinners are the highlight of the dining experience where everyone is served the same meal, which is always a surprise of freshly caught seafood. The food is divine.

Local Tips
UV tops and pants recommended to fight the daytime sunrays, especially if going out on the water. Pack some lightweight, long-sleeved shirts and pants or bug spray to ward off the mosquitoes and sand fleas while on land.

How to Get There
Bahamas Air flies to Crooked Island early on Saturdays and Wednesdays, which requires an overnight stop in Nassau the night before. Likewise, Pineapple Air flies in early on Mondays and Fridays. Otherwise, hire a private charter and fly straight to Crooked Island Lodge, which has its own seaside runway. Travelers on charter boats often make pit stops at Crooked Island Lodge where they can find food, drinks and wireless Internet. Anchor in the bay and use a dinghy to come ashore.

Learn More
To learn more about fly-fishing in Crooked Island, Bahamas, contact The Granddaddy Fly Fishing Experience at info@granddaddyflyfishing.com or 828-288-1221 or visit their website at www.granddaddyflyfishing.com. Additional information about Crooked Island Lodge and Crooked Island, Bahamas can be found at http://crookedislandlodge.com/.

North Carolina resident Michelle Yelton works for a public relations firm. She enjoys fishing in the Bahamas.

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

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Bonefishing: Mangrove Cay, Andros Island Bahamas
Albula vulpes

Filed Under: Fishing News, Fishing Tips, Guest Blogs, opinion · Tagged: Bonefish, Crooked Island Bahamas, fly fishing

Orlando Saltwater Fishing Report

June 1, 2013 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Orlando Saltwater Fishing Report 61

The orlando saltwater report this week is not too exciting. Just telling it like it is.

I had a fly charter booked for Thursday. The winds were forecast to, and in fact did, blow hard out of the east all week at 15-25 mph. The water in the Mosquito Lagoon is full of microscopic algae and is a yucky brown color. My fisherman had expressed interest in the Banana River Lagoon’s no motor zone. So Wednesday I took the kayak over there to scout.

To my surprise and delight the water was clean. I could fish against the shoreline. There were not many fish and the few I saw I ran over- it was overcast on Wednesday. I did not get a shot at any of the fish I saw. But it seemed fishable.

Thursday Mr. Nick Colantonio, fly fisher extraordinaire from Tampa, and I went out in the canoe and looked for fish in the same place. Nick cast a popper for a while, had two sniffs and a solid strike from a seatrout. The hook did not stick.

We looked for redfish once the sun got up. The light wasn’t good. There were lots of clouds, and of course the wind swirled crazily. We saw 12 or 15 reds all day, did not get a good shot at any of them. We were off the water at 3 PM.

So I only got out two days and did not catch a fish either day.

That is this week’s not-so-exciting version of the 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 2013. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Orlando Fishing Report · Tagged: Banana River, fly fishing, Mosquito Lagoon, Orlando Area Fishing Report, orlando fishing, orlando fishing charter, orlando fishing report, redfish, seatrout fishing

Tarpon Fishing Report 526

May 26, 2013 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Tarpon Fishing Report 526

This week’s Tarpon Fishing Report:

First, please remember the reason for the holiday. Lots of young men have died so we could have a day off.

Next, a Mosquito Lagoon update.

algae bloom in progress, indian river lagoon

I had a reader send me this aerial photograph, showing the Indian River Lagoon north of the Max Brewer Causeway in Titusville. From the air the algae in the water is obvious. On Friday I spoke with Drew Cavanaugh, who told me that the algae in Mosquito Lagoon had bloomed and visibility into the water at Tiger Shoal was about one inch. Bad news for sight fishers and lovers of seagrass, this. I will have to investigate myself this coming week.

On to the tarpon fishing-

Tuesday I got up at 430, hopped in the chariot, and towed the Mitzi to Pineland Marina, launching the boat at about 10 AM. Went to spot number one, had a few bad shots while under way with the trolling motor. Still, there were fish there, a good thing. Ran out and set up camp on the beach, anchoring and waiting. Several fish came through. Had some shots and a few looks but no eaters. Still, was guardedly optimistic for the next day.

Wednesday Clint Scott, an expatriate fly fisherman living in Rio de Janeiro, joined me for a day’s fly fishing for tarpon. We went to spot number one. Clint was using a black and purple streamer. He had several shots and had an eat, putting an eighty pound fish into the air. The fish shook the fly on the first jump, however. We beat the spot to death and then ran out to the beach and anchored. Good numbers of fish came through. Clint had thre hard looks but no bites. We bagged it around 6 PM only having gotten the one bite.

Thursday found Clint in the Mitzi again. We had a solid 15 mph wind from the west at the start. I poled into it about a half mile, sweating blood the whole time, and we did not see a fish. Went to another spot and had a couple shots but no interest from the tarpon. We went out to the beach.

It was sloppy out there, so much so the bilge pump was running constantly. Very few fish came through. We waited for hours and gradually all the other boats left except my friend Rick and us.

Finally a string of fish came right at us. Clint made a good cast. A tarpon came up and tracked the fly about ten feet, then turned off. I opined a fly change was in order, and tied on a black and purple streamer. I instructed Clint to make a practice cast, which he did. The line immediately came tight and sixty pounds of angry tarpon came flying out of the water. Dumb luck? Absolutely, but I’ll take it.

Clint and his first tarpon go at it.

Thirty thrilling minutes later I removed the hook and released Clint’s first tarpon, managing a jump shot while operating the boat. Since it was 6:30 PM we decided we had had enough and went back to Pineland.

On Friday Dr. George Yarko joined me. We went to the first spot, where we had several shots but no interest. We went to another spot where a hard west wind came up. We saw only two tarpon there and blew right past them. We took a beating running out to the beach against the wind, and anchored up once we got out there. Waves washed over the front of the boat constantly. Decent numbers of fish came by. We had several shots had three good, hard looks from the fish but no eats. We packed it in about 5:30.

On Saturday Dr. Yarko and I tried again. Now the wind was east at 15. We went to the first spot, where I netter some pinfish. We anchored up and tossed on out. Thirty minutes later the float disappeared and a large fish started screaming line off the reel. It kept going and before I could get off the anchor and pursue the line went slack. We had about 15 pounds of vegetation on the line, which was broken in the leader. We never did see the fish.

We went out to the beach. It was a crazy, beautiful weather, everyone-who-owns-a-boat-is-out Memorial Day weekend scene out there. We joined the fleet anchored up in the fishing spot and sat. And sat. And sat. We did not see a fish, did not get a shot, and finally at 5:00 left and went to Captiva Pass. There were a few crabs floating through and lots of boats. We only saw one fish and did not get a bite in two floats through. We then decided to bag it and returned to Pineland not having gotten a bite in two days.

Tarpon Lodge under a full moon.

That is this week’s exciting version of the Tarpon 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 2013. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Orlando Fishing Report · Tagged: adventure fishing, florida fishing, fly fishing, Mosquito Lagoon, Orlando Area Fishing Report, orlando fishing, orlando fishing charter, orlando fishing report, tarpon fishing

Mosquito Lagoon and Tarpon Fishing Report 518

May 18, 2013 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Mosquito Lagoon and Tarpon Fishing Report

Bumper Sticker of the week:

This week’s Mosquito Lagoon and Tarpon Fishing Report:

Monday morning Scott Radloff and I braved 20-25 knot winds and thick overcast to try fishing in the Mosquito Lagoon. I got a redfish on my first cast. I would love to say “then it got better.” That may be a bit of an exageration. We did get a half dozen each of reds and trout though, including some very solid fish. And the overcast broke up, and the sun came out! The wind just kept a-honking, though. My lure of choice was an old Riptide Weedless jig outfitted with a four inch DOA CAL jerkbait. The last two fish we got on mullet pieces. We did better then we had any right to expect, that’s for sure.

Scott said I look scary while wearing the Sun Armor. That may be true, but who looks scarier, me…

I got several trout. This was the nicest.

…or Scott?

Scott was real happy with this 28 inch redfish.

Wednesday saw another 4 AM wake-up call and four hours of driving to fish with friend Rick again. I had shots at tarpon all day long (wasn’t sick this time either). On the best shot I had three fish closely examined the fly. All said no. I pulled it in and looked. It was fouled. 🙁 I hooked two small cobia that were following rays and lost both of them. Thus the day ended.

Thursday we tried again. Again I had shots most of the day. I had several “almosts” and got one bite on a black and purple streamer. I broke the fish off after beating it. It wasn’t very big, only about 50 pounds, but I got a real tarpon on a fly, something that had been missing from my repertoire lately. Gracias a Deus! They are such incredible fish!

Tarpon and I, mano a mano.

That is this week’s exciting version of the Mosquito Lagoon and Tarpon 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 2013. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Orlando Fishing Report · Tagged: adventure fishing, DOA Lures, florida fishing, fly fishing, Mosquito Lagoon, mosquito lagoon fishing report, Mosquito Lagoon redfish, Orlando Area Fishing Report, orlando fishing report, redfish, tarpon fishing

Tarpon Fishing Report

May 4, 2013 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Tarpon Fishing Report

Monday morning my alarm clock went off at 4 AM. I turned it off, thought about going back to sleep. I had a sore throat, never a harbinger of a bright, rosy day. But I told Ricky I’d be there so I got up, did what I had to do, and hit the road.

Thoughts of Kim swirled in my head as I drove. She’d looked so good last time I saw her. Now she’s fighting for her life? It wasn’t right. Didn’t make sense. Along with the sore throat it colored my mood a somber shade.

I pulled into Ricky’s driveway at nine o’clock. We had to go to the vet before we could fish. Danae’s cat is diabetic and they needed syringes for the insulin injections. When we got back to Rick’s he hooked up the boat and we were finally off.

This guy wants a handout.

The first spot we checked was a laid-up tarpon spot. There were a few fish there and I had a couple shots, crossing a streamer in front of their scaly faces. No eaters, though.

Clouds showed up, always a great help when tarpon fishing. Being facetious there, folks. We made a run to another spot, anchored the boat.

Fish started showing up immediately. Sometimes we could see them well, sometimes not very well at all, depending on how the clouds were configured at that moment, depending on where they were in the water column. None of them made any attempt to eat my fly.

Rick had a brand new rod. He asked me if I minded if he tried it. Heck, no, I didn’t mind. I’m out in his boat, using his expertise. Fish away, bud!

He rigged it up, got on the bow of the boat. A single fish came along. He throws to it. It eats. WTF? I can’t get a sniff and he hooks up on the first cast? I must be way more rusty than I thought.

Rick hooked the first fish he threw to.

But that’s how the day ended, one bite for Ricky, none for Johnny. Try again tomorrow.

Tuesday we again went to the laid-up tarpon spot. Again I had a few shots and again no one was interested in my streamer. Yes, my throat was still sore. Definitely not at 100 percent.

How can you not love these fish?

We again made the run to the other spot, anchored the boat.

The fish did not show up immediately. We didn’t see any for three hours. I put a different streamer on. Ricky said what Ricky says. “They’re not gonna eat that.” Like the fish can tell his flies from mine…

The clouds make seeing the fish much more difficult.

A pair of fish come. I throw my fly out there. One of the fish gets behind it, follows it ten feet or so. The bite comes. I set up. The line goes slack. The Hufnagle has come apart, something that had never happened before. Ricky rags on my knots, my leaders. New stuff has come along while I wasn’t paying attention. OK, I’ll learn the Slim Beauty. Just not at this moment.

I tie on a Cousin Itt. It feels like I’m trying to cast a raccoon. It doesn’t sink very well. But here comes some fish. I’m throwing it out there.

A tarpon comes up for the fly in an explosive surface strike. I react with a trout fisherman’s rod pull, popping the fly right out of the mouth of the fish. The strike was amazing, my response considerable less so.

Some fish come around the back of the boat. Rick gets a bite, can’t come tight. The fish shakes off.

Rick gets another shot a few minutes later, sticks the fish well. The fish takes off, the line goes slack. The fly line has broken.

Yes, tarpon can break things.

The sun gets low. The fish stop coming, or maybe we just can’t see them any more. At any rate I am completely drained. We call it. Try again tomorrow.

These clouds moved in carrying rain. They hung around for days.

The next morning a storm system moves in. We call it before the boat leaves the yard. The ride home is in the rain the whole way. It rains for the next three days.

I visit the doctor. I have a fever and a respiratory infection. No, I wasn’t at 100 percent. But I’m going back to try those fish again.

And that is this week’s exciting version of the Tarpon Fishing Report.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short. Go Fishing!

John Kumiski

Home- Spotted Tail Outdoors and Travel

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

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Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Fishing Stories, Orlando Fishing Report · Tagged: adventure fishing, florida fishing, fly fishing, orlando fishing report, tarpon fishing

Redfish- Presenting the Fly

April 17, 2013 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

This is an excerpt from the book, Redfish on the Fly, by Capt. John Kumiski

Redfish- Presenting the Fly

It was a redfish fisher’s dream, a school of at least 500 fish, swimming fast, up on top, crashing bait all around us, one of the finest sights in all of angling, and one that one doesn’t see very often in the Mosquito Lagoon. Rob Ricks was trembling with excitement. He had caught exactly one redfish on fly in his life, and badly wanted another. It was practically certain that the deed would now be done.

“Cast out in front of them, and just make it look alive,” I told him. Rob was a weak caster. When he got the fly in the water, not very far away, there was so much slack in the line that the cast was useless.

“Try it again,” I said. “Lead them, put it where they’re going and let them swim into it.” Rob tried again with the same result. And again, and again, and again. Finally the fish disappeared. We’d caught exactly none.

The moral to this story? Your casting must be second nature in order to take advantage of opportunities, especially once in a lifetime opportunities like this one was. But it’s a great segue into this section’s premise- after locating the fish, how you present the fly to them is the single most important variable in getting one to bite, much more important than what’s at the end of your leader.

The Strike Zone
When I was younger and just getting into saltwater fly fishing, I was fortunate to get a copy of the finest instructional fishing video ever made, the late Billy Pate’s Fly Fishing for Tarpon (which I recommend highly). In this video Billy explains the concept of strike zones as it relates to tarpon fishing. We’re going to revisit this concept and then relate it to presenting the fly to redfish- cruising fish, laid-up fish, and tailers.

The strike zone is an area around the fish where, if the fly is properly presented, you have a reasonable chance that the fish will take it. This area is roughly shaped like a half a football, extending with the wide part at the mouth of the fish to the apex out in front of it. Since their mouths point down, redfish prefer to feed down, but they show little hesitation in coming up for a fly unless they are heavily fished or have been disturbed by boat traffic.

Understand that the strike zone changes in size constantly though, going from non-existent to huge and back again, and occasionally even goes behind the fish. Over the years I’ve seen a few fish do about faces to take a fly. It’s rare, but it does happen. Our assumption here is that in order to get a bite, the fly must be in the strike zone.

Hopefully it’s obvious that the longer the fly is in that strike zone, the more likely the fish is to take it. This brings us to presentation angles.

Read the rest of the article here, or buy the book!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

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

How Not to Catch Redfish

Filed Under: Fishing Stories, Fishing Tips · Tagged: fishing story, fishing tips, florida fishing, florida fishing tips, fly fishing, fly tying, redfish