When Hurricane Helene sent water nearly 8 feet above tide predictions, it changed the natural landscape around Florida’s West Coast, shifting sand and waterways to new places and removing it from old ones.
Now we’re in the wake of Hurricane Milton only two weeks later. While Tampa Bay and areas north of the center escaped more catastrophic surges, the hurricane’s wind and rain battered the same areas affected by Helene, compounding issues.
Much of the focus is on the damage done to land, but what has changed on the water might not be known for quite some time. As we recover, here are a few changes that anglers will notice, and a few things they may not, based on my knowledge of how previous hurricanes and major storms have affected the Gulf.
Popular land fishing spots, like those near the tip of Anna Maria Island in the Rod & Reel Pier and City Pier, have been destroyed. The Rod & Reel Pier had stood since 1947 and suffered damage during Irma in 2017 before being repaired.
It’s been known as a popular spot for anglers chasing various species that transition between the Gulf and Tampa Bay with its perfect location near Bean Point.
In the early 1970s angler and former pier owner Frank Cavendish landed a 17-foot hammerhead shark that weighed 1,386 pounds from the pier while using a big stingray for bait. Cavendish used a chain, rope and a giant inner tube in what is still a fishing tale told by locals to this day.
Many others have their memories of big snook, redfish, tarpon and more landed from the pier at a place that has created countless stories for so many. Now the building is no more, lost to the immense combination of storms over the past few weeks.
A few hundred yards away, the City Pier also suffered damages that look more repairable with the middle section taken out. Recently rebuilt, the pier is a popular sight for those traversing Tampa Bay and heading west toward the Gulf of Mexico.
Just north of the piers at the mouth of Tampa Bay, Passage Key was recently left underwater as a result of Helene. The popular, yet somewhat infamous, hangout spot may not return. It’s a sand island that has been known to move throughout the years, but never to this extent.
Further south, Midnight Pass reopened along Little Sarasota Bay during Helene but slowly filled in over the following week despite the residents’ efforts to keep it open. Now behind Milton, Midnight Pass is once again bigger and reportedly 8 feet deep.
The pass, which was closed by human interaction over 40 years ago, has been a point of contention among many who have wanted the pass reopened to restore more tidal flow to the area between Big Pass and Venice Inlet.
The power of the hurricanes has restored the flow, cutting a tidal path in its original location, and it should benefit the health of the bay. While the populated neighboring areas are rebuilding, nature is healing itself in this case.
One of the biggest changes anglers may notice when they begin to head fishing offshore is what the shifting sands and violent conditions may have done to their favorite spots. After Hurricane Irma and Ian went across the southeastern Gulf, captains noticed spots they were looking for seemingly vanished, even in deeper waters beyond 100 feet.
Some reported wrecks had completely moved off their locations, requiring searching to find them again. These areas we can’t see in the deep waters of the Gulf are also vastly changed with the power of these storms.
The amount of surge and sand that was displaced following this combination of storms will no doubt leave some anglers scratching their heads when a popular spot is changed or completely gone. Bigger ledges that house goliath grouper are usually unchanged, as the goliaths do a good job of moving sand themselves when it encroaches on their homes.
But this leaves an opportunity to find new spots. With modern charts using data that is now a few years old, there could be new spots that have formed and not been found yet. New ledges exposed, rock piles dug out, a wreck from debris that moved offshore to sink or the next hotspot nobody knows about.
In previous hurricane years, fish seemed to be moved around as well. Our area is full of resilience and people who don’t just enjoy the saltwater but rely on it. I’m sure most want to get back to what they love and begin to rediscover the Gulf and Bay.
What will anglers find as they begin to start fishing again?
Local News
