Space Coast report 10/5
Capt. John Kumiski
October 5, 2008
Titusville - Saltwater Fishing Report
This week's fishing report from Capt. John Kumiski 10/5/08
At the end of my last report, two weeks ago, I asked this question-
If you could take any fishing trip for any species anywhere in Florida, with money not being an object, where would you go and what would you fish for? Why? I'll share the best answers with all my readers, and send out a Spotted Tail prize pack or two. Let me know! Thanks! My email address is [email protected].
I only got two responses. Thank you, gentlemen! Paul McGinnis said he wanted to fish in the restricted areas at the Kennedy Space Center, with the goal being 100 pounds of seatrout in ten fish. Chris Ivich said he would kayak fish in the Mosquito Lagoon. He did it once before (with me) and loved it!
I need more responses! How about if I add to the question another question- what's the best trip you've ever taken in Florida. Why? The prize pack offer is still good. I look forward to seeing your responses! Thanks!
Fishing has been awesome lately. The weather has been outstanding, and the crowds minimal. Catching has been pretty darned slow, though. The water in the lagoons and the St. Johns River is still very high, and it's still dirty in a lot of places. In the Mosquito Lagoon you can find clean water, especially out off the shoreline.
On Monday last week Aaron and Paul Singleton, a father-son team, joined me for a day on the Mosquito Lagoon. We searched from south of Pelican Island to north of Georges Bank. We searched enough that I ran out of gas, an embarrassing moment not to be repeated. We did not catch a redfish, although we did find some five pound crevalle breaking on top (on the north side of Tiger Shoal) and got several on Bait Busters and popping bugs. We had a good time, but fishing was tough.
Friday Shawn Healy and I went out of Ponce Inlet in his Sea Pro. The mullet run is supposed to be on. We couldn't find any, spending most of the morning looking and catching exactly one. The water inshore was nasty dirty.
We found a shrimp boat working along the beaches in the dirty water. We fished behind it, along with several other boats, for about 30 minutes. We didn't get a bite, nor did we see anyone else do so. We decided to head out, looking for cleaner water and perhaps some weeds.
We went out 10 miles. The water did get cleaner, and we found two strong lines of sargassum that went on for miles. We idled along the weeds for a couple hours. In that time we saw one small barracuda- nothing else. There was quite a bit of bait under the weed clumps, but they were barren of fish. Finally giving up, we were heading back in when we spotted a floating pallet. Ordinarily something like that is a tripletail condo, but one small fish was all that was under it and he wouldn't bite. It was as bad a skunking as I've gotten in quite a while.
Tuesday Scott Radloff and I went out on Mosquito Lagoon. We got a late start. We found breaking jacks right away and got a few, along with several short trout. They were on the outside of Tiger Shoal. There were all kinds of finger mullet and glass minnows there. Then we went looking for redfish.
We found some reds, not good numbers of them though. I thought we should have gotten one or two but they didn't bite. We did get a few legal trout to 21 inches, on DOA jerkbaits rigged on Woodie's Rattle Hooks. So we did get some fish.
Wednesday I put the kayak on the roof and went to River Breeze. I was bummin' when I got there. Of course the water was high, up to the top of the dock. But it was nasty dirty, too. I left, and went down into the wildlife refuge to cruise the dike roads. They were all barricaded off. I did castnet a few mullet and ladyfish for future reference at a flowing culvert, but that was the extent of my fishing.
Thursday fly fisherman Richard Mertz joined me on the Mosquito Lagoon. Wanting immediate gratification I headed to Tiger Shoal to look for the breaking jacks. Of course they weren't there. There were small ladyfish, and we got several before searching for redfish.
It wasn't hot fishing but working hard and finding fish every now and then Richard got his first and second redfish. The first took an olive colored Clouser Minnow, the second a Dupre Spoonfly. Both were slot fish, both released.
This weekend the Hunt for Reds tournament was scheduled. I had a Saturday charter booked. Picturing hordes of crazed tournament anglers in my favorite fishing spots I went to Kelly Park on Friday. I figured to scout the Banana River Lagoon and hoped to find a less crowded place to fish. The plan was good, but the fish weren't there.
I motored down to Pineda Causeway, stopping at the Thousand Islands. There I used the trolling motor to work along the edges of the islands. The water is high and dirty there, and I saw exactly one fish, a redfish. A stiff east wind kept me from spending much time on the west side flats, but I didn't expect much there. Besides, the weather forecast for Saturday was a 15-20 mph east wind.
Saturday morning found fly fisherman Bill Silverman and I on the east side of the Mosquito Lagoon, as far back in the pole-troll area as I could get. Tournament or not, boat traffic for a Saturday was pretty light, much to my surprise.
Up against the shoreline the water was pretty dirty. I poled for miles, almost all the way up to CNS parking lot five. We saw very few fish and only had two decent shots, neither of which was converted. Bill's an MD and we had a non-stop high level conversation which touched on health, life, death, cosmology, language, internal combustion's obsolescence, teenaged children, and a variety of other topics. In spite of the tough fishing it was a very enjoyable day.
Isn't that what fishing is about?
I will be glad when the water drops some, and clears up, though.
Life is great and I love my work!
John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
www.johnkumiski.com
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