You are here: Home / Archives for kayak bass fishing

Bamboozled by Bass Fishing Report

March 1, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Bamboozled by Bass Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Bamboozled by Bass Fishing Report. Expectations- one thing you should never bring on a fishing trip.

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

Sunday I went to Buck Lake. I brought no expectations there, haven’t ever since the FWC went on their wild herbicide spraying spree and ruined the fishing there. But I still feel compelled to check it once or twice a year to see if it’s recovered at all. It has not. I got three dink bass and what turned out to be the fish of the week for me, a bowfin of three pounds or so. It declined to be photographed, but I have a photo of my feeble attempt. At least the weather was awesome.

Attempting to corral a mudfish. Didn’t happen.

Monday morning I drove to Ocala National Forest, which is where I carried my expectations. Having visited twice before and done well, the assumption was that history would repeat itself. Caleb Vogl came up Tuesday to fish with me. Wednesday he caught the fish of the trip, a two-and-a-half-pound largemouth. He was happy!

Caleb on Alexander Springs Run.

In three days of fishing, I got two dink bass on fly and a number of other dink bass on soft plastics. To no one’s surprise, my expectations were not met. You would think after a lifetime of fishing, I would know better.

Caleb again, with the fish of the trip, 2.5 pounds on his scale.

The coolest thing that happened? A dragonfly naiad climbed onto my boat to emerge. I photographed the beast swelling its wings next to the exuvium. It sat there until it could fly; then, ZOOM! Off it went. I had always wanted to see that.

A freshly molted dragonfly, with the discarded exuvium. Sorry about the background, but my kayak is yellow.

The trip was certainly enjoyable. The weather was wonderful, the lakes gorgeous. Got to see some stars! And Caleb is pretty entertaining! Not discouraged, I’m already planning another trip there.

And that, folks, is the Bamboozled by Bass fishing report. Thanks again for reading!

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

Southwest Maine Fishing and Travel Report

July 29, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Southwest Maine Fishing and Travel Report

Thanks for reading this Southwest Maine Fishing and Travel report. My friend Tammy Wilson sent me a couple of seal photos from Alaska, which I’m sharing with you. They’re great!

 

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

Fishing in Kezar Lake has changed again. I had been catching nice bass, both large- and smallmouths, off rock piles. Using Senkos, I got a couple on Sunday, then could not buy another one the rest of the week. I had rigged up a six-weight with a sink-tip line and tried that, too. The fly was getting down to the rocks, as evidenced by the number of times I got hung up. But no fish since Sunday out of Kezar. Moon phase? Water temperature? Operator error? It’s fishing- who knows?

 

 

 

Now THIS is a party barge.

Monday we did a touristy thing, a thing that when I was younger, stronger, and healthier I said I would never do. We drove to the top of Mt. Washington on the Auto Road. The weather was spectacular. We spent hours up there, just hanging out, enjoying the view. I wanted to walk over to Boott Spur but didn’t think I could make it back to my car, so I didn’t try.

 

 

 

 

Lakes of the Clouds.

 

I paddle fly-fished Farrington Pond on Thursday, starting at 0530 hours. I got two nice bass on a synthetic minnow in the first 15 minutes, hooked and lost another one a little while later, and got a chain pickerel much later. At 0930 I was back at the put-in. After pulling the boat out I cast a Senko off the dock a few times and got another beautiful fish, which I photographed. Nice getting a fish on the last cast!

Nice fish from Farrington Pond.

A detailed map of the Fryeburg area came into my possession (Maine information center). There were ponds marked on there I didn’t know about. Friday morning I tracked down three of them. At Bog Pond, three fish broke water during the short time I watched. The kayak is on the racks on my car- I’ll be visiting tomorrow morning.

At sunset, Kezar Lake.

Wow! LOTS of mosquitos (and odonates)! Dressed for it, the mossies were a minor problem (except my car is full of them now). Sunrise, as usual, was magnificent. Bass and pickerel fishing was good, although the fish ran small. Even got a crappie on my Ugly Bug, a first for me. And, even on Saturday, I owned the place, which I always like. A fine morning indeed!

Sunrise on Bog Pond.

 

This was a first for me.

 

 

That’s the Southwest Maine Fishing and Travel 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, travel blog · Tagged: , , , ,