COASTAL RECREATION

FISHING LOCATIONS FROM SHORE

Bayport Fishing Pier

Jenkins Creek Fishing Pier
Also lots of places at
Linda Pederson Park directly across the road

The BAYPORT Boat ramp is being rebuilt and the parking lot expanded. Completion date is about April 10 for the ramp reopening. In the menatime there are no launching facilities; however the pier remains open to fishing.

Observation Tower overlooking
Jenkins Creek
Linda Pederson Park
and the saltwater marsh

Bridge from Tower area to Beach Area
at Linda Pederson Park

Pine Island Beach
on the Gulf
There's a fishing area too!

A concrete sidewalk connects these shelters at Pine Island making them more accessable to the motivationally challenged

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Hernando County's Coastline stretches from the fishing village of Aripeka north to the Chassahowitzka River. Aripeka, Hernando Beach, Weeki Wachee, Bayport and Pine Island are the names of the different areas.

Our waters are relatively shallow gaining in depth at a rate of 1 ft per mile as one travels offshore. This makes for good "flats" fishing with notable species being Tarpon, Redfish and Speckeled Seatrout. If Grouper is your game then you should be prepared to go out 15 to 40 miles.

Pine Island Beach,
note the exposed rocks
on the flats during low water

The darker sand where the birds are
is generally underwater

Hernando County has a artificial reef program and has developed reefs utilizing concrete rubble, M-60 Main Battle Tanks and Reef Balls (a specially constructed concrete reef structure). The County has several fine boat ramps to allow access to the Gulf Of Mexico.

Locations of Aids to Navigation, and artificial reefs are shown on the picture below along with the range and bearings from one point to another. This is taken from a publication produced by the Hernando County Port Authority and Dept. of Public Works. It's available at marinas along the coast as well at County offices. Latitudes and longitudes are provided in the chart below so you may program your GPS before you go boating.

Much of the nearshore area is very shallow and you should be very careful not to hit botom for two reasons: 1) boat repair can be expensive and 2) prop scars damage the seagrasses that make the habitat.

An aerial view of seagrass scaring in Taylor County.
photo courtesy of FWC

Hernando Co. Reef Locations

Bearings and distances

LETTER
NAME
LIGHT SEQUENCE
POSITION
NOTES

A

BILL WATTS
Quick Flashing White
28-31.135N, 082-42.471W
End of Hernando Beach Channel

B

Hernando Beach Turn Light
3 second Flashing White
28-30.872N, 082-44.073W
Marked"Hernando Beach"

C

Billy Steele South Rack
OCC 3s ON, 1s OFF, White
28-30.415N, 082-46.488W
Submerged Ruins

D

Middle Rock
No Light - sign only
28-31.70N, 082-46.60W
"Danger Rocks" to east

E

Bayport North Rack
ISO. 3s ON - 3s OFF White
28-33.895N, 082-46.851W
Submerged Ruins, to North & West

F

Bayport Channel Entrance Light
5s Flashing White
28-32.850N, 082-42.570W
End of Bayport Channel

G

Gomez Rocks
2 Pilings , no light
(N)28-29.840N, 082-43.680W

(S)28.29-689N, 082-43.682W
Rocks between pilings

H

Chassahowitzka Channel Entrance
Quick Flashing White light
(N)28-39.50N, 082-44.10

I

Cutter Rock
6s Flashing White
28-30.979N, 082-49.934W
"Danger Rocks"

J

Aripeka Channel Entrance Light
6s Flashing White
28-27.04N, 082-44.57W
End of Aripeka Channel

K

A,H. Richardson Reef
Yellow Buoy - Richardson Reef
28-31.484N, 082-55.144W
Culverts & Concrete Rubble 20 ft.

L

Jim Champion Reef
Yellow Buoy - Champion Reef
28-36.43N, 082-56.40W
Culverts & Barge 20 ft.

M

Bendickson Tank Reef
Yellow Buoy - Bendickson Tank Reef
28-31.761N, 082-58.362W
10 Sherman tanks in a 1/4 mile radius, 25 ft.

N

Reef Ball Reef
Yellow Buoy - Reef Balls
28-30.007N, 082-58.408W
180 Reef Balls in 1/4 mile radius, 29 ft.

If you notice that any of these lighted aids are not working properly you may call the Hernando County Parks & Recreation Dept. at 352-754-4027 and report it, or notify Coast Guard Station Yankeetown on VHF Channel 16 or by phone at 352-447-6900


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REEF BALLS: Note the random holes in this Reef Ball, they are actually strategically placed.
The base is not on Reef Balls which are deployed on the ocean bottom.

Reef Balls are a special PH balanced concrete with holes to simulate the sound of coral when water flows past them. Fish will move in with in hours of deployment. Marine growth will soon begin to adhere to them making them an even more desirable fish attractor. Any vertical object tends to attract fish, however the old idea of using worn out tires did not work out since marine growth does not like to adhere to them and they are hard to keep on location. Other states have had to spend millions removing "old tire reefs' because of environmental concerns. The Reef Ball is a scientifically designed structure that is easy to deploy. A lift bag is attached to the top during sinking so that they land upright, then it is removed by divers.

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County Boat Ramps with Gulf access are at Hernando Beach, Jenkins Creek Park (small boats, it's steep), Weeki Wachee River at Rogers Park and Bayport. Additionally there is a private ramp at Aripeka just inside Pasco county; ask at Norfleet's Fishing Shack on the south end of the north bridge.

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Shrimp boat going to work

Our Shrimp Boat Fleet catches live shrimp which are sent throughout Florida and as far north as South Carolina for bait. These hearty fishermen leave at dusk and return around 2AM. Their product must be delivered to baitshops by the time the fishermen are ready to go out. Shrimp move about at night and bury into the bottom during the day, so shrimping is done at night. Just think, these guys and gals get a front row seat on the wonderful sunsets of the Florida's West Coast.

Hernando Beach Ramp
4 launch slips

The Hernando Beach Ramp has the most parking of any of the county ramps, but as more and more people come to visit, space is often at a premium.

Good boating etiquite is to have your boat prepared to launch when you get to the ramp (don't forget the drain plug). Launch your boat and move your vehicle to the parking area.

On the way out please don't hog the ramp while you secure your boat for transport, pull back into the parking area to make it road ready.

DREDGE PROJECT:

There is a maintenance dredge project in the works for the Hernando Beach Channel. When complete we hope to widen the turns a bit and have a controlling depth over 4 ft. at mean lower low water This project has been going on since 1994 and has had to overcome many obstacles. As time goes on costs go up and environmental regulations change which causes a further increase in cost.

The Port Authority and the County Government have been diligently working on moving this project forward. We have new hopes that this project will happen soon as some cost saving measures have 'cleared' the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection). December 2006 is the current projected completion month.

Jenkins Creek Ramp & Bridge to the seaward side. Smaller fishing boat owners may find this ramp less crowded.

A little known ramp is at Jenkins Creek and may be especally useful for fishermen when the tarpon are prowling our coast, generally April 15 through late June. It is a bit steep, but there is rarely a line waiting to use it. It's great for flats style boats and Kayakers will find it useful as well for exlploring the salt marsh of the nature coast.

Kayakers will be able to go up to the Weeki Wachee River or down to Bayport. an interesting circumnavigation would be to go up the canal along Shoal Line Blvd. to the Weeki Wachee, turn left when you join the Weeki Wachee, travel down to Bayport with the current behind you. At the Bayport Pier take the waterway directly across from it, take the first left which is Jenkin's Creek and you'll come back to the ramp. This would be a good half day trip and you should see many types of wildlife, inclucing but not limited to manatees, osprey's,bald eagles, pelicans, Blue Herons, wood storks (especially in the winter), looking over the side you may see snook, jacks, mullet, sheephead, mangrove snapper swimming below you. Don't worry about alligators, they are rarely seen in this area; they prefer calm fresh water like golf course lakes and still swamp waters.

Rogers Park Ramp
just off the Weeki Wachee River
launch in freshwater

Bayport Park is located at "Lands End", the western end of Rt. 50 ( CR 550). There are two launch ramps, with another to be added this year. There are picnic tables both at the ramp area and down at the pier. Bayport is a very popular spot and parking is at a PREMIUM. Please do not park a car in a space designed for a boat and trailer, especially early in the day. Most of the time the fishermen are back by 2:30 pm and the crowding eases. Bayport is a good place to go and enjoy one of our spectacular sunsets. Parking along the road may get you a ticket, so please don't do that either.

Bayport Park Ramp, 2 launch slips


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