A Not Much Fishing Report, Plus…

Thank you for reading this week’s Not Much Fishing report. Only fished one day this week because of the weather (winds above 10 mph every day, and some rain, too) and water level (Haulover Canal gauge hovering around 1.5, a full foot higher than I prefer). When will the water level go down? See below.
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For Sale– Orion 45 Cooler. See this link…
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Lagoon Water Level

The graph above shows the water level at Haulover Canal for the past week from the USGS gauge. Note that the 20 mph north wind on Friday blew the water out. It will be back when the wind stops or changes direction.

I prefer the gauge to read at or below 0.5. I haven’t seen that since March.
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Fishing

I didn’t expect to do well Tuesday because the water was too high. It turned out to be windier than the predicted 5-10 mph out of the northeast, too. But I hadn’t been in over a week and so went anyway, paddle fishing at Mosquito Lagoon.

I did not do well.

Four shots presented themselves. I head-shotted two fish. Whoosh, off they went! One fish never saw the fly (that breeze!). The other was an eat- I got it! Nice red, maybe ten pounds, on a purple bunny strip fly.

The day was exhilarating, and there wasn’t much in the way of competition for fishing spots. But fish were scarce and conditions are tough right now. Go if you must, but if you’re a fly-fishing sight fisherman, don’t expect a lot of fish!

An old utility trailer that needed refurbishing took up my time most of the rest of the week.

Deck removed, frame sanded. I painted the frame and put new decking on, as well as new bearings, seals, lights, wiring, and tires.

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Drop Shots

Have you ever dropped a fish while holding it for a photo?

Dropping the fish into a boat or onto land is in poor taste. One time I had a guy from Michigan drop a ten-pound snook onto three fly rods, busting all three. I told him to use a death grip. He didn’t listen. And it didn’t do the fish much good, either.

Hold any fish destined for release over the water if it might get dropped!

The worst drop I know of was by a reader who shared his horror story with me by email. He and two friends were fishing Pelican Flats, about 15 miles east of Port Canaveral, when he caught a king mackerel in the 40 pound range. While holding the fish by the tail for a photo, the fish thrashed. Fisherman lost his grip. The fish fell, mouth agape, onto one of his bare feet. The damage to that foot was tremendous, resulting in three surgeries and months of rehab, during which he was unable to work.

Not all drops are funny! And none are to the fish!

That is this week’s not much fishing report. Thank you again for reading! Life is great and I love all my readers!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take a walk! Stay active!

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.