When Hurricane Helene sent water nearly eight feet above tidal forecasts, the natural landscape around Florida’s west coast changed, moving sand and waterways to new places and removing them from old ones.
Now, just two weeks later, we find ourselves in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. While Tampa Bay and areas north of downtown escaped more catastrophic waves, the hurricane’s winds and rain pummeled the same areas hit by Helene, compounding the problems.
Much attention is focused on the damage on land, but what has changed on the water may not have been known for quite some time. As we recover, here are a few changes anglers will notice, and a few things they may not, based on my knowledge of how past hurricanes and major storms have affected the Gulf.
Popular land-based fishing spots, such as those near the tip of Anna Maria Island at the Rod & Reel Pier and City Pier, have been destroyed. The Rod & Reel Pier had stood since 1947 and suffered damage during the 2017 Irma before being repaired.
It is known as a popular spot for anglers chasing various species that transit between the Gulf and Tampa Bay, with its perfect location near Bean Point.
In the early 1970s, fisherman and former pier owner Frank Cavendish landed an 18-foot hammerhead shark weighing 1,386 pounds from the pier while using a large stingray as 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 landing from the pier at a spot that has created countless stories for so many. Now the building is no longer there, lost to the immense combination of storms in recent weeks.
A few hundred meters further on, the City Pier also suffered damage that appears to be easier to repair if the center section is removed. The newly rebuilt pier is a popular sight for those crossing 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, but somewhat infamous meeting spot may not return. It is a sand island that has been known to move over the years, but never to this extent.
Farther south, Midnight Pass reopened along Little Sarasota Bay during Helene, but was slow to fill the following week despite residents’ efforts to keep it open. Now behind Milton, Midnight Pass is again larger and reportedly 8 feet deep.
The pass, which was closed more than 40 years ago due to human intervention, has been a point of contention among many who wanted it reopened to restore more tidal flow to the area between Big Pass and Venice Inlet.
The force of the hurricanes has restored the current, creating a tidal path at the original location, and this 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 fishing offshore is what the shifting sands and violent conditions have done to their favorite spots. After Hurricanes Irma and Ian passed through the southeastern Gulf, captains noticed that spots they were looking for had seemingly disappeared, even in deeper waters of more than 100 feet.
Some reported wrecks were completely removed from their locations, requiring searches to find them again. These areas that we cannot see in the deep waters of the Gulf have also been greatly changed by the force of these storms.
The amount of wave action and sand moved by this combination of storms will no doubt leave some anglers scratching their heads if a popular spot is changed or gone altogether. Larger ledges that house goliath groupers are usually unchanged, as the goliaths are adept at moving sand on their own as it encroaches on their homes.
But this offers the opportunity to find new places. With modern maps using data that is now a few years old, new places may have emerged that have not yet been found. New ledges exposed, piles of boulders dug out, a wreck of rubble moved to shore to sink or the next hot spot that no one knows about.
In previous hurricane years, it seemed like fish were moved as well. Our area is full of resilience and people who not only enjoy the salt water, but also rely on it. I’m sure most want to get back to what they love and rediscover the Gulf and Bay.
What will fishermen encounter when they go fishing again?
