FEBRUARY 2025
         It was a month of surprises on Kit Lake, my home water in central Florida’s largemouth bass country. The Key-Log was buried under the white board. New cameras were found hidden behind old cameras. And our fish moved to spots that caught us off guard.
         Like a beginning fly caster, the golf family is getting better at hitting golf balls farther. But not straighter. So, the driving range was sometimes unsafe, and we moved to another spot. There, we were surprised that bass ate large sub surface flies between overhanging bushes and Lilly pads. Other anglers found energetic three-year-old bass in areas sheltered from the cold north wind by dropping a Pat’s Rubber Legs style nymph off a large popper.
         Big flies and calm presentations proved the way to go when Jerry’s family threw a lakeside party late in the month. The unseasonably cool weather was great for the party goers, and for fishing; Before the shrimp was cooked for the appetizer, several kids repurposed their shares as bait, running to the lake with Zebcos. An older partier grabbed a fly rod, found a spot near vegetation (and still within the sound of the music.) She presented an orange popper at a casual pace, and was taken completely out of party-mode when a 15 inch bass flared from four feet of cool water to attack her fly.
         Around the peninsula, a new patch of water hyacinth is growing. So far, we found small bluegill with a unicorn Clouser, but no big fish. But that future hotspot, and leaping young bass, give us hope for the future.
