Chuluota Freshwater Fishing Report
Thank you for reading this Chuluota freshwater fishing report. This reporter spent two days fishing this week, one of them on Lake Mills, the other on the Econ. Catching success was mixed.
Due to gas prices and other expenses I’ve had this month, I decided to stick close to home to get my fishing in. Lake Mills doesn’t get much closer to home, being less than five miles away. Lake Mills Park has a launch for canoes, kayaks, and other non-motorized boats. I used that launch Monday to wash and photograph my expedition kayak, which I am selling. As long as I was at the lake, may as well go fishing!
The wind was light, blowing out away from the kayak launch. I stayed in the lee. One thing about Lake Mills I don’t care for is that the entire lake, except for where the park is, is surrounded by homes. Most of them have docks and various types of motor vessels tied to them. Fortunately there was no motor vessel traffic the couple hours I was there.
Using a plastic worm (red shad), I got a bass (a small one) on my second cast. Then came a lengthy dry spell. I was fishing in that lee, and came to the end of it, so I turned around, cast the worm out, and started paddling back the way I had come to fish the rest of it, on the other side of the launch.
That’s how I got the second bass, a nicer one. Same lure. I tried the fly rod with the gurgler for a while, but only small sunnies showed interest. Went back to the worm and got another small bass.
By now I’m close to the end of the lee on the other side. A mental note happened- “When I get to that tree, I’m turning around.” Just before reaching the tree in question, a bite. Wow, a real one! I got the camera out and got a picture of the beast, easily five or six pounds. Then I let it go, paddled back to the launch, and loaded the boat. A successful two-hour trip!
Tuesday
I had to go to Lake Mary Hospital and take a lung function test. Apparently, I still have some lung function. I see the pulmonologist Monday and will see exactly how much, I imagine.
Wednesday
I launched the canoe on the Econlockhatchee at Snow Hill Road. The day was lovely. Fishing, at the least the getting bites and catching fish part, not so good. I broke off the only decent bite I had, ending up with a stumpknocker and a redbelly on fly, and another redbelly and a small bass on the spin rod. I was out six hours.
Thursday
was an errands day. Our taxes are done!
Friday
Alastair Worden and I went to see Mike Livera at Kiwi Camera Service in Orlando. Back in the 80s, when I was a schoolteacher, Mike was one of my science students (Lake Howell High School). I took him and another student to Lostman’s Key for a week over spring break, and wrote an article about it, the first I’d ever written. Florida Sportsman magazine bought and published that piece, and my writing career was born. We had not seen each other since those days, so it was a reunion of sorts. For a camera buff, the shop is amazing- Alastair was in heaven.
That’s the Chuluota freshwater fishing report. Thanks for reading!
Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go walking! Stay active! And don’t get sick!
John Kumiski – https://spottedtail.com
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