# skyway



## cobiacatcher82 (Sep 19, 2006)

anybody know anything about skyway pier? I know it was once a bridge and now a pier..I am looking to fish for kings this summer sonewhere in florida and landed upon this and decided to see if anybody knew anything?


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Yup, right now is the time to fish for kings from there. I did really well there two years ago.


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## rsieminski (Jun 13, 2005)

The Kings have not shown up yet on the beach. Kinda strange really? Fishin's been slow all month.


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## cobiacatcher82 (Sep 19, 2006)

*you say now...*

what about in around mid july, where would be my best bet in florida be for kings?


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Panhandle, Destin or Pensacola. There's some days when 40-50 fish are not uncommon. Just don't use a pin rig.


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

No kingfish from the Skyway in the summer. Now is the time and then again in fall. It's all about the migration and water temperture. 

Usually end of March till maybe first week of May, then again late September till maybe first week of November. 

It fluctuates with the weather and water temps but that is usually the window of opportunity.


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## KodiakZach (Mar 16, 2005)

Skyway is a stellar fishery


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## rsieminski (Jun 13, 2005)

Have you seen them this year off the beaches? Last fall, I killed them by the Skyway in my Yak, but I have yet to see birds working the pods like last year. The Spanards have not shown up in numbers in the usual places either. Funny? For me and my buddies, April has been slow.


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## cobiacatcher82 (Sep 19, 2006)

ok so what could i expect to catch around the middle - end of july if i made the trip there?


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Grouper, mangrove snapper, snook and spanish, maybe some bonita.

I'd say come to the Panhandle if you have your heart set on a king from the pier.


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## cobiacatcher82 (Sep 19, 2006)

*where in the ph*

where in the panhandle specifically,pier wise, trying toplan a trip real quick and make my schedule work for it...


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

http://www.okaloosaislandpier.blogspot.com/

Forgot to send you that in the PM. That or Pensacola.


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## eaglesfanguy (May 1, 2003)

The skyway has an awsome fisherie.. Right now.. the Spanish macks are swarming.. the King Macks are around.. An occasional Cobia.. Grey snapper and Mangrove snapper have shown up.. In the shallows there getting Pompao and sheepshead..

Large and small sharks.. bulls and blacktips..
The shrimp ad squid ad crabs have started flowing on an outgoing tide after dark..

Ill be set up for kings and sharks tomorrow evening.. but ill be in a boat.. 

Last weekend i got a 17 inch hogfish and a 18 inch sheepshead.. both on salted shrimp . S.S.C style.. As well as lots of grunts and snapper.. and a bunch of ladyfish and baby blacktips.. 

Check out www.skywaypiers.com:beer:


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## rsieminski (Jun 13, 2005)

Don't for get the dolphins that dine on your bait, and hooked fish.


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## FirstShot (Feb 22, 2002)

Cobiacatcher in the panhandle mid to late July is a good time for numbers of school kings, and an even better time for tarpon. They can be caught on the same rigs you use for the kings, or by sight casting 2.5 oz. krocodile spoons or 85m mirrolures. Usually toward the end of the month the LYs start to die off due to heat stress, and both tarpon and some BIG kings will feed in these natural chum lines. Pier king fishing in the panhandle is unlike that done on the east coast. No trolleys are allowed, only free lining or sight casting


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Hey FirstShot, which pier do you usually fish? I was at Okaloosa today, no kings but one cobia was caught and tarpon were working off the end.


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## FirstShot (Feb 22, 2002)

I fish from my boat only now, but I'm still a pier fisherman at heart. Its been several years since 
I fished Dan Russell, but I'll be back as soon as its rebuilt.


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Ah ok. I went out on the boat yesterday and killed the big vermillion snapper.


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## cobiacatcher82 (Sep 19, 2006)

*so*

What poles are all you florida boys using, ive been looking around the local froums and see the 706's and mitchells, but for the rods it looks like key largos..am i right? any other advice on rods for casting for kings


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## rsieminski (Jun 13, 2005)

My favorite rod for throwing metal at kings, macks, blues, etc. from shore/pier/jetty is the predator od, and an Epixor spinner with 15# PP.


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

It's going to depend on where you are, local preferences vary. I tried a 706 the other day and hated it.


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## cobiacatcher82 (Sep 19, 2006)

*..*

i did a search for key largo poles and cant find anything?


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

I've seen a few shops that carry the Key Largo rods. They're an OK rod but you can get better for the money.


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

emanuel said:


> It's going to depend on where you are, local preferences vary. I tried a 706 the other day and hated it.


706s are work horses. Not delicate reels. They will work forever with little attention and easy to work on. Emanuel like silky smooth reels which the 706 is not. Try a Daiwa BG for smoother operation. (does not have the clicking.) Cheap price but both work horses. JMO
I have couple of both.


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

I liked the fast retrieve on it but couldn't stand the sound of the scraping metal. Somehow I manage to fish on the piers here with the sound of scraping 706zs everywhere.

Yeah, I like my silky smooth reels. If I could afford to have all Stellas, I would.


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## FirstShot (Feb 22, 2002)

Cobiacatcher, most folks fish custom rods on the pier, but Key Largo does make a decent rod called the king/cobia special in 8 and 9 ft models. Many of the local tackle stores have their own line of semi-custom pier king and cobia rods, usually better quality than the key largos. The 706, manual pickup 302 and van stall are the most common reels on the piers but any good reel with a smooth drag that holds at least 350 yds of 15 lb. test will do for most kings.


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## FirstShot (Feb 22, 2002)

Just wanted to add that bass pro shops has a panhandle style pier rod in their catalog called the offshore extreme cobia spinning rod. The 9' model is made for pier cobia fishing but makes a decent king rod also.


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

emanuel said:


> I liked the fast retrieve on it but couldn't stand the sound of the scraping metal. Somehow I manage to fish on the piers here with the sound of scraping 706zs everywhere.
> 
> Yeah, I like my silky smooth reels. If I could afford to have all Stellas, I would.



That scraping metal was from abuse no lube. they are smooth with clicking not scraping metal...


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

The thing I do like about Key Largo is they do make alot of region-specific rods. I used to have a 9' one piece that was designed for slipfloat fishing but I adapted well to using it in the surf for pomp fishing.


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