Inconsitent Redfishing in the Mosquito :agoon
Capt. John Kumiski
May 4, 2009
Titusville - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing Report from Spotted Tail 5/4/09
I fished three days last week, all by kayak.
Tuesday I scouted along the Shiloh Marsh road and didn't see anything that made me want to stop, so I went to River Breeze. The water level in the lagoon has dropped and is quite low again. I found a pair of fish almost as soon as I started looking and got one on the black redfish worm. I paddled (and plowed) about five miles through some really skinny water and did not get another shot, only seeing about a half dozen more fish. It has been really slow up there all winter long, very disappointing. And now it's May and it's still not good.
Friday I went to Mosquito Lagoon. I found stupid numbers of redfish in very skinny water. I was paddling the kayak through the mud. I got the first three I threw to, all on a sexyfly minnow pattern, all slot fish maybe 24 inches long. Then, because I had a big kayak charter the next day, I put the fishing rod away. I wanted those fish to still be there, happy, hungry, and stupid.
I needn't have bothered. The eight of us got there the next morning and most of the fish had already pulled out. I saw about a half dozen and had one good shot, which I did not convert. Dennis Mahar, of the North Florida Fly Fishers, got the only fish between the eight of us. He found a few fish tailing and dropped his fly on them, and a 25 inch fish took it.
Why does fishing change so much from day to day?
Yesterday Larry McGlashan and I went to Port Canaveral. I was hoping the blues, macks, and jacks would all still be there. We cleared the jetties and I turned right around and went back into the port. We would have been statistics otherwise. It was way too rough for the Mitzi, blowing at least 15 out of the south, with a good chop and three foot rollers.
Although I didn't bring the pushpole we went to Port St. John. I was lucky to get the last parking spot. We went to both power plants. Nothing. I checked a bunch of docks. Nothing. We went across the lagoon and had a beautiful drift along about a mile of flats. The water was clear and it looked great. We lost at least a dozen soft plastic baits to puffers and Larry got a trout that generously was a foot long. Other than that, nothing. I loaded the boat back up about noon time.
Today I had a half day charter with Matt Schwartz and his friends Ian and Paula, both from Philadelphia. After launching at Kennedy Point Park we saw manatees, dolphins, alligators, and a few jacks and snook. We did not see a redfish or a trout and the only fish we put in the boat were puffers. Ian and Paula had never seen one and were very amused by its inflating. I was not so amused by how many plastic baits we went through, but I guess that's fishing, especially with hordes of puffers around.
Life is short- GO FISHING!
And life is great and I love my work!
John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
member Florida Outdoor Writers Association (www.fowa.org),
Indian River Guides association (www.irga.org)
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