Mosquito Lagoon Redfish, Port Canaveral Cobia, Econlockhatchee S
Capt. John Kumiski
April 11, 2010
Orlando - Saltwater Fishing Report
Orlando Area Fishing Report from Spotted Tail 4/11/10
On Monday we had almost perfect weather- light winds, blue skies. I picked up flycaster Peter Bonde and his friend Jim at Turtle Mound at 730 AM. Almost immediately we found a school of redfish. We stalked and cast to them for almost an hour and then gave up and went elsewhere- no takers in spite of some excellent presentations.
We tried several spots without success, finally ending up farther south in the lagoon. The were singles and pairs cruising and tailing in good numbers. Peter, a good caster, had at least 50 good shots. We tried a Kwan, a Merkin, a redfish worm, a slider, and a Mosquito Lagoon Special. At about 345 we were out of time so I returned them to Turtle Mound and ran back to River Breeze. We hadn't gotten a single take. Didn't see anyone else hook up, either.
On Wednesday sons Maxx and Alex and I went out of Port Canaveral hoping to find some cobia and/or tripletail. The plan was to run south to Patrick AFB and then head out to sea. It was much too rough to put that plan into action. We made it as far south as the Cocoa Beach pier, then headed out. We probably got out 5 miles or so. There were some large ships anchored out there, which we looked around. We also checked around the end of the buoy line. We did not see a fish and the boat motor kept cutting out. Not wanting to get stuck out in the Atlantic, we headed in about 1 PM.
I brought the boat to Chain of Lakes Marine in Sanford. After picking it up on Thursday I launched it at SR 46 and ran around Lake Jessup to make sure it was running properly. It was! Lake Jessup is big and the water is pretty nasty looking. I didn't see any other boats out there. But there were lots of cormorants.
Yesterday Susan dropped me off at the 419 bridge over the Econ at about 11 AM. I dragged the kayak down to the water and launched.
It was an exquisite day- cool, sunny, light breeze, scattered clouds, with the kind of crystal clear air you get after a front passes. The water was still higher than I like. Using an ultralight spin rod I cast a Road Runner until I lost it, then a micro jig until I lost it, then a micro swimbait until I lost it, and then a micro plug. Fishing in the most casual of modes I got three handsome redbellied sunfish, brilliantly colored adults, and one big, black, bull bluegill. Unlike on some days, the fish definitely required work to catch. I think the water needs to drop another 12-18 inches before fishing gets hot.
I was surprised how light river traffic was. There were only a few other boats out. It was perhaps the most enjoyable trip I've taken this year. I saw eight alligators (two bruisers) and a wide variety of birds. The highlight was watching a swallow-tailed kite, a personal favorite, soaring and dipping above the tree tops.
I pulled the boat out at the Snow Hill Road bridge at 430 PM.
Life is great and I love my work!
John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
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