The Kit Lake Solace

MAY 2025

          It was a month of color on Kit Lake, my home water in central Florida’s largemouth bass country. Administrators quickly grew red mad. Our skies presented stormy colors for the first time in months. And Kit Lake sprouted multiple hues.

          Early in the month, low water moved fish to the drop-offs. Tim, taking a break from his teaching, noted the still temperate water. And he found bass with sinking flies like sculpin sliders, as late as 11:00 am.

          Bluegill were available in shallow waters where the food chain was in full effect. Blossoming with purple flowers, pickerel weed held them where anglers could cast Chizzy wink imitations like Mad Bomber Chirons around bottom vegetation. Also, clouds of size 10 (read about fly size here) fry undulated in a few inches of water near Brown cattail flower. Fingerling bass hovered nearby, and predatory bluegill moved up from the grassy flats for their meals. Bobbie got her crystal bugger jig in front of bluegill by throwing a purpose made tailing loop under the boat lift at the Henchman’s dock and clubhouse.

Cayson found active bass with Senko worm flies cast near lily pad fields, now speckled with stout yellow and white flowered lily pad fields. But, late in the month water temperatures rose past 80° so high-sun-fishing was less productive. After sunrise, they moved past the drop-offs again.

Thundershowers returned this month, displaying orange lightning against night-black clouds. So, we began adjusting our plans on the water, and off.

  But the storms will fill Kit Lake and create new opportunities. There is more to see, and more to fish.