Fishing and Paddling Around Central Florida Report and Photo Essay

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 🙁

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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.

Ode to Paddle Craft- A Photo Essay

Mike Conneen, River the Dog, Banana River Lagoon.

Ode to Paddle Craft- A Photo Essay

Thanks for reading this Ode to Paddle Craft. Once again, no fishing this week, or paddling, for that matter. But I am reading John McPhee’s “Survival of the Bark Canoe.” It inspired this ode to paddle craft.

My paddling career started on Maine’s Little Sebago Lake. A friend’s parents invited me to go with them to their cottage up there. They had a wood-and-canvas canoe. I liked it much better than the motor boat, in spite of, or because of, my young age? I may have been 12.

Putting this post together reminds me again of what an extraordinarily blessed individual I have been!

What follows are a couple dozen photos taken between 1976 and recently. They are captioned as well as memory allows.

Maxx on a trip down Maine’s Saco River. Three years old at the time, he just turned 33! Boat is an Old Town Tripper.

 

Mike Conneen and I await the pummeling this storm gave us while we were on a kayaking trip in Everglades National Park.

 

Your blogger paddling across Maine’s Third Machias Lake, 1978? Boat was an Old Town Tripper.

 

Alex paddled a kayak into the Banana River Lagoon to find this fish.

 

Mike Conneen and I were paddling on the Hillsborough River when he caught this one.

 

Maxx and I were in the backcountry of Everglades National Park in the Old Town Camper when he got this snook.

 

Mosquito Lagoon redfish. Boat was an Ocean Kayak Drifter.

 

Tim Deveau and Ward Thrasher tend the campfire at Cape Sable, Everglades National Park. We were on a nine-day canoe trip, early 1980s.

 

Nick Colantonio pulls in at dusk after a long day during the 2013 Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure, a nineteen-day paddle trip from New Smyrna Beach to Jupiter.

 

BC (before children) Susan naps in the Old Town Tripper while on a paddle trip in Everglades National Park.

 

Vic and Alex with a flyrod, seatrout double in the Banana River Lagoon. One canoe, one kayak used to get the three of us in there.

 

Mangrove tunnel, Everglades National Park, Ocean Kayak Drifter.

 

My buddy Ricky with a fat black drum on fly. Banana River Lagoon. My boat was a 17′ Dagger Reflection canoe.

 

Mike Conneen paddles down the Suwannee River.

 

Mike Conneen in Louisiana’s Barataria Marsh. The cabin boat is wrecked, courtesy of Hurricane Katrina.

 

Your blogger about to drop through Nantahala Falls, North Carolina. Boat is an Old Town Camper.

 

The manatee just wanted to say Hello. Chassahowitzka River, Ocean Kayak Drifter.

 

Me, Mike Conneen, and River the Dog watch the sun set while on a kayak trip in Everglades National Park.

 

Mike Conneen, St. George Sound.

 

Rodney Smith, Banana River Lagoon.

 

Mile Conneen, Peace River.

 

Barbie and Tammy go fishing, I think on the Mosquito Lagoon.

 

Poling the Dagger Reflection, Banana River Lagoon.

 

Susan, Alex, Maxx, and Ken Shannon swim while on a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Wilderness in Minnesota.

 

Jim Tedesco getting ready to shove off, Maine’s St. John River, circa 1976. Boat is an Old Town Tripper.

 

Maxx’s first fly-caught redfish, Indian River Lagoon. We reached the spot by canoe.

 

Jim Tedesco paddles on East Bay, a chilly morning just after sunrise.

 

Tammy negotiates a blowdown on the Econlockhatchee.

 

Alex with a fly-caught tarpon, Everglades National Park. Boat is an Old Town Camper.

 

Peter Camuso (not happy!) and I on Massachusetts’ Westfield River, 1979? Boat is an Old Town Tripper. Note the plentiful snow on the banks.

 

Jim Tedesco rests at a cabin we found while on a canoe trip on Maine’s St. John River, about 1977.

 

Mike Conneen, Gulf of Mexico, during our eight day paddle along the Big Bend Paddling Trail.

 

White pelicans flock along our route on the 2013 Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure.

 

Mike Conneen paddles among crocodiles in the Everglades National Park backcountry.

 

Maxx. Snook. Dagger Reflection. Everglades National Park.

Question- Which images are your favorites? Please let us know!

For more on paddling in New England, see The Maine Book.

Bonus- I just had an article titled “Fishing with Lefty” published at Rivers and Feathers.

Bonus- if you want to see some incredible fish videography, watch this-

That’s the ode to paddle craft. 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.

Upper Econ Paddle- A Photo Essay

Upper Econ Paddle- A Photo Essay

On October 10, 2015 Mike Conneen, Tammy Wilson, and I took an eight hour paddle excursion on the upper Econlockhatchee River. The Snow Hill gauge read 5.5 feet. Paddling would have been easier with more water. We were tired and dirty at the end, but we had a blast.

Upper Econ Paddle

The boats patiently wait for us at Hidden River RV Park.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Tammy does some fishing at the put-in. It was all the fishing she did.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Tammy shows off her Barbie tackle box.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

The crew gets going.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

A contemplative moment, one of the few we’d enjoy.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

A sequence- Tammy tries to jump the log. Ramming speed!

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Not quite over.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Stupid boat! Jump that log!

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Yes, it is both silly and ridiculous.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

An open stretch of water. There were a few.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Another sequence- Mike negotiates a log jam. Kind of gross…

 

Upper Econ Paddle

 

Upper Econ Paddle

 

Upper Econ Paddle

 

Upper Econ Paddle

 

Upper Econ Paddle

 

Upper Econ Paddle

 

Upper Econ Paddle

He’s looking smug because he got through it without any help from us (other than our cheering).

 

Upper Econ Paddle

This redbelly smacked a spinnerbait.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

The cypress trees, and there were many, were magnificent.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Bromeliads. And spiders.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Scenes like this unfolded, one after another.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Looks like another obstacle!

 

Upper Econ Paddle

 

Upper Econ Paddle

She makes it over.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Mike got this monster on a spinnerbait.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

If you don’t photograph it, did it really happen?

 

Upper Econ Paddle

Tammy has just gone for an unexpected, unplanned swim.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

A short break. We did not take many.

 

Upper Econ Paddle

At the take-out. Trip complete!

And those are the photos from our Upper Econ Paddle!

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 2015. All rights are reserved.

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Winter: A Great Opportunity for St. Johns River Paddling

Guest Blog by Paige Taylor

The upcoming winter season around Jacksonville is perfect for paddling. While the summer months are conducive to visits to the beach and playing golf, the fall weather allow locals to take part in activities such as kayaking and canoeing. The north end of the St. Johns River around Jacksonville is home to some great sights and waterscapes, is home to some great protected tributaries, and is perfect for kayaking.

Paddling at sunrise offers a wonderful window into Nature’s workings.

During the fall, bird migration takes place throughout the Jacksonville area as the weather cools off. It is rumored that nearly 60,000 birds a month are nestling in parts of the St. Johns River. The water is the best place to watch some of the heavy bird activity taking place in the Northeast Florida area- the woods can still be full of bugs.

White ibis and a spoonbill dabble in St. Johns River marshes.

Also, the lower basin is often a prime spot for fish to migrate in to spawn. Some of the common species that swim in from the ocean include redfish, flounder, mullet, blue crabs and shad. Keep your eyes open for manatees, one of Florida’s endangered species.

Whether you eat them or just want to watch, blue crabs are fascinating creatures.

Florida’s longest river, the St. Johns provides a mixture of different scenery along the away. This northern flowing river was once the main tourist destination in the state when nature was the main reason for traveling.

Paddlers need to use common sense. There are airboat and other motorboats along the way. Fortunately they usually steer clear of paddling traffic.

The lower St. Johns River is home to some of the oldest cities and towns in the state of Florida, cities that have histories that are deeply rooted and tied to the river. Some of the sightseeing along this portion of the river is a great departure from your everyday sight of apartment complexes and tract homes.

The weather begins to cool down in the fall and winter. This shouldn’t prevent you from staying off the water. Instead, it makes it more enjoyable. Kayaking and canoeing the St. Johns allow the opportunity to explore some of the state of Florida’s most beautiful habitats. Because the fall causes some great transformations of habitat and sights along the river, there is no better time for a relaxing paddle trip along the St. Johns.

Paige Taylor is a creative writer from the University of Texas El Paso. As an aspiring writer she specializes in writing about travel destinations and tourism.

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.

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