Fishing the Pier at Sharky's, Venice, Florida Fishing the Pier at Sharky's, Venice, Florida
By Gary Anderson
The pounds of fish caught from the Sharky’s Pier, is as many as a list of all the fans attending the Super Bowel watching the Buc’s pound the Raiders! Go Tampa Bay, oh yeah, that’s another story. Some of the more recent catches include an eight foot bull shark with a girth of forty nine inches (mucho, many pounds), a small dusky, and a black tip. All caught with-in the last three weeks of bitter cold weather. Spring and summer is best but the big ones roam in close this time of year. Using an 8/0 or better hook size, wire leader of six feet or longer, a 4/0 reel or larger and the time to freeze to death are the chief ingredients, add a small piece of cut bait, sit back and wait. FISH ON!
SHARK’S at the Pier is actually a restaurant. Located at the base of the pier. They have live entertainment from bands like; Trinidudes, David Moore, Joey Lavalle, Moving Target and Impluse to name a few. Offering a full menu of fresh fish, crab, shrimp, meats and pastas, coupled with a full line of beverages and the fishing pier you’ve got a great place to go. No need to bring out a radio on the weekends while fishing, you have live music to fish by. There is free well lit parking only a few feet from the pier and the fishing pier is 100% wheelchair friendly. So don’t let that stop you, come out and catch some fish or just relax and watch us pro’s catch the big ones. This sounds like a plug for the restaurant, but it is not because fishing at Sharky’s on the Pier is a whole experience of its own.
At the start of the pier, there is a bait and tackle shop that has all the live and frozen bait that you will need for your day or night of fishing, as well as a complete line of fishing tackle, including rental equipment. The day charge is $1.00 and free after sunset. Also check out the Photo Board next to the tackle shop. See some of those fish stories; one picture is worth a thousand words. There are also, clean, well lit, restrooms for both parties, open 24/7. The pier is maintained in a clean and well lit manner and the management is constantly roaming the piers to see that they are kept clean and that all the fishermen are served well. WITH THE EXCEPTION, of the end of the pier, it is closed off and in need of a major overhaul. It has remained this way for some two years! First the city needed money. Then they needed the permits. Now they have the money and the permits but do not have a start date. Permits were issued around the 23rd of September, 2002. HELLO! Summer is just around the corner and as we all know: the best place to view our spectacular sun sets and catch the largest fish are on the end of the pier!
With March and April, coming up soon, Pompano should be moving in and are regular visitors to the pier all summer. From April until October, mangrove snapper, sharks of all species and sizes, cobia, and the grand Silver Kings, (tarpon), will join the list of regulars at the pier. And in the spring, our famous west coast king mackerel runs begin. This is the time of year to be on the pier with live baits on 4/0 hooks, forty pound line, and steel leaders for the sharp-toothed fish! Don’t forget to bring your extra rod and trolley rigs. There will also be plenty of Spanish mackerel as the water temperature nears 70 degrees, a far cry from the 56 degree water reading of today. But don’t let that stop you, a bad day fishing is better than a good day at home with cabin fever. Think Snow, NOT!! Thank spring and come on down to the pier for some great cold water sharking.
SHARK’S at the Pier is actually a restaurant. Located at the base of the pier. They have live entertainment from bands like; Trinidudes, David Moore, Joey Lavalle, Moving Target and Impluse to name a few. Offering a full menu of fresh fish, crab, shrimp, meats and pastas, coupled with a full line of beverages and the fishing pier you’ve got a great place to go. No need to bring out a radio on the weekends while fishing, you have live music to fish by. There is free well lit parking only a few feet from the pier and the fishing pier is 100% wheelchair friendly. So don’t let that stop you, come out and catch some fish or just relax and watch us pro’s catch the big ones. This sounds like a plug for the restaurant, but it is not because fishing at Sharky’s on the Pier is a whole experience of its own.
With March and April, coming up soon, Pompano should be moving in and are regular visitors to the pier all summer. From April until October, mangrove snapper, sharks of all species and sizes, cobia, and the grand Silver Kings, (tarpon), will join the list of regulars at the pier. And in the spring, our famous west coast king mackerel runs begin. This is the time of year to be on the pier with live baits on 4/0 hooks, forty pound line, and steel leaders for the sharp-toothed fish! Don’t forget to bring your extra rod and trolley rigs. There will also be plenty of Spanish mackerel as the water temperature nears 70 degrees, a far cry from the 56 degree water reading of today. But don’t let that stop you, a bad day fishing is better than a good day at home with cabin fever. Think Snow, NOT!! Thank spring and come on down to the pier for some great cold water sharking.