This big pass surrounded by sandbars and beaches can really bring in the monsters. Giant tarpon on big swim baits isn’t uncommon here. Big reds and snook cruising the beaches and trenches is a regular site. Lots of room to fish and lots of options to hit on foot here.
Parking
The parking lots are large, but limited to the north side of the pass. There is a small strip of street parking on the south side, N. Shore Rd, but they will ticket you if you are slightly out of a parking zone or if its after 9pm (or sunset? can’t remember which).
Access
Everything on the north side is super easy to access on foot but the long rocks jetty has signs to stay off it. No one is really there to enforce that often though.
Beer can island has the small amount of day time parking so I usually just make the hike over the bridge and park on the north end. Its about 10-15 minute walk and you can check out how the water looks while walking the bridge.
Fishing the North Side
- The most action I’ve had on the north side of this pass is along its jetty. Not the biggest fish I’ve seen or caught, but consistently holds snook and red fish and they will chase a small lure most times of the day or eat a pin fish being freelined out to it. It can be a bit sketchy here when tide is really pumping so I’m not going to recommend anyone stand in the water or climb on the jetties, just want to be informative that it is some good fishing.
- the beach has a very fast drop off here that fish will cruise all day and night. Obviously, like anywhere you go fishing, it can be dead but it definitely has more fish activity than a lot of other locations in our area. Great spot for fly fishing if there are not a lot of people around.
Launching a big heavy lure, like an NLBN swim bait, out into the middle of the pass will often result in a big tarpon hook up when they are here. You will see them rolling all over the place in this pass when they are around. - Underneath and all around the bridge end here is very foot accessible. You can work the shadow lines with rapalas, paddle tails or drag NLBNs and flarehawks on the bottom for big snook.
- Walking the beach in the summer you can often sight fish snook here, great for fly fishing or slinging little lures if there aren’t many people. Try the early morning hours and first light for best beach fishing here.
- Just north of the boat ramp there are some pretty big grass flats that are foot accessible and wadable. I’ve had plenty of luck with top water and small weedless lures here for snook and trout.
Fishing Beer Can Island
This entire area is great for walking and fishing. I haven’t found one spot to be better than the other as the fish are really cruising the whole beach and chasing bait. There’s multiple rock piles and small jetties worth pitching around and climbing on, but really, this is a playground to just sling every where.