Having to be down within the Orlando space this 12 months again in July to go cowl ICAST this 12 months, I made a decision to drive down a day early to get some fishing in. I went over to the world-famous Skyway Pier in Tampa. That is the longest fishing pier on the earth, constructed from the unique cantilevered Sunshine Skyway Bridge. This bridge had a partial collapse again in 1980 when a freighter crashed into the pilings. However now after eradicating all of the broken sections, it has turn into an ideal fishing vacation spot. The state utilized the rubble from the previous pier to make lengthy sections of synthetic reef on either side of the pier. These are literally massive sufficient to see on Google Maps. Whereas I left within the early AM to start out my approach all the way down to Florida, I arrived to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge space round midday. Following I-275 down I received off on the exit proper earlier than the Sunshine Skyway bridge, make sure that to concentrate and never find yourself on the bridge itself, following the indicators to go in the direction of the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park.
When you get previous this part of breakwaters and riprap you lastly get to the doorway onto the pier itself. Whereas at each different pier I’ve fished that is the place I’d park after which begin loading my gear onto a pier cart, the Skyway is totally different. As an alternative of loading up a cart you drive as much as the pier entrance sales space, pay $8 for a day go, and simply hold driving onto the pier itself. In fact, it’s gradual going, the velocity restrict on the Skyway Pier is listed at 5 mph for the protection of everybody fishing the pier. Anglers are sometimes crossing backwards and forwards so concentrate as you drive out.
As you go additional out onto the pier and farther from the brand new Sunshine Skyway Bridge you possibly can see sections of the previous east span of the previous bridge. Whereas the east span was initially related to the west span and fishable, again in 2008 they deemed it unsafe resulting from corrosion and failing concrete. So that they disconnected it from the newer west span and demolished parts of it. That rubble together with older rubble is within the water to the west of the Skyway Fishing Pier as synthetic reefs. About 2/3rds of the best way down the pier you run into the Skyway Bait Store, a 24/7 bait store that has deal with, reside bait, snacks, and drinks. Additionally related to it’s a toilet, which is good in comparison with the porta-johns which can be scattered alongside the size of the pier. I made a rapid cease right here grabbing some lengthy shank j-hooks incase the Spanish mackerel made a displaying, and noticed they’d a ton of reside shrimp on the market for not too horrible of a value. I additionally observed an indication right here speaking concerning the Skyway Fishing Pier Training Course. It is a required course you have to take to fish on the Skyway Pier, this was put in place by FWC to assist with hen entanglement and mortality on the pier. The course consists of a number of video segments and a quiz on the finish, most likely take you 20 minutes to do.
After ending the course and at last making it the one and half miles out to the top of the pier I lastly received began fishing. I’m not gonna lie, it appeared useless out. That is July in center Florida, proper on the solar’s highest level for the day. It’s scorching out and the wind is blowing a bit, moreover, the tide was nearly to complete going out. These had been very sub-optimal fishing situations, however there was some bait seen shimmering across the pilings on the east facet of the pier. So I dropped down a tiny Dimension 6 sabiki and began getting some reside bait in brief order. I used to be getting a mixture of small to massive LYs or greenies because the locals name them. I threw them into my livewell after which put a chilly canned drink in there as nicely. In the summertime warmth, you wish to put chilly drinks into the reside nicely to maintain your bait frisky, colder water holds extra oxygen. Additionally, you don’t wish to overfill a reside nicely within the warmth, you’ll simply find yourself with a whole lot of useless bait should you do.
With the bait secured, I rigged up a few rods to fish the pier. You’re solely allowed to have two rods out per particular person out right here so do concentrate on laws on the pier, they alter seasonally. One rod was a 7ft medium St. Croix Mojo inshore rod with a JDM Daiwa Certate on it, and the opposite was my king setup of a 9ft customized Cavitt rod and a brand new Penn Spinfisher VII 6500 Bailess. So on the St Croix & Daiwa combo, I set out some cut-up LY on a Carolina rig, and on the king setup I had a bigger reside LY on a 40lb fluoro chief on a circle hook. The objective was to hopefully hook up on a tarpon as they handed via. I had seen a pair roll proper on the floor as quickly as I had gotten to the top of the pier.
So utilizing the outgoing tide to my benefit I began to flatline out my reside bait, much like how I fish for king mackerel up within the Panhandle. I pitch the bait out, leaving the road off the curler so the bait can go together with the present. Moreover, when one thing does take the bait there isn’t any resistance to spook the fish off. So after letting out the road for a bit, I observed the blokes fishing the west nook of the pier had one in all their rod doubled over on one thing. This turned out to be a dolphin that had taken the bait and was utilizing the strain to tear their bait off the hook.
Then one thing took my flatline bait as nicely, instantly pulling the road off my index finger and taking line. Hoping for a tarpon I gave it a second to absorb the bait and circle hook earlier than flipping the road onto the curler. As quickly as I do the drag begins singing for a second then the road goes slack. Sadly this “fish” comes up for air, I had a dolphin messing with my bait as nicely. It had used the drag to only steal my bait. Dolphins are clever and have good eyesight so they simply seize the bait and keep away from the hooks. This was just about how the following few hours went for me, I flatline out a bait for a dolphin to come back and take it. Ultimately, although I did have one play a little bit too shut with the bait. I believe it received the circle hook snagged on itself someplace, after this occurred the dolphin actually made a run for it. I cranked down my drag to attempt to pull the hook once more, inflicting the dolphin to show earlier than the hook did pull free fortunately. After that I mentioned to hell with it and stopped fishing the flatline. It simply wasn’t well worth the effort within the warmth.
I packed the king rod away and simply began fishing the underside rig, utilizing chunks of LYs that I assume had been sufficiently small to not be value messing with for the dolphins. I’d get bites right here and there on this, however was getting picked clear. There will need to have been a ton of pinfish on the market simply mauling no matter bait I put out. Because the afternoon went on although I struck up dialog with a few cool native dudes, Gerise of 392.Fishing and Ant of antwentfishing. Speaking to them Gerise picked up actual fast that I fish up within the panhandle, solely individuals who fish up there name greenies, LYs. I fished and talked with them for the remainder of the afternoon, studying fish the Skyway Pier. Studying from locals in particular person is truthfully the easiest way to learn to fish a spot. Whereas on-line I used to be instructed that shrimp was a waste of time on the pier, they confirmed me that was mistaken fairly fast. They began decking some mangrove snapper immediately on the reside shrimp. Nicely at the very least when you might get the bait previous a pinfish. The pinfish had been brutal on the market, shredding shrimp and baitfish nearly immediately.
Together with fishing for mangroves, in addition they put out some set traces to fish the rubble piles. Ant getting a small lane snapper off that rod. I additionally watched how they floated out baits to fish on the far facet of the east span of Skyway. We chummed and netted a bunch of small “greenies” and tried to chum up some extra mangroves however all we received was extra pinfish. Ant did catch one of many largest pinfish I’ve ever seen, this factor was larger than a number of the snapper I noticed coming over the rail. We thought it was a porgy initially earlier than it cleared the rail. This factor was a monster.
Ultimately, although the solar began setting and dolphins had been simply getting thicker, watched these guys have each single shark bait stolen by a dolphin, so it was about time to move out. I had a protracted drive over to Lakeland that evening earlier than heading to Orlando within the morning for the primary day of ICAST. Whereas the fishing wasn’t what I hoped for, it was nonetheless a cool expertise to fish the longest fishing pier on the earth. Additionally, give Gerise of 392.Fishing and Ant of antwentfishing a observe on IG should you can, they’re fishy dudes and helped me out a ton.
