Skyway Pier South Fishing Reports 2009 -10-11-12-13-14

[Filletnrelease]

The Grouper bite has been improving. Some photos of my last two trips.

23" & 24"


23" & 26" The fish had been on ice all night, sorry.
All fish caught on freelined pinfish, 125 to 175 yards out.

[westcoast]

NICE JOB MAN. i used to live up there and i miss fishing the skyway! did you guys get the kingfish blitz this year?

[PhishingPhanatic]

Nice grouper. I'll be fishing there at Thanksgiving, hopefully they are still chewing.

[Filletnrelease]

NICE JOB MAN. i used to live up there and i miss fishing the skyway! did you guys get the kingfish blitz this year?

The kingfish run has just started. Have not put a line out myself yet for em though.

Nice grouper. I'll be fishing there at Thanksgiving, hopefully they are still chewing.

Perfect timing, they only get bigger as the water cools.
A few more pics from the past months

[permitchaser]

very nice groupers and macs is the parking far away? or you could go with your car.

[PhishingPhanatic]

very nice groupers and macs is the parking far away? or you could go with your car.

You just drive up to the spot you want to fish and park. It's lazy man's fishing compared to Long Key

[permitchaser]

very nice groupers and macs is the parking far away? or you could go with your car.

how long to get there from miami ?

[Filletnrelease]

Like Phishing Phanatic said, you park where you fish. The pier (SSP) is a mile and a half long. You can camp in your truck or car. No campers allowed. Permits are for 24 hours, but I have been there longer, no one checks. Bait is usually everywhere, cast nets are permitted. Bait shop is open 24/7 but like anywhere they are pretty high cost wise. You can also go across the Skyway Bridge to the NSP on the same pass. It is about a half a mile long. Same thing goes, park where you fish.

[PhishingPhanatic]

very nice groupers and macs is the parking far away? or you could go with your car.

how long to get there from miami ?

About 4 hours. The fishing there is different from the Keys bridges though Raul, especially for grouper. They are usually caught freelining live baits way back over the rockpiles, and you have to be holding the rod the whole time or you will miss the hit.

[permitchaser]

4 hours. The fishing there is different from the Keys bridges though Raul, especially for grouper. They are usually caught freelining live baits way back over the rockpiles, and you have to be holding the rod the whole time or you will miss the hit.[/quote]


thanks rory cool stuff

[westcoast]

let me know if you want to take a trip permitchaser

i know where the rockpiles on skyway are and we live less than a mile away from each other!!!

[BRunner346]

nicely done. i would love to make a trip up that way

[permitchaser]

let me know if you want to take a trip permitchaser

i know where the rockpiles on skyway are and we live less than a mile away from each other!!!

[permitchaser]

Like Phishing Phanatic said, you park where you fish. The pier (SSP) is a mile and a half long. You can camp in your truck or car. No campers allowed. Permits are for 24 hours, but I have been there longer, no one checks. Bait is usually everywhere, cast nets are permitted. Bait shop is open 24/7 but like anywhere they are pretty high cost wise. You can also go across the Skyway Bridge to the NSP on the same pass. It is about a half a mile long. Same thing goes, park where you fish.

THANKS for the info filletnrelease those are very nice gags will wait for colder weather

[j29]

Ill be at the skyway on sun freelining pinfish. im hoping it will be good. went last week and caught some macks and 2 short gags. i was using greenbacks though. iv only been there twice but caught fish everytime.

[ripnlips]

we were there last sunday. lost 3 kings. biggest one was at the gaff and broke off. it was about 4 feet, maybe 30 pounds or so. i'm heading down again in the morning.

btw, if you haven't fished the skyway and you want to know where the rock piles are, you can always check it out on google earth. but the best way to do it is to go there in the winter when the water is gin clear and make a map.

[j29]

ill be there tomorrow too. my gf and i will be the ones looking like we have no idea what we are going. lol im learning though. maybe ill see u there. she drive a silver eclipse.

[permitchaser]

we were there last sunday. lost 3 kings. biggest one was at the gaff and broke off. it was about 4 feet, maybe 30 pounds or so. i'm heading down again in the morning.

btw, if you haven't fished the skyway and you want to know where the rock piles are, you can always check it out on google earth. but the best way to do it is to go there in the winter when the water is gin clear and make a map.

i hope you catch that smoker report when you come back please.

[j29]

So i went out sun from 9am till 4 and didnt catch much. wind was blowing really hard. i did get a couple macks on green backs and a short gag. really short! lol. im new and still learning so we'll see. i love to fish and will continue to try. i dont think iv found the rock piles everyone is talking about. any help???

[regulator70]

its easy to find the rock piles. walk down the brigde casting out 30 yards with 3oz pyramid sinkers. when you get stuck, you've found the the rocks. about every 10 pillars is the rock piles 20 to 30 yards away from the bridge.

[ripnlips]

i hope you catch that smoker report when you come back please.[/quote]

sorry no good report for this past weekend. we only had one hookup and we lost it when it ran straight to the pilings. the wind was blowing 15 to 20 from the east. the conditions were not terrific for kings. we did see some big spanish mack come over the rail on the incoming tide. a few were in the 26" to 28" range.

[941sharker]

big gags snook an trout last few trips

[permitchaser]

big gags snook an trout last few trips

how big ? no pic

[Filletnrelease]

its easy to find the rock piles. walk down the brigde casting out 30 yards with 3oz pyramid sinkers. when you get stuck, you've found the the rocks. about every 10 pillars is the rock piles 20 to 30 yards away from the bridge.

The rock piles are easy to locate. Look between the spans, you will see three sets of 4 pilings and then one set of 6 with 2 at angles. The rocks are off the 6 on both sides of the South pier. They start about 20 or so yards out and run 150 or more. Hope this helps. The pilings are numbered so you can keep a log of where the fish are hitting and when. Free line big baits, the bigger the better.

[SD2]

I hope i can get there this winter for a few trips, would love to get a nice grouper or king. Anybody use bridge nets? My buddy has one, they work pretty good.

[BRunner346]

I hope i can get there this winter for a few trips, would love to get a nice grouper or king. Anybody use bridge nets? My buddy has one, they work pretty good.

they are used frequently... comes in handy like you said when the fish is too large to be flipped. i wish i could get to skyway as well...

[Filletnrelease]

Got out Saturday morning for a while. The Grouper bite is on fire. Every bait I sent out got nailed. Caught 10 from 20" to 21-1/2", then nailed this 23". Put 5 nice fat Macks in the cooler for the smoker too.

[permitchaser]

very nice Gag

[bolo]

Love to hear when the fishing is on fire. Great job on the grouper and macs.

[PhishingPhanatic]

Nice grouper, I'll be out there either Fri or Sat morning looking for one.