APRIL 2024
It was a month of enigma on Kit Lake, my home water in central Florida’s largemouth bass country. Hints of possibility were lost in uncertainty, free flying, and low water.
As a lack of rain drove down water levels, Kit Lake residents worried about forest fires. Anglers with local knowledge looked offshore. And the kayak angler's dilemma struck.
"Into the wind and current in the morning. Then with the wind and current on the way home," usually works. But this month, many days were calm. The lack of wind, and especially the reduced rain left the lake low, slow, and cloudy. This yearly stage transformed fertile holding areas into kiddie pools, overgrown with vegetation, and pushed our fish to other areas. But where to look?
Lilly pad fields sprouted where none were before. And some anglers found success casting Hunter's Sculpin Sliders at the inside edge of these new holding areas and out to about 15 feet of water. Fishing farther offshore was still good for anglers who had found a spot in the winter cold migration.
Ryan started a new job but was not up and running. He found himself ready for prime-time. Casting near structure, but nowhere in particular, he had success in the classic fly rodder way during the active 30 minutes before sunset. Popper droppers on a six-weight rod or larger did the trick on several feisty bass.
The best success of the month ignored this enigma. Two youngsters who could've been cast in The Movie, appeared at the boat ramp one Saturday morning. These potential long rodders caught sandwich bluegill on bread and minnows in a dip net.
The low water of this month should reverse itself, soon. Our fish will move up to prime FeatherWater, and there will be no interesting mystery.
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