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Ocala Forest Fishing Report

April 13, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Ocala Forest Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Ocala Forest Fishing Report. Three windy days were spent chasing the elusive largemouth bass. I had a reader who asked me to contact him next time I went up there. I was unable to do so- forgot the name, had deleted the email. My sincere apologies.

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

Early Monday morning Caleb Vogl met me at an Ocala National Forest lake. We both had kayaks, fishing gear, and high expectations. How many times do I have to tell you to leave the expectations at home, John?? My first fish, caught on a Senko worm about ten minutes in, was a pretty nice one and the only one I photographed.

Fish certainly bring me to beautiful places.

 

Fish- beautiful. Fisherman- not so much.

Fishing was hotter and colder during the day, not that steady one-after-another that we all dream about. I got somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 fish, with exactly one on fly. Most were modest in size. The best fish of the day was about five pounds, but no photo. The wind made everything harder. The wind wouldn’t let up all week, either.

We camped at the Alexander Springs Recreation Area.

Early the next morning we launched at a different lake. Still had the wind, though! We again fished hard all day. Caleb did better than the previous day. I did not. The lunker we were searching for stayed unfound, though. There were some schooling fish intermittently, sometimes within casting range, 12-inch fish for the most part. Tired of fighting the wind, I shot a few non-fishing-related photos.

White water lily, common in warm shallow water.

 

Miniature lily pads. I need to learn the name of these.

 

Pickerelweed. I fail to see why they’re named weeds. They’re gorgeous.

Caleb left Tuesday after fishing, leaving me on my own for Wednesday. I had to go home then, so it would not be a full day effort.

There were mixed goals for Wednesday. I still wanted a shot at the lunker, but also wanted to fish the Alexander Springs Run. Why not do both?

Alexander Springs Run.

So I launched at the first lake just after sunrise, and tossed a weedless frog for 3/4 of an hour. Not a sniff. Tossed a Senko for 3/4 of an hour. Not a nibble. Got up in the shallows and tossed a gurgler on the fly rod, which produced a half-dozen small fish.

Pulled the boat and went to the spring run. The wind was ridiculous, blowing me up the stream. Still, I fly-fished with the gurgler and got another half-dozen small ones. Then it was time to leave, so I loaded up and headed home.

While I think last year’s trip was better in terms of both numbers and quality, this trip was certainly successful, and was way better than the trip in February. I would go back!

Thursday- cleanup on aisle van.

Friday- to keep the bassiness of the week intact, I went local, to the Econlockhatchee. I had made all of four or five casts when this beast inhaled the gurgler.

 

A good start to a spectacular if breezy day.

I stopped to stand up and rest my butt when I spotted a fattie about fifteen feet away. I flipped a Senko in front of him and let it drift in. I was pleasantly shocked when I saw him eat it. I suspect he was unpleasantly shocked when I set up on him.

Couldn’t believe this fish ate the bait while eyeballing me.

Got a few others, and a couple nice redbellies that hit the gurgler. They (the redbellies) are starting to bed.

The Econ has high banks, which made it at least fishable. Anywhere else I would have blown away.

Love that Econ!

And that, folks, is the Ocala Forest fishing report. Thanks again for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go walking! 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 · Tagged: , , ,

April Fool’s Fishing Report

April 5, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

April Fool’s Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this April Fool’s Fishing Report. No pranks were perpetrated by this reporter, nor were any played on him.

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

Monday Caleb Vogl joined me in the Bang-O-Craft for some Indian River Lagoon exploration. I was surprised in a good way at how clear the water was. Even saw some seagrass trying to grow! What we didn’t see was a ton of fish. There were some redfish at one spot we visited, enough that I was able to get two modest specimens on spin with the plastic shad, which apparently are now referred to as swimbaits. Whatever. My buddy only got a couple puffers, which made him unhappy. But Rodney Smith says there’s no such thing as a bad fish.

The Econ

 

There were a few late irises.

Tuesday I did a walk-in to the Econlockhatchee. The stumpknocker bite was hot! And mind you, I was bass fishing. The stumpies were hitting and getting hooked on plastic worms rigged with a 3/0 hook, and were some of the largest ones I’d ever seen. And a half-dozen bass ate my baits too, five nice ones up to a four-pounder, and one dinker. It was a pretty good day.

These lizard-tails made the woods smell sweet.

 

And the woods looked great, too.

The rest of the week I spent working on the van that I thought I was almost finished with. Honestly, I think I can wrap it up tomorrow. It’s wiring and plumbing I’m working on, so it could be weeks….

Last week I wrote about the recent on-line webinar, “A Conversation with Dr. Duane De Freese and Keith Winsten” which reported on the current and future state of our Indian River Lagoon. The link to see this event came today, and you can see it here-

And that, folks, is the April Fool’s fishing report. Thanks again for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go walking! 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.

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For About Three Hours This Week, I Thought It Was the Old Days Fishing Report

March 15, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

For About Three Hours This Week, I Thought It Was the Old Days Fishing Report

Thank you for reading the For About Three Hours This Week, I Thought it was the Old Days Fishing Report. Hilarious, right? Not really, but you take it when you can get it.

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

On an amazing Tuesday weather-wise, the kayak took me to the Banana River Lagoon. I wanted a crack at the big black drum on fly. Wasn’t I surprised when they were right where I hoped they’d be! Would they bite? No.

The fish seemed to be making a circuit. While standing in the water waiting for them to come back, I looked behind me. Swimming between me and the shore was a nice redfish. I dropped a Clouser minnow in front of him, and he very cooperatively ate it. Fish was about ten pounds, too- a handsome fish. Certainly chased that skunk away!

Fish #1 was this big. File photo.

Here comes the school of black drum. I tossed the recently deflowered Clouser out in front of them, and one very cooperatively ate it. Ha! The joke was on me. Not a black drum at all, but rather a much larger redfish than the one just released.

Needless to say his thrashing kind of boogered up the rest of the fish. But I got and released that red, which was pushing 20 pounds!

Fish #2 was this big. File photo.

Several minutes of no fish followed. I was dinking the fly around when suddenly the school was right there in front of me. Since the fly was already in the water, I just gently started raising the rod. Bam! One ate it!

Ha! The joke was on me. Not a black drum at all, but rather a much larger redfish than the one just released. This one went into the backing, and put up whale-like resistance. It was pushing 30 pounds. So the black drum didn’t happen, but who cared?

Fish #3 was this big. File photo.

The school never returned, so after a while I went walking, looking for reds against the shoreline. I spotted one up ahead of me, going the same way I was. It disappeared over a patch of dark bottom. When I got close enough, the Clouser minnow flew over there. Bam! Far from a red, a snook came flying out of the water, pretty modest, maybe three pounds. A happy surprise!

The snook was this big. File photo.

On the way back to the kayak (patiently waiting, staked out all this time), there’s a monster trout, too close, maybe 15 feet away. While thinking there was no chance, I flopped that Clouser minnow out in front of it and watched him eat it. It was the best trout I’ve gotten on any tackle in a long time. That fly should go into the hall of fame.

The trout was this big. File photo.

The rest of the day produced two weener slot reds, blind-casting a DOA Shrimp. Who cared? Three trophy fish inside of an hour while wading, I’ll take that any time. And a slam besides. Awesome day.

Wednesday saw some errands, but when they were done it was early afternoon. The Econ is still too high, John, but you haven’t had that canoe out in a long time…

Next thing, I’m floating down the Econ with a fly rod. The mouse fly got one bite from a six-inch bass in about 90 minutes. It was traded to the fly box for a sexy bunny strip fly with a rattle. In another 90 minutes it produced a single spotted sunfish. This fly is tied on a 3/0 hook- that’s a pretty aggressive sunny!

I saw a monster gator, but it looked weird. When the vulture landed on it, I realized it was decomposing. Took a pic with my phone…

Then it was paddle back to the car. Promised the wife I’d be home for supper…

Thursday. Went back to the Banana River Lagoon. Could lightning strike twice? You would have thought it was a different spot. I found black drum, much more modest in size, and not schooled up. Definitely no redfish swimming with them. Got one on a Clouser Minnow, one on a yarn crab, and one on a jig. I was looking for a big black drum. I’m not complaining about three smaller ones, but while this equation makes no sense mathematically, any fisherman understands it:

1 x 30 pounds > 3 x 10 pounds

 

The one I wanted could not have been held in one hand…

Only saw a few reds, and no shots. As I was paddling back, enjoying the paddling, enjoying yet another amazing day, I reflected on how blessed I am that at 71 years old, I can still paddle and wade fish, putting in eight-hour days, in spite of that pesky (and ultimately fatal) lung condition. Yes, life is good.

And that, folks, is the For About Three Hours This Week, I Thought it was the Old Days fishing report. Thanks again for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go walking! 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, Fishing Stories, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , ,

Nice Weather, Not Many Fish

February 27, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

Nice Weather, Not Many Fish Post

Thank you for reading this week’s Nice Weather, Not Many Fish post. Spring is breaking in central Florida!

Monday I took care of honey-do’s, like repairing the clothes dryer (again!) and buying a new refrigerator. Ah, how I enjoy the minutia of day-to-day existence!

Except for the catching, everything about the day was fantastic.

Trying not to give up too easily, Tuesday I tried the Econlockhatchee again. I went to the most remote section of the river that I know how to access. The water was higher than I like, if I had a choice in such things as water levels. The wind was blowing, but where I was that mattered not.

The gum and maple trees are leafing out.

The day was spectacular.

Even the alligators seemed happy.

I worked it pretty hard. Got two smallish bass on a Culprit red shad worm. Got nothing on the 3″ plastic shad. Got some decent photos of the woods and river. Did not see another hominid.

HERE ARE THE LEAVES!

Catching might have been better, but I enjoyed the day, like totally, man!

Wednesday, after getting COVID shot #2, I finished up wiring the van.*

Thursday I dropped the auxiliary battery in, hooked it up, and turned on the power.

NO SMOKE! Hurray!

I tested all six 12V sockets. Power to all!

I tested the reading lights. Power to both!

I tested the five LED light strips, all which worked when tested before installation. Not one worked. I spent the rest of the day messing with one of those circuits. At day’s end, none of them worked. As I type this none of them work. Clearly, more work needs to be done there.

It looks ready to go to me!

Friday Tammy Wilson took me out on the Atlantic out of Port Canaveral, on an absolutely stunning day. She said (and I paraphrase), “Wanna go look for tarpon and cobia?” I asked, “What’s the water temperature?” “Sixty-three degrees.” “We won’t see a thing.”

I was wrong. We found a school of small bluefish. We saw three small tripletail. I took a picture of the rocket scheduled to go up Sunday night.

*I have not put the solar panel on the roof yet. The panel and carrying a kayak are mutually exclusive, so the panel will be installed as soon as I know I won’t be carrying a kayak for a while.

I’m going fishing next week. So I should have an actual fishing report.

Thank you for reading this week’s Nice Weather, Not Many Fish post!

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 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, Sienna Van conversion, Uncategorized · Tagged: , , , ,

Wetlands Park Post

February 21, 2021 by · 4 Comments

Wetlands Park Post

Thank you for reading this week’s Wetlands Park post. Lots of pictures this week!

The Wetlands Park visit happened Monday. The winds, like today’s, made it too hard to fish. So I took a couple cameras and went for a walk, about two miles, and a little more.

It was Gatorama.

Surprise! There were lots of cars there when I got there- President’s Day. Didn’t bother the wildlife at all.

It was Gator-ama. And of course there were birds there. Saw a mudfish and some gar, no bass, although I’m sure they are there. Perfect place for them, protected from human predation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday afternoon, another blowy day, I visited the Econ on foot. Got one redbelly on a crappie jig. Then I lost that on some lumber. Tried the plastic shad and plastic worm, cast for about two hours, for a couple gar bites.

Friday afternoon I fished another section of the Econ, again it was blowy (it was blowy all week), and again I was on foot. Again tried the shad and the worm. Did not touch a fish.

So I put five hours or so into the Econ with a single redbelly to show for it. Not very good catching there.

Van update- wired the fans and the inside lights, and finished wiring the DC side of the distribution panel. Ran a wire from the battery to the DC-DC charger. The prediction, and goal, was to have the wiring completed by month’s end. It looks like that will happen. Hopefully nothing will catch fire when I flip the power switch to “ON”!

Thank you for reading this week’s Wetlands Park post!

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 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida destinations, Photo Essays · Tagged: , ,

A Short East Central Florida Freshwater Fishing Report

May 4, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

A Short East Central Florida Freshwater Fishing Report

Only got out two days this week. Thank you for reading this short East Central Florida freshwater Fishing Report!

FANTASTIC OFFER
We are still running the book offer- three of my book titles are now available for five cents each, only from my website. Thanks to all of you who have already taken advantage!
-Flyrodding Florida Salt
-How and Where to Catch Redfish in the Indian River Lagoon System
-Fishing Florida’s Space Coast
Shipping is still $5.95 each. The mailers cost money, the post office wants a cut, and the mail boy has to bring the package to the post office. But you can have each of these titles delivered to your door for six bucks until June 15. Act now!

MONday
Launched the kayak at Buck Lake on a stunning morning. I miss all the weeds that supposedly did not get sprayed. Fly fished for a couple hours without success, so switched to a Culprit worm. It wasn’t great, but it did take six or seven bass to about three pounds. Was done by noon.

Another kayaker told me he got about a dozen fish to over four pounds on soft plastics. Good morning if he was being honest.

Tuesday
Beautiful weather again! With the gauge reading 0.9 I launched the kayak on the Econ. Three hours of fly casting with a Krebs popper netted a single bass of maybe 10 inches, one small spotted gar, and two stumpknockers. Again I switched to a plastic worm. After noon it started working pretty well, and although I saw a couple fish in the four-to-five pound range my best was only about 14 inches.

On the paddle back I saw a bunch of bedding redbellies and switched the fly to a foam spider. I got only one nice one.

Since May Day was this week, I have started gathering my belongings for this summer’s trip to Alaska. I need to buy a gold pan and some hot pink chenille.

Great fly for hot silvers…

That’s this week’s East Central Florida Saltwater 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.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Orlando Fishing Report, St. Johns River Fishing Report · Tagged: , , , , , , ,