So I recently read the article on TOF about city fishing and it got me thinking about fishing the downtown Tampa bridges. The article touched on a few of the bridges connecting the city like Davis Islands bridge and the Platt Street bridge. Has anyone actually fished any of these bridges? There are 6 that I can think of off hand. Just curious about anyone's experiences and any tips you might have. I often see people fishing under the David Islands bridge so I'm trying to decide if it's worth a fishing day? I was out at Curtis Hixon Park Sunday and even though it was windy the water is protected from it so it was smooth as glass! Could be a great place to fish on really windy days if the fishing is good?

I've caught snapper and sheepshead at the Platt St bridge. I hear there's big snook there too, but I've never found one there yet...my buddy Matt (gandyfisherman) caught a big goliath grouper under the bridge going to Harbour Island...the one where the hotels are, not the one near Channelside.

Tampa Flats Man

For me fishing the River/Downtown area: I fish it more in the winter time.

The bridges do hold Snook. The Platt street north to the Sligh Ave bridges hold large smart Snook. Out Going tide is the best.

FYI: Don’t fish alone at night and watch your back. Just saying………..

HAHA thanks for that last tip. I was thinking the same thing.

Yeah I was just curious about the area. Looking for a place to fish on those horrible windy days.

Be armed........I always carry a 45 cal and will not be intimidated. Don't approach me if you are ready to dance.

DudsOne wrote:
Duds, that's cause you're from Chalkstone Ave!

Every one of those brides and sea walls hold fish, they are fat with fish. Winter is great, but as captain David pointed out in this week's Ask the Captain Section, tarpon can populate very oxygen-poor water, and as a result can and do get way downtown and in fact all the way up the rivers in the summer and can be there till September. And some of those spots hold them all year. Lots of movies in December. Find the story called Rough Riders and River Tarpon and you'd see where I am talking about.

I can see them now. Teddy Roosevelt's personal version of Seal Tewm Six. Because that is the equivalent of the bad boys he brought to town. That was for the Spanish/American War. That one didn't come out to well for his majesty's forces, I don't think. It was not a good idea to get TeddyR angry with ya.

In tents. Smelly. Drinking lots of whiskey, firing their guns in the air, catching snook and bass both in that river, and getting ready to go to war by sampling tampa's finest.

Cigars.

:)

Having a high-powered semi (?) automatic weapon with you when fishing in the wrong places makes total sense. So too does the "Stand Your Ground" law.

What if you are fshing for snook, let's say, and get a chance to harvest, let's say, a beautiful 12-point buck? Or bear!!!!?

There has to be ten of you that have smelled the feral odor of a a female grizzly when she's in heat around the second or third week of June? Right? While you're in a light kayak and tht aroused female grizzly is only sixty or eighy yards from your boat, right?

What would you do then if you didn't have a piece?

Or a yeti? Who knows? They ain't been seen in Tamoa bay for what? Sixty years? Sixty five? You don't know, PEW might SAY they are extinct. But they might also have one or two in a LAB!!!! And what if one got out? Would you like to find yourself on wheedon island with an angry and sexually arroused Bigfoot nearby?

Fishing is dangerous. Especially at this time of the year. When potentially dangerous animals like yeti and grizzly bears could very well be nearby.

And sexually aroused.

So if you fish, carry a gun.

Even if something like I described doesn't happen, you never know. Hell. Something that would happen once maybe in fifty million years and even then only possibly in Norway by some nazi wanna be nut could Happen

Like what? Like something as ridiculous as a young hood rat putting a cap in your ass for ten dollars for a crack rock or music on his government-purchased iPhone. Right?

Be safe.

Hahahahahahahaha! I think I just choked on my food!! I could not agree more!
As for fishing I think I'm gonna have to try it! Could be fun catching a snook or Tarpon and looking up at downtown Tampa watching the bums sleeping on the benches. What a beautiful view!

LOL..........that's true.

Parallel the bridge pilings. Position down current and throw your bait right next to the pilings. Let it sink a few feet and slowly swim it along. A big snook is waiting in ambush for your bait. Work the area from the bank to the first pilings also and work both sides of the bridge. In addition, hop a jig on the bottom next to the pilings. Caught a number of good reds doing that.

Teddy Roosevelt and

Well its not fishing but O well. I grew up in Seminole Heights and my father had a barber shop there. I spent a lot of time in his shop so I got to meet a lot of the old timers. There was a old man, for me very old gentleman that would come in and talk. He was with the rough riders and camped in Tampa. Now the fun part. The low ranks were sleeping in pup tents and one night he and the tent mate came in very drunk. Well this fly was really really bothering him in the tent. Well the fly lands on the guys big toe and he gets so mad at the fly he pulls his 45 and shots the fly. And yes the fellow after the fact was then missing part of his toe.

So then you are throwing your bait up current and letting it float past the pilings? I'm new to fishing near bridges, I have not done to much of that. Thanks for the advice! Next horrible windy day I'm going downtown.

Packing List:
Rods/reels
Tackle
Food
Ar-15 w/3 full mags
Kimberl 1911

And I assume that's 4 mags for the Kimber......LOL.

Yes TFM. Try to bring your lure with the currrent. Supposedly the fish are facing into the current waiting for something to come to them. Reel the lure just slow enough to keep in contact with it. It is important to set the hook as soon as you feel the strike. You have to get that fish away from the pilings as quickly as possible because sure as you know what that fish is going to go for those pilings to wrap you and break off.