Solo Chokoloskee Fishing Report- A Photo Essay

Solo Chokoloskee Fishing Report

We could have called this report, “Last White Man Without a GPS Goes to the Everglades.” I have been to Chokoloskee before of course, but not for a long time. I took my skiff and a kayak, by myself. Thus the Solo Chokoloskee fishing report.

chokoloskee fishing report

No GPS. These are my navigational aids.

Last Saturday I checked the calendar for the coming week. Holy cow! I have no work! What to do?

“Go to the Everglades,” said a voice in my head. My bride said, “You’re going by yourself?!” “I don’t know anyone who could just take off for four days on the spur of the moment,” I replied. Sunday I packed my stuff. Monday morning about 4:30 I was on the road.

The ranger at Everglades City was a cute redhead with lots of freckles. I should have gotten her picture.

Kenny Brown is still behind the counter at the Outdoor Resorts, probably in his third decade there. Talk about a rock of stability!

chokoloskee fishing report

That Kumiski guy about to leave the dock at Outdoor Resort in Chokoloskee.

I had a magnificent campsite, waterfront with a view of the sunrise, on the Gulf of Mexico. While there were mosquitos, they weren’t anywhere close to what I thought they’d be. Minor problem.

chokoloskee fishing report

This was an awesome campsite, but there wasn’t much in the way of shade.

 

chokoloskee fishing report

The Mitzi and the OK wait patiently to go fishing.

 

chokoloskee fishing report

This black skimmer was one of my neighbors…

 

chokoloskee fishing report

…and the terns were in the high rent district.

All of my Everglades camping has been during the winter. A solar day in May lasts much longer than one in December. Just sayin’. And it was hot at the end of the day, which was a bigger problem than the bugs.

chokoloskee fishing report

Unloading the skiff in my temporary home in Paradise.

 

chokoloskee fishing report

Construction of the Taj Mahal…

Monday afternoon I tried fishing. The tide was high. The wind was out of the west, blowing like it was in a hurry to get somewhere. The water was dirty. I wasn’t quite sure of where I was (no GPS), and certainly had some self-doubt creeping into my consciousness. Fatigue and lack of cooperation from the fish did not help.

chokoloskee fishing report

Casting in high water did not work for me.

 

chokoloskee fishing report

I took some time to smell the bay beans…

Beat up from the travelling, fishing, and heat, getting horizontal in my hot Taj Mahal of a tent felt heavenly. An extended rain shower cooled things off. I still love the sound rain makes on my tent fly!

chokoloskee fishing report

A good night’s sleep and a good cup of joe made the morning much brighter.

Tuesday morning, newly optimistic, I headed for Lostmans’s, hoping to work out the 12-weight. Halfway there the sea was getting rough. Discretion spoke up. “If it gets any worse…” He didn’t need to finish the sentence. I pulled in to the nearest shore line and started looking.

chokoloskee fishing report

First fish of the trip. Nice little fishy!

There’s a shark. Oh, there’s a snook! And another one! It’s a little pack of them! I managed to scare them all with a large hair bug. It got switched for a streamer that produced two strikes. The second fish was healthy and took the fly with him. A second streamer fooled several more snook. I was pleased with the start.

chokoloskee fishing report

Streamers worked well.

 

chokoloskee fishing report

Red mangroves, the unofficial plant of the Florida Everglades.

I ran to a spot closer to camp and started looking again. Pop! A snook hit some bait in really skinny water. “That’s why you brought the kayak, John.” I paddled over, saw the fish, and tossed a little foam popper at it. He had an argument with himself about whether or not he should hit it. Unfortunately I lost that debate.

I flushed at least two dozen snook in the half mile of shoreline I paddled, scraping bottom much of the time. I just could not see them first. But I knew where to fish the next day.

chokoloskee fishing report

At one spot I stopped all I caught were some photos.

 

chokoloskee fishing report

When the tide got right the next morning me and the fly pole went paddling again. The bite was good, producing several snook, a nice red, several missed strikes, and a couple of break-offs. Then the water got really skinny again, and the fish stopped biting.

chokoloskee fishing report

Snook on a gurgler, always exciting!

 

chokoloskee fishing report

This red was my first on a fly rod popper in several years.

Breaking down camp took minutes. On the way back to Chokoloskee I learned where to look for tarpon, for future reference. I felt my way through Rabbit Key Pass with a Top Spot chart, managing not to break anything, or even really hit the bottom. Slept in my own bed Wednesday night, after what was a really enjoyable, if somewhat short, trip.

chokoloskee fishing report

The sun sets on my mini-vacation…

I enjoy fishing with that John Kumiski guy. He has a weird sense of humor, but he also has a good heart.

—————————————-
Last week I wrote, “One of Benjamin Ashworth’s birthday presents was a day with me (?!), fishing in Mosquito Lagoon. Girlfriend Chely was along too.”

I emailed Benjamin’s mom a thank you note. This was her response-

“They were so pleased with the fishing and had a wonderful time. They raved about you and how it was such a great fishing trip. As well as the bonus of seeing a good variety of wildlife!  They felt you were a great and knowledgeable guide and would love to go fishing with you again. Thank you again for making it a special birthday gift for Benjamin and Chely.”

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who fished with me this week. John, thank you for fishing with me!

That is the Solo Chokoloskee 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 2017. All rights are reserved.

Share
|



A Rare (for me) Flamingo Fishing Report

A Rare (for me) Flamingo Fishing Report

Ken Shannon and Bob Stearns were both on my mind a lot this week, as I fished out of Flamingo with my son Maxx (thus the Flamingo Fishing Report). It would have been nice to have either or both of those gentlemen with us. I’ve had many great trips down there with Ken, and learned more fishing there one day with Bob than I had in a dozen trips on my own. Great human beings, both of them.

And of course, a blessed Easter to all.

News of the Week
The year 2016 is shaping up to be the roughest yet for the Indian River Lagoon system. There was a total fish kill in the Banana River Lagoon this week. My understanding is that the biological collapse was nearly complete. Zero dissolved oxygen in the water asphyxiated everything there that needs to extract dissolved oxygen from that water to stay alive- all the fish and shellfish, all the other invertebrates, all the rooted plant life that had managed to survive to this point. Air breathers like dolphins and manatees won’t be faring too well either, as there is absolutely nothing left for them to eat there. Interested readers can get more information here: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2016/03/23/what-we-know—-and-dont-know—-fish-kill/82163574/

A tragic bit of news.

Fishing!
Tammy had given me a glowing report of her Econ trip last Saturday. I went by kayak on Tuesday and managed two sunfish in almost five hours, an ill omen for my charter the next day.

On Wednesday Wisconsin fly fishers Vic Gulla and his son Daniel joined me for a St. Johns/Econlockhatchee trip. Fishing was embarrassingly slow. In an all day trip they got a few sunfish, two gar, and two small bass. These guys are good anglers, too.

Early Thursday morning I pointed the chariot towards south Florida with the Mitzi in tow, meeting Maxx in Florida City at about 930. At Flamingo we got our backcountry permit, although we could not do what we wanted, which was to set up a base camp on the Oyster Bay chickee for three nights. No, we had to break camp and move every morning, a big waste of time and fuel, but park rules is park rules.

Our first night was at south Joe River chickee. Fishing in that area we got a couple ladyfish, a couple snapper, a small trout, a trophy lizardfish that I wish I’d photographed (don’t have any lizardfish photos), a few puffers, and some big, ugly gafftopsail catfish. The catfish would be a recurring theme on this trip.

flamingo fishing report

Maxx casts as the sun sets at south Joe River.

 

flamingo fishing report

Be it ever so humble. And they just cleaned the port-o-potty, too.

In general the water down there looks terrible and Coot Bay, which in my experience had always been clear, looks how the Mosquito Lagoon currently looks. I’m glad our state government is doing everything it can to keep Florida’s water quality at its historically high levels. Anyway…

Day two was spent moving camp to campsite B. We fished along the way, nabbing several more handsome sailcats. While casting a shoreline along which I was poling, Maxx also got a nice 27 inch snook on a pot-gut jig Bob Sterns had given me.

flamingo fishing report

Maxx about to boat his snook.

 

flamingo fishing report

A happy young man with a handsome fish.

We dropped off our gear at the second campsite and went looking for tarpon, the main focus of our planning for this trip. We found some, big, happy, rolling fish. One soon nailed my black and purple streamer and tried to kick my ass. It took thirty minutes of straining and grunting but Maxx finally leadered and lipped it, after which we used the trolling motor to revive it enough until Maxx couldn’t hold it any more. Awesome!

Maxx jumped an even bigger one on a deep-running DOA Bait Buster but it only stayed on for a couple jumps before tossing the bait.

flamingo fishing report

Tarpon on fly, it does not get any better!

 

flamingo fishing report

Yes, it was a solid fish.

Night two was spent at the Shark River chickee. There Maxx and I experienced the heaviest no-see-um concentration that I personally have ever been fortunate enough to witness. I got utterly devoured while making supper. We jumped into the boat and rode around while eating our spaghetti and no-see-ums (I guess we got them back just a little bit there) just so we could relax, after a fashion of speaking, in bug-free comfort.

The bugs were waiting for us when we got back.

We got into the tent as fast as we could. So we would have something to do in there about 800 of the tiny bloodsuckers came in with us. It was about an hour until dark, and we killed diminutive, biting nuisances the entire time, actually ending up with a relatively bug-free sleep.

The bugs were waiting for us when we woke up. Several clouds of no-see-ums, each with thousands of individuals, hovered outside our tent. The diabolical midges knew we had to come out, I guess. There was no wind to disperse them, so they just bided their time.

We broke down camp in record time but in that time they bit the snot out of us. A fast boat ride blew them all away. All that was left were the welts.

We went back to where the tarpon were the previous day. Most of them were gone. We sat down to wait, a nice breeze keeping the bugs away. A school of fish came, obviously going someplace. We followed and fished them for about thirty minutes, without a bite, then gave up and returned to the “spot” and waited.

Another school came. Maxx jumped one on the Bait Buster. Two jumps and it was off. We followed and fished them fruitlessly for about 20 minutes, then returned to the “spot” and again waited.

Another school came. I got a bite on a Bait Buster, a big fish. One jump and it was off. We followed and fished them for about 20 minutes, then returned to the “spot” and again waited.

No more came. We eventually gave up, since we had to go to the Joe River chickee for our final night.
On the way we caught a few seatrout, keeping two 16 inch fish for supper. The catfish again made an appearance. No shortage of catfish down there, that’s for sure.

Joe River chickee has a double platform. Our neighbor this night was an 83 year old gentleman who was down there fishing by himself. Right on, baby! I can only pray that will be me in 20 years, and there will still be such a thing as wild fish to fish for.

flamingo fishing report

Joe River sunrise, Easter morning.

And that, dear reader, is this week’s Flamingo fishing report from Spotted Tail.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

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

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

Share
|



  • Indian River Lagoon Fish Kill Rally March 26, 2016
  • Florida fish kill: ‘Heartbreaking images’ for miles

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.

Share |



Indian River Lagoon Fishing Report

The Jensen Beach Area Fishing Report from Spotted Tail 6.16.12

On Sunday, friend and neighbor Tom Van Horn and I made a trek to Jensen Beach to stay at River Palms, to do some fishing on Monday and Tuesday.

On Monday Doug Pike and I went out with Capt. Squeeky Kelly. Fishing with Doug was awesome. He was once editor of Tide magazine. He was one of my favorite magazine editors when I was writing a lot, so it was a pleasure getting to spend the day with him. And Squeeky is quite the character. We spent a lot of time laughing at stupid stuff.

We got about 20 trout to about 22 inches or so, not particularly hot fishing. Most of the damage was done with a DOA Bait Buster, shallow running version.

seatrout on DOA

Capt. Squeeky holds the best fish of the day, caught on a DOA Bait Buster.

Several of the other boats had a similar problem as far as getting fish. Although tough fishing-wise, it was still a great day, wonderful weather, fantastic company.

On Tuesday Willy Le and I went out with Capt. Marcia Foosaner, one of my oldest friends from that part of the world. Usually when I fish with Marcia I watch her catch fish. She typically schools me pretty well.

It was another fairly tough morning. We went wading, all three of us tossing the three inch DOA Shrimp in various hues. I hooked a nice snook, which cut me off. A smallish crevalle and small flounder followed. Marcia hooked, then lost, a redfish. Willy and I each got a mangrove snpper. Then I hooked another snook, a five pound fish that I caught. We photographed and released it.

Snook taken on a DOA Shrimp

WIlly Le holds a snook fooled by a DOA Shrimp.

I hooked another snook and got cut off again. Then Willy hooked and lost the fish of the day, a solid snook which tossed the hook during a head shake.

All too soon it was time to head back to River Palms, to head home. Tom dropped me off at about 4 PM. The two days had flown by.

Wednesday morning found me at the chiropractor. My back has been a mess.

Thursday’s trip fell through. Quality time was spent with my bride.

Friday Susan and I celebrated out 32nd wedding anniversary. I got to do some honey-dos.

And that, short though it may be, is this week’s Indian River Lagoon 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 2012. All rights are reserved.