Margie Loc: Tampa. Florida

Looking for fishing info for the Skyway Bridge. tips?

Cichlacat Steve Loc: FL, MO, IL

Weekends can become very crowded. Fishing there was better before red tide. But there are a large variety to catch. Spanish mackerel are almost always around. You can use live bait or lures. I’ve everything from Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, cat fish, tarpon and even a pelican or a seagull or two over the years. The birds sometimes do the most unexpected things I try my best not hook them but sometimes unavoidable. There are signs posted that tell you what to do.

And if the fish don’t bite there are lots of wildlife and the bay, water, and sky.

The fee charged takes care of fishing for 24 hours. They charge by the number of people in the car.

Miker99 Loc: Florida central Gulf Coast Tampa to Veni

My best advice is to take a ride there, pay the fee and just explore. Most of the anglers there are very amenable to questions and information.

yfrr Loc: Florida

Has the fishing on the south skyway fishing Pier improved?

Cichlacat Steve Loc: FL, MO, IL

I was there about a month ago. Not much action.

Twenty years ago if you didn’t want to catch fish, don’t throw your hook in the water.

The reasons for this are many:

The oil spill in the gulf.

The dumping of that huge lake of phosphates into Tampa Bay.

The Mississippi River and many others flow into the Gulf and dump their load of chemicals, pesticides, and who knows what else into the Gulf.

The continuous tons of fertilizer and pesticides just from Florida alone travel through the streams, rivers, and groundwater into the Gulf.

Raw sewage in some areas still makes its way into the Gulf. I know the USA tries to prevent this but there are many poor countries surrounding the Gulf that don’t.

The infamous Red Tides caused by all of the above.

Overfishing throughout the Gulf of Mexico. I know it would be tough but perhaps huge fish sanctuaries should be set aside throughout the Gulf of Mexico with absolutely no fishing allowed.

The continuous and needed spraying of pesticides across Florida to kill the mosquitos.
The pesticides used spread across the land and water. Fish eggs and fry are inundated with this deadly cloud. As the eggs and fry are very delicate at this stage it stands to reason that while not all are killed some can’t survive. The mosquito larva are some of the first foods for almost all fry. They are a needed part of out ecosystem. But I understand completely why spraying is needed.

The fish stocks could withstand a couple of the above abuses and still be robust and viable but not all at once.

Man is serving up a deadly cocktail that the wildlife and plants in our oceans, lakes, streams and rivers may not survive.