warm water discharge -- not the usual species

[J.A. Veil]

I arrived in Tampa today about noon. I was supposed to fish with kayak guide Neil Taylor of Strike Three Kayak Fishing. When I called Neil to find out where he wanted to meet, he told me that yesterday's high winds had blown water out of the shallows where he wanted to fish. It was windy and cool again today -- Floridians are not used to this weather. He rescheduled for Sat morning.

I decided to visit a manatee viewing center located half an hour south of Tampa. The center is located next to the Big Bend power station, which discharges warm cooling water to a canal. Typically this attracts a few manatee. With the cool temperature here for the past day or two, the manatees were showing up in numbers -- I spotted about 30 of them just lounging around.




It is fun to see the first few, but given their lethargic nature, there is not much to watch after a while. The center includes a boardwalk on pilings 10-15 ft above the water level. I looked down and could see many fish in the water. The photo below shows a large tarpon at least 5 ft long surrounded by smaller tarpon. I saw sheepshead, needlefish, and other species that I did not identify.




My adrenaline got pumping after being less than 20 ft away from a large tarpon swimming in the wild. I don't think the power company would have appreciated it if I got my travel rod from the car and started casting to the tarpon.

[ComeOnFish]

Thanks for the posting. I feel it is very cold here. I carry a Cuban yoyo in addition to travel rods. Though I am not sure I can land a 5' tarpon.

joe

[jffoley]

... less than 20 ft away from a large tarpon swimming in the wild. I don't think the power company would have appreciated it if I got my travel rod from the car and started casting to the tarpon.

They are trained tarpon, John! I've seen 'em. They will only eat handouts... without a hook!!

[frettr00]

I know that feeling about seeing big fish in private waters... Many years ago I remember seeing some massive carp in a few creeks within tourist locations/amusement parks. They had corn dispensers set up on the bridges so people could put a quarter in and feed the carp. These things were probably 40-50+ lbs. I wanted to get my rod and catch them, but would probably look like a crazy person and thrown get thrown out.

[Kiko]

I carry a Cuban yoyo in addition to travel rods.

Like this Joe?



Ernie

[Paddle4fish]

dont try this lol
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WCrsG0T_MAE

[mango]

cool seeing fish hanging around like that. So close yet so far. good luck with the guide fishing.

[ronaultmtd]

When I fished Tampa last- we hooked up several large tarpon in a cul de sac canal behind a housing development just off the main harbor area and caught most of the biger snook under boat docks in the same area with live peanut bunker tossed to them on spinning tackle with just a weightless 2/0 circle hook-

[surfdog]

in key west the huge tarpon know when the head boats come in and clean fish, they inhale the fileted bodies of the days catch. awsome to see 5-6' tarpon feed like that so tempted to put a hook in a piece and see how long it takes for the tarpon to break off on a piling, i was estimating a good 10-15 seconds

[M_Duong60]

Are you still down in Fl? and are you planning on getting a guide for some tarpon fishing? sounds kind of fun.