Gulfport Florida, located in southern Pinellas County, is a quaint town that exudes “Old Florida”.
The city is rich in history and once had a thriving fishing industry. Before cars, ferries would depart the old Gulfport Pier and take individuals and goods to Pass – A- Grille which is located on Boca Ciega Bay. Gulfport is known as the gateway to the gulf.
This is a location that has a pier, seawalls, flats and backwater fishing. Williams Pier is on Shoreline Boulevard; the pier is lit in the evening and has cleaning stations.
West on Shoreline Boulevard is the Recreation center; behind it you will find access to seawalls and a deep channel. Additional species that are biting are flounder, mangrove snapper and sheepshead. To the east of the pier is a large flat where trout and redfish can be found. A few blocks away is the Gulfport Marina, the marina district has benches and a cleaning station next to the channel that leads to the ships store.
Clam Bayou, adjacent to the marina has a host of fishing opportunities. Catwalks throughout the park lead to fenced fishing platforms. This allows the landlocked angler an opportunity for some backwater fishing. There is also a very nice kayak launch as you enter the park area.
Whether using artificials or live bait, Gulfport offers unlimited fishing opportunities. It is very hard to beat a place that has several beach bars/eateries within a couple of blocks of your favorite fishing area.
Trent Bates caught this keeper flounder using a 7 foot medium action Hurricane Calico Jack rod paired with a Tsunami Shield 3000 reel spooled with Kast King 10 pound braid tied to a 20 pound fluorocarbon leader. The bait of choice was an eighth of an ounce Mission jig with a Zman Trout Trick soft plastic.