Night Fishing on Friday, Jan. 6, 2012 from 8 PM

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.... Your rod bends towards the water in a bobbing motion as a big fish pulls against your drag. Tick, tick, tick.... You draw up the rod's tip and reel quickly on the downward motion. After a few minutes of fighting, you land a beautiful red fish, a shark, a mangrove snapper, or maybe spotted trout. We take your picture. And, you drop your line for another! (Click the link for pictures.)

We will be fishing from the Skyway Pier on the Saint Petersburg side. Cooler waters bring fish in closer to shore. The weather has been really good for the last couple of weeks. Expect a low of 52 degrees. Dress warm.

Cost: $1.00 for Toll + $4.00 for Pier Vehicle Parking + $6.00 for Bait + ?? for Snacks + $2 to 4 per person depending upon age. Rates.

You can park a couple of miles away and carpool onto the pier or park on the pier for $4 per vehicle.

Departure Tampa: 7:00 PM
Fishing: 8:15 PM - ???? (Leave when you're tired.)
Fishing Peak: 10:47 PM and 12:47 AM

Bait Suggestions: The simplest approach is to purchase bait at the tip of the Skyway Pier's bait shop. I've not checked their prices in a while, but expect to pay higher prices due to convenience. My preference is to purchase live shrimp in Tampa before driving across the Gandy Bridge. (The Gandy Bridge leads to easy reentry onto I-275 South. Look for signs.) There are two bait shops on the right side of Gandy immediately beyond Westshore and before the bridge. Expect to pay $5 for 50 to 60 shrimp if regular shrimp are still available at the time of your arrival. Alternative baits are squid, greenbacks, fiddler crabs, sand flees, small pinfish, and finger mullet. Variety helps because one cannot know what bait will most appeal at a given moment. I will likely purchase shrimp and possibly squid. Do not purchase live bait in Tampa if you do not have an air pump to oxygenate the water (i.e., aeration).

Sailor Mike's Bait & Tackle
4925 West Gandy Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33611
813-902-9360

Gandy Bait & Tackle
4923 West Gandy Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33611
813-839-5551

Bring:

• Fishing pole (ideally two poles or more for others to share),
  • You can rent a pole at the bait shop on the pier at $8/day.
• Fishing tackle including pliers,
  • The water current requires 1 to 3 ounces to keep your hook on the bottom.
  • Size 1 or 2 circle hooks are good sizes.
• Bait or money ($6) to purchase bait at the pier's baitshop,
• Snacks or money to purchase food at the pier's baitshop,
• Hat,
• Extra clothing baselayer to stay warm,
• Windbreaker jacket,
• Folding chair,
• Headlamp or flashlight,
• Cooler for taking fish home,
• Basket or pier net (if you own one),
• Filleting knife if you wish to fillet your own fish, and
• Plastic bags for fish fillets,
• Camera, and
• Your children and/or a friend.

At more than two miles in length, the Skyway Pier is the longest fishing pier in the world. You can park on the Skyway Pier, and operate out of our vehicle.

Directions to Pier. You are welcome to call my cell phone upon arrival at 813-598-7079. As you travel to the pier from Tampa, stay on I-275. Once you go through the toll booth, prepare to exit on the right. You will see a sign for the pier. You should not go over the actual Skyway Bridge. Upon existing, you will see a traditional rest stop. The fishing pier is available via a small access road which travels south. It's a little tricky. Be attentive to the signs.

Google Map.

Call the Pier at 727-865-0668

You may email me at
Grow@BalancingTheSword.com if needed.

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