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Van Conversion and Two Days Fishing, Again

January 27, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Van Conversion and Two Days Fishing

Didn’t I use this title last week? Thank you for reading this post on Van Conversion and Two Days Fishing. The fishing was fair at best, but let’s look to the van first…

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

I’ve built the cabinet in the back of the van. Debating as to whether to put doors on the hatches. Will need to take a couple short trips to see if stuff falls out, I suppose.

Whenever I use the Bang-O-Craft, I always run all the gasoline out of the carburetor at the end of the trip. When I used it last week, I forgot to do that. When I finished working on the van Tuesday, it was about 1500 hours. I’ll run the gas out of the boat! I’ll bring a fishing rod!

I went to CS Lee Park. There was exactly one trailer in the lot, not a good sign. I ran the boat up to the mouth of the Econ. Saw no breaking fish at all- no gar, no mullet, and certainly no shad. Did not get a bite on tandem-rigged crappie jigs. A virtual biological desert! Floated down the river to the boat ramp, casting the entire way, solidly skunked.

There was an FWC creel survey dude there, who interviewed me. He told me no one has caught anything out of that ramp for at least three weeks. He further said such shad as were being caught were being taken out of the Cameron Wright ramp, near Sanford. Sounds like a poor shad season to me…

Friday under a heavy overcast I went back to the Indian River Lagoon, tailing black drum on my mind. Naturally, I didn’t see a one. I did get rained on. In my waders, with a raincoat on, it was not unpleasant. I did see a fair number of redfish. Unfortunately, all but two were flushed by running them over with the kayak, not a good technique for catching them.

The two I had shots at were bank-crawlers. I hit one on the tail with the RipTide shad, also not a good technique for catching them. The other spooked off my schmutz-coated fly (a wiry green algae collection guaranteed to offend any fish).

I got a trout and a small red blind-casting the shad to keep the skunk at bay. I have to think if I went there with good visibility I’d get a few fish. It doesn’t look like that chance will happen this week, though

And that, folks, is a Van Conversion and Two Days Fishing Report. Thanks again 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.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida, Sienna Van conversion · Tagged: , , ,

Van Conversion and Two Days Fishing

January 20, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Van Conversion and Two Days Fishing

Thank you for reading this post on Van Conversion and Two Days Fishing. The fishing was fair at best, but let’s look to the van first…

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

I’m building a cabinet in the back of the van. It’s hard! I’m hardly a skilled woodworker, and nothing in the van is square or level. In spite of that the cabinet is mostly done. It may not be bee-you-tee-full, but it will be funk-shun-al. Once I run some wiring along the back of it, I can put the face back on, and probably cover a few of the hatches with doors. All in good time.

Once I run the wiring. Should only take a week…

OK, fishing. Thursday was the best day of the week, speaking weather. Nice day, windless. But overcast much of the day. I fished in the Indian River Lagoon.

It’s hard to see fish when it’s overcast. I got a few trout blind-casting with the shad, and a small red too.

Got a few trout on the shad.

God smiled on me in the form of a bank-crawling, ten-pound red. I got the shad in front of him and he crushed it. Pulled the kayak quite a way, a nice, fun ride!

He pulled the kayak quite a way.

I found some tailing black drum. There was no way to tell which way they were facing or moving. I’d see a tail, put the fly near it, and hope for the best. I didn’t get a bite. I don’t think that was the best, but at least I had some shots, so no complaints. But no fish on fly, second trip in a row.

Friday I picked up Tom Van Horn at noon and we went to Mullet Lake Park in search of the wily American shad. I didn’t even bring a fly rod. The river is running quite high, especially for the “dry season”. Tom quickly got the skunk off the boat with a fat crappie he got on a Road Runner. I got one a short time later on a crappie jig. Then we had a long dry spell.

Shad-a-lac!

We decided to run down to Marina Isle. I couldn’t help but notice on the way that there was rain falling to the south. We stopped, turned around, and started trolling back to the boat ramp. Tom got a bite and got an American shad! His first of the season! We got to the ramp and the rain started to fall on us at the same time. It was only about 2:30. I’d like to think we didn’t miss much in the way of fishing.

The hero and the fish.

Tom went shad fishing Thursday out of CS Lee Park. Out four hours, he got exactly no hits, a good skunking. So our three fish in two hours was, speaking comparatively, some hot fishin’!

The weather’s not looking good for the weekend, but at least we have some playoff football to watch.

And that, folks, is a Van Conversion and Two Days Fishing Report. Thanks again for reading, and thank you, Tom!

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.

Filed Under: central florida fishing report, Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida, Sienna Van conversion · Tagged: , , , , , ,

Boreas Still Here, No Fishing. And Merry Christmas!

December 23, 2023 by · 2 Comments

Boreas Still Here, No Fishing. And Merry Christmas!

Last week I wrote about Boreas, god of winds. Boreas still here, and again, no fishing. The Econ gauge as I write this is just under 12 feet, the Haulover Canal gauge at 1.5 feet, so fishing would likely be a waste even if I were to brave the gale. I might be getting cabin fever…

Best wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy holiday season! Merry Christmas!

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

Great Blue Heron, Orlando Wetlands Park.

It was quite the week, though. A visit to the dermatologist to have pre-cancerous lesions frozen off my face. I remember all the fun in the sun I had for thirty years every time that happens. The winter solstice was Thursday. I love the pagan holidays! I disassembled the old camper build in my van and took halting steps towards building the new one. Rodney Smith and I took a walk at the Orlando Wetlands Park. Susan and I bought a new window install for our abode- cha-CHING! And, we had a guest blog by Julia Mitchell, enormously different than anything I might write.

Black vulture, Orlando Wetlands Park.

 

Purple aster, Orlando Wetlands Park.

 

American shad, St. Johns River.

Those of you who need fishing-related activity can take solace in the fact that the first shad to be caught in the St. Johns River will likely be caught between now and New Years Day. Dust off the shad tackle and get your flies and lures ready! Along with the shad, crappie, bluegills, a few largemouths, and if we’re lucky, those striper hybrids that Florida calls sunshine bass will be caught too!

Black crappie.

 

Largemouth bass, a very aggressive little one.

 

“Sunshine” bass, St. Johns River.

That’s the Boreas Still Here 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 2023. All rights are reserved.

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Alafia River State Park Report, more

January 8, 2021 by · 2 Comments

Alafia River State Park Report, more

Thank you for reading this Alafia River State Park Report. Did a couple other things, too.

Upcoming Event– Lake Monroe Cleanup, Jan. 23 

Click the link now to reserve your space!

Sunday– tried my luck shad fishing in the St. Johns, launching at CS Lee and fishing around the Econ River mouth. Cast for three hours, only met this guy again-

Monday– Drove to Stuart to fish with Rick DePaiva in the Indian River Lagoon. Hadn’t seen him since last year! We fished for pompano, and it was s-l-o-w. That having been said, I got two pompano on a pompano jig. Also got a bluefish, a redfish, several crevalle jacks, a ladyfish, and a tiny mutton snapper. We worked it hard all day.

Tuesday Sue and I packed for a little camping trip.

Wednesday through Friday we were at Alafia River State Park in Lithia (Hillsborough County) on a fact-finding mission. I’d never been there nor heard much about it. And really, we went there because I couldn’t get a site at Hillsborough River.

The park sits on an old phosphate mining site. There are phosphate pits full of water there, as well as the Alafia River. The river is small and shallow, but looks like it should hold some bass and bream. We checked it out from a bridge at the park’s south entrance. The only fish we saw, and were hordes of them, were Plecostamus. If I had brought a paddle vessel, I would have explored it. But, didn’t bring a boat.

We walked one of the equestrian trails.

The park’s main claim to fame are the mountain biking trails. They are supposed to be the finest in the southeast. I didn’t bring a bike either, and doubt if I’m healthy enough to ride any more, but the bike trail system is extensive, well-managed, and well-maintained. There’s a pro shop there (closed during our visit), a bike washing station, air pumps, and map boards. Trails are marked by skill level, from the turtle track for beginners to two or three double-diamond expert trails.

The pond I cast into. The banks were high and nearly vertical in most places.

The Turtle Track is a multi-use trail (the bike trails are dedicated- hikers not allowed). Susan and I walked it, and I carried a spin rod. The ponds we came to, with one exception, had such thick duckweed my shad just sat on top of it. Couldn’t get my lure wet for the duckweed! The no-duckweed pond got a few casts with no response, but access was difficult due to the terrain.

Susan on the hiking trail.

There are hiking trails that also use the old phosphate mining area, with abrupt elevation changes sufficient to get one’s heart pumping fast. We started on one and made it up one hill before turning around. The hiking trails map is hopelessly inadequate, unfortunately.

At the park’s north entrance is a phosphate pit you can drag a small boat into. Again, didn’t bring a boat. But it looks delicious…

Phosphate pit at north end of park, courtesy Google Maps.

The campsite was a state park campsite- electric and water hookup, nice clean bathhouse within easy walking distance. Most people there are in RVs so tenters or van life folks pretty much have the bathhouse to themselves.

I went out at night to make photos, and zombies came after me!

So, the park caters to bicycles, has equestrian, hiking, and fishing available, and is nicely maintained. I’d go back, but I’d bring a kayak with me.

Thank you for reading this Alafia River State Park Report blog!

Life is great and I love life!

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

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

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

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

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