Fishing Tampa Bay’s Weedon Island Preserve
By Capt. Mel Berman, Florida Fishing Weekly

Weedon Island began its existence as an ancient shell refuse site and burial mound complex. Then after the Civil War, the land was purchased by Captain W. B. Henderson and gifted to his daughter Blanche, on her marriage to a Tampa doctor, Leslie Weedon. Using the island as a weekend retreat until1923, the Weedons sold most of the property to real estate magnate Eugene Elliot. By 1929, the Grand Central Airport was built on Weedon Island and became the national headquarters of Eastern Air Transport.  Ultimately, the Weedon Island Preserve was purchased by the state of Florida in 1974, funded by the state's Endangered Lands Program. Park rangers were first stationed there in 1979, and the preserve was officially opened to the public in 1980.

Located in the heart of a teaming metropolis of 3-million, Weedon Island today provides a 3,164-acre preserve along the west side of Tampa Bay. It is the largest estuarine domain in Pinellas County, with rich aquatic habitats including mangrove swamps, shoreline, and grass beds along its eastern edge – all making for an ideal recreational site and fishing environment. It offers some of the finest angling and paddling opportunities in all of Florida.  Weedon Island preserve is said to house an amazing array of wildlife, with more than 100 different kinds of fish, a great variety of reptiles and hundreds of bird species.

The 3,000-foot Paul Getting Memorial Trail at Weedon is a boardwalk that takes hikers deep into the mangroves to observation platforms. Ultimately they wind up at a four-story, 50-foot high observation tower, which provides a panoramic view of the entire Weedon Island Preserve, Riviera Bay to the south, Tampa Bay on the east and the famed Gandy Bridge and Causeway to the north, as well as surrounding communities.

For the angler, there is a convenient fishing pier which projects out into one of Weedon’s pristine creeks. There, shore bound anglers are able to work great schools of mostly redfish, snook, and sea trout.

This Tampa Bay Area amenity is also a popular paddler’s paradise. Next to the fishing pier is the beginning of a southern canoe and kayak trail that meanders through a mangrove forest and grass flats in between the islands of the preserve, and along the edge of Tampa Bay. The 4-mile-long trail takes paddlers by many rich and unspoiled mangrove islands and narrow passes. To paddle the entire trail might take a good long while, because the temptation is to frequently stop and enjoy the lush scenery. In many locations, the mangroves grow so close together they form a canopy that completely encloses the trail.

Then there is a one-way northern paddling trail that originates in a mosquito ditch at the parking area along the park’s west side, and meanders through mangrove habitat and Snug Harbor before it terminates at the beaches along nearby Gandy Boulevard.

As for fishing from a boat, the possibilities are limitless. “But remember that  there are many no-wake zones and you’re going to need either a push pole or trolling motor if you intend to go way back into Weedon ,” advised local guide Capt. Woody Gore. “The best place to begin fishing would be right out in front, along the eastern edge of preserve on the Tampa Bay side.” In many respects, the no-motor zones have been a plus, helping to protect and preserve the rich grasses of Weedon, as well as offering a quiet environment for stealthful fishing. 

Tides are critical and Gore advises that on low tide, most species tend to come out from under the mangroves and onto the outside flats. “Any time you fish in real shallow waters like Weedon, you don’t want to go way back inside there on an outgoing tide. You could have difficulty getting around or even stuck in the skinny waters.  So you want to stay out on the flats when there’s an outgoing tide where there’s plenty of clean water -- and that’s where the fish are going to be.”

On the other hand, with the incoming tide, you’ll be able to head deeply into the Weedon Island back country. The high water tide washes all the rich oxygenated water back into the mangroves and, of course, the fish will go back there with that transition.

There are some excellent fishing locations well into the back of the Weedon preserve toward the western perimeter. But again, you’d better be careful because, even on high tide, there are areas that can be quite skinny. A good place to begin would be in the creeks by the fishing pier. There you will see folks fishing from the pier itself, wading and from all sorts of water craft. “Flats boats, canoes and kayaks can usually get around in there with few problems,” said Gore. “But as I have said for years, you don’t really need to be in a foot of water to catch fish. There are many areas that you can work productively in Weedon with most flats type vessels.”

Along the southern boundary of Weedon Island is Riviera Bay, which offers many fishing possibilities, from the docks along the residential side – on over to the mangrove edges and creeks at Weedon.  “Riviera Bay is a great spot to fish in the winter because it gets you out of the brisk, cold winds. And you can get back there to catch reds, trout, bluefish and many other species in the comfort of a protected area,” said Gore. Unlike most of Weedon, Riviera Bay has some pretty deep waters where in the colder months; most fish go seeking their comfort zones.

For boatless anglers, Weedon Island offers a great many options. “There are many who wade the shorelines around the oyster bars that do quite well catching fish,” said Gore. “It’s not uncommon to sees people in boats or kayaks get out and wade those areas as well. It’s so much more stealthful and productive when fishing the shallow waters of Weedon.”

As for baits, the usual flats assortment is what you’ll need, including greenbacks, which have been quite abundant this year. “Shrimp is always a great fish catcher – especially under a popping cork out front on the Tampa Bay side flats. It’s a great setup for trout,” said Capt Woody.

The best part of Weedon is the waters there are more brackish than the lower bay, providing a refuge during the ravages of last year’s pervasive red tide outbreak. As a result trout appear to be doing very well there. “We’ve been catching some really nice trout in that main channel going into Weedon this year,” he said.