We made it, Florida natives! After an intense, albeit very short stint of wintery weather, the air and water are finally back to where they should be. This makes it a perfect time to get back into the water, for a bit of R&R (Rod and Reel- Rest and Relaxation are overrated, though some would consider them one in the same). I'd like to take a second to highlight one of my favorite spots as of late; Fort De Soto, just west of the Sunshine Skyway has been a big hit over the past couple weeks.
Anglers with any level of experience can get in on the action- shrimp and cut bait will catch a pretty large variety of species out here, for a plug and play type of experience with minimal stress. Spoons, jigs, and other artificial bait will help you target single species more effectively, but they are by no means required if you just want something on the end of your line.
As you enter the park, you'll notice a swath of mangroves surrounding the roadway on both sides. Openings with easy parking and water access pepper the corridor and are great areas to start your day. I wouldn't expect to catch anything too picture worthy here; the most you could hope for on a consistent basis are little spotted sea trout and similarly modest redfish. On the flip side, though, the rich sea grass that accompanies the mangroves are home to a great deal of pinfish. I often spend an hour or so out here just to stock up on bait for what I really want to target further into the park. Some cut shrimp, on a small, long shank hook with a slip shot a couple feet up on your leader will be your best bet to catch these. Be careful when traipsing through the sea grass, as it's easy to damage. These little access points also serve as great places to launch your kayak, if you don't want people on top of you like they would be near the traditional kayak launch spot.
Travelling a bit further down, you'll end up at a stop sign dead end with options to take a right or left. Where you should go is personal preference, but the wind is something that you should consider when making a decision. If the gusts are blowing south/southwest, I would consider taking a left at the stop sign and following the road to the end. Here, you will find a nice little beach with a clear view of the Skyway in the background. Now, depending on the tide, it gets pretty shallow at times so you will likely have to wade out pretty far to get to the natural sand bar, from which you can throw on any type of lure you want ( I prefer a weedless spoon myself, silver on brighter days when the water is a bit clearer, and gold when the visibility is a bit worse). Live shrimp also yield results in this area- you cannot go wrong with a popping cork over the top of 2-4 feet of monofilament leader line, and a 1-3/0 circle hook. With the right conditions, it won't be too hard for you to land a couple redfish.
If you take a right at the fork in the road instead, you'll be met with miles and miles of public beach. Time to put on your generic Hawaiian shirt, and take out your polaroid camera, because from here you have a chance to get a bit tourist-y. The Fort De Soto pier, which has reopened after a round of renovations, is a staple of the fishing scene inside the park. As mentioned, this will quickly fill up during peak beachgoing hours, especially when it gets cool enough for an influx of out-of-towners to flood the bay area. Though crowded at times, there's no denying the bite at various points throughout the water column. Near the base of the support structure, anglers can send live pinfish, cut squid, or whole frozen sardines down to the bottom and try their hand at bringing up a gag grouper. Sheepshead are also very plentiful in the area- small hooks with pieces of shrimp or live fiddler crabs will put you on the right track for this great tasting fish. And similarly to many other areas of the park, the trout are plentiful near the surface. No matter what type of fishing you enjoy, the pier is a great option for you.
Finally, as you reach the end of the road past the pier and public beaches, you will come across my personal favorite spot in the entire park. The Arrowhead Picnic area is where I tend to spend my time, as there is a lot of real estate near the seawall and beyond for you to set up and fish. Located at the northwest corner of Fort De Soto, fishing is optimal when the chop is low and the winds are more oriented toward the north/northeast, pointed at the bridge you cross when first entering the park. On calmer days, I find that freelining a 1-2/0 hook at the end of 3-4 feet of 30 pound monofilament leader will work wonders. This is an area where I've caught countless sea trout (including my personal best), as well as a decent amount of flounder these past couple weeks. Surprisingly, I have also found that bottom fishing is an effective method to get a variety of bite near the grass flats. I usually try to free line around the flats, but I tried it one day while a buddy of mine and I were out and the wind was whipping fiercely (toward the bank, not the smartest time to try and fish the area). We put on some ¾ ounce weights toward the bottom of our rigs, and pulled out a good variety of species that day. Sand trout, croaker, flounder, sheepshead, lizardfish, spotted sea trout, and a couple other species were tagging us along the bottom for hours, which made for a very enjoyable day out on the water.
Spring is almost here, which means that the fishing gods will be smiling down upon us soon enough. If you have the time, come on over to Fort De Soto and give these spots, and whatever other ones you find on your own, a try. If you see a large (extremely handsome) redheaded fellow out there, there's a good chance it's me, so come over and introduce yourself- we at the AAF love seeing you guys out in the wild. Good luck out there!