Down and Up and Down Report

Down and Up and Down Report

Thank you for reading this Down and Up and Down Report. Got out three days this week before a bug got me- then I really was down. Doc says I should be OK by Monday.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

I have, for your perusal (and hopefully action) a pair of petitions to consider. The first-

-The largest money lender in Africa, Standard Bank, and Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) will fund a 1,443-kilometer crude oil pipeline that will cross Tanzania and Uganda. A large number of people will be displaced and wetlands, water sources, and protected ecosystems in Tanzania and Uganda would be in jeopardy. See the petition here…

Stop Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining in Tennessee’s Protected Forests
Mountaintop removal coal mining is a destructive practice that devastates our landscapes, contaminates our water, and harms our wildlife. In Tennessee, Hurricane Creek Mining LLC is seeking a permit to mine 650 acres of protected forest. How protected is the forest if it can get strip-mined? When is the last time anyone you know used coal??? See the petition here… 

OK, FISHING!

Son Maxx and his lovely bride were supposed to visit. After we spent the day waiting, they called and said they were coming Tuesday. So we got to wait Tuesday, too.

Wednesday

Maxx and Cat and I took the Bang-O-Craft out onto Mosquito Lagoon. Rejoiced in the fact the water is ridiculously clean. But no fish, no fish, no fish, ran a few over, ran a bunch over, then found a school of black drum with a few reds mixed in. They behaved like they have been pounded for a while, and we did not get a bite in spite of several excellent shots. A skunk, for sure.

Thursday

I took the kayak out on Mosquito Lagoon. You would have thought it was a different planet. Tailing fish much of the day, and mostly willing eaters on the fly. Which was good, since it made up for both Wednesday and…

Friday

I took the kayak out on the Banana River Lagoon. I saw exactly six redfish in six miles of paddling. If you see one fish per mile, your catch rate is going to be small. Didn’t get a shot- another skunk.

Maxx said I should have gone back to Mosquito Lagoon. I don’t think it’s good policy to beat up the same fish day after day. It teaches them hook avoidance.

So it was truly Down and Up and Down. As always, thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2025. All rights are reserved.

Two Fine Days on Mosquito Lagoon

Two Fine Days on Mosquito Lagoon

It’s wintertime, which means even in central Florida, you have to pick your fishing days around the weather. I had two fine days on Mosquito Lagoon this week, both beautiful days. I went to different places. Although the water was remarkably clear in both places, the results (from a fish-catching perspective) were markedly different.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

One thing I noticed in both places was that wherever there was hard substrate (rocks and/or oyster shells) there were sponges growing. I don’t know what species they are, or if they are native or exotic. How many sponge experts are there??? When’s the last time you saw a field guide to sponges of the southeastern United States?

I do know sponges filter enormous quantities of water, and provide hiding places for small fish, shrimp, and crabs. So I was glad to see them, and am hoping they are not a sign of a coming apocalypse.

Best fish of the day!

Wednesday I fished around spoil islands. Nothing, nothing, nothing, then a load of fish on a small spot maybe 50 yards long. Seatrout and red drum, lots of little guys, but a couple decent ones, and no puffers were caught. I used one of those synthetic Clouser Minnows I tied last week- one fly all day. No collateral puffer damage, mission accomplished. Saw a few fish along the shoreline of the return trip, had one good shot using a bendback, got an eat, pooched it.

Same fish, different perspective!

Friday I went to River Breeze. Water looked great clarity-wise. Not much grass, lots of Rhodophyta. A saw maybe a dozen fish, some quick math, it came out to about one fish seen per paddled mile. Not gonna catch much with that density. Had one bite all day from a trout, watched it take the RipTide shad, and I missed it to complete the skunking. I went to several of my favorite winter spots up there, too. While I very much enjoyed the day and the paddling, I won’t be visiting again for a while…

And that, folks, is a Two Fine Days on Mosquito Lagoon Report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go on a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.