The Kit Lake Solace

FEBRUARY 2026

It was a month to drop the heaviness on Kit Lake, my home water in central Florida’s largemouth bass country. We had to slow down, and maybe that was better. Coffee shops began serving in ceramic mugs, for better and worse. And unweighted flies did better than their heavy box-mates.

This month was unusual for the lake. Correspondents had to scrape slime off the depth gauge in order to measure the still falling water. So, fish finding was changed for Kit Lakers.

Corner drop-offs pulled in fish, and through most of February, bass were in play. But shallow water factored in. It was the anglers who could time their fishing around pelicans, cormorants, Ospreys, and otters, who did well in those spots. With an eight weight rod throwing bait fish flies like EP bluegills, Jerry was able to pull in a couple.

After Valentines Day, buggy sunrise action rose again. Plus, receding lily pad fields left sticks in enough water to protect fish who did not find shoreline cover. So, in the hot-coffee stage of the day, bluegill were found (along with many anglers who’d stayed home during the cold weeks.) Lon tricked a few with dropper rigs of unweighted prince nymphs under pink poplar wood poppers. He cast gently beyond each dried stem, allowed the sinking fly to pivot down into water about 1½ feet deep, then slowly stripped in.

          Good fishing in new spots, and new invitations diminished our stress, and helped us through February. Spring in central Florida is looking productive. We will tie on flies and go to the water to find out next month.