Shore Fishing

 

 

We recently kayaked across the ICW to see the new pass and check out one of our favorite spots to fish around Englewood. The catastrophic wreckage on the road to Stump Pass Beach State Park prevents land access to the parking lot which is now covered by over a foot of sand driven shoreward by hurricane force winds in Helene and Milton. The closest launch is Oyster Creek and requires a paddle across the mostly deserted ICW. Boat traffic is greatly reduced while most of the boat launches are closed. 

The tannic water in Oyster Creek was dropping with the tide as we began our trip towards Manasota Key. We found cloudy water all the way across the ICW. Images from drone shots show this murky water as it flowed into the gulf, creating a hard line between gulf and bay waters. The 1.15-mile crossing between Oyster Creek and the channel north of Whidden Island went well with a following breeze, very little traffic, and an outgoing tide. Once across, we paddled around the north end of Whidden Island then south in Ski Alley. 

The amount of debris in the mangroves on the east side of Ski Alley was overwhelming. Everything that could be in or around a home was hanging in the trees. Roof panels, furniture, mattresses, clothes, toys, and anything else imaginable had been relocated. Ski Alley itself was littered with trees from the park. So many white trash bags hung in the trees they looked like rookeries. Heavy timbers floated just under the surface and would pose an invisible hazard to boaters not going slowly enough through the debris. Much of Ski Alley has become wider because a lot of the east side of Stump Island is now underwater.

The tide was still dropping at the new pass [some are naming it Milton Pass- others wish for another name not associated with trauma] when we arrived. By beaching on the east side of Stump Island and walking across to the gulf, we got into a feeding frenzy with hard fighting jack crevalle and big acrobatic ladyfish taking advantage of the outflow. We used shad tail jigs rather than hunt for bait. The action could have entertained us longer but as the tide hit bottom, the current slowed and we ventured out into the gulf to see the beach from the west side. The storms mined the beach creating peaks and puddles. Most notable were the layers of shell exposed below the recent “chopped shell” replenishment efforts. There is bound to be some fine sharks teeth found here.

Continuing our journey, we headed south to Stump Pass and turned north into the channel east of Whidden Island. The wind was coming from the north now and the trip up this channel was aerobic. Kimball fished the west side and found a few indentations along Petersen Island that held some nice snook that she released. Les anchored up north of Whidden Island and landed a few snook while waiting to regroup for the crossing back to Oyster Creek. 

The sea breeze and rising tide we hoped for was not to be found on the return crossing. The northerly wind had picked up and put whitecaps on some big swells. Kayaking across this area, broadside to the waves, was both challenging and aerobic, leaving us grateful when we finally got to the protected water in Oyster Creek. After cleaning up the kayaks we realized that we had maybe pushed a little too far for our first outing. It was a great trip even though it left us tired and sore in a good way. 

As the bay gets flushed out over the next few weeks, fishing should improve. But now that the inevitable red tide after a hurricane is showing its ugly face, all bets are off. Those of us that live inland were spared much of the grief and hardship our neighbors on the barrier islands are still enduring. It is a sobering sight to kayak around the wreckage that ended up in the mangroves on the northern end of Whidden Island. It may take months for nature to recover and cover up the mess. All of us on the water regularly can help by taking a bag or two [or using one of the thousands wrapped up in the mangroves] to collect anything we can. Leave the big stuff with nails for the pros or folks in boats. Every little bit will help us get back to kayaking in our favorite waters of Southwest Florida.