You are here: Home / Archives for Photo Essays

Indian River Lagoon Report

June 2, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Indian River Lagoon Report

Thanks for reading this Indian River Lagoon Report. Only one day this week was spent fishing, but I did paddle the Econ and get a walk in at the wetlands park.

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

The Econ

Last week’s rains have raised the water level in the Econ. I paddled it Monday. The Snow Hill Road gauge read 5.5 feet. I didn’t bring a fishing rod, just a camera…

Buttonbush.

 

Wildflowers in a small meadow.

 

Seeds from a dandelion-like flower, waiting for the wind.

Indian River Lagoon

Last week’s rains have raised the water level in the lagoon, much higher than I like. I went kayaking in a spot that’s an old friend, one I hadn’t been to for a while. One red on fly, a couple trout, and no reason to rush back. The water is just too deep. You can’t see anything.

From there I went to another spot where I have been fishing lately, with some success. I tried wading. The water, formerly knee deep, now tickled the jewels. I got right back in the kayak. I did get a black drum on a 3″ plastic shad, to my surprise. Beautiful day, great paddling, tough fishing because of the water depth.

Orlando Wetlands Park

A walk in the wetlands park followed. Who cares about the water level? It was cloudy. I got some nice photos.

 

An old and beat-up four-spotted pennant.

 

A young and virile four-spotted pennant.

 

Great blue heron. Looks a little silly from this angle.

 

Needham’s skimmer, male.

 

Needham’s skimmer, female.

 

Tilapia.

 

Eastern pondhawk, male.

 

Doctor for me, doctor for the van, week over. Enjoy your weekend, see you next time.

That’s the Indian River Lagoon Report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Photo Essays · Tagged: , , ,

Short Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons Report

May 12, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Short Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons Report

Only a single day on the water this week, split between two locations. Thus, a Short Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons Report.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, and everyone else, too. Mother’s Day and Earth Day have something in common- every day should be mother’s day, and every day should be earth day.

Subscribers- no photos? https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/

Got up early Tuesday. Launched the kayak behind the Education Center in the Wildlife Refuge, paddled out of Dummit Creek. Beautiful morning, but the water looked lifeless- no birds, hardly any bait. Once I cleared the creek the water cleared and looked good. Grass is starting to grow back there, too. But in two hours I did not see or touch a fish.

I loaded up and moved to Mosquito Lagoon.

It wasn’t exactly gangbusters there, either. I got one redfish and a nice trout on fly. Tiring of fighting the wind, I broke out the spin rod and got a handful of trout and – drum roll, please- a jack crevalle on the plastic shad. I suspected there were jacks around, as the mullet were showering sporadically. The only photo I took was of the jack, it’s become such an unusual catch in the lagoons. Maybe they’re making a comeback!

In an ongoing effort to provide entertainment to my valued readers, I’m including a bunch of paddling photos from years past. Enjoy!

Daryl “Bones” Benton, 2013 Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure. We should be  this happy every time we’re out!

 

Dee Kaminsky, 2013 Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure.

 

Peter Camuso and your reporter, Westfield River, Massachusetts, 1980.

 

Low tide on the Gulf. Photo courtesy of Mike Conneen.

 

Jim Tedesco, East Bay.

 

Your reporter, on the Gulf. Photo Courtesy Mike Conneen.

 

Jim Tedesco and your reporter, Machias River, Maine, circa 1976.

 

Nick Colantonio, 2013 Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure.

 

Maxx Kumiski, Indian River Lagoon.

 

I got this snook in a tiny Everglades creek. The next one I hooked broke my rod, then my line.

 

Brian Jaye and Maxx Kumiski, Nantahala River.

 

Mike Conneen, on the Gulf.

 

Don Causey, Everglades National Park.

 

Alex Kumiski, Everglades National Park.

 

Maxx Kumiski, Chattahootchee River.

 

Maxx tosses a nice loop, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Contrasting styles, Manatee River.

 

Tammy Wilson, Econlockhatchee River.

 

Mike Conneen, Banana River Lagoon.

 

Mike in a jack melee, Manatee River.

 

Your reporter amongst the crocodiles, Everglades National Park. Photo courtesy Mike Conneen.

 

Jack Hutson, Nantahala River.

 

Backcountry paddle, Everglades National Park.

 

Fish on, Everglades National Park. Photo courtesy of Mike Conneen.

That’s the Short Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons Report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Photo Essays · Tagged: , , , ,

Fishing and Paddling Around Central Florida Report and Photo Essay

May 7, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Fishing and Paddling Around Central Florida Report and Photo Essay

Fortunately, I got out paddling and walking this week. The weather, so unpredictable last week, was splendid every day. And it’s officially tarpon season, not that I’ll be going. No boat 🙁

Subscribers- no photos? https://www.spottedtail.com/blog . Please bookmark the page!!!

Monday and Tuesday I went paddle fishing on Mosquito Lagoon. I could be verbose, but will let the photos do the work. The water was clean and the seagrass was thick!!!

Swarms of minnows, clean water, and seagrass. Have we turned a corner?

 

There were snook in places like this.

 

Aggressive little snapper. I got two.

 

The dark patches are seagrass.

 

 

 

A manatee vertebra?

 

One of several.

 

One of many.

Wednesday afternoon saw me walking at Orlando Wetlands Park, camera in hand-

Great blue heron.

 

Roseate spoonbills.

 

Alligator mississippiensis.

 

Alligator mississippiensis.

Friday Jorge Hidalgo accompanied me down the Econlockhatchee-

The vessel.

 

Hooked up.

 

The fish.

 

The release.

Saturday found me paddling the Juniper Springs Run with a group from the Central Florida Freethought Community –

 

 

 

 

 

It was a very cool week! That’s the Fishing and Paddling Around Central Florida report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida destinations, Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida, Photo Essays · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Gone Fishin’ Photo Essay, Part 2

February 10, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Gone Fishin’ Photo Essay, Part 2

Thanks for viewing this Gone Fishin’ Photo Essay. There was no fishing done by this reporter this week due to last Monday’s surgery- still on probation, doctor’s orders. I go see her Wednesday, hopefully I can get the bandages off!

Subscribers, if the photos don’t load, please visit my blog at https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/

On Plum Island, Massachusetts.

 

Trent River, Ontario.

 

The Oconaluftee River, North Carolina. Yes, it is Tammy.

 

Playalinda Beach, Florida.

 

Jim Tedesco, St. George Sound, Florida.

 

Big man, big fish, big water, tiny boat. Off Cocoa Beach, Florida.

 

Spartina saltmarsh, Louisiana.

 

Jim Tedesco, near Navarre Beach, Florida.

 

St. Johns River system, Florida.

 

Hauling a halibut aboard, Kasheverof Strait, Alaska.

 

Clinch River, Tennessee.

 

Tom Van Horn sinking the gaff, off Cape Canaveral.

 

Manatee, Indian River Lagoon, Florida.

 

St. George Sound, Florida.

 

Almost got it! Mosquito Lagoon, Florida.

 

Off Cape Canaveral.

 

Alex, Bulow Creek, Florida.

 

Tammy, Econlockhatchee River, Florida.

 

Mike Conneen, Gulf of Mexico, Florida.

 

Port Canaveral.

 

Mike Conneen, Gulf of Mexico, Florida.

 

Mosquito Lagoon, Florida.

 

Everglades National Park.

 

Ken Shannon, Belize.

 

Maxx, Everglades National Park.

 

Your blogger, shortly after he got his driver’s license, on the Merrimac River, Massachusetts.

That’s the gone fishin’ photo essay part 2. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays · Tagged: , , , ,

Gone Fishin’ Photo Essay

February 3, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Gone Fishin’ Photo Essay

Thanks for viewing this Gone Fishin’ Photo Essay. There was no fishing done by this reporter this week due to Monday’s surgery- doctor’s orders. Wanting to give my readers something fishy to fantasize about, I put together this photo essay.

Subscribers, if the photos don’t load, please visit my blog at https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/

Watching the space shuttle, Indian River Lagoon.

 

Bass fishing, central Florida.

 

Son Alex, blacktip shark, Collier County.

 

Jumping silver salmon, Goodnews River, Alaska.

 

Running through Buttonwood Canal.

 

Netting bait, Brevard County.

 

Tom Mitzlaff poles the late Joe Mulson, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Tarpon fishing, Gulf of Mexico.

 

Tarpon fishing, Atlantic Ocean.

 

Maxx, tarpon, Lee County.

 

Maxx, looking for tarpon, Lee County.

 

On Rock Island. Courtesy of Mike Conneen.

 

Mike Conneen releases a seatrout, St. George Sound.

 

Alex, gone fishin’.

 

Happy kid, Lake Ashby.

 

Rodney Smith, gone fishin’, Banana River Lagoon.

 

Alex hooked up, Goodnews River.

 

Chuck Hunt, Goodnews River.

 

Willie’s trophy log, Goodnews River.

 

Playalinda Beach.

 

Little Talbot Island.

 

Everglades National Park.

 

Seth Vernon, Wilmington, NC.

 

Busting bonito off Cape Canaveral.

And a personal favorite-

Tammy and Barbie, gone fishin’.

Which one do you like best???

That’s the gone fishin’ photo essay. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays · Tagged: , , ,

There and Back, to California

January 13, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

There and Back, to California- a photo essay

First off, happy new year to everyone. Thanks for reading this There and Back, to California, report.

Subscribers, if the photos don’t load, please visit my blog at https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/

Susan and I spent three weeks in California over the holidays, seeing our children and their wives, relatives, and friends, and watching rain fall. And a few other things. And I hate flying coach. Almost hope I never do it again.

I went fishing one day when I got back.

And Jeff Beck died on Wednesday. Guess I’ll start with that.

I have loved Jeff Beck’s music since I was in high school. Truth. Beck-Ola. Rough and Ready. The Orange Album. Blow by Blow. Wired. So many more. He just kept getting better, reaching heights of guitar virtuosity most of us can’t even dream of, no matter what we do.

Fortunately for all of us, he’s left a large collection of audio and video recordings. Here’s a personal favorite-

If you want to blow your brains out, plug a set of headphones into your computer, put them on, turn up the volume, and play this- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL17nxvBtBY

Mr. Beck, thanks for providing me with so much listening pleasure. I hope you’re still rocking it, wherever you now are.

OK, soggy California!

Our boys wanted us to come out for the holidays. We and the Briolas watched Maxx and Catalina get married on our phones during COVID. They renewed their vows with all of us there.

It was WAY better in person!

 

 

The happy couple and parents of the bride, Mike and Rosa.

 

Cat, rocking some bling!

 

Master of Ceremonies, Brian Jaye, and the younger Jaye, Tripp.

 

Brother and sister-in-law of the groom.

 

Christmas presents!

 

More Christmas presents!

 

Yours truly with more Christmas presents!

 

The gang went mini-golfing.

We went to Lake Chabot Park and the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden during breaks in the rain. And we watched it rain!

The nightmare that is California highways.

 

Lake Chabot. Chabot, an engineer,  invented hydraulic mining.

 

There are fish, and fishermen, there.

 

Rosa and Cat.

 

Agave at the gardens.

 

Manzanita tree, botanical garden.

 

 

We went to the Winchester House.

 

One of many exquisite windows there.

We went to wineries, of course.

We went for a walk at Turtle Bay Park and the Sundial Bridge.

Sundial Bridge. Not sun dialing this day.

 

Alex, Susan, and I, on the bridge

 

One view from the bridge. That’s the Sacramento River.

 

Another view from the bridge. The fish he had was a rainbow/steelhead, easily two feet long.

Alex and I were going to go steelhead fishing- rained out. So the reader has an idea of the rainfall amount, Lake Shasta, which was quite low prior to the current rain event, went up 21 feet while we were there. Yeah, it rained.

We got home Tuesday night. Thursday I took the kayak to Mosquito Lagoon. The water was clear- not as clean as I’ve ever seen it, but clear like it’s supposed to be. Fishing was good, all blind-casting, too. Hope it stays like that for a while!

That’s the There and Back, to California, report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Paddle Fishing Florida, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , ,

An Ode to Redfish

December 17, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

An Ode to Redfish Photo Essay, and a Merry Christmas to All

Thanks for reading this week’s post, Ode to Redfish. I only went fishing one day this week. Weather was fine when I left home, started pouring as soon as I put the boat in the water. I waited in the car for an hour, hoping it would stop. Then the boat resumed its place on my car’s roof, and we went home. No fishing.

And a Merry Christmas to all! And the Winter solstice 2022 in Northern Hemisphere will be at 4:47 PM on Wednesday, December 21!

Wanting to post this week because I won’t again until 2023, the Ode to Redfish idea struck. Here it is!

For subscribers- if the photos don’t load, click this link- www.spottedtail.com/blog.

The Copper Coated Crab Cruncher

By John Kumiski

The copper coated crab cruncher
just crunches crabs all day.
He’ll also eat some shrimp and fish
to while his time away.

You’ll find him sometimes tailing.
Sometimes he just sits still.
Sometimes he keeps a-cruising,
hoping his gut to fill.

He’ll sometimes be all by himself.
Other times he’ll be with friends.
No one can say why he does what.
On him it all depends.

They come sometimes as little rats.
They come as big bull reds.
I’d rather see them live and swimming
than in someone’s cooler, dead.

I catch them while I’m wading.
I catch them from my boat.
Some days I catch none at all.
But always I have hope.

I catch them with my spinning rod.
I catch them with my flies.
No matter how I catch them,
It almost gets me high.

I really love that redfish,
though he’s a simple beast.
Spending a day where redfish live
is a wonderful sensory feast.

I know this is a silly poem,
but I’m a silly boy.
One thing you can be sure of though,
redfish make me jump with joy!

I don’t know if Santa likes to fish. Rodney Smith, Banana River Lagoon. Merry Christmas!!!

 

Scott Radloff, off Cape Canaveral.

 

The late Joe Mulson casts, Tom Mitzlaff poles, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

The late Lefty Kreh, Indian River Lagoon.

 

River and Mike Conneen, St. George Sound.

 

Mark Marsh with a fatty, Indian River Lagoon.

 

Mosquito Lagoon tailers.

 

Son Maxx, first redfish on fly, Indian River Lagoon.

 

Patrick Phillips, Banana River Lagoon. I still use the kayak, 20 years later!

 

The inimitable Tamazon, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

George Allen, early morning Mosquito Lagoon.

 

My brother-in-law Richie Surprise, Indian River Lagoon. This image was a Florida Sportsman cover.

 

Laurel Boylen, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Maxx and Alex, Indian River Lagoon.

 

Redfish portrait, Banana River Lagoon.

 

Bryan Carter, Ken Shannon, Plaqueman’s Parrish, Louisiana.

 

Austin Warmus, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Bob Duport and Terri, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Tom Van Horn, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Alex and Maxx, Banana River Lagoon.

 

I forget this guy’s name, unfortunately. He got this big red and it squirted milt all over his legs. Indian River Lagoon.

 

Kevin is holding what looks like a redfish but is actually a trip to the Haunted House with Dad at Disney World.

 

Susan, Little Talbot Island.

 

Redfish school, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Valentine redfish, East Bay.

 

The late Steve Baker, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

A deformed redfish, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Charlie Chapman, Banana River Lagoon.

 

Marcia Foosaner, Indian River Lagoon. The Space Shuttle, carrying John Glenn, goes up behind her.

 

Redfish portrait, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Redfish portrait, Indian River Lagoon.

That’s the Ode to Redfish. Thanks for reading! And a Merry Christmas to all!!!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2022. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, Uncategorized · Tagged: , , , , , ,

Fished 1.25 Days, and an Ode to Seatrout

November 26, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

Fished 1.25 Days, and an Ode to Seatrout

Thanks for reading this week’s post, Fished 1.25 Days and an Ode to Seatrout. The weather has been unpleasant! We had Thanksgiving to deal with! Actually, I fished less than 1.25 days, but that will come out in the text.

I’ll be on the road next week, so do not expect a post. I won’t be able to deliver one.

For subscribers- if the photos don’t load, click this link- www.spottedtail.com/blog.

Monday’s weather made me stay home, but I got tired of hanging around. Went to my favorite local retention pond for a couple hours, bugging for bass. Got one bite, a feisty one-pounder that was, of course, released.

Tuesday Scott Radloff joined me for a Bang-O-Craft trip to Mosquito Lagoon, where the water is still too high. We fished in the rain. The seatrout were on! We probably got thirty, maybe more, all on soft plastics. Most were at the bottom of the slot, a few smaller, a few larger. All were released, since the season is closed! Scott got a single ladyfish in the interests of variety. We fished until we were soggy, about four hours.

And now for that Ode to Seatrout…

Blindcasting with a Clouser Minnow on Mosquito Lagoon produced this fish.

 

Tom Van Horn, Banana River Lagoon.

 

Alex and Vic, Banana River Lagoon.

 

A BIG sea trout, Mosquito Lagoon, caught blind-casting with a Bouncer Shrimp.

 

I used to make poppers I called Floozies from an old boogie board. Clearly, they lacked durability. Banana River Lagoon.

 

Maxx, Mosquito Lagoon, sight-fished.

 

Dr. Aubrey, Indian River Lagoon, sight-fished.

 

The Texan’s biggest-ever sea trout, sight-fished, Mosquito Lagoon.

 

My use of purple flies has fallen way off, but they work well. Banana River Lagoon.

 

Capt. Chris Myers, Mosquito Lagoon, sight-fished.

 

Mosquito Lagoon, sight-fished.

 

Mosquito Lagoon, sight-fished.

 

Rusty Chinnis revives a big trout caught in the Indian River Lagoon near Stuart, on a DOA Shrimp.

 

Mosquito Lagoon, blind-casting.

 

Banana River Lagoon, blind-casting.

 

Mosquito Lagoon, sight-fishing.

Trout aren’t as exciting as tarpon, but I love them anyway!

That’s Fished 1.25 Days, and an Ode to Seatrout. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2022. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Photo Essays · Tagged: , , , , ,

An Everglades Retrospective

November 10, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

An Everglades Retrospective- A Photo Essay

Thanks for reading this week’s post, An Everglades Retrospective. Couldn’t fish this week because of the weather. Since “official” camping season (to me) kicks off at the end of this month, I thought I’d pay some homage to my favorite Florida place to camp- Everglades National Park. My first trip there, a six-day canoe/camping trip, was in 1980,

For subscribers- if the photos don’t load, click this link- www.spottedtail.com/blog.

Got my kids started early. Maxx with a Snake Bight seatrout.

 

Maxx running the Bang-O-Craft.

 

Alex in the mud at Lake Ingraham. Hey, he wanted out of the boat!

 

Me at Lostman’s Key. This photo ran in the very first magazine article I had published, around 1985.

 

Tarpon on fly, Coot Bay.

 

Maxx, Matt Van Pelt, and Alex, in Lake Ingraham. Matt was one of my students, back when I was a public school teacher.

 

Maxx, Pavilion Key.

 

Anhinga, on the Anhinga Trail.

 

Alex got this trout on the Middle Grounds, near east Cape Sable.

 

Don Causey paddles across Coot Bay.

 

Put-in at Hell’s Bay.

 

Maxx going mano-a-mano…

 

…with this guy, Mud Lake.

 

Alex, different day, same place.

 

Campsite on New Turkey Key.

 

The beach at Cape Sable.

 

Paddling on the Buttonwood Canal.

 

A dragonfly, a Halloween Pennant, sits on a mangrove leaf.

 

Waiting for the storm, Jewell Key.

 

Maxx, Jewell Key.

 

Alex, Bear Lake.

 

Nesting ospreys near Tiger Key.

 

Fish on, Garfield Bight. Courtesy Mike Conneen.

 

Rabbit Key.

 

This guy came up right next to the boat, checking us out long enough for me to get a shot.

 

Mike Conneen and River, somewhere near Everglades City.

 

American crocodiles, behind Cape Sable.

 

Campsite, Tiger Key.

 

Where are we??? Mike Conneen tries to see his phone screen.

 

Hand propelled craft only.

 

Mike Conneen and River, Jewell Key.

 

Along the Anhinga Trail.

 

In a tiny creek…

 

Where are we??? Behind Cape Sable. Courtesy Mike Conneen.

 

Mike Conneen and River, Jewell Key.

 

If memory serves, this is the south Joe River chickee.

 

One of the reasons I go!

 

Mike Conneen on the Shark Point Chickee.

 

Campfire on Cape Sable.

 

One of the reasons I go!

 

Campfire on Jewell Key.

 

Jack Radloff, Bear Lake.

 

This snook swam right past our boat.

 

Hooked up, Whitewater Bay. Photo courtesy Maxx Kumiski.

 

Got ’em! Maxx holds the beast.

 

Little blue heron, Anhinga Trail.

I’m looking forward to my next visit! Anyone want to go???

That’s An Everglades Retrospective. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2022. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Stories, Paddle Fishing Florida, Photo Essays · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Welcome to Winthrop!

September 30, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

Welcome to Winthrop- A Photo Essay

Thanks for reading this week’s post, Welcome to Winthrop. Our friend Maryann lives here. After hosting her in Maine for a while, she’s hosting us now. It all evens out in the wash, doesn’t it?

For subscribers- if the photos don’t load, click this link- www.spottedtail.com/blog.

Speaking of the wash, we missed the hurricane, but it didn’t miss Florida. Many people there need prayers and more!

———————————————–

It’s a sixty second walk to the beach for me here. I’ve been out there every day, casting a jig, hoping for a bass (or something). No luck so far. The first day I was here I could see them busting, way out past where I could cast. A guy came with a paddle board and a fishing rod. He paddled right out to there the fish were, caught two, and paddled back, beautifully done. I told him so, too. But didn’t get a picture.

Winthrop Beach by day.

 

No hard feelings, but I want to see these, getting blasted by bass, within casting range.

We visited old friends and relatives, so no other fishing happened until Thursday, when I visited the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island. After walking to the “spot,” it took me about fifteen minutes to catch a bass. Of course, the entire time I could see the birds going CRAZY on the Ipswich side. But I don’t have a boat here, so too bad, so sad.

Yes, I have caught stripers. Although many people spell it “strippers.”

I chucked a Clouser Minnow for close to six hours, ended up with five bass and a shad. Met a couple local fly casters, enjoyed a spectacular day, and life was good.

 

 

 

 

Watched Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime. If I were paying for that, boy, I’d be mad. What terrible, truly terrible broadcast quality.

Got up early Friday morning to photograph the sun rise. Arms are a bit sore from Thursday’s chuck-fest. Sunrise was beautiful, though.

 

 

We dropped off Susan at an old friend’s house, then went to see an old friend ourselves, meeting Kevin at Walden Pond. Wow, they sure have made it into a monument to Thoreau. It’s a swimming pool for healthy seniors, who swim across and back. I spoke to a fly fisher who told me that it had just been stocked a few days ago with rainbow trout, so there’s that, too.

 

These swimmers cross the pond and return.

 

 

 

We’ve known each other over 50 years. You could call us old friends.

And just like that, the week is almost gone. So is our trip, almost gone. We’ll be heading home next week.

That’s the Welcome to Winthrop post. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take 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, copyright John Kumiski 2022. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »