Paddling the Everglades
Capt. John Kumiski
October 26, 2008
Titusville - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing Report from Spotted Tail 10/26/08
Upcoming Events:
11/15, Fly Tying/Book Signing, Border's Books,
Red Bug Lake Road, Oviedo
11/29, Fly Tying/Book Signing, Mosquito Creek Outdoors, Apopka. MCO is turning this into quite an event. Call them at 407-464-2000 for information
FOR SALE:
MinnKota MK74 24 volt trolling motor, 74 pound thrust. This motor was used less than a year. In that time the paint started peeling. It looks bad but works beautifully. I was keeping it for a spare but it won't work on the new boat due to lack of battery space. $300
PowerTech Stainless Steel prop, 13", 16 pitch, for Yamaha 90. This prop has been reworked but is completely boat ready. Just bolt it on and use it! $100
OK, on to the fishing!
On Monday Jack and Scott Radloff, a father-son team, and I launched a canoe and a kayak in Everglades National Park. Things were a little slow at first. The glades are apparently suffering from the same high and dirty water problem that we are up here.
Anyway, we eventually came to a place where the fishies were just GOING OFF on mosquito fish. Fortunately they weren't being very selective. Jack and I were using fly rods, Scott spinning gear. We had fish in the air constantly, both snook and tarpon. I don't know what the final tally was for myself, let alone for the three of us. The best snook out of 15 or 20 of them was 29 inches, caught on a new DOA bait the name of which I don't know (see photo). I don't know how many tarpon we jumped/caught, or what the ratio was, but it was wonderfully stupid- LOTS of them. Simply a fantastic day.
We launched again the following day and went to a different area. The water was REAL dirty, and we paddled a long way. I got one tarpon on a DOA Shad tail/Chug Head combination, Scott got one snook, and Jack got two snook, to 29 inches. We were looking for the motherlode like the previous day but just didn't find it. It was still a wonderful day.
Jack likes to eat barracuda, so on Wednesday we went to Biscayne National Park and launched Jack's skiff. Jack and Scott threw spoons. I used a Chug Bug. We caught quite a few cudas, mostly around islands. We were blind casting, but not completely. Whenever we'd see bait moving we'd go that way and get a few fish. Frankly I was surprised how entertaining it was, and we cleaned nine or ten cudas when we got back to the dock.
Friday and Saturday I spent the day cleaning (ughh!) the garage. Oh yeah, it needed it BAD. I'll be having a yard sale next month, I can see that!
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
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