35 Kayak Fishing Trips

[FlatsNBay]

G, after the hurricane the water flooded the woods surrounding the lake. The water level was high enough for long enough that it killed the vegetation on the land which depleted oxygen levels. The water receded into the lake killing all the fish. There was nowhere for them to go.

I spoke with the biologist who said that the bass population has rebounded slightly. The lack of submerged vegetation in the lake has limited the increase. It will take several more years for the population to get back to normal (in my opinion).

[Capt. BassinLou]

Your lowest score yet, I think! Yikes.

[FlatsNBay]

Spot 28: Lake Washington

Lake Washington is another home lake for me and I know it very well. I've fished it a lot by boat but this is the first time from the kayak.

Habitat: Dark tanic water with patches of pads and bullrush here and there around the lake.

Launch: A nice concrete ramp on the east side of the lake. Easy in and out.

Result: Favorable winds allowed for calm conditions throughout the lake. I launched at sunrise. Water temp dropped to 60 from a recent front so I expected a tough day. I concentrated on pads and any available cover with a stick worm. It was one of those days that we all occasionally have, a bunch of lost fish. I just couldn't get my mojo going. It seemed like they were short striking and not really getting the bait good. I went through a ton of soft plastics trying to find the magic bait. I ended up with only 3 landed and off the water at 11. It was fun anyway.

Will I go back? Yep, it's my local lake that is usually pretty decent. Just have to watch the weather and wait for a calm day.

Overall Score: 76. Even though I only caught 3, I can usually have pretty good success.

[FlatsNBay]

Spot 29: Fox Lake

Fox Lake is located in Titusville and is connected to South Lake by a canal. I've fished a few times by boat and this was the first time by kayak.

Habitat: There is 2 different types of habitat depending on the lake. Both lakes have dark tanic water. Fox Lake has shoreline grass, plenty of pads and several areas of bullrush. South Lake has plenty of vegetation including hydrilla, eel grass, and pads all over the lake.

Launch: Fox Lake Park has a nice concrete ramp and a separate kayak launch. Easy in and out.

Result: Most people fish South Lake because of the vegetation but I chose to stay in Fox Lake because spray boats were launching and I wanted to stay away from them. The morning started with turkeys gobbling and eagles and ospreys flying over the lake. I love the spring. I started with a frog and had a couple of subtle hits but they weren't that active. I tried several areas of pads with no luck. I found a few nice mats and went to flipping with the new Berkley Stank Bug. Ended up with 4 with the biggest being 2 lbs. Off the water at 1130. It was fun.

Will I Go Back? I'd try it again and take the long paddle to South Lake.

Overall Score: 72

[FlatsNBay]

Spot 30: Lake Cara

Lake Cara is a lake located on one of central Florida's Wildlife Management Areas. I didn't have high expectations because the lake is open year round and I suspect that it gets a lot of pressure.

Habitat: Very dark water with tons of shoreline grass and some sections of water lettuce. There are several small islands in the lake. I had water depths down to about 12 feet with an irregular bottom. It looks fishy!

Launch: A dirt road ending at a very shallow concrete ramp. I had to get my feet wet launching.

Result: I started with topwater and frog had a few nice hits but they were just swatting at the baits. Water temp was 65 so I bet the topwater bite would be much better with warmer water. After the sun burned off the fog, I went to flipping and that was the ticket. I ended up with 7 all in the 2 to 3 pound range. I lost about a 5 pounder right next to the boat. Dang it! Should've brought a net. Fun place and the quality was good.

Will I go back? It's a long drive but I'd go back. I'd like to try it during warmer weather. I bet the frogging bite would be really good.

Overall Score: 75 Good quality. Flipping and Frogger's Paradise!

[FlatsNBay]

Spot 31: Eau Gallie River (saltwater)

The Eau Gallie River is a saltwater river that is connected to the Indian River in Melbourne. I've fished it a lot before as it's one of my buddy's favorite areas and it's always been a good place for snook and tarpon. It has a nice variety of fish and you can even catch a bass at the spillway in the back of the river.

Habitat: A wide area full of boat docks and marinas that narrows to smaller sections. The water is usually deep enough for most flats boats and skiffs.

Launch: A multi lane concrete boat ramp with boat docks. I opted to use a sandy beach just a short cart away. Launching was easy and I stayed out of the way from launching boats.

Result: I started with a topwater at a narrow section of the river. I had a few blow ups and then connected with a small snook. I stayed with topwater for a long time and had a few more hits. Another boat was fishing in front of me so I never made it to the freshwater spillway. I turned around and switched baits to a DOA shrimp. I connected with a couple more small snook then caught a big mangrove snapper. It was so big, it was a 2 hander! I should've kept it because when I released it, a dolphin went on attack mode and got an easy meal.

Will I go back? I would. It's usually protected from the wind and usually offers some decent fishing. It's a fun place.

Overall Score: 72

[FlatsNBay]

Spot 32: Lake Garcia

I've fished Lake Garcia a bunch from the boat but this was the first time in the kayak. I wasn't very excited as I would be limited to a canal that runs for several miles until you can get to open water in the lake.

Habitat: Dark but clear water with tons of vegetation. It looks like a dream for bass anglers.

Launch: A 2 lane concrete ramp with a dock. I used the airboat ramp to stay out of the way from launching boats at the main ramp. Very easy launching.

Result: As I was launching, I met another kayak Angler Joe from Ft Pierce. Joe was in one of the new economical pedal drives from Academy. Super nice guy. Off I went up the north canal. I tried a variety of baits and couldn't get anything going. I found a few fish at the mouth of a marsh cut and caught them on a swim worm and fluke. I worked my way in the canal and caught some more on a swim worm. Final fish of the day came flipping at the boat ramp. I ended up with 10 with the biggest being 2 lbs. Off the water at 11.

Will I go back? Definitely in the boat but probably not in the kayak for a couple of reasons. You are confined to the canal which has a lot of boat traffic including airboat tour companies. It can get pretty sketchy. It is a several mile paddle to open water. Fishing in the canal is ok but not as good as other areas of the lake.

Overall Score: 73

[FlatsNBay]

Spot 33: East Lake Toho

I've fished East Lake Toho before and did pretty good so I was excited to check it out in the kayak.

Habitat: Dark but very clear water. Plenty of shoreline vegetation of Kissimmee grass, bullrush and pads. Nice peppergrass reminded me of Okeechobee from back in the day.

Launch: Lakefront Park boat ramp consisted of a multi lane concrete ramp with docks. Easy in and out.

Result: I intended on launching at Chisholm Park on the east side of the lake but it was closed for construction. I had to go with plan B and launch at Lakefront Park on the south end. Once I got launched I worked my way to the east. I quickly caught 2 nice ones on a Devils Horse and then settled in on a nice swim worm bite. I circled back through an area and caught 1 more flipping. Ended up with 12 with biggest being around 3 lbs. Off the water by 11:00. It was hot!

Will I go back? Sure. It's a long drive but I think is worth it. I'd like to try the east side of the lake and put in at Chisholm Park next time.

Score: 75. Fun lake with not as much pressure as nearby West Lake Toho.

[FlatsNBay]

Spot 34: E.L. Park

E.L. Park is a city park on the east side of Orlando. It has a nice little lake with houses on one side and a park with walking trails on the other side.

Habitat: Very clear water with hydrilla and eel grass. Visibility was easily 15 feet. I found depths down to 30' on my Garmin.

Launch: Find a grassy spot along the shore and launch. It was easy in and a little work getting out due to the mud. Easily doable.

Result: Growing up in south Florida, I love fishing clear water so I was excited to check out this urban lake. On the water at sunrise and found a nice topwater bite on the Boyo Spook including a nice 2 1/2 pounder. After the sun got good and high the topwater bite died. I switched to a fluke and only had one hit. I decided to switch gears and fish deep. My first cast with a drop shot resulted in another nice 2.5. I dialed in the drop shot bite out deep in water 10-15 feet deep. The quality was good with many in the 2-3 lb. class. It was a blast on 8 lb. test. I ended up with 35 fish and was surprised at the quality. No giants but all fat fish that pulled. Off the water at 1100. Fun place!

Will I go back? You betcha! I love fishing clear water.

Score: 85, Good numbers and good quality.

[Capt. BassinLou]

You've been busy fishing!! Wtg! I enjoy reading all these new areas your fishing on your kayak.  

[big g]

Flats, nice going!  Have you tried Turkey Lake right by Universal studios?  I have caught some big ones out of that lake whenever we had a coaching clinic in Orlando.  Perfect kayak waters, and contour maps available on-line.  Have fished it 5 or 6 times.

[FlatsNBay]

Thanks guys. I have not tried Turkey Lake for 2 reasons. I kept my list of spots to under an hour drive and Turkey Lake is greater than that. Second, from what I understand they do not allow launching kayaks anymore. It's rentals only.

One more trip to go and then my list of 35 is complete.

[FlatsNBay]

Spot 35: Turkey Creek (Brackish Water)

I've fished Turkey Creek a few times before by boat and have done well so I was excited to explore it with the kayak. There's just so many species, you never know what you might catch. Snook, tarpon, and bass are common.

Habitat: Clear dark water with visibility down to about 5 feet. The shorelines were lined with docks and trees.

Launch: I put in at Pollack Park in Palm Bay which is a single lane concrete ramp with minimal parking. Easy in and out. The place fills up on the weekends as it is a short idle to the Indian River and the ICW.

Result: Before I get to the fishing, here's a list of species that I saw while fishing: snook, tarpon, jack crevalle, largemouth bass, gar, mayan cichlid, mullet, sail cats, and blacktip sharks. Alligators, manatees, and dolphins added to the diversity.

I started out moving up the creek and had a couple of hits on a topwater. I switched to a DOA shrimp and lost several small snook and about a 2 lb. bass. I saw several giant snook, but they weren't interested in anything that I was throwing. I finished up the morning with a nice mayan cichlid. Fun place but kind of slow.

Will I go back? I would but during a different time of year. I've caught some decent fish there before, so it has potential.

Score: 71

[FlatsNBay]

That concludes my list. It was a blast exploring new areas. Some of them were great and others were duds. I still have about 15 or so more new spots that I'd like to hit that are a little further away. I'm going to start cycling through some of the better spots again while continuing to chip away at my list of new spots.

I've found that with the kayak, many of the spots are devoid of any pressure which opens up fishing on busy weekends at some spots. I used to hate fishing on the weekend by boat because of all the activity but may now hit some of the out of the way spots with primitive ramps. I've learned that wind is much more of a factor when fishing from the kayak but if I do a little planning, I can hit areas protected by the wind when it blows.

Other than that, I'm very happy to have bought the kayak. It has opened up a whole new world. Thanks for joining me on my journey.

[Capt. BassinLou]

Impressive list Steve! Thank you for your insights as you brought us along to all of the different locations. The good news is, you do not have a shortage of fishing locations.     

[big g]

Thanks Flats, an interesting journey we all enjoyed joining you through the posts.  Good luck and many more.