Shore & Kayak Fishing

Looking for new launches and those that are new to us leads us to spots we haven’t visited for a while. This is especially true of those launches affected by Hurricane Ian. In spite of this summer’s extreme heat, our need to be on the water paddling a kayak and catching quality fish has not waned.

Here are a few launches we have checked recently along with information that might be helpful. Some branches had to be cleared from the natural launches after the storm but no structural failures.  Starting from the north:

Senator Bob Johnson Landing ADA launch intact but now used as a fishing pier, try the composite launch 100’ east.

Deer Prairie Creek Preserve [upper] ADA launch intact [built after Ian], old launch accessible but rocky-use dolly.

Deer Prairie Creek Preserve [lower] Natural unimproved launch, muddy, the creek enters Myakka River near
US 41 bridge. 

Manasota Bridge Launch
No damage, parking available for kayak trailers. 

Lemon Bay Park
No damage, stairs to the launch are good, east wind and a high tide works best here. 

Blind Pass Beach Park
No damage, both launches are fine. Let the wind direction choose which one you use. 

Indian Mound Park
No damage, another fine launch for an easterly wind. 

Bay Heights Park (Rotary Park) ADA launch intact, protected by boat ramp. Narrow slot (34”) with straight approach.

Oyster Creek
No damage, time your trip to use the tidal flow leaving and returning to the launch.

Stump Pass Beach S.P.
The southern natural launch is open on ski alley, no kayak trailer parking.

Buck Creek
No damage, channels and sand bars have changed, the navigational crab floats are gone. Pay attention.

Boca Grande Pier Launch
No damage, same as it ever was.

19^th Street (Boca Grande)
No damage. The gravel ramp has been removed and it’s good again but no shady parking.

Now for a few that have not recovered from Hurricane Ian ten months later:

Dallas White Park (North Port Cocoplum Waterway) ADA launch destroyed; still not replaced. Use boat ramp. 

Cocoplum/ Myakkahatchee Waterway Water Plant launches above and below the spillway (North Port)
ADA launches destroyed. Also, the switchback portage walkway failed.

Myakkahatchee Marina Park (North Port) ADA launch destroyed, boat ramp open. 

Big Slough (North Port-Butler Park)-ADA launch destroyed, no access to Big Slough here. 

For those of you who have read this list so far, you may see a pattern. Manmade ADA launches are fragile things; expensive to design, purchase, install, insure, maintain, and repair or replace. Natural launches are more resilient and require almost nothing to create or maintain. A simple shell/sand walkway terraced with power pole logs as necessary, is preferred by most of the kayakers we meet. 

Having recently tried one of these ADA floating dock launches at Deer Prairie Creek, with our old sit-on Ocean “Drifters”, we found it difficult to use. There are two launch slots on this floating dock. One features a sloping floor for the kayaks before launching and the kayakers must pull themselves down the plastic ramp and away from the dock. This narrower slot requires the kayaker to stow their paddle inboard until they clear the slot.  

The wider slot fits sit-on kayaks better but here the kayak floats freely around in the slot before launch. This presents a moving target for the kayaker while boarding. As the kayak floats around before entry the kayaker is required to hang from a cross bar while positioning the floating kayak with their feet then lowering themselves onto the seat. 

We decided not to land at the ADA launch and instead chose the old launch by the spillway in spite of the rocks. We opted for the easier exit, because getting out of a kayak is often harder than getting aboard, especially after sitting for several hours. And yes, we did catch and release several bass, mostly on black trick worms just before sunset. 

As for the safety of a floating ADA kayak launch, it seems like anyone unlucky enough to slip between the dock and the kayak while launching or unloading would be squeezed and trapped there and might even end up under the kayak and the dock which would be challenging. Please use caution around floating launches.