Shore Fishing

Stump Pass Beach State Park

Recently, after avoiding one of our favorite launches for outstanding kayak water all winter, we ventured back to Stump Pass Beach State Park. During high season, parking issues, combined with the ongoing reconstruction of the utility building, made this a challenging launch. There was another launch at the north end of the lot that backed up to the water but at this time, only the southern launch with the stairs is available. Due to the small size of this parking lot, no trailers are allowed. 

So, after months of season, we were surprised to find plenty of parking available including two prime spots by the kayak launch. This park opens at 8 AM daily and closes one half hour after sunset. We got there on a weekday just after opening to find good spots. By the time we returned at 4:30 PM, the lot was full but beginning to empty out. 

Stump PassMost kayak anglers know about “ski alley”, technically known as Petersen Cut where the launch is located. Not so obvious from water level is another channel to the east of Petersen Island that has no high-speed boat traffic. This has always been our favorite channel to kayak and fish. Defined by Petersen Island to the west and Whidden Key to the east, this spot is protected from all but a Northwest wind. 

We don’t know the name for this channel, but it has plenty of grass with navigable water for boats but the deeper water meanders back and forth which makes it tricky for boaters. This serpentine flow creates a multitude of shallow bars and grass flats where tidal currents move bait on both outgoing and incoming tides. Add this topography in the channel to the myriad mangroves that line both sides and you’ll see why we like it here. 

On this particular day, we had a huge high tide in mid-afternoon, so we headed east to paddle around the east side of Whidden Key then south towards Stump Pass. We wanted to explore the shallow flats that extend a half mile east to the ICW. Kimball fished out by the ICW, catching numerous large spotted seatrout, while Les kept working the mangroves looking for redfish taking advantage of the high tide to forage back among the roots. The tide was still incoming when we rounded the south end of Whidden Key which made paddling west a challenge. We recommend caution around Stump Pass, particularly if you are paddling over the shallow sand bars. Boat wakes, while manageable in deep water, tend to be amplified over these shallow spots. 

We have kayaked there many times but this day, with the extreme high tide, we explored a narrow cut on the southern end of Whidden Key. It led into a small, shallow lagoon that was stacked with juvenile snook, mangrove snapper and sheepshead. We may have spooked them, but as the tide was peaking, these fish realized that they would soon be high and dry in this lagoon. We saw schools of 50 snook swimming under our kayaks. These little snook portend good days ahead for the fishery. Kimball caught and released an example of the snook we saw. 

The usual afternoon thunderstorms began to rumble over the mainland, so we headed north and back towards the kayak launch. We don’t mind fishing in the rain but when the electrical storms show up, we call it a day. Being in a kayak makes us the highest point around but it’s our graphite rods that create the biggest hazard. 

The best part of this trip was the incredibly clear water around the pass. We enjoyed remarkable clarity after a winter of red tide and windy flats with marginal visibility for spotting fish. Kayak anglers should take advantage of this clarity and launch early to avoid electrical issues in the afternoon. This clear water won’t last as the summer algae bloom gets underway so enjoy it while it’s here.

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Kimball and Les Beery, authors of Angler’s Guide to Shore and KAYAK Fishing Southwest Florida, contribute these excerpts from both Waterproof books to promote the excellent fishing available in the Englewood area. They are available locally at Old Florida Gallery on West Dearborn, and for download at  www.anglerpocketguides.com &  amazon.com.