# Heading Down To Florida



## Sushiplease (Jun 18, 2007)

Hey all...

I will be heading down south (Near Orlando) from Maryland with the GF this December and was wondering if you guys could help me out. I would like to hit up a few fishing spots on the way there and on the way back (this is primarily a fishing trip). Problem is, I don't know right from left in Florida =) Please share any specific areas I should go to and to prevent spot burning, feel free to PM me. 

Once I get back from this trip, I'll be sure to share pictures of my little fishing adventure.

Thanks...:fishing:


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## ccc6588 (Jun 20, 2003)

Sebastian Inlet State Park which is about 2 hours from Orlando in Eastern (about midpoint of Daytona and Miami)

Check this site out.

sebastianinletdistrict.com (see the fishing report on this site).

For bait check this site out whiteysonline.com 

That time of the year Flounders, Pompanos, Snook, Reds, Spanish Mackerals, Red Drum, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Blues and other exciting fish will be running . Take it from a fellow DC suburbanite. I've been going there for the last 6 years. I first went to the place after visiting Disney World. Now I leave the wife and kids home and go there just to fish.

Just google sebastian inlet fishing for flounders and snook, etc. and you should get plenty of information on tactics. One important thing. If you plan to fish live bait, you must learn how to throw a cast net or some other way.


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## myuo8o2 (Dec 23, 2007)

You don't need to know right or left from Orlando. You will end either at Daytona or Tampa within 1.5 hours, both have good fishing. I used to do such fishing trip when I was living in MD. In December, you can go east to Playalinda beach for pompano and whiting, or go south-east to Sebastian inlet for all sorts of fishes. Good Luck and keep your promise to report, good or bad.


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## Sushiplease (Jun 18, 2007)

Thanks a lot guys... I'll try to hit up each spot you guys mentioned. And as promised, I will take lots of pictures and post them up. I should be heading out the door Dec 4th...

I'm still open to more suggestions!


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## kooler (Nov 2, 2006)

you could go thru St. Augustine on the way down or return trip. surf fish out on crescent beach or fish matanzas bridge (at least you could a few years back, maybe some guys could chime in about being able to fish off the bridge now). take road 206 off of I95. there is the st. johns pier there also. http://www.co.st-johns.fl.us/BCC/Parks_1_Recreation/Fishing_Pier/index.aspx
the Devils Elbow Fish Camp is out there also http://www.devilselbowfishingresort.com/ you could rent a boat there and fish in creeks. im hoping to make it down soon, its been since 2001 so things have probably changed since i was there but i always had a good time there. alot of sightseeing also downtown St. Aug..let us know how you do and good luck.


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## Sushiplease (Jun 18, 2007)

Change of plans 

Looks like I will be heading to the crater of diamonds state park (GF idea) to farm for some diamonds *crosses fingers*. We'll be there for a few days then we'll be heading to florida and we decided to hit up Sebastian Inlet. I'll still try to take as many pictures as possible and maybe if we have time, I'll try to hit up a couple of other spots on the way back up to MD.


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## AL SEARS (Feb 10, 2007)

Yes Stop at St Augustine, take GF to Large Factory Out Let Mall and go fishing ,pick her back up at Dark, Day Two, Repeat day One

I cant believe your going back to Rockville, Gaithersburg,Silver Springs in Winter, you Hit your Head, IT is cold and it snows there , well it used to. I left Frederick in 92 and get cold very time i even think of MD.


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## fmchale840 (Oct 22, 2008)

*ST. Augustine*

I go down in March and fish crescent beach and fish the bridge last year, I caught a lot of black Drum off the bridge. Don't know If they are there in Dec. or not. I hope you can still fish the bridge because , I"m going to be there in a few months to fish again.


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## jhmorgan (May 16, 2007)

Heads toward Tampa if you do end up in Orlando area. Pick any interstate/backroad/driveway/highway that you come across in the St Pete/Tampa area. Pull off picked road. Walk through mangrove shoreline. Wade out to waste high water and throw a shrimp under a popping cork.

I hate bait fishing with a passion, but if you dont know the area well that is a tried and true technique. When my sister and brother in law were at Stetson Law in Tampa, I would go down every couple of months and do this when they were in class. Fishin around the Skyway or w.e that giant bridge is called, I would catch reds and trout until I was sore or out of shrimp. And it is fun wading in the waters down there.


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## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

hey everyone. first time posting on this site. december is prime time for gag grouper. they show up to the nearshore rock piles in tampa by the thousands. the south skyway fishing pier is like my second home. i go there nearly every weekend. from orlando take I-4 west to I-75. head south to exit 228 which is I-275 north. go 4 or 5 miles until you get to the toll booth. next exit past the toll booth is the entrance to the pier. it is the longest fishing pier in the world (no joke). you can drive your car on it. they have a bait shop about half way to the end.


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## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

here are some sattelite pics of the rock piles. the pink marks are the light poles to reference.


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## kooler (Nov 2, 2006)

fmchale840 said:


> I go down in March and fish crescent beach and fish the bridge last year, I caught a lot of black Drum off the bridge. Don't know If they are there in Dec. or not. I hope you can still fish the bridge because , I"m going to be there in a few months to fish again.


i ran into a guy from jacksonville up here last sunday trout fishing and we talked about st. augustine and fishing matanzas bridge. he said you can still fish off the bridge.


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## fmchale840 (Oct 22, 2008)

The only trouble I had last year fishing the bridge is, You have to get there early, because some guys will show up with 5-8 pole's and will take up most of the room. I didn't have any trouble on week days, but on weekends it was awful. I think one guy had enough pole's for one whole side of the bridge and wasn't going to move for anyone. Saw a fight starting one day and I headed back to the beach. I'm down there to have fun and fish with everyone.


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

RippnLips--How is the Skyway now that they closed off the east-side spans? Last time I was out was just before the closure.


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## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

still catchin' them. had to change tactics since the east span closed. they have posted a 2 rod per person limit on weekends. no more hogging up 100 feet of pier. like my friend skyjay said "one man....one rod!" you can still bring as many rods as you can possibly fit in your vehicle but you can only have 2 of them in the water at a time. speed limit has also changed from 15 to 5 mph for the safety of all who fishes there since there is only half the pier that is accesible and the same number of fishermen.


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## kooler (Nov 2, 2006)

fmchale840 said:


> The only trouble I had last year fishing the bridge is, You have to get there early, because some guys will show up with 5-8 pole's and will take up most of the room. I didn't have any trouble on week days, but on weekends it was awful. I think one guy had enough pole's for one whole side of the bridge and wasn't going to move for anyone. Saw a fight starting one day and I headed back to the beach. I'm down there to have fun and fish with everyone.


yea i have heard the locals from palatka (and other locals) come over and load the bridge up on the weekends and i can understand the weekend warrior mentality but taking up that much room is definately overkill and pretty inconsiderate. i dont see how anyone could realistically fish that many rods, i can barely keep up with two. sounds like those guys are taking recreational fishing to the limit. i agree with you, hit the surf on weekend and only go to the bridge on weekends to bum around and watch the madness


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

ripnlips--Thanks for the update.


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## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

they don't seem to be enforcing the 2 rod thing. i see people right outside the bait shop with 3, 4, sometimes 5 rods out at a time.


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