Safe fishing areas in St. Petersburg, FL?
Hello all,
My son (8) and I are NYS bass fisherman and we are planning a fishing vacation in St. Pete in August. Any input about areas and methods that will keep us safe and successful while fishing along side alligators would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
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by Time_Knew_Roman
Water quality is a serious issue in Florida right now. Even swimming has serious risks. There are also serious concerns about eating fish caught in and around Florida.
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by Looking_Around42
Thanks for the insight. Do you know what is causing it? I will keep a close on eye it as we approach our trip. We are typically catch and release, but it would be nice to be able to cook up something unique.
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by Time_Knew_Roman
fertilizers creating red algae blooms, reducing the water flow through the Everglades and for the most part being in bed with big business instead of having any concern for the environment. It's been really hurting tourism and other local businesses so there is a lot of effort to make changes, but with the entrenched system there, it's hard to get change.
Do some searches on local fishing in Florida to see what I'm talking about. Porpoises are dying from eating the fish.
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by Looking_Around42
As an aside, fishing in the back waters is a blast. You'll catch all sorts of stuff and maybe hook into a Tarpon. We had one on hook for over an hour before he broke the line. We also caught a lot of sand sharks, some snappers and a few guitar fish.
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by Looking_Around42
Man does he want to catch a shark! That's great advice. Are you typically bait fishing from shore in these areas?
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by Time_Knew_Roman
We were down in the inland waterways around Marco island on the southern part of the Gulf coast. I'm not sure if there are good inland waterways in the northern part of Florida. I lived in Daytona and there was nothing around there.
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by Looking_Around42
It looks like there are some backwater area's in St. Pete, but it's a much more urban environment than Marco. City bank fishing in the north east usually consists of catching trash and 45 minute conversations with the homeless.
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by Time_Knew_Roman
The red tide is actually clearing up and as of March no samples tested found any present. OP, what type of fishing are you looking to do, I fish that are a few times a year and may be able to help.
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by jasper181
We have a few days, so I'd like to mix it up. Largemouth would be our greatest focus, but I'd also like to do some surf fishing.
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by Time_Knew_Roman
I can't help much with the freshwater fishing but the trout and snook fishing are good in st pete right now. Snook season is closed so you have to release them but can still catch them. The flats around Ft. Desoto are fun to wade with a top water bait early in the morning and then artifical jerk baits and doas or live shrimp. The bridges hold black snapper, Snook and tarpon.
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by jasper181
I've seen some Snook battles on youtube and it looks to be an intense battle. That sounds like a great time! What can I expect the hook up rate to be in late August? Are we talking 100 casts or 10,000? Also, is wading generally safe for an eight year old?
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by Time_Knew_Roman
Wading is as safe as anything, it's on grass flats so we are talking a few ft of protected water not the ocean. I'd be lying if I said there is 0 chance of anything happening but I've been doing it for over 20 years and while I've seen a few sharks I've never had an issue. As far as hook ups its like anything else but you will catch fish, may not be a snook but Jack crevelle, trout, reds and others are there as well. In the surf catch some live croaker or other small fish, 50 lb ldr 5/0 circle hook and hang on.
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by jasper181
Very few gators here, most big one moved by trappers! Bass fishing, hummh snook trout and redfish all around south St. Pete. and beach`s too! Bass fishing hot in Lake Tarpon maybe Lake Maggorie or Lake Seminole! Walsingham Park and Taylor Park has a nice safe lakes for small boaters or shore fishing too! Oh we have spent many hours chest wading around some of the biggest gators and never had safety issues! Big ones hide and little ones just interested in lures we were throwing out? Unlike some of the protected apex predators they ARE STILL AFRAID OF US! I`m afraid the protected sharks are loosing fear of man seeing many more shark attacks in past years! Do not swim in mullet schools, their main inshore dinner!
continually scan the area, both water and shore. Rent a boat. I am an old Florida cracker and I have a LOT of respect for gators. I would not fish a freshwater shore unless I knew exactly what I was doing. A gator is all muscle and a retrieval guy once told me that a 4 footer is strong enough to drag a grown man into the water.
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