The Kit Lake Solace

MAY 2026

     It was a month of forced moves on Kit Lake, my home water in central Florida’s largemouth bass country. People, fish, and anglers were put into new locations. They had to figure out how to find each other.

New rains couldn’t keep up with the falling lake water, which changed obstructions into perches, and kept some anglers off the water entirely. The sharp steel pipe in Cody’s Back Yard was clearly above water, a spot for birds not for danger. And, Sierra, who ranches the land up from The Pasture Shore didn’t fish. Watching the water, and Kit Lake anglers who did try, he spent some mornings standing barefoot in the dewy grass sipping coffee that did not steam in the morning heat.

He saw clouds of fry in the shallow water at the bottom of his slopping ground. And he saw some early morning fly anglers use small and weedless top water flies, like number 10 fire tiger poppers, to snag tough bluegill in those areas with low water but high grass. Prepared anglers also had weedless moderately sinking flies like OB’s Unicorn Clouser.

These opportunities slowed about the time the whistle blew at the lumber yard. But late in the month, anglers who stuck around through the moderate heat of midday were able to get hits as falling barometers and heavy humidity turned top water action on again.

Bass were moved from featherwater sweet spots to holes in plant life, deep spots in deep water, and random structures on the bottom. To chase those bass well away from shore, anglers had to move to the back of their gear closets to get bigger rods and heavier flies. Weedless worm flies like a senko worms on eight weight rods found some bass.

Good and bad moves came this month. But we have seen a lot of the lake, and had worse seasons. Next time around carries promise and we will tie on our flies and head to the lake.