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 In fact, it would be fair to say that the Skyway not only connects Manatee with Pinellas County for vehicular traffic, it also serves as a giant bait magnet, holding an abundance of every conceivable type of forage species. There are the ubiquitous pilchards, Spanish sardines, blue runners, threadfins, lizardfish and ladyfish. And it’s all like a gargantuan buffet for hungry fish.

In the deeper waters of the main Ship’s Channel, which passes through the main span, there are year ‘round populations of offshore size, mostly gag grouper, as well as mangrove snapper, bonito, cobia and other bottom fish favorites. And back near the Piers’ entrance booths, the shallow grass flats hold a great variety of popular inshore species such as snook, reds, trout, flounder, and sheepshead.

However, it is the spring and fall arrival of the king and Spanish mackerel that has drawn most fishing enthusiasts to the very popular Skyway Fishing Piers. Many of them are not necessarily locals. The word has gotten out, there are several who make the trek from as far away as Jacksonville, Orlando, Crystal River Daytona Beach, Lake Wales, Avon Park and Ft. Pierce. In addition, there are always a good number of fishers who come to this unique fishing platform from all parts of the country.

Both the North and South Piers have actually been built on remnants of the old Skyway Bridge which was destroyed in 1980 when the freighter “Summit Venture” crashed into it. After removing the center section, the two remaining ends were made into fishing piers. Incidentally, the South Pier is in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest. The North Pier -- though less than half the size of the South Pier -- is also one of the most productive fishing venues in Florida. Both are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

In this era of high fuel prices and expensive boats, the Skyway Fishing Piers offer an opportunity for anyone of modest means to catch offshore type and size fish from the deeper waters below. They can drive right on in to where they will be fishing, park their vehicle, step out, grab their fishing pole and start catching.  Incidentally, no baby sitters are required. Many families bring the youngest of children along with them to watch mom and dad fish from their portable playpens. And it’s a wonderland for kids of all ages, learning how to catch fish, watching others reel in some beauties and, if they want a break, visit the fully stocked Skyway bait, tackle and convenience stores on both piers.

But it is this time of year when most anglers show up on these very accessible structures to tangle with the amazingly large schools of King and Spanish mackerel. It’s not at all uncommon for even the novice to catch great numbers of these pelagics.  Many keep their limit of Spanish—a generous 15 per person.  However, a lot of more experienced anglers realize that they don’t really freeze well and are best cooked and eaten the day they’re caught.  And while on the issue of table fare, Spanish mackerel will always taste best when they are generously iced down when caught.

The kings are only here through late spring. They spawn, and then will head for parts north. In their wake they leave behind many juvenile king mackerel, which are often incorrectly identify them as Spanish. Since the regulations permit taking only two kings per day that are at least 26-inches, it would not be out of the question for anglers who keep these young kings to get ticketed. The easiest way to identify a king from a Spanish mackerel would be the king’s lateral line that runs back and then sharply drops down.  Also Spanish have darker dorsal fins.

Both from the piers and down below on boats, kingfishers gather around the Skyway in spring to catch these huge mackerel. Among the most popular baits are live blue runners, ladyfish. large threadfins, sand perch and pilchards. Many also catch them from the piers working spoons tied to a long 6 to 10-foot 40-lb leader, with a 3 or 4-ounce sinker above. The rig is tossed out and quickly retrieved.

Ebn Aguirre of Avon Park in central Florida is one of many who make the long trek over to fish the Skyway Piers at least once a week. “We’ve actually been fishing here since last night. It’s a long ride over -- about an hour and a half – so we have to get in as much of this good fishing as possible. It’s really worth the price of admission. And we love watching the sun come up over the horizon shining through the beautiful new Skyway bridge right next these piers,” he said.

Aguirre and his son have a regular routine. When they first arrive, they catch all the bait they need using the Sabiki rigs. “One of my favorites is blue runners, which is very good for all the bigger fish like grouper and kings. We also use spoons for Spanish mackerel and bonito. And this time of year every kind of fish you’d want are pretty much all around these piers,” he said.  As we were talking to Aguirre, his son hooked a hefty gag grouper using a small squirrel fish (sand perch) for bait.

For pricing and more on the Skyway Fishing Piers, see http://www.skywaypiers.com/