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Indian River Lagoon & Banana River
Capt. John Kumiski
October 13, 2005
Titusville - Saltwater Fishing Report
Capt. John Kumiski's Space CCoast report 10/13/05
This week’s fishing report from Spotted Tail, updated 10/1/05
Show and Tell coming up!
I will be holding one of my popular Show and Tell seminars at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on October 22. During the course of this seminar we tour the refuge, stopping periodically so I can SHOW you where to fish, and TELL you how to go about it. The cost is $40 per person, limited to the first 20. Visit this link: http://www.spottedtail.com for more details.
My newest book, called How and Where to Catch Redfish in the Indian River Lagoon System, was delivered to me yesterday! Those of you who have already ordered one should be getting them soon, as they will be mailed out today. Designed to fit in a tackle box, it's a small book, 5.5 x 8.5 inches, 96 pp., with a retail price of $12.95. I am now able to ship immediately. I am still offering a pre-publication special- if you order now I will pay for the shipping, but tomorrow is the last day, so don't wait! For more information on the book, or to order, visit this link:
http://www.spottedtail.com Books-HowToCatchRedfish.htm
Now, the fishing report (and I again thank you for your patience!).
That completely different thing- Last Sunday son Maxx and I drove to Long Point Park, hoping to catch the mullet run frenzy at Sebastian Inlet. I never fish Sebastian, and hadn't been there in years. The water in the lagoon was high and dirty, and the surf was way up. We caught nothing fishing from the banks at the inlet Sunday evening. The entire time we were there there was very little evidence that the mullet were running.
Monday morning we went out with Rodney Smith. We fished the east side of the lagoon, north of the inlet. We got a couple of redfish, a jack, and a small snook, and had to work hard for every bite. Rodney left about noon and Maxx and I went back out. We managed to net a few mullet and proceeded to catch jacks and ladyfish. We each got a jack of serious proportions. To see the photos from this week use this link: http://www.spottedtail.com
Tuesday we went out with Tod Hagan. Thanks to TS Tammy the wind was out of the east at 25-30 knots, with intermittent rain squalls. In the incredibly crappy weather we caught one dink snook. I did catch a juvenile jewfish while trying to net mullet. Although it looked like it might make a few delicious sandwiches it was of course returned to the water.
Wednesday morning Maxx and I went out by ourselves. We got a trout, a small tarpon (see photo), a couple of jacks and ladyfish, and decided that we should go home a day early. We packed up the tent and were home before suppertime.
Thursday fly fisher Dennis Longstreet, from New Jersey, ventured out onto the Indian River Lagoon with me. The water in the lagoon was even higher and the dirty water appears to be spreading. We hit it hard all day, just trying to see the bottom, hampered by clouds and wind, and Dennis cast to and caught on of the few fish we saw, his first ever redfish on fly (see photo), his only bite of the day.
Friday Mr. Longstreet and I were at it again. We first visited the south power plant. Ladyfish of various sizes kept us busy for a couple of hours. Then we got serious again. It was still cloudy and hard to see, and most of the fish we saw were almost directly beneath the boat. Dennis got a fine four pound trout on a Floozy popper, but the reds eluded us.
Saturday Mike Maloney and his son Andrew came up from Melbourne for some spin fishing. We first went to the power plant, where the ladyfish warmed us up for a while. I tossed a couple of little ones into the livewell for future reference, which as it turned out was a good idea. Stan Wrobleski had told me where some pompano were located, so we went to see if we could catch a few. They were in fact there, but 40 minutes only yielded two bites and one fish, so we went looking for reds and trout. We found some very clean water where there were reds and trout both, but we could not buy a strike on a lure. I cut up a ladyfish into chunks, and they managed to catch three nice reds (see photo) to about 30 inches before we called it quits.
Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, Dr. Mike Oliff, a fly fisher from Kentucky, fished with me. On Sunday we started in the Indian River. Although he sight cast three trout of moderate size into the boat, the redfish had mostly disappeared from where we caught them the day before. I ended up pulling the boat and driving to the Mosquito Lagoon, where we searched fruitlessly all over the south end. We found some clean water but no fish at all, only seeing three reds in four hours, and not getting a shot.
Monday we went to the spot in the Indian River where I had fished Mr. Longstreet the previous Friday. The water, which had been clean, was now so black we couldn't see the bottom. I was so disappointed. The only place where I could still really sight fish well was no longer fishable. We fished culverts and canals and caught a lot of small trout, found some small tarpon that wouldn't bite, and ended up sight fishing along a shoreline with moderately clean water in the Indian River. There were a few fish there and Mike caught a slot red on his last cast of the afternoon.
Tuesday it was unmistakable that the dirty water was spreading into the few remaining clean areas of the Indian River. We fished from Patillo Creek to south of the NASA Causeway, looking for clean water and fishing culverts. We found very little clean water and saw very few fish in those places we did find. All the culverts yielded were trout, mostly small ones. It was very discouraging, especially for Mike, who wanted to sight fish for reds and spent the better part of three days looking at muddy water.
Yesterday Scott Radloff and I went to Port Canaveral to scout for my trips for today and tomorrow. There were quite a few finger mullet south of the south jetty, but not much was chasing them. The water was fairly dirty. I got a 3 pound jack and Scott got a 17" flounder in a little more than an hour, so I decided to head out and look for Spanish mackerel, weeds, or anything else that might be more interesting. We ran down the beach to the pier, seeing nothing of note. Then I turned and checked the buoys at the end of the line, seeing nothing. Then we ran to the "D" can, and further to the shoals. The farther we went the dirtier the water got. We saw nothing out there- no bait, no weeds, nothing. We went back into the jetty and anchored up. Scott got a three pound bluefish, and just before we were going top leave I hooked and caught a magnificent 14 pound snook (see photo).
I postponed today's trip because of the weather and water conditions. From what I can see the entire lagoon is high and muddy, and sight fishing will be terribly difficult until that changes. That may not be for some time.
Upcoming Events-
-October- I'll be presenting at the Palm Beach Shallow Water Show on October 15 and 16. Stop by my booth and say hello!
-One of the popular "Show and Tell" seminars is scheduled for Oct. 22 at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Details will be posted in September.
-I am scheduled to teach a Flats Fishing class at Brevard Community College, Cocoa, from 10/25 to 11/22. Call the school at 321.433.7530 to register.
-November- I am scheduled to teach a Saltwater Fly Fishing class on November 5th and 12th class at Brevard Community College, Cocoa. Call the school at 321.433.7530 to register.
-I will be tying flies at the International Fly Tying Symposium in Somerset, NJ on November 19 and 20.
Remember- life is short. GO FISHING!
Life is great and I love my work!!
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me at [email protected], or call at 407 977 5207.
John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com
member IRGA, FOWA
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