15 best Places To Fish In Salt Water In Florida

15 best Places To Fish In Salt Water In Florida

Everyone has their own favorite places
to fish. Some you do not share except
with best friends or close family
members but most you will share. This
listing is comprised of my all-time
favorite places where I have
consistently caught fish over the years,
where the locals are friendly & helpful
& where I will no doubt go again and
again to wet a line. If you are from
Florida, frequently go to Florida &
know of others, good for you! These are
my favorites! They are not listed in any
sort of order or in sort of ranking.

1. Nassau River Mouth & Nassau Sound
Bridge
Located on the NE coast of Florida this is an excellent area for inshore Atlantic coast fishing. The
more prevalent catches are for black drum, sheephead, flounder, spotted sea trout & red fish.
Favorite baits include shrimp (live & frozen), squid, shiners & fiddler crabs.

2. Anastasia State Recreation Area
This state facility is located just south of St. Augustine. The surf fishing here is superb. From the
beach, especially at night, you will catch whiting, bluefish, pompano, Spanish mackerel & even some
sea bass. On the inland waterway side of the area you will catch the usual Florida inshore types such
as red fish, flounder, sea trout, sheephead & small jacks. Favorite baits include shrimp (live &
frozen), squid, shiners & fiddler crabs.

3. Ponce De Leon Inlet
Located just south of Daytona this is an
excellent place to catch the inshore action
of red fish, sea trout, whiting, sheephead,
mangrove snapper & black drum. Favorite
baits include shrimp (live & frozen), squid,
shiners & fiddler crabs.

4. Chassahowitzka River Mouth
Located south of Homosassa Springs this is an excellent place to fish for sheephead, sea trout,
whiting, red fish, mangrove snapper & in the hotter months cobia. The waters here are shallow, the
bottom rock strew with large limestone outcroppings making boating somewhat hazardous.
Tarpon abound in summer for those so inclined. Favorite baits include shrimp (live & frozen), squid,
shiners & fiddler crabs also a number of jigs, spoons, rattler baits & ribbon baits are used in the
artificial variety.

5. Bayport Park
This delightful park is located about 16 miles north of New Port Richey. It is an excellent location to
kickback, relax & enjoy a day of angling. Large catches of red fish, spotted sea trout, flounder & red
fish are common. Sheephead abound here as well. Off shore within 5-8 miles you can find & catch
red grouper, pompano, permit, cobia & Spanish mackerel. When the water temps dip into the mid-
60's the king mackerel abound here as well. Favorite baits include shrimp (live & frozen), squid,
shiners & fiddler crabs. Artificial baits include spoons, jigs, ribbon baits, rattler baits & streamer
baits.

6. Anclote River Mouth
The small Greek city of Tarpon Springs is situated on this river in West Central Florida's Gulf coast.
The fishing is great, the people are better & the food is superb! Whether you fish or not be sure to
eat while you are there in one of the Greek restaurants. Inshore favorites include red fish, flounder,
spotted sea trout, whiting, pompano, snook & mangrove snapper. Favorite baits include shrimp (live
& frozen), squid, shiners & fiddler crabs. Artificial baits include spoons, jigs, ribbon baits, rattler
baits & streamer baits. In the cooler months the king mackerel make periodic runs along the beach
and can be caught from the surfline.

7. Redington Beach Long-Pier
Located between Clearwater & St. Petersburg Beach this 1000 foot+ pier is world famous. The
habitus of this pier are a gregarious group who will readily assist a newbie angler. Nighttime
fishing is what this pier is all about! Buy your bait on the pier. Use live or frozen baits, cut baits,
artificial baits or go along side the pier on the beech & dig up your own sandfleas. You will catch red
fish, spotted sea trout, pompano, snook, mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, small black-tip
sharks, small bonnet sharks, sheephead & in cooler weather the odd king mackerel.

8. Ft. De Soto Park
Whether you fish from the beach from one of the 2 piers or from the surfline on the beach you will
enjoy this park's angling. The usual denizens of the inshore crowd abide here, spotted sea trout,
whiting, red fish, pompano, snook, mangrove snapper & sheephead. Spanish mackerel also pass by
as do the king mackerel in the cooler months. Cobia (Ling cod) are frequently caught as they run
between the deeper holes located between the park & the Egmont Key park just across the south
channel of Tampa Roads.

9. Gandy Bridge
Located across Tampa Bay between Tamp & St. Petersburg this is an excellent place to fish. Bait
shops abound on either end of the bridge. On the causeway at both ends are free public boat ramps
& plenty of shore fishing places as well. The fishing catwalk on the "closed to auto-traffic" old bridge
is open to fishing and the adjacent in use "traffic-carrying" bridge is a favorite for big fish to shelter
under. Inshore favorites include red fish, flounder, spotted sea trout, whiting, pompano & mangrove
snapper. You will also catch bull sharks in varying sizes, small black tip sharks, stingrays & snook.
On the St. Petersburg side of the bridge across a 300 yard-wide channel is a power generating plant
that ahs an excellent warm water discharge where in winter you can catch anything & everything as
well as watch the manatees that abound there. The usual baits apply here.

10. Rod & Reel Pier & Anna Maria City Piers
As the names imply these are fishing piers! These 2 piers are adjacent to each other separated by
about 800 feet of open water. The R&R Pier is 250 feet long jutting out into the Gulf of Mexico. The
City Pier is 750 feet long also jutting out into the Gulf of Mexico. Buy your baits there or bring them.
The usual baits for Gulf coast fishing apply. Sheephead, red fish, spotted sea trout, whiting,
mangrove snapper, pompano, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel in season & small black tip shark
abound here. Nighttime is better fishing than daylight hours here.

11. Coquina Beach Pass
A pass between Coquina Beach & Long Boat Key this is an excellent area to fish in the inland
waterway or the Gulf. The usual baits for Gulf coast fishing apply. Sheephead, red fish, spotted sea
trout, whiting, mangrove snapper, pompano, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel in season & small
black tip shark abound here. Fishing here is a done from the piers, seawall, wading in the shallows
or from boats. You will see the occasional manatee in the winter months.

12. Boca Grande Pass
Rated as one the best fishing spots in the world by numerous magazines, professional fishing guides
& sportsmen this is a great place to fish! Snook, red fish, sea trout, whiting, pompano, mangrove
snapper, sheephead, shark, sting ray & of course tarpon are all plentiful here. Favorite baits
include shrimp (live & frozen), squid, greenbacks, threadfins, shiners & fiddler crabs. Artificial baits
include spoons, jigs, ribbon baits, rattler baits & streamer baits. In the cooler months the king
mackerel make periodic runs along the beach and can be caught from the surfline.

13. Long Key Sate Recreation Area
Located in the upper Florida keys this is an excellent
location to catch such tackle busters as bonefish, lady
fish, small barracuda, spotted sea trout, whiting,
sheephead, Spanish mackerel, pompano & mangrove
snapper. Favorite baits include shrimp (live & frozen),
squid, greenbacks, threadfins, shiners & fiddler crabs. Artificial baits include spoons, jigs, ribbon
baits, rattler baits & streamer baits.


14. Cudjoe Key
Located in the lower Florida Keys this is a great place to fish for yellow tail snapper, mangrove
snapper, red fish, bone fish, lady fish, Spanish mackerel, sheephead, red fish, pompano & black
drum. Favorite baits include shrimp (live & frozen), squid, greenbacks, threadfins, shiners & fiddler
crabs. Artificial baits include spoons, jigs, ribbon baits, rattler baits & streamer baits. There is a free
boat ramp for those with boats.

15. Alafia River Mouth
Located on Us Highway 41 at Gibsonton this a place for great fishing. On the south side of the river
mouth mangrove banks abound & on the north side is the largest phosphate production in the world
with a lot of seawall as well as pilings for the sheephead. Red fish, spotted sea trout, small black tip
shark, Spanish mackerel & others fish swarm these waters year round. Baits include cut baits, squid,
live shrimp, frozen shrimp, greenback minnows, shiners, threadfins, small pin fish, fiddler crabs &
sand fleas. The usual range of artificial baits are used here. There is a free boat ramp on the north
side of the US Hwy. 41 Bridge.


-
Donald R. Houston, PhD, 2006
You have successfully submitted a report for this post.