Cold Camping, Hot Redfish in Mosquito Lagoon
Capt. John Kumiski
February 2, 2009
Titusville - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing Report from Spotted Tail 2/2/09
Again, we didn't do a lot of fishing last week. The weather has not been conducive to flats fishing, nor is it supposed to be for most this week.
Tuesday I went to the St. Johns River, hoping for a shad or two. The wind was honkin' along and it was supposed to rain. I waded out to the bar just upstream of the SR 46 bridge and fished for a couple of hours. I could see fish breaking but in spite of changing flies every ten minutes I did not get a bite. I left just before the rain started. It rained for two days.
Saturday morning I went to a board meeting of Anglers for Conservation. These folks sponsor the Hook Kids on Fishing events and are doing wonderful things in Florida. Expect to hear more from them.
After the meeting I drove up to River Breeze. I set up my tent and watched the stars wheel for a couple of hours. It's been way too long since I watched night fall. This time of year my favorite stars are out in the early evening- Rigel and Aldebaran, Sirius and Procyon, Castor and Pollux, the Pleides. Seven or eight satellites streaked through the heavens, too. We sure have a lot of stuff flying around up there.
When the dew fall started to get my sleeping bag wet I pulled into the tent. Before I left home a minor search for my sleeping bag liner occurred. That search was unsuccessful. I wish I had located it, because I was right on the edge of freezing my buns off almost all night. It got cold, down into the 30s.
I got up at first light and put the kayak in the water. After paddling a while in the quiet (Sunday morning, too!) I found a school of redfish. Like clockwork, three motor skiffs showed up. Using a crab pattern I got three fish, then left them to the skiff guys. In the meantime two more skiffs showed up, so they certainly had me surrounded! I didn't get another shot, and didn't get back to River Breeze until 2 PM. The water is still very low, and many of my favorite kayak fishing areas up there are almost dry.
There was a fish kill in one of my favorite ponds last week during that freezing weather. I found eight or ten decomposing seatrout in the five to eight pound class. Although that was sad, altogether it was a lovely weekend. I was home in time to watch the ballgame.
Life is short- GO FISHING!!!
Life is great and I love my work!
If you have any questions or comments, or if you'd like to go fishing, please feel free to email me at [email protected], or call at 407 977 5207.
John Kumiski
member, Indian River Guides Association,
Florida Outdoor Writers Association
Titusville Fishing Forecast:
When the rain and wind stop, and the sun comes out, flats fishing for reds and trout should be spectacular. It looks like that will be the end of this week.
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