Space Coast Fishing Report from Spotted Tail 2/17/08
Upcoming Events:
-On March 30 I'll be giving a program on Fishing Opportunities on Florida's Space Coast at the FFF Flyfishing Expo in Lakeland, Florida.
This can be such a wonderful time of year…
I was planning on going to the no motor zone on Monday. When I checked the weather forecast the prediction was for 20-30 mph winds. I stayed home, and of course it was beautiful. There was some wind, but it would have been fishable, sunny, no clouds. But I got other work done instead.
Tuesday I went solo kayak fishing out of River Breeze in spite of the forecast, and the overcast conditions. I checked several of my favorite places and didn't see a fish. I came to one small pond that had been holding some fish and blind cast with a Clouser Minnow through a couple of white holes. I got two reds and a hardhead catfish by doing this. I always love those catfish bonus catches! I ought to frame that fly.
I was resigned to that being the day and was paddling out when I saw a pair of reds tailing in really skinny water. I changed to a sexyfly bendback, made a cast, and got my best fish of the day, about 26 inches. After beginning the paddle again, I spotted three fish tailing together. I got the bite again, but missed it, and the fish flushed of course.
The water was too low for me to take the short route back (I had to drag the kayak into a couple spots or not get in at all) and the rain caught me before I made it back to the dock. But I was wearing waders and a raincoat and was as dry as I could be. Only the thunder had me pushing to get back faster!
Wednesday the weather was atrocious, as a front came through. I stayed home.
Thursday morning I met Kent Foyer and his son Chris at Parrish Park. It was a brisk 38 degrees, steam coming off the water, wind from the north at about 15. Kent had shorts on. I'm sure he must have been miserable, but he did tough it out. No surprise that we didn't see a fish all morning. However, as it started warming up nicely in the afternoon we started finding fish. In the last hour we were out they got eight reds to about 28 inches.
Friday Scott Radloff and I went to the no motor zone. Although there were quite a few clouds the weather was beautiful and I expected great things. I was destined to be somewhat disappointed. I ran over a small (eight or ten fish) pod of big reds somewhere around 10 AM, the only sizable fish I would see all day. Later, as I was gliding along a shoreline, I spotted ten or so slot sized reds within a rod length of my kayak. I kept still and floated on past them. They didn't look like I had bothered them at all, so as soon as I passed them I stopped the boat. One cast with a black Clouser Minnow, one fish, and the skunk was gone at least.
A few minutes later Scott got one on a plastic crab.
Then I spotted a tail. I paddled into range and unleashed a cast. The tailer was on the far side of a school of 75 or more fish that I could not see because of the clouds. When my fly line came down on top of them the just blew up and high tailed it out of there. I walked around that area for close to an hour but never found them or anything else.
Now it was into the afternoon and we were working our way back towards the put-in. We found a fish here, a fish there. They were hard to see (still cloudy) and not very aggressive. Scott didn't get another fish. I ended up with six bites altogether, and released three slot sized reds. I didn't see a trout, nor a black drum. But the weather was beautiful, I got three redfish on fly, and I've certainly had worse days.
Saturday I fished two gentlemen from Connecticut on the Indian River Lagoon, John and Chris. It was a spectacular day- light breeze, no clouds. We found good numbers of fish, but could not buy a strike. We found tailing reds, cruising reds, and laid-up reds and trout. We tried RipTide weedless jigs, DOA Shrimp, various colors of jerk baits, Johnson minnows, Chug Bugs, cut mullet, and shrimp. We tried blind casting and sight fishing. We returned to Parrish Park after eight hours of refusals of everything we tried, without getting a bite. Back at the boat ramp I saw Troy Nash. He had exactly the same story. At least in fishing misery loves company!
Life is short- GO FISHING!!!
Life is great and I love my work!
John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com