Short trip last week due to wife's vacation constraints.
And the trip was basically to visit my dad, who's too old to play
anymore.
Monday - went to our favorite place, the north Sunshine Skyway fishing
pier. About 2 hours from my dad's place in Beverly Hills.
Dad and his wife didn't feel up to it, so it just was me and my wife.
Most of that drive is a nice one down the Sunshine Parkway toll road.
Bad news is I noticed a yellow line down the middle of the west pier
as I drove to the bait shop at the end, then found the east pier was
closed - fenced off. Was told it closed Labor Day and won't reopen.
Unsafe because of age. Rebar going bad.
The bait shop people think the remaining pier will be closed in a few
years. Same deal on the south piers.
End of an era.
Those fishing piers aren't matched anywhere on earth, and only came
about because of the bridge tragedy years ago.
The cost of building something like them - or repairing them now -
would be impossible to justify.
Had to do a 3-point turnaround to go back down the same side, which
wasn't good to fish with a strong incoming tide.
Quickly carries even 3 ounce pyramid sinkers under the pier.
We felt pretty down about the pier closing, and the new configuration,
so fished only a couple hours half-heartedly, then headed back before
the Tampa rush hour.
No fish caught by us, but we didn't care. Saw a couple 20" Spanish
Mackerels pulled out down by the bait shop.
Weather was nice. Sunny, 70's, light breezes.
Saw the usual water life - couple porpoises, rays. No turtles though.
You could walk on the baitfish, never saw it like that. Birds had a
field day.
First time I saw a kayaker out there, fishing about 100 yards off the
pier.
Made a side trip to Port Richey on the way back to Beverly Hills, and
had lunch at the Hooters Wayne recommended.
Food was good, view was good at our waterside table. Birds fly in
under the shade tarps so you have to make sure they don't steal your
food. Be aware the Cuban sandwich is cold cuts, not pulled pork.
A big casino boat came in next door, but there was very little boat
traffic. Saw maybe 4 boats total. Couple 17-19' Carolina Skiffs
and a couple boats the same size I couldn't identify.
One guy was tied up right near us and took one of the Hooter girls
beside the boat to show off a stiffened redfish that went about 24".
The fish was curled and ugly, but she was pretty and had a nice ass.
Walked the docks after we ate. Dead. A couple charter boats, and
some working boats with high square gear framework on the sterns,
but no shrimp boat booms. Nobody around to ask what the boats are
for, so I remain dumb.
Tuesday - Cold front rolled in. Record cold for October.
Had frost on the car windshields as dawn broke.
Went to a couple flea markets. My wife loves that, but restrained
herself. Thank goodness there was no room in the car to bring much
of anything back north. Got a nice leather case for my cell phone for
5 bucks.
That's the cell phone I got as a gift a year ago and never use.
But now it can pine away in a nice case.
Last time I saw so many guns was when I stacked them in the boot camp
armory. Wife said one son would love to have a shotgun, but he'll
have to settle for a bundle of 3 pairs of heavy socks. My pick.
Funny how many guys I saw wearing a sweater covered by a jacket and
topped with a hat. But bare legs because they wore shorts!
Some forget about trousers down there I guess. My dad had trouble
finding a pair of pants when he went out. The women were sensibly
dressed.
Weather was no problem for me, as I hardly ever wear shorts, even in
Florida summers. Fish hooks and cigarette ashes usually bounce off
pants.
Unfortunately, my wife learned that the reason there were so many
empty vendor areas at the flea markets that Tuesday is because
Wednesday is the BIG day for the flea markets.
Wednesday - Flea markets again.
Anyway, our gift shopping got done. 'Nuff said about that.
Took a trip out to the gulf public fishing pier, but it was so chilly
and windy nobody wanted to venture out to the empty pier.
Thursday - Went to Rainbow state park, source of the Crystal River.
That's a real nice place and worth seeing.
Friday/Saturday - left at 5 AM, stopped 30 miles before Nashville at
3:30 PM for a room, left there at 7 AM.
Got home a bit north of Chicago at 5 PM.
Best driving to and from Florida we ever had. Light traffic, no road
work to speak of. Think I only cussed at another driver once the
whole time. That's phenomenal.
I did all the driving and never got tired.
I set the trip odo on a fill up a couple hundred miles after we left
home, and filled up when we got home.
85 gallons. 2565 miles. 30.17 mpg.
Most of the time we were moving 70-75 mph.
It's a 97' Lumina with the 3.1. 141k miles on it now.
Never burped.

--Vic

On Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:32:57 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

A couple charter boats, and
some working boats with high square gear framework on the sterns,
but no shrimp boat booms. Nobody around to ask what the boats are
for, so I remain dumb.

Those are crab boats. The framework is to support the crab traps
when they are stacked on the back deck.

The big shrimp boat fleet is further south at Ft Myers beach. There
might also be a few at Tarpon Springs but I'm not sure.

Glad you liked the Hooters. :-)

On Nov 5, 9:46*am, Wayne.B wrote:
On Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:32:57 -0600, Vic Smith

wrote:
A couple charter boats, and
some working boats with high square gear framework on the sterns,
but no shrimp boat booms. *Nobody around to ask what the boats are
for, so I remain dumb.

Those are crab boats. * The framework is to support the crab traps
when they are stacked on the back deck.

The big shrimp boat fleet is further south at Ft Myers beach. * There
might also be a few at Tarpon Springs *but I'm not sure.

Glad you liked the Hooters. * :-)

Yep, pretty good sized shrimp fleet at Tarpon Springs, and the docks
at Tarpon are beautiful.

On Nov 5, 8:32*am, Vic Smith wrote:
Short trip last week due to wife's vacation constraints.
And the trip was basically to visit my dad, who's too old to play
anymore.
Monday - went to our favorite place, the north Sunshine Skyway fishing
pier. *About 2 hours from my dad's place in Beverly Hills.
Dad and his wife didn't feel up to it, so it just was me and my wife.
Most of that drive is a nice one down the Sunshine Parkway toll road.
Bad news is I noticed a yellow line down the middle of the west pier
as I drove to the bait shop at the end, then found the east pier was
closed - fenced off. * Was told it closed Labor Day and won't reopen.
Unsafe because of age. *Rebar going bad.
The bait shop people think the remaining pier will be closed in a few
years. *Same deal on the south piers.
End of an era.
Those fishing piers aren't matched anywhere on earth, and only came
about because of the bridge tragedy years ago.
The cost of building something like them - or repairing them now -
would be impossible to justify.
Had to do a 3-point turnaround to go back down the same side, which
wasn't good to fish with a strong incoming tide.
Quickly carries even 3 ounce pyramid sinkers under the pier.
We felt pretty down about the pier closing, and the new configuration,
so fished only a couple hours half-heartedly, then headed back before
the Tampa rush hour.
No fish caught by us, but we didn't care. *Saw a couple 20" Spanish
Mackerels pulled out down by the bait shop. *
Weather was nice. *Sunny, 70's, light breezes.
Saw the usual water life - couple porpoises, rays. *No turtles though.
You could walk on the baitfish, never saw it like that. *Birds had a
field day.
First time I saw a kayaker out there, fishing about 100 yards off the
pier.
Made a side trip to Port Richey on the way back to Beverly Hills, and
had lunch at the Hooters Wayne recommended.
Food was good, view was good at our waterside table. *Birds fly in
under the shade tarps so you have to make sure they don't steal your
food. *Be aware the Cuban sandwich is cold cuts, not pulled pork.
A big casino boat came in next door, but there was very little boat
traffic. *Saw maybe 4 boats total. *Couple 17-19' Carolina Skiffs
and a couple boats the same size I couldn't identify.
One guy was tied up right near us and took one of the Hooter girls
beside the boat to show off a stiffened redfish that went about 24".
The fish was curled and ugly, but she was pretty and had a nice ass.
Walked the docks after we ate. *Dead. *A couple charter boats, and
some working boats with high square gear framework on the sterns,
but no shrimp boat booms. *Nobody around to ask what the boats are
for, so I remain dumb.
Tuesday - Cold front rolled in. * Record cold for October.
Had frost on the car windshields as dawn broke.
Went to a couple flea markets. *My wife loves that, but restrained
herself. *Thank goodness there was no room in the car to bring much
of anything back north. *Got a nice leather case for my cell phone for
5 bucks.
That's the cell phone I got as a gift a year ago and never use.
But now it can pine away in a nice case.
Last time I saw so many guns was when I stacked them in the boot camp
armory. *Wife said one son would love to have a shotgun, but he'll
have to settle for a bundle of 3 pairs of heavy socks. *My pick.
Funny how many guys I saw wearing a sweater covered by a jacket and
topped with a hat. *But bare legs because they wore shorts!
Some forget about trousers down there I guess. *My dad had trouble
finding a pair of pants when he went out. *The women were sensibly
dressed.
Weather was no problem for me, as I hardly ever wear shorts, even in
Florida summers. *Fish hooks and cigarette ashes usually bounce off
pants.
Unfortunately, my wife learned that the reason there were so many
empty vendor areas at the flea markets that Tuesday is because
Wednesday is the BIG day for the flea markets.
Wednesday - Flea markets again.
Anyway, our gift shopping got done. *'Nuff said about that.
Took a trip out to the gulf public fishing pier, but it was so chilly
and windy nobody wanted to venture out to the empty pier.
Thursday - Went to Rainbow state park, source of the Crystal River.
That's a real nice place and worth seeing.
Friday/Saturday - left at 5 AM, stopped 30 miles before Nashville at
3:30 PM for a room, left there at 7 AM.
Got home a bit north of Chicago at 5 PM.
Best driving to and from Florida we ever had. *Light traffic, no road
work to speak of. *Think I only cussed at another driver once the
whole time. *That's phenomenal.
I did all the driving and never got tired.
I set the trip odo on a fill up a couple hundred miles after we left
home, and filled up when we got home.
85 gallons. *2565 miles. *30.17 mpg.
Most of the time we were moving 70-75 mph. *
It's a 97' Lumina with the 3.1. *141k miles on it now.
Never burped.

--Vic

Vic, next time, go to Ft. Desoto State Park, there's a great fishing
pier there that juts out to the main channel. You can watch pilot
boats go out to intercept cargo ships. Plus there's a lot of history
at the park, used to be a fort. Just west of the Sunshine Skyway.
Also, when you travel up I-57, in Illinois, there's a place called
Uncle Bud's in Ina. It's not far South from the intersection with
I-64. It's a truck stop with a sandwich place. Damned good simple
food. It's a dump, so be aware, but after I found it, I'll make it my
stop every time I go through. And you should have stopped at
Sheffield's Catfish House (another truckstop) south of Live Oak FL.

On Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:46:26 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:32:57 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

A couple charter boats, and
some working boats with high square gear framework on the sterns,
but no shrimp boat booms. Nobody around to ask what the boats are
for, so I remain dumb.

Those are crab boats. The framework is to support the crab traps
when they are stacked on the back deck.

The big shrimp boat fleet is further south at Ft Myers beach. There
might also be a few at Tarpon Springs but I'm not sure.

Glad you liked the Hooters. :-)

Highlight of the trip, actually. (-:

--Vic

On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 12:24:02 -0800 (PST), wrote:



Vic, next time, go to Ft. Desoto State Park, there's a great fishing
pier there that juts out to the main channel. You can watch pilot
boats go out to intercept cargo ships. Plus there's a lot of history
at the park, used to be a fort. Just west of the Sunshine Skyway.
Also, when you travel up I-57, in Illinois, there's a place called
Uncle Bud's in Ina. It's not far South from the intersection with
I-64. It's a truck stop with a sandwich place. Damned good simple
food. It's a dump, so be aware, but after I found it, I'll make it my
stop every time I go through. And you should have stopped at
Sheffield's Catfish House (another truckstop) south of Live Oak FL.

I visited Ft. Desoto State Park a few years ago, and mean to do it
again. Nice place.
I'll try to check out the other places next trip. Thanks.

--Vic