The Orlando Area Fishing Report from Spotted Tail 3.17.12
Last Sunday David Alan Roth, little known twin of the Van Halen lead man (I just made that up), and his friend Chad joined me for some flats fishing. It was a hard wind of 20+ coming out of the southeast, and it was solid overcast besides. Thank God fly poles weren’t involved.
I boldly ran down to the Whale Tail figuring there wouldn’t be anyone else there, and also if we soaked bait for 30 minutes maybe we’d be rewarded with a jumbo. Good idea that didn’t work. We did have the place to ourselves (no one else was so stupid as to go down there) and we did get two catfish out of the very muddy water.
Ran back up to the spoil islands for some lee shore action, tossing DOA Shrimp. A couple of dink trout were our reward until David got a handsome 22 inch trout. Persistence pays I guess!
Went through Haulover to fish lee shores in the Indian River. A few more dink trout followed. We did see some redfish, even a demented one that tailed a few times. Then Chad actually hooked one. Unfortunately the leader broke while he was playing it and the fish effected a getaway.
The highlight of the day for me was a tip consisting of venison. More anglers ought to tip their guides that way. Thank you David, it was very delicious.
Monday morning found me up around Oak Hill, part of a three boat charter with Chris Myers and Drew Cavanaugh. Joe, Javy, and Javy the Younger (nine years old) were in the Mitzi with me. It was still windy, although no more than about 15, and the sun was out.
It took me a couple hours to find some redfish, and then I couldn’t convince them to eat. Finally a dink took pity on me and impaled itself on a hook containing a mullet chunk, our first and as it turned out only redfish of the day. We got a few small trout on DOA Shrimp, then right at the end one that was about 20 inches long.
Myers found a school of fish and did pretty well, a half dozen or so. Way to make me look bad! It’s fishing, dude- misery loves comany.
Thursday Jim Scherer, Ph.D. and fly fisher, paddled with me into the no motor zone. We found a bunch of redfish tailing in some of the muddiest water I have ever fished in. If you showed them the fly they would eat, but they couldn’t see the fly. I finally figured out if I used a big streamer they would crush it. We ended up getting four or five, with the usual missed strikes thrown in.
Apparently the suicidal seatrout that were there have moved on. We tried for quite a while and only got one.
Saturday I finally got the Mosquito Lagoon On-The-Water Show and Tell Seminar done, with Matt and Caleb, fine young men. When we got out there the was NO WIND AT ALL! Because we weren’t fishing there were literally redfish in every single place we looked. We went from Haulover to Max Hoeck Creek to Georges Bar and back to Haulover, basically circumnavigating the south portion of the lagoon. Fish everywhere.
The water at the south end of the lagoon, already at 76 degrees, is starting to color up again. That does not bode well for clean water come summer. But maybe the tarpon will come in and wallow in the hot, dirty water.
And that dear reader is this week’s Mosquito Lagoon- Banana River Lagoon Fishing Report.
Life is great and I love my work!
Life is short. Go Fishing!
John Kumiski
All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2012. All rights are reserved.
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