It was a month of mixing together on Kit Lake, my home water, in central Florida's largemouth bass country. Jobs and people were forced together in a blur. Strong storms shoved themselves into continuing dry weather. And time with a Pitbull named Frankie, in a fishing-washing-machine helped anglers get by.
The dry weather of April continued, putting the squeeze on fishing. Then mid-month, off-timed morning storms began popping up. Locals were not in tune with the mixed-up schedule, so those who could fish after the early and powerful storms caught the most fish on Kit Lake.
Recent graduates, "waiting on developments," were successful in this scenario. They extended sleep into the midday, then cast lightly weighted nymphs tight to the few shore areas without vegetation. The fishes' tentative, hot water strikes matched the graduates' too-cool-persona.
But most standby locations near the shore underproduced because of the lack of rain and overabundance of vegetation. Thinking anglers focused on areas with four feet of water. Marlin was forced to nip off his beloved dropper fly, but he did well with a solo weedless popper. And Frank kept up with weedless worm imitations.
The young are in those grassy shallows. Yearling bass are growing past finger size, and Norman and Paul traded several bluegill and one shiner for two pair of shoes.
In the middle of this month, mixed up reconnaissance paid off with new fishing locations that will be convenient in our stormy season. So on this bicentennial of Joy, we look ahead.
Comments