We had a cold front come through on Tuesday and the temperatures were like those typically associated with January. By mid-March Florida standards, it was COLD, baby! And so we have a cold front Orlando Fishing report.
Upcoming Events-
Activate the River- The Save the St. Johns: Activate the River campaign aims to get people out on the water to save the river. From March 18 to April 2, 2017, boat tours, paddling trips, hikes and biking adventures are available from the headwaters of the St. Johns to the mouth. We are asking YOU to #GetYourFeetWet and explore the river somewhere new. Bring a friend, register today, and upload pictures using the #ActivatetheRiver to share your experiences! Visit www.savethestjohns.org (http://spottedtail.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2cf266c40f1149c555ceaf4d4&id=aaa6cf5bd0&e=bcf0376f47) for more information about the various events and opportunities for you to experience this magical yet imperiled waterway and show support for its protection.
** Fishing!
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Monday Canadian Ted Sinfield and his friend Darryl joined me on a cloudy, wind-swept Mosquito Lagoon. For the most part sight-fishing was impossible. We stuck to lee shorelines to stay out of the waves and muddy water.
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Ted with one of the several nice trout he got.
By blindly casting DOA CAL shad the Ontario natives were fed a steady diet of spotted seatrout to four pounds or so, with a couple modest redfish thrown in for good measure. Fishing was decent by any standard.
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Ted and Darryl with another nice fish.
Tuesday I went to the St. Johns River, and found myself on Lake Harney. In so many ways I was not prepared for what I found there. It looked like the ocean- wind, waves, diving birds, breaking fish. Johnny did not have enough clothes on- a foul weather yachting suit would have been appropriate.
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I didn’t have enough clothes on. The bass didn’t seem to mind.
With chattering teeth I repeatedly cast a quarter-ounce jig was around the birds (as closely as possible). The bass responded as well as one could hope. The best fish was around four pounds. On the verge of hypothermia I left them and loaded the boat up. In spite of the cold, an awesome morning.
Thursday‘s forecast high was 60 degrees. In spite of that I launched a kayak at River Breeze at about 10 AM. The wind was a solid 15 MPH and it was cold.
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The fly accounted for close to 20 fish before one busted it off at my feet.
The fish were where I hoped they would be. They were reluctant at first, but as the sun warmed the water they got positively stupid, very aggressively smacking the synthetic minnow pattern I offered. The only difficulty was casting the three-weight in that wind. Both trout and slot reds were in the mix, with the best fish honors a tie between a five pound trout and an eleven-spot redfish. Fishing was so good, I thought it was the old days!
Expecting cold on Friday we took it easy all morning. Much of this report got written then. Around noon I wired a fishing rod to the frame of my bicycle and went riding off to the Econ.
On the way I stopped at a neighbor’s loquat tree and had a delicious snack. Ripe loquats have this reporter’s highest recommendation.
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Some of my neighbors have never been to Disney World…
A pickup truck towing a trailer full of cattle passed me. We can reasonably assume the cows were not headed to Walt Disney World.
A flash of insight while I was pedaling- it reminded me of how I used to go fishing before I had a driver’s license- pedal my bike to the local fishing spot! I might have been going to Wright’s Pond, or Upper Mystic Lake. I can almost hear Patti Cefalo yelling at me, “Why don’t you grow up, John!!” Some things really never do change.
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First fish of the day was a rather aggressive crappie.
I got to pedal, clamber, amble, ramble, scramble, scrabble, climb, walk, cast, see some alligators, watch an armadillo roll around on its back like a dog (who knew?), see some cowboys (on horseback, of course)- what an afternoon! Beautiful spot, awesome weather, a few fish, life sure is good!
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I bet life is difficult for little gators like this. They’re like tootsie rolls for the larger lizards.
This bass was the best fish of the day, though.
Saturday found Brian and Lacey Rosedale in Spotted Tail, shivering in some too crisp weather as we motored up the St. Johns River in the fog. I thought it painfully cold. What was even more painful was the lack of breaking fish at the breaking fish spot. At least eight other boats were similarly disappointed.
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Brian and the sunshine bass. Sounds like the name of a garage band.
We fished our way back to Mullet Lake Park, got exactly three bites along the way. Brian got a modest largemouth and a nice sunshine bass, both on a Culprit Fat Max worm. Lacey hooked and lost a fish on a DOA CAL shad. It turned into a gorgeous day but the fish weren’t happening for us.
That is the Cold Front Orlando fishing report!
Life is great and I love my work!
Life is short- Go Fishing!
John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
- John Kumiski, Everglades - January 3, 2021
- John Kumiski:Not Much - September 26, 2020
- East Central:John Kumiski - September 18, 2020
