Around Central Florida Fishing Report

Around Central Florida Fishing Report

I fished in three different places early in the week, giving me an around central Florida fishing report.

Sunrise was spectacular.

Sunday morning I hauled meself out of bed and drove to Playalinda, watching lightning play between the clouds as I drove. Armed with a stripping basket and an eight-weight fly rod loaded with an intermediate line, my first thought on seeing the surf in the dawn’s gloaming was, “I can’t fly fish in that.” It turns out I was wrong.

“I can’t fly fish in that!”

Observation- that 50 foot cast that looks so great on a stream or pond looks terribly short in the ocean.

Sunrise was spectacular. But there was no bait. No birds were working. I parked at lot 1 and worked most of the way to the fence, tossing a 3/0 electric sushi. Not a tap did I get.

He had just as much success as I did.

Near the boardwalk a guy was bait fishing. He had just as much success as I did, at least while I was there. That wasn’t very long. I was home before church got out.

*****

Monday Scott Radloff joined me for a Mitzi trip out of Port Canaveral. We launched the boat before 8 AM, heading south to see what we could see. The water was dirty. A few pelicans circled lazily, diving every now and then.

For about a mile north of CB pier the surf was loaded with mullet. We saw a few busts in there. I netted some of the lisa. We impaled a couple on hooks and tossed them out, freelining and dragging them behind us while using the trolling motor. This lasted 40 minutes or so, when I ran out of patience.

We ran most of the way to the CB steeple, saw nothing. I turned left and headed out a couple miles. The sea was flotsam free. We saw nothing in the way of fish.

I turned left and headed for the cape shoals. We saw nothing. The water did get a lot cleaner north of the buoy line.

The water along the beach on the way back to the port had a few schools of finger mullet. We saw a couple small busts in one that I suspect were ladyfish. We did not get a bite.

We saw a small manta ray within a stone’s throw of the beach. He was lonely.

We saw a barracuda within a stone’s throw of the beach. He ignored our offerings.

Back at the ramp I saw and talked to Fred Cisnero. He had not gotten a bite either.

*****

Tuesday morning I drove up to Spruce Creek, launched the kayak about 8 AM. It was a slack high tide, pretty much the worst tide possible for fishing there. The odd mullet jumped happily. Other than that the water surface was almost a mirror.

I started with the six-weight. On my leader was a size one electric chicken colored synthetic minnow, EP-style. About an hour in I found some baby tarpon rolling, quite a few of them. I got only two responses to my casts, both negative.

I changed to a black and purple version of the same pattern. That got no response at all.

Since I had a spin rod, I tried a plastic shad. Nothing.

Near noon some busting fish attracted my attention. A Chug Bug elicited strikes but no hookups. I switched to a Deadly Combo. That resulted in a rat red, a snooklet, and a crevalle of about one pound, all within a 10-minute span. Hey, yay, the skunk was off!

Shortly after this I loaded up the boat and drove home, stopping at River Breeze and Beacon 42 on the way. The water is high and looks dirty. Perhaps I will venture out there next week, if the new storm misses us.

Errands and weather kept me off the water the rest of the week. Humberto, go away!!!

I have a new book coming out! Please tell your friends! It’s a guide book to fishing Florida by paddle craft. Click this link for more information!

That’s this week’s Around Central Florida Fishing Report. Thanks for reading!

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 2019. All rights are reserved.

Tax Day Central FLorida Fishing Report

Tax Day Central FLorida Fishing Report

Happy Tax Day to everyone, especially the CPAs. Thank you for reading this Tax Day Central FLorida fishing report.

Cartoon of the Week-

 

FISHING!

MONday Tired of not getting bites, decided to try something different. Loaded the bicycle and a spin rod into the car. Drove to a park. Unloaded the bicycle and fishing rod, wired the rod to the bike. Put hooks and purple plastic worms into my pocket and rode into the woods to a spot I’d been to only once before. Did not carry a camera.

Found the stream, surrounded by second growth cypress. The woods glowed a lovely spring green. Was not encouraged by the appearance of the stream- small, shallow, overgrown, hardly any current. Tossed a worm into a little hole. BAM! Two pound bass.

Under the trees the woods were dark, and other than the songs of birds, quiet. The air smelled sweetly. Lizard’s tail (https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/saururus-cernuus/) was blooming. I found some old footprints but did not see anyone else. Only three pieces of trash were noted.

Lizard’s Tail, Saururus cernuus

The bass attacked that worm like they were starving. At one spot got three two-pounders on three casts without moving my feet. Don’t recall that ever happening anywhere with bass. I didn’t get any bigger than about two and a half pounds, but didn’t get any smaller than one pound. Got 25 or 30, enough to wear most of the skin off my left thumb. The fish were beautiful, healthy, fat. Almost black they were so dark. Even got a mudfish, a personal favorite. In a way the tiny creek reminded me of brook trout fishing in my youth.

Had a pair of otters swim almost right up to me. We observed each other for a couple minutes. I asked them how they were doing. They responded by swimming around and away. They looked like they were enjoying themselves too.

To illustrate just how good it was, after I loaded up the car and started driving home, it started to rain. Perfect timing, too! God smiled on me on Monday.

Would love to go back. Tiny spots like that are delicate, though. It will be quite a while before I return.

Thursday loaded up the expedition kayak (Prowler 15) and went to Spruce Creek, which is not much of an expedition. The boat handled beautifully. Fishing was slow. Got a decent trout (18”?), a smallish crevalle, and a flounder. Hooked and lost a beefier jack. That was it. Didn’t see much other than fishermen. Quite a few of those.

Friday Tom Van Horn joined me for some Mosquito Lagoon flats fishing. The wind was stiff from the south. We could not find any clean water, saw exactly two redfish. Did not get a shot, did not hit a fish blind casting the plastic shad. A juvenile blue crab pinched my line and was brought into the boat, our only animate catch. Does that chase the skunk away??

That’s this week’s Tax Day Central FLorida Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

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 2019. All rights are reserved.

Paddle Fishing Central Florida Fishing Report

Paddle Fishing Central Florida Fishing Report

We checked out some widely spaced fishing spots again this week, with some wild goose chases tossed in for good measure. So we have a Paddle Fishing Central Florida Fishing Report for you.

Upcoming Events


Aloha Protect Our Waters Fundraiser! It should be called th FUN-raiser- Mai-tais, tropical cuisine, and live music highlight this event. There might be some well-known fishing personalities, too. All funds raised help support Anglers for Conservation’s youth fishing education programs. Oct 14, 3-6 PM. For more information visit www.anglersforconservation.org/pow

MINWR Show and Tell Fishing Seminar. Oct. 27, 830 AM. In this all-day seminar I SHOW you where to fish, and TELL you how to be succesful. For more information visit http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

Mosquito Lagoon On-the-Water Show and Tell Seminar. Oct. 28. In this four hour seminar I take you ut in my skiff and show you all my secrets. For more information visit http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-on-the-water-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/

On to Fishing-natti!

Monday I took the kayak up to the Tomoka River, launching at River Bend Nature Park .

Paddle Fishing Central Florida Fishing Report

It’s a simple launch site…

The birds were beautiful but I was not impressed by the scenery. There was very little activity in the water, and most of the fishing was in people’s back yards. They were nice back yards, but still… One micro-snook and one mudfish graced my boat during my almost four-hour-long visit. A guy with a loud weed-whacker drove me out of there. Doubt that I’d go back.

Paddle Fishing Central Florida Fishing Report

This beautiful mudfish was my best catch.

Stopped at Spruce Creek on the way back for a three-hour tour. Got there after noon, tide was falling. Hit a flounder almost immediately. Should have quit right there- did not get another bite. All the fish were taken on a RipTide Sardine.

Paddle Fishing Central Florida Fishing Report

A Fabulous Flounder on the Sardine.

Tuesday I visited my old friend the Mosquito Lagoon for a solo paddle trip. The wind was from the east, the water was dirty. I expected nothing. The first thing I found was a dead manatee.

Paddle Fishing Central Florida Fishing Report

The vultures are happy about this.

Wasn’t I surprised when my first two fish were snook! They were small ones, but I don’t remember ever catching two in 20 minutes there before.

I found a single (?!) black drum tailing. Could not get a shot.

Got a trout about 18” by dragging the Sardine behind me while I paddled. It was almost a cheat. All fish were released hopefully unharmed.

I spent some time wading, sight fishing for redfish. The first one I saw hit the Sardine, but I missed it. Did not get shots at the other two because I almost stepped on them. It was hard to see!

Back in the boat, ran over several single reds. Got out to wade, and here came one down the shoreline, happy and stupid, its back out of the water. Switched rods, dropped the fly in front- BAM! Nice.

Paddle Fishing Central Florida Fishing Report

It was not huge, but it did take a fly!

I have a book called A Paddler’s Guide to the Sunshine State, by Sandy Huff. In it she describes a trip on Reedy Creek. I decided I wanted to go there.

Thursday we started late, “we” being Alex and I. We got stuck in a parking lot kind of traffic jam on 417 and could not make it to Reedy Creek. We hit several retention ponds in consolation, getting thrown out of one by local law enforcement and netting three bass to three pounds.

Friday morning I decided to try Reedy Creek as a solo. It’s down by Intercession City, so it’s a drive for me. I finally find the right spot, and all access to the creek is fenced off. Even though I’m 100 yards from the water, I can’t get there. Thoroughly disgusted at this point, I just drove home and wrote this report.

And that was how my fishing week ended. I may have an interesting report next week.

And that is the Paddle Fishing Central Florida Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

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 2018. All rights are reserved.

Happy Thanksgiving Space Coast Fishing Report

Happy Thanksgiving Space Coast Fishing Report

I hope all of you have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving, and I thank you for reading this Space Coast fishing report.

The observant among you probably noticed I skipped last week. Really, there was nothing to report.

Non Fishing-
I have not used their services, but Elevate Destinations claims that when you book a trip with them, you make possible travel for those less advantaged. It seems a great idea. Check out their website here- http://elevatedestinations.com

Monday
Tammy, Mike and I were supposed to go fishing. Something about the 20 knot winds in the forecast scared off some of the participants. I went alone to the north end of the Indian RIver Lagoon, and enjoyed the birds and wind.

Thursday
Mike Conneen and I went to Spruce Creek to do some paddling. My first fish was a fat flounder. Have you ever noticed you never hear the words “catch-and-release” and “flounder” in the same sentence?

space coast fishing report

Happy and surprised by this fish, I invited it home for dinner.

In addition I got five redfish and two snook, all on jigs. With the exception of a 22 inch red, everything was decidedly below the slot.

space coast fishing report

This was my second-best fish.

Mike got some fish too!

space coast fishing report

Mike lost the big one 🙁

Friday
Tom VanHorn took me into the Banana River Lagoon. You still can’t see the bottom. While I brought a fly rod I really didn’t expect to use it.

My first fish was a monster sail cat, the biggest I’ve ever gotten. I cleaned a large chunk of slimy goo off my leader afterwards.

That’s a fistful of slimy fish, now!

We began hitting seatrout, fairly nice ones.

space coast fishing report

We hit several limits of trout like this.

We came to a spot where the trout action on jigs was hot enough that I broke out the six-weight. I can’t say I did great but I missed a few strikes and got a couple trout to about three pounds.

space coast fishing report

Even got some with the fly pole!

All-in-all it was the best fishing I’ve had since Irma passed by, which is certainly encouraging.

And that, dear reader, is the Space Coast fishing report. Thanks for reading!

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.

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