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Indian River Lagoon & Banana River
Capt. John Kumiski
July 8, 2006
Titusville - Saltwater Fishing Report
Space Coast report from Spotted Tail 7/8/06
Space Coast fishing report from Spotted Tail, 7/8/06
I was able to get some decent photos on Thursday morning, visit http://www.spottedtail.com to see them.
Due to the long Independence Day weekend I was only out two days this week. Ordinarily I stay home on holiday weekends but on Monday I had a charter with Tom Levy, his wife Sarah, and their six year old son Julian. We went out of Ponce Inlet, catching a few decent trout off of docks on the way. Although there were lots of menhaden out along the beach, and although we searched diligently, we neither saw any fish nor got a bite. We tried up in Spruce Creek for a bit but it was very dead in there too, although the creek looked just beautiful.
If a tailer is a beautiful thing , then 20 or 30 tailers must be absolutely sublime. And that's what I found Thursday morning, a group of tailing redfish in a lovely clump.
Tarpon and other distractions have kept me in the skiff lately, not that I'm complaining. But I've been wanting to go kayak fishing. I love the austere simplicity of that little boat.
Thursday I had no charter, no responsibilities to my wife or children. It looked like the perfect day to kayak fish. The boat was in the water at the River Breeze Park boat ramp in Oak Hill at 6 AM, the sun not yet peeking above the horizon. I put a box of flies in my pocket and a four-weight in the boat and off I went.
If the behavior of the fish was any indication, no one had harassed them over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The fish I found were happy and relaxed, and ate exceedingly well.
The first bite came in a small pond, about 40 minutes in. Eight or ten fish were working their way towards me, tailing as they came. I just sat there until they were in casting range. Then I dropped a #4 black Clouser Minnow just ahead of them. One twitch was all the action the fly needed.
As I paddled along hunting, I found a small group of fish here, a single there. When the fish began to spook off the plop of the Clouser Minnow I switched to an unweighted, #4 grizzly Seaducer. Almost immediately I hooked one with no fly line out of the rod tip. I could see the scales on the fish's back as it took the fly, great stuff!
The weather was absolutely breathtaking. There was hardly any wind, and large cumulus clouds were everywhere, some of them dropping rain. The sun poked through them often enough to both give excellent visibility and to produce numerous rainbows, just beautiful.
I had already had a wonderful morning and was considering quitting early when I came around a corner and there they were, a school of tailers, 30 fish anyway, as fine a sight as I've seen on a redfish flat in quite a long time. Fortunately I'd already released seven or eight fish, so I had the presence of mind to get my camera out to capture some images.
After a short time the urge to cast became overwhelming. The camera was stowed and the Seaducer was dropped at the edge of the group. Instant gratification, we all like that! I tried to horse that fish to keep it from spooking its buddies and of course it broke off. And of course its buddies spooked anyway.
Another fly was tied on as quickly as possible. I looked up and the fish were only 20 feet away, coming right at me. The fly got flopped out there, and one jumped on it immediately. Thirty minutes of non-stop action followed before those fish had enough. A check on those clouds showed them building, with the promise of more rain and perhaps lightning. I stowed the rod and paddled back hard, 40 minutes to the ramp, admiring the scenery and wildlife and reflecting on how a tailer is a beautiful thing.
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, Indian River Guides Association,
Florida Outdoor Writers Association
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